This study shows the economic need for SMEs playing a supportive role in the South African mining industry. The main issues arethe business decision of mining companies to outsource function rather than to have it in-house,the differentiation methods mining companies used to distinguish between large companies and SMEs and BBBEE regulation. The Delphi study method was used. A questionnaire was sent out to the group of experts. The group of experts consists of senior managers at procurement departments of mining companies. All of these companies are members of the South African Chamber of Mines. The study showed that the need for SMEs to support the mining industry is increasing due to the increase in outsourcing, differentiating between large and small companies as well as the partnering of SMEs with HDSA's to comply with BBBEE regulations. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The general purpose of this study was to explore the perception of discrimination under the middle managers in a selected South African mining company, as well as the associated impacts thereof on the individual and organisation. Although discrimination is a global phenomenon with a vast amount of scientific studies conducted on this topic, literature remains rather silent on the prevalence of discrimination among middle managers; especially within the South African mining industry. Organisational discrimination is defined as actions within an organisation which are biased towards certain individuals or groups. Literature suggests that discrimination is still very prevalent within organisations, both locally and internationally. It is typically influenced by aspects such as culture, and human resources practices and systems. The impacts are widespread with specific impacts on the individual’s mental or physical health, as well as productivity. South Africa however implemented a plethora of legislative measures to redress past inequalities and eliminate discrimination in its current form. This study followed a qualitative approach by means of a survey conducted through an open-ended questionnaire. The results indicated a high personal experience of discrimination within the specific mining company amongst the middle management team members. Their perception of discrimination towards their colleagues was also measured as above average. This exposure to discrimination impacted on their productivity and to a lesser extent on their personal well-being. Their perception of the potential impacts of this discrimination was reportedly higher than their actual experience thereof. The main discriminatory actions associated with this perception was centred on the notion, namely that middle managers were not recognised nor rewarded within this company. General benefits were withheld and expected promotions denied. The study’s results also confirm the perception that discrimination towards the middle management team will ultimately impact on the company’s overall performance. The study suggests that this high level, as well as the specific types of discrimination within this mining company, is related to a company specific culture. It further suggests that it is also exacerbated by the current socio-political reforms within the South African mining industry. The study concludes by suggesting that the perception of discrimination within a company is as harmful as the event itself, and should therefore form an integral part of any internal programme aimed at addressing this issue. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The general purpose of this study was to explore the perception of discrimination under the middle managers in a selected South African mining company, as well as the associated impacts thereof on the individual and organisation. Although discrimination is a global phenomenon with a vast amount of scientific studies conducted on this topic, literature remains rather silent on the prevalence of discrimination among middle managers; especially within the South African mining industry. Organisational discrimination is defined as actions within an organisation which are biased towards certain individuals or groups. Literature suggests that discrimination is still very prevalent within organisations, both locally and internationally. It is typically influenced by aspects such as culture, and human resources practices and systems. The impacts are widespread with specific impacts on the individual’s mental or physical health, as well as productivity. South Africa however implemented a plethora of legislative measures to redress past inequalities and eliminate discrimination in its current form. This study followed a qualitative approach by means of a survey conducted through an open-ended questionnaire. The results indicated a high personal experience of discrimination within the specific mining company amongst the middle management team members. Their perception of discrimination towards their colleagues was also measured as above average. This exposure to discrimination impacted on their productivity and to a lesser extent on their personal well-being. Their perception of the potential impacts of this discrimination was reportedly higher than their actual experience thereof. The main discriminatory actions associated with this perception was centred on the notion, namely that middle managers were not recognised nor rewarded within this company. General benefits were withheld and expected promotions denied. The study’s results also confirm the perception that discrimination towards the middle management team will ultimately impact on the company’s overall performance. The study suggests that this high level, as well as the specific types of discrimination within this mining company, is related to a company specific culture. It further suggests that it is also exacerbated by the current socio-political reforms within the South African mining industry. The study concludes by suggesting that the perception of discrimination within a company is as harmful as the event itself, and should therefore form an integral part of any internal programme aimed at addressing this issue. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The South African mining industry has been a male dominated environment for a very long time. With changes in government policy and legislation, discriminatory laws forbidding women to work underground have been repealed and the mining industry have since been trying to accommodate women. Unfortunately there is an imbalance to this general trend of increase shown by the consistently low numbers of female employees within the mining industry. It was far-fetched for management to perceive that women can ever play a role in the underground mining industry. Unfortunately the perceptions of management is having an enormous impact on the attitudes of the rest of the employees in this industry. This leads to discrimination in the mining industry that will make it difficult for the women seeking financial stability. The whole mining industry should learn to adapt to this idea of women in mining. Employing women in the mine is a challenge of the mindset of viewing mining as a men's world. The objective of this research was to determine the experience of women in the platinum mining industry in South Africa as well as the impact that women entering the mining industry could have on the mines in terms of the working conditions, harassment, physiological aspects, ergonomics, physical strength, discrimination etc. The research method for this article consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A qualitative design has been used on an availability sample (N = 14) females in the platinum mining industry. The qualitative research makes it possible to determine the subjective experience of women working in the platinum mining industry. The literature focused on previous research on the experience of women entering the mining industry as an employee. vii The outcome of this research was that the male worker attitude and discrimination have an enormous impact on women that are entering the mining industry. One of the more difficult hurdles to overcome is the harassment that women need to deal with The women are also facing a huge challenge in terms of their physical strength not being adequate in order to perform up to a minimum of eight hours per day in the harsh working conditions including the ergonomics of the mining industry. Most of the women are entering the mining industry for financial reasons in order to survive in the South f i c a n Economic environment of today. After a hard day performing these physical activities they need to face their responsibilities at home in order to manage a work-home life balance. Management need to start seeking solutions to make the mining industry a more women free environment for example focussing on facilities for women. The fact that women were appointed into the mining environment covering traditionally male sectors, also speaks to a commitment to changing the face of the mining industry. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The South African mining industry has been a male dominated environment for a very long time. With changes in government policy and legislation, discriminatory laws forbidding women to work underground have been repealed and the mining industry have since been trying to accommodate women. Unfortunately there is an imbalance to this general trend of increase shown by the consistently low numbers of female employees within the mining industry. It was far-fetched for management to perceive that women can ever play a role in the underground mining industry. Unfortunately the perceptions of management is having an enormous impact on the attitudes of the rest of the employees in this industry. This leads to discrimination in the mining industry that will make it difficult for the women seeking financial stability. The whole mining industry should learn to adapt to this idea of women in mining. Employing women in the mine is a challenge of the mindset of viewing mining as a men's world. The objective of this research was to determine the experience of women in the platinum mining industry in South Africa as well as the impact that women entering the mining industry could have on the mines in terms of the working conditions, harassment, physiological aspects, ergonomics, physical strength, discrimination etc. The research method for this article consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A qualitative design has been used on an availability sample (N = 14) females in the platinum mining industry. The qualitative research makes it possible to determine the subjective experience of women working in the platinum mining industry. The literature focused on previous research on the experience of women entering the mining industry as an employee. vii The outcome of this research was that the male worker attitude and discrimination have an enormous impact on women that are entering the mining industry. One of the more difficult hurdles to overcome is the harassment that women need to deal with The women are also facing a huge challenge in terms of their physical strength not being adequate in order to perform up to a minimum of eight hours per day in the harsh working conditions including the ergonomics of the mining industry. Most of the women are entering the mining industry for financial reasons in order to survive in the South f i c a n Economic environment of today. After a hard day performing these physical activities they need to face their responsibilities at home in order to manage a work-home life balance. Management need to start seeking solutions to make the mining industry a more women free environment for example focussing on facilities for women. The fact that women were appointed into the mining environment covering traditionally male sectors, also speaks to a commitment to changing the face of the mining industry. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This research focused on the past to the present theoretical development of the management discipline and the practical application of it in the South African mining industry. The perceived deficiencies of the theoretical and practical management methods were identified and discussed. The role of the mining industry as one of the major contributors to employment, wealth creation, national gross product and national development was discussed. Existing and future challenges were highlighted. A motivation why the existing available theoretical management practices being utilised were inadequate to enable management to manage comprehensively was identified. The management practices utilised or still being utilised in the South African mining industry were investigated and evaluated. The Mine Manager’s Certificate of Competency, as a legally compulsory suitable qualification for a manager to be appointed as a competent person to manage a mine, part of it or works, was also investigated and evaluated. The ideal management method should, at all times, provide in all the present and future theoretical and practical management needs of the total labour force on all the levels of the organisation. It should enable management to efficiently cope with the demands of rapid change and the efficient management of the future. It should ensure that all activities necessary for the efficient functioning of the organisation are totally integrated and coordinated. This management method should facilitate the optimisation of the collective skills, loyalty and dedication of all the employees on all the levels of the organisation. It should primarily optimise the desired planned results. Such a management method could not be ascertained from the literature and practice. It was concluded that the South African mining industry is in dire need of a comprehensive, practical and integrated management method that would, at all times, provide in all the present and future theoretical and practical management needs of the total labour force on all the levels of the organisation. A sustainable, comprehensive, practical and integrated management theory and an implementation procedure, suitable to apply the management theory equally efficiently on all the levels of the organisation, was developed, discussed and proposed in this thesis. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African Mining industry has had a poor safety performance over the past couple of years, which led to a lot of questions being asked about how effective mining operations are managed. Numerous concerns and opinions have been raised on the reasons why no improvement is seen in organisations’ safety trends. The general concern in the mining industry is that safety and operations are managed as separate entities and not as an integrated unit. Besides the perception of operational issues that are managed more diligently than safety issues, the associated competency levels of line personnel are also questioned. Safety management systems in mining organisations are also under the spotlight in respect of quality, effective application and a positive contribution in preventing accidents and incidents. A more intensified focus on safety is required by the respective mining houses. The main contributing factors that lead to accidents and incidents need to be determined. The possible reasons for the unsatisfactory safety results can be divided into controllable and uncontrollable elements when seen from a safety perspective. The controllable elements are all possible reasons for why a safety management system is not working. There might also be different contributors to poor safety performance but these are definitely underlying to the main reasons identified. The influence of human behaviour on accidents as well as the considered organisation safety system is essential in safety management. Human behaviour is a function of the characteristics of both the person and the environment. Individuals bring elements to the organisational setting, including abilities, personal beliefs, expectations and past experiences. The environment provided by an organisation has a number of features: jobs, relationships between people, work that needs to be done, rewards available to individuals, and so on. Behaviour results from the interaction of individual and organisational characteristics. The behaviour of humans and the understanding thereof will be a science in its own right. To prevent incidents, one should know their causes. As Louis Pasteur put it, over 100 years ago: “All things are hidden obscure and debatable if the cause of the phenomena be unknown, but everything is clear if the cause be known.” / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse mynboubedryf presteer die afgelope aantal jaar swak wat betref veiligheidsbestuur en ʼn hele aantal vrae word gevra oor hoe effektief mynbouoperasies bestuur word. Verskeie besorgdhede en opinies is gelug oor die moontlike redes waarom daar geen verbetering in ondernemings se veiligheidsindekse ervaar word nie. Die algemene bekommernis in die mynboubedryf is dat veiligheid en operasionele verantwoordelikhede afsonderlik bestuur word en nie as ʼn geïntegreerde eenheid nie. Afgesien van die persepsie dat operasionele uitdagings meer doelgerig bestuur word as veiligheid, word die gepaardgaande bevoegdheidsvlakke van lynpersoneel ook bevraagteken. Veiligheidsbestuurstelsels in mynbouondernemings is ook onder verdenking wat betref gehalte, effektiewe toepassing en ’n positiewe bydrae ten opsigte van ondersteuning en voorkoming van insidente en ongelukke. ʼn Meer intense fokus op veiligheid word benodig by die onderskeie mynhuise. Die belangrikste bydraende faktore wat tot ongelukke en insidente lei, moet bepaal word. Die moontlike redes vir onbevredigende veiligheidsresultate kan verdeel word in beheerbare en onbeheerbare elemente wanneer gesien vanuit ʼn veiligheidsperspektief. Die beheerbare elemente is moontlike redes waarom ʼn veiligheidbestuurstelsel nie werk nie. Daar kan moontlik ook ander bydraende faktore wees tot ʼn swak veiligheidsprestasie maar dit is definitief onderliggend tot die hoofredes soos geïdentifiseer. Die invloed van menslike gedrag op ongelukke sowel as die inaggenome veiligheidstelsel van die organisasie is essensieel by veiligheidsbestuur. Menslike gedrag is ʼn funksie van die eienskappe van beide die persoon en die omgewing. Individue bring sekere elemente na die organisatoriese opset wat vermoëns, persoonlike oortuigings, verwagtings en ondervinding insluit. Die omgewing geskep deur organisasies behels ʼn aantal elemente: werksomskrywing, verhoudings tussen mense, werk wat gedoen moet word, vergoeding van individue, ens. Gedrag is die resultaat van die interaksie tussen individue en die kenmerke van die organisasie. Die gedrag van mense en begrip daarvan sal ʼn wetenskap in eie reg bly. Om insidente te verhoed, moet die oorsake bekend wees. Soos Louis Pasteur dit meer as 100 jaar gelede gestel het: “All things are hidden obscure and debatable if the cause of the phenomena be unknown, but everything is clear if the cause be known.”

One of the means South Africa has adopted to redress the social ills of the past is corporate social responsibility. This essentially places the onus on the business community within the country to take accountability of the social ills within the country and implement practices within their organizations to address these ills in a structured and sustainable manner. The extent to which and the manner in which this social obligation is discharged within the mining industry which represents one of the larger industries in the country formed the basis of this research.To this extent, secondary economic data was used of listed mining companies over a five year period to understand the extent to which these companies have been contributing towards the cause of socio-economic upliftment. This data was contrasted against general industry data in an attempt to gauge mining company’s commitment against the other industries operating within the country. In order to understand how CSI is interpreted and executed, 6 specialist interviews were held with senior management officials from different mining companies whilst 2 specific mining projects were considered to test the aspect of sustainability.Based on the results, mining companies similar to other companies within South Africa have demonstrated real commitment to CSI through higher annual year on year contributions. The internal processes and resources committed to CSI signal that companies have recognized the importance of CSI as a key element to their own sustainability. The research further reveals that whilst a lot is being done and continues to be done, it clearly is not enough and the country as a collective needs to consider how best to exploit its CSI resources to ensure it reaches the appropriate needs areas and further focuses more on enterprise development.<p/> / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (“MPRDA”) and the Broad-Based Socio-Economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining and Minerals Industry (“Mining Charter”), created in terms of the MPRDA, aim to address the exploitative legacies of past discriminatory practices in the mining industry. Impoverished mining communities stand to benefit from empowerment under the Mining Charter in the form of mine community development – one of the elements that constitute a mining right holder's commitment under the Mining Charter. Despite this legislative intervention and the relative wealth generated by the extraction of mineral resources, poverty and conflict have become the stereotypical images associated with mining areas. This project aims to determine why the empowerment of mining communities through mine community development perpetuates poverty from the past and creates new inequalities. To answer this main question, it is considered how the historical context within which the relevant policy and legislation were created, affected legislative drafting. Second, the effects of promoting development and empowerment in legislative provisions are explored to determine which worldviews and underlying values are being promoted by the legislative instruments under discussion. Furthermore, it is considered how these worldviews and underlying values affect how mining communities, subjected to harsh socio-economic living conditions, are depicted in legislative provisions. Here, it is specifically considered what the notion of “community” signifies in a development context and how “community” is represented in legislation. The thesis is a theoretical exposition of the ideological assumptions underlying the concepts “development”, “empowerment”, “community” and “poverty”. It is shown that “mine community development” is an inherently contradictory notion in South African law. The development paradigm implies the universalisation of values, effectively creating “the poor”, and causing vagueness and paradoxes. It results not only in a perpetuation of poverty and inequality from the past but also in the creation of new inequalities, as is evident in the differentiation drawn by the Mining Charter between different types of communities in mining areas. Measures currently being enforced by the legislation under discussion, are in desperate need of reconsideration.

The purpose of this study was to explore the strategising practices of chartered accountants (CAs) in the South African mining industry. Few studies have dealt with the practical skills CAs employ when they engage in strategising practices and, in particular, a gap could be identified on how CAs engage with strategy tools during strategising. Approximately two thirds of all directors in South Africa are CAs and only 11% of directors who are CAs also hold master‟s degrees in business administration. The question then arises of how do CAs engage with strategy tools during strategising? This study applied key concepts of social practice theory to explore the strategising practices of CAs from a strategy-as-practice perspective. The strategy-as-practice perspective entails studying strategy practitioners within their social constructs. The context of this study was the South African mining industry, a landscape seen as an essential part of the South African economy. An exploratory qualitative research design was applied whereby one-on-one interchanges during individual interviews provided rich, detailed descriptions of how CA strategists use strategy tools when they engage in strategising practices. The social nature of the practices and praxis of strategy practitioners from a strategy-as-practice perspective constantly changes. As such, the current study was conducted from a constructivist paradigm to describe the narrative reality of the strategy practitioners as they engage with strategy tools. The findings of the study portrayed participants as bricoleurs of strategy tools, i.e. craftspeople who adapted and interpreted strategy tools from an accounting perspective to serve the requirements of the situation they face. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)