En el presente trabajo de investigación se plantea la implementación de estrategias de marketing para una empresa que compite en el sector industrial de productos de pintura de Lima la cual realiza la producción y comercialización de pinturas en el mercado nacional. La implementación de estrategias de marketing tiene como objetivo la mejor gestión del área de ventas, generando así aumentar el nivel de ventas de la empresa por medio del aumento del posicionamiento de la marca, nivel de ventas, reducción de las devoluciones, dando como resultado la mejora de la gestión del área de ventas. En el análisis de los problemas más relevantes del servicio se identificó que la marca no es tan conocida, las ventas bajas, reclamos de clientes, para mejorar la gestión se emplearon diversas metodología como las, 4P-BTL-ATL, equipo de ventas, 5S- Lean Office que permitieron mejorar el orden y la limpieza, aumentar la motivación del personal y mejorar el desempeño del área de ventas. Las propuestas de mejora presentadas no son independientes una de la otra, por el contrario, se logra una sinergia entre ellas, el cual se traduce en mayores ventas, mayores ingresos, mejor posicionamiento de marca y por lo tanto, mejora de la gestión del área de ventas

D.Litt et Phil. (Public Management and Governance) / Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are contractual arrangements between the public and private sector, which are generally long-term in nature. If correctly implemented PPPs can mobilise socio-economic goals. The implementation of PPPs is to permit the delivery of continued, lucrative public organisation or services, by mobilising private sector proficiency and conveying a substantial amount of risk to the private sector, towards value for money. The incentive of the research is centred on the guiding principles of PPPs and the challenge of risk-sharing. The aim of this study is to encourage the systematic management and strategic control of PPPs in South Africa. In doing so, this study aims to determine how the PPP model can be improved to necessitate effective risk management in PPPs, and to provide for improved strategic control. The study supplies recommendations for improved practice, in both the public and private sectors, through strategic planning and shared apparata in PPP arrangements. Furthermore, the study suggests guidelines for effective risk sharing and management in PPPs, through integrated systems management. Integrated systems management proposes that the strategy, structures, systems and culture of PPPs are entrenched in organisational settings, in both the private and public sector, as well as in the PPP arrangement, to encourage capacity development and more developed institutions in South Africa. Effective risk management in PPPs necessitates the anticipation of risks; sufficient planning to address these risks and achieve project objectives; and, lastly, the entrenching of risk management within the organisation and project structures. The study commences with an overview of the development of public management and conceptual approaches of governance, providing a contextual synthesis of past and current theoretical perspectives. The study conceptualises the theoretical standpoints relevant to PPPs and the labelling of peripheral approaches. The research provides a synopsis of the role and functions of PPPs, international best practices in PPPs, and the nature of risk management in PPPs. This affords a foundation for investigating the trials and issues associated with PPPs and the challenges experienced in managing risks in PPPs. This is augmented with a systematic breakdown of the research design and methodology, to structure the research. In addition, a preliminary quantitative survey assessment is conducted, in order to derive preliminary findings for the primary analysis in the research.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / The main objective of this research is to asses the effectiveness of the channels (collective bargaining and workplace forums) created by the LRA for employee‟s participation in decision making in the mining sector. Problems related to employee participation will be examined to determine whether they are structural or due to shortcomings in the LRA. If it is found that there are shortcomings of the labour legislation in this regard, recommendations on how the shortcoming can be addressed will be made. The significance of this research paper is that it attempts to determine the efficacy of the current statutorily protected channels for employee participation in the mining sector against the backdrop of prevalent theories on employee participation. Although many labour law authors have commented on the role of workplace forums in South Africa, the relative advantages of workplace forums have not been analysed through the lens of the theories on employee participation.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis seeks to examine the making of official policies on street trading in Cape Town’s city centre and the impact of such policies. It covers an extensive period from colonial times to the Union era and from apartheid to democracy. The local government and its role in controlling the trade is the centre of focus but the thesis also explores how the oral testimonies of street traders in the city centre contribute to our understanding of the activity as well as the impact of policy. This thesis poses several questions. What influences policy? What is the impact of policy? Are there continuities or discontinuities in policy? How does one understand street trading and the impact of policy from the perspectives of street traders themselves? Given that there are significant studies of street trading in other municipalities, how does a history of street trading in Cape Town compare? Is there anything distinctive about Cape Town?` Several factors have influenced policy. These have been similar to other local authorities. These have been the desire to raise revenue for the city, to protect the interest of established businesses who feared competition from street traders, the city’s desire to maintain a clean, beautiful and orderly city, as well as traffic and sanitation considerations. Like other local authorities, strategies have included: issuing licenses to street traders and the development and implementation of street trading regulations which either restricted or prohibited street trading. In contrast to studies of other cities, this thesis explores the practice of registration as a measure of control which nonetheless confers rights. This thesis marks the 1980s as representing a decisive shift in policy from one characterized by the prosecution of street traders to a more sympathetic and supportive approach towards street traders. The post-apartheid context saw significant changes in policy motivated by the desire to seek solutions to unemployment and poverty alleviation. Thus permanent stands for street traders in the city centre have been provided, traders have been involved in decision making and power has been devolved to associations. The latter practice has been significant in Cape Town. This thesis has also found that out of the major South African cities, Cape Town comes after Johannesburg in having progressive street trader policies. This measure of progressive is seen in the number of street traders, in the provision of infrastructure such as stands and the encouragement of the sector. While the Cape Town city council has a developmental continuum plan which sees street trading leading to formal businesses, it has yet to put resources to further this. Oral histories have been particularly useful in highlighting that street trading is not only the occupation of the urban poor. This thesis highlights individuals with skills and education and who see the sector as bearing many advantages. The thesis points to the sector as being differentiated. Further, the distinction between the formal and informal gets blurred in the contemporary era. This thesis highlights the hereditary nature of street trading in Cape Town thus challenging ideas of street trading as a transitory occupation. With regard to policy, interviews highlighted the negative impact of policy during apartheid. While traders see the advantages of the democratic era, they nonetheless argue too that the encouragement of the sector has seen an increase in the number of street traders but no significant increase in a customer base. There is thus some nostalgia for the pre-1994 years. This study has allowed one to track continuity and discontinuity and to explore the idea of a progressive policy and to make comparisons with other cities drawing from official and oral sources.

This thesis analyses empirical evidence of the state of the HR function and the presence of the strategic role of the HR function in the banking sector of Pakistan. The focus of analysis is on key components of the HR function that influence its role orientation, namely the patterns of devolution of HR responsibilities, the structure of the HR function and the skill-set of HR personnel. The extant literature on HRM and the role of the HR function is for the most part contextualized within Anglo-Saxon countries and as a consequence insufficiently highlights the idiosyncratic and embedded factors which influence the role and strategic direction of the HR function in developing countries. Also, while the literature suggests that different stakeholders are likely to report divergent views regarding the role of the HR function, few studies provide a thorough examination of this issue. To address these gaps in the literature, a qualitative case-study approach was adopted and interviews were conducted with 85 HR, senior and line managers in eight case-study banks. The data analysis largely fails to identify a significant presence of the strategic role of the HR function across the sample banks. It also indicates a generally low level of devolution of HR activities to line management, which has impeded the ability of HR managers to devote more time and resources to strategic initiatives. Even where devolution has occurred, it has not enabled the HR function to enhance its strategic contribution. The evidence also suggests that where organisations implemented structural changes to their HR function ostensibly, to enhance the strategic orientation, this did not result in meaningful outcomes and, moreover, the lack of requisite business acumen among HR personnel appears to have impeded their strategic contribution. In the context of Pakistan, these findings emerged because the HR function was in an early stage of development, the strategic HR role required a skill-set which had just begun to emerge and the underpinned reasons for changes in the structure were to attain better operational efficiency. Further, in the domestic case-study banks, the function faced challenges of an out-dated skill-set of incumbent employees and the ensuing legacy effects. These results suggest that in order to study the presence of a strategic role orientation, a broader analytical framework is required that both incorporates multiple elements within the HR function – especially its structure, extent of devolution of HR activities and skill-set of personnel – and responds to the multiple and conflicting perspectives of different stakeholders in a complex and fast-changing industry environment.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MInst Agrar (Agricultural Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Businesses in Swaziland have been somewhat cushioned against the impact of world trade liberation and least as far as home and regional markets are concerned (Ministry of Enterprise and Employment, 2005: 18). The country's position with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) affords temporary protection against the competition felt by economies elsewhere in Africa. Furthermore, with limited domestic markets, export-oriented industries are the backbone of Swaziland's economy (Thompson, 2010:19). Trade vibrancy caused by globalisation, health standards requirements and other factors has started affecting export industries. It is therefore, important that the businesses in Swaziland prepare for more intense competition in the future. This could be achieved through improved management and improved productivity which would then enhance competitiveness. The decrease of foreign direct investment in the agricultural sector, the removal of trade preferences among top export industries (sugar, textile), decrease in demand for export products (as a result of economic downturn), indicates that there is a problem of competitiveness in the Swaziland agribusiness sector. Therefore, the objectives of the study are; to determine the constraining and enhancing factors of competitiveness of the agribusiness sector of Swaziland and to develop the strategies to improve competitiveness of the sector. A structured questionnaire adapted from the Agricultural Business Chambers (ABC) of South Africa was used to collect the data through face-to-face interviews. Porter's (1998) theory for the determinant of competitive advantage was used as a base in designing the questionnaire in order to capture the constraining and enhancing factors influencing competitive advantage. The target group comprised decisionmakers (chief executive, managing directors) for agribusiness firms, including in the following industries: dairy, sugar, animal feed, maize, livestock and poultry, textile. The data was analysed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS) and was presented in tableau and figure format. The scale of classification used when analysing the determinants of competitiveness was; a mean score of 1 meant constraining competitiveness success; a mean score of 3 meant moderate effect and a mean score of 5 meant enhancing competitiveness success. Most of the determinants [factor (2.72), demand (2.64), related and supporting industries (2.29), chance (2.46) and government conditions (2.48)] were constraining competitiveness. The top three factors contributing to this are: unavailability of professional labour (1.63), costs of inputs and supplies (1.69), incompetent (1.69) and ineffective public sector personnel (1.88) and small local market size (1.88). The only determinant that has the ability to enhance competitiveness is the firm's strategy, structure and rivalry conditions, as indicated by a moderate mean score of 3.38. The top three factors enhancing competitiveness success of the agribusiness sector are; production of high quality affordable products (4.19), availability of water for production and processing purposes (4.00), and the cost of unskilled or semiskilled labour (3.94). The Porter analysis indicated that the competitive environment in which the sector operates in is unfavourable and does not enhance competitiveness. An analysis of the interviewed industries revealed that the overall performance of each industry, particularly the sugar, dairy and maize industries are moderately competitive compared to the other ones. This is supported by the finding that these industries have three determinants of comparative advantage enhancing competitiveness. Special attention, through implementation of strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the agribusiness sector is necessary. This could be achieved though collaboration and intervention by all participants in the sector. The strategies are explained in terms of roles that could be played by the agribusinesses and the government. Strategies involve; industry coordination to minimise costs, market orientation strategy, HIV/AIDS services at company level, encouraging sustainable investments, products diversification and promoting internship and graduate training programmes. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between environmental reporting and financial reporting by listed South African mining companies in order to determine the degree of integration between these two processes. Many companies disclose environmental information in their financial report (FR) or in a stand-alone environmental (ER) or sustainability report (SR). However, the environmental information contained in these reports does not always satisfy the information needs of shareholders, analysts and investors. In most cases, it appears as if current ERs do not sufficiently reflect the business implications of environmental issues for companies, hence the lack of interest in such reports among investors and analysts. Although many analyses of ERs and FRs have been performed, there is a lack of evidence regarding the relationship between financial reporting and environmental reporting. In an attempt to address this gap in the literature, this study examined the current practice of relating environmental reporting to financial reporting of selected mining companies. The environmental components of sustainability reports (SRs) and the financial reports (FRs) of six of the largest South African mining companies were examined to assess the relationship between environmental and financial reporting. Forty-six environmental disclosure indicators relating to environmental information with business implications were identified from South African legislation, general accounting standards and best practice guidelines. The reports were examined using the indicators as benchmarks. The nature of disclosure for each indicator was recorded for each report. The level of linkage or integration regarding disclosures for the same indicator between the ER and its associated FR was assessed. Integration scores were determined for the main indicator categories, for individual indicators as well as for each company, based on seven potential levels of integration. The study concluded that, generally speaking, the current link between environmental reporting and financial reporting among the sample companies was very limited. The contribution of this study lies in the identification of a wide range of environmental disclosure indicators from a variety of sources, and the application thereof for assessing the relationship between environmental reporting and financial reporting. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Accounting / Unrestricted

This study analyzes the economic impact of a recent gene marker innovation for seedstock selection in beef cattle. Gene markers are being developed for many beef cattle attributes; this study focused on the tenderness quality of beef using two categories: tender and tough. The study begins by describing conventional procedures for seedstock selection, the science which underlies selection by gene markers and other non-genetic procedures currently being used to improve beef tenderness. After describing the commercialization of the gene marker innovation, a stylized model of a beef supply chain is constructed. The supply chain consists of a representative consumer, a producer/processor group and a monopolist supplier of the patented technology. Welfare changes resulting from the adoption of the innovation were simulated using four sets of demand elasticity data from literatures. An important focus of this research is determining how the economic surplus from the innovation will be shared by consumers, producers and the gene marker monopolist. The consumer and gene marker monopolist benefit from the technology unless the marginal and fixed cost variables (not estimated in this study) of the monopolist, are excessively high. Producer surplus was simulated as positive with three of the four elasticity data sets. The share of surplus capture by producers is generally low relative to the gains captured by consumers and the gene marker monopolist. Comparative static analysis reveal that the benefit from the innovation varies across breeds, being higher for breeds in which the favorable form of the marker gene is more likely to be present. Despite the apparent benefits of the innovation for beef supply chain participants, reported interviews with industry scientists reveal that markers should not be viewed as a replacement for conventional selection techniques. Indeed, selecting seedstock on the basis of a small number of available markers is not likely to produce the benefits that are currently being promised by life science companies. Consequently, this study recommends that the innovation be incorporated into existing seedstock selection practices. Much more analysis is needed to understand the full economic impact of gene markers for beef tenderness and for other beef quality attributes. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

The purpose of this thesis is to disseminate research work done towards a higher degree and report on the findings of the research that was conducted relative to South African Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. The research investigated perceptions of PPP actors on the performance of operational PPP projects. The aim of the research was to fulfil the requirements for the award of the degree of philosophiae doctor in construction management; contribute to the PPP body of knowledge; contribute further understanding of the performance of PPP projects in South Africa; and develop a systemic model for a sustainable PPP system within the country and beyond. All the aforementioned have been achieved, despite the research limitations as indicated in Chapter 1. A case study approach was adopted to examine various performance aspects of operational South African PPP projects. The research was a multi-case study design. Each individual case study consisted of a ‘whole’ study, in which facts were gathered from the selected PPP projects and conclusions drawn on those facts. A web-based questionnaire was used to capture the experiences and perceptions of various actors involved directly, or indirectly in selected PPP projects. The sample stratum consisted of all operational PPP projects registered in accordance with Treasury Regulations as of December 2005 and other projects that reached financial closure before the Public Finance Management Act of 1999 became effective. PPPs involve highly complex procurement processes, are relatively new in South Africa and to date have attracted limited investigation to refine our understanding of the operational performance of PPP projects. This is notable, as significant financial and other resources are involved, and the perception exists that service delivery in most parts of the country is poor. Key empirical evidence from the research indicates that South Africa has developed a robust policy and regulatory framework for PPPs; has an inadequate level of PPP awareness and training; and lacks the project management capacity to facilitate deal flow. It is suggested that further research be conducted on a yearly basis, preferably every six months, so that trends can be established concerning various aspects of other operational PPPs. Further, it is recommended that the PPP Unit commission sector-specific studies that will conduct further research, to compare research across PPP and non-PPP contracts. The choice to conduct a multi-case study required extensive resources and time beyond the means available to the researcher. Further, the sensitive nature of PPP projects made it difficult to obtain required data at the first attempt. However, the researcher made several follow up calls and reminders before eventually obtaining the required data from the respondents. A systemic PPP model has been developed for PPP implementation and management. This model was tested for appropriateness by conducting a further survey on PPP participants attending an international conference on 'Financing of Infrastructure Development in Africa through Public Private Partnerships’ staged in August 2007, in the St. George Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings from this research make an invaluable and original contribution to the PPP body of knowledge, provide insight for further research in this important field, refine the understanding of operational PPP projects, and provide direction for policy and decision makers in the public and private sectors, within South Africa and beyond.