Leadership effectiveness, and how it affects organisational performance, is a much researched area of interest. This study focuses on those leadership skills and behaviours that possibly could increase leadership effectiveness at the senior level of leadership. This is a qualitative research project and the data has been collected using a combination of a qualitative questionnaire and in-depth interviews, conducted with highly qualified individuals with extensive leadership development experience. The research showed a significant relationship between leadership skills and leadership effectiveness and revealed that certain behaviours impact leadership effectiveness at the senior level. In addition it confirmed that leadership skills and behaviours that increase leadership effectiveness could be both continuous and discontinuous in nature when transitioning from the middle management to the senior level. Within the context of sub-Saharan Africa, adaptability and learning agility are especially important behaviours for leadership effectiveness at the senior level. The research also showed that interpersonal skills is the most important skill group to be developed when transitioning to the senior level and, of these, political and cultural sensitivity emerged as the most important interpersonal skill for leadership effectiveness at the senior level. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Since mining companies depend on debt and/or equity funding to sustain their operations, investors, in theory, could influence mining company policy by making financing conditional on environmental and social performance factors. The rise in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting combined with the increasing trend of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) - different sides of the same coin - CSR provides sustainability information to the market and SRI principles influence the investment decisions of investors. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper insight into the influence of sustainability metrics on the investment behaviour of investors when investing in the South African mining industry. The research was conducted by performing in-depth, qualitative interviews with members of the investment community which included asset owners, asset managers, chief investment officers, investment analysts and fund managers. By and large, the investment community does not consider sustainability metrics published by mining companies when making investment decisions, and the principles and use of sustainability metrics have yet to be integrated into the decision-making process of most asset managers. There is, however, an increasing awareness of the principles of responsible investment and a correlating increase in the number of asset owners and asset managers subscribing to the principle guiding bodies which augurs well for the future. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

A disappointingly large proportion of the citizens of developing countries remain excluded from services provided by formal financial enterprises. This segment of the market, often referred to as the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP), is subjected to a host of barriers which prevent it from accessing traditional financial services. In society, money does not only represent material value, but it is also a social construct through which all members of societies express themselves. Hence these, often poor, members of developing societies consequently attain access to credit through alternative modes of financing – one of which is the financial cooperative. Financial cooperatives play a dual role in society; they provide an economic vehicle for individuals and also a platform for social interaction for its members, thereby building social capital within the society. The existence of social capital within a society increases the members’ ability to solve communal problems. Unfortunately, an inadequate amount of research has been done to aid our understanding of this, and indeed other, alternative financing models. This paper seeks to begin to address this by investigating the competitive advantage and critical success factors of financial cooperatives in Swaziland. To this end, a qualitative research with an exploratory approach was conducted, as this approach was found most appropriate to provide new insights on the key phenomena that was being investigated. Consequently, 24 in-depth interviews at five different levels of involvement with cooperatives in Swaziland were conducted. The interviews provided rich data which was analysed using content and frequency analysis. This study found that successful financial service providers serving the market at the BOP provide a solution that has an appropriate balance between functional and social features. Financial cooperatives as a means of financial service was found to be suitably designed to meet the needs of the underserved financial service market. The Financial Services Acquisition Journey model was developed from the research findings. In graphic form, this model offers an integrated representation on how to ensure enhanced customer experience whilst providing financial services for the underserved financial services market. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which CSR is incorporated into the management of projects within the Information Technology (IT) Sector. The study’s focus was particularly on IT Projects and IT Project Management. This research adopted a qualitative, exploratory approach as the study aimed to obtain new insights. Information was gathered from a cross-section of 8 companies, with 13 experts participating in semi-structured interviews. The study found that cost reduction is the real motive behind undertaking of IT Projects. The efficiencies brought about by IT Projects improve processes and cut out unnecessary waste. The reduction of operational risk, increase of revenue and reduction of costs are the true motivations for undertaking these IT Projects. If value creation is argued from this perspective, it could be considered a viable Business Case. The study found that CSR is well incorporated in organisations that have Project Management Offices (PMOs). Because the PMOs appear to engender good CSR practices, Management should seriously consider the establishment of PMOs to effectively address the incorporation of CSR into their IT Projects and IT Project Management. The use of IT Projects to develop beneficial products presents a solid Business Case for CSR incorporation. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

This research compares partners required to be competitive in the low income market to the partner network of the more traditional upper income market in South Africa. The research examines the non-traditional partnerships engaged by firms which include local communities, government and NGO’s. It further looks at the broader alliances formed by firms competing in the low income market compared to the traditional market and lastly investigates institutional voids and their effect in the respective markets. The research is exploratory in nature and considers the perceptions of managers in eight companies through the use of semi-structured interviews. 14 managers were interviewed across the 6 industries selected. Insights were gained through the use of a semi structured interview guide. The research indicates that non-traditional partnerships do take place in both the low income and traditional markets but for different reasons, with the low income market focusing on these partnerships to access the consumer. It was further apparent from the interviews that those competing in the low income market tend to partner more with other firms operating in the market but in different industries, whilst the traditional market managers tend to partner more with smaller business set up to fulfil the needs of the larger firm. The research further indicates that institutional voids may present an area to develop first mover advantage by locking down successful partnerships before competitors do. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The issue leading to this study is the purported lack of short-term consideration of climate change materiality on investment portfolios. The on-going research argument deliberates the roles and motives of institutional investors in considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, including climate change, in investment decisions. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the underlying motives of South African institutional investors for the incorporation of climate change in their short-term investment decision-making. The study was conducted through a qualitative, exploratory enquiry, whereby seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutions in the South African asset management industry. Participants’ views were analysed and indicated the following themes: The state of climate change awareness and the incorporation of ESG and climate change in investment decision-making; tactical valuation of assets using ESG/climate change screening and methods of monitoring ESG/climate change practices; and motives, incentives and constraints of responsible investment (RI) practices to incorporate climate change. These are supported by business conditions that enable consideration of climate change in investment analysis. Industry practitioners can lead by implementing RI to include climate change in order to attract potential clients to their portfolios. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

This research aimed to assess the potential of social entrepreneurship to contribute in increasing the economic participation of the youth in South Africa. With South Africa experiencing high levels of youth unemployment and characterised by a population “youth bulge”, an economically excluded youth impedes the economic development plans of the country. Therefore all economic sectors in South Africa should be assessed for the potential to increase the economic participation of the youth to aid the delivery of the economic development goals. The research was conducted using a qualitative research methodology as the nature of the research problem lent itself to more descriptive and rich answers. The field of social entrepreneurship is also relatively new and the data available for quantitative analysis is limited.The research found that social entrepreneurship has a potential to increase the economic participation of the youth but is failing to deliver results mainly as a result of legislation not recognising a legal entity for social entrepreneurial activities. The disparities in the definitions of key social entrepreneurship terms, lack of awareness about the sector and the challenges surrounding the sustainability of social enterprises do not render social entrepreneurship as an economic opportunity of choice for the youth. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

Frequent and prolonged labour strike actions in the South African mining industry are widely acknowledged. These strikes continue to negatively impact on the socio-economic factors in the South African society and particularly the businesses. Studies have been conducted on the bargaining processes to ascertain proper engagement process to follow during conflict resolutions. However, the shortfall in these studies has been identification of appropriate models that reduces or totally eliminate the re-occurrence of frequent labour strikes. Understanding how the bargaining process, prior and during the bargaining process, can curb these labour strikes is therefore critical. Data from different bargaining experts were collated and analysed through a Delphi research tool. Results indicated that several steps need to be taken into accountant before and during the bargaining process. Such steps include continuous communication between stakeholders and the bargaining process’s leadership. While labour strikes are as a result of impasses, which inform strike actions, encountered during negotiations, results show that before impasses are encountered it is imperative to manage the bargaining processes prior the formal engagements. It was also established that the choice of the bargaining process i.e. choosing between centralization of decentralization of the bargaining process may not necessarily curb the frequency of strikes. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to discover a more effective method of administering and securing property rights for land that is currently under the customary land system, in order to encourage investment and improve the livelihood of the rural communities. This study was restricted to rural land property rights through an exploratory analysis based on nine interviews with experts who have an in-depth understanding of the relationship between secure property rights and the distribution and use of resources in rural communities. The results confirmed the need for formal property rights to be instituted in rural communities. The findings showed that a hybrid method that is not only designed to try and identify a single process for all areas but also recognise the diversity in suitability and competencies of different areas would be suitable for administering and securing property rights. The method should yield stronger potential for success in nurturing communal lands towards more productive economic endeavour. The findings suggest that there are layers of overlapping concerns that need to be specifically addressed in order to attain a comprehensive solution to communal land ownership and economic development. However, to implement procedures for allocation of land, government will need to play an instrumental role in not only shaping investment attracting policy structures but also directly injecting capital towards programs that private capital tends to avoid. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The need for this research stemmed from the lack of a practical understanding and framework on how organisational adaptation really works. Research thus far has been largely practitioner orientated and focussed on the theoretical constructs of adaptation. The report explores how and why organisations adapt in an effort to remain relevant, sustainable and profitable. The research investigated the components of organisational adaptation, their constructs and the individual theories behind them. Based on a comprehensive review of literature, the de jure model (Figure 7) of organisational adaptation was developed around the concepts and theories extracted from this review. This conceptual model was tested through in depth interviews with 12 C-level executives from the short-term insurance industry to assess its validity. Emerging from the research findings, the de facto model of organisational adaptation (Figure 11) provides a practical illustration of organisational adaptation and an integrated view of its components. The model validated elements of the literature and provided new insights in this area of research. In addition, it is a practical framework that can be used by organisations across all levels of hierarchy to encourage robust, comprehensive decision making and drive the adaptive process / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted