Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-187).

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main purpose of this research report is to create a case study of the JSE listed company, Imperial Holdings Ltd. around the theme of strategic leadership, entrepreneurship and organisational development. In a nutshell – the development of an entrepreneurial organisation into a professional organisation. The second purpose is to discuss literature around the theme of strategic leadership, entrepreneurship and organisational development. This topic was further broken down into five topics including strategic leadership, organisational strategy, owner start-up dynamics and entrepreneurship, owner transition and succession management, organisational and cultural change and the theory of organisational maturity development. Imperial Holdings Ltd. is a diversified industrial services and retail group with activities spanning logistics, car rental, tourism, financial services, vehicle distribution and retail operating in South Africa, Africa, Europe and Australia. Imperial is listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange and the group is run on a decentralised management structure that actively encourages entrepreneurship, innovation and industry specific best practice. The Imperial story is presented as two chapters. The first chapter covers the period 1948 to 2007 with a specific focus on Bill Lynch. He was CEO from 1990 to 2006 and was with Imperial from inception. Bill Lynch won the prestigious Ernest and Young World Entrepreneur award in 2006 and passed away almost a year later. With his passing came the world financial crisis in 2008 and a low period in Imperial‟s history. The second chapter in the story brings Hubert Brody in as the new CEO of Imperial. He is a more cautious person with a CA (SA) background that brought many changes to Imperial‟s strategy and financial structure. In late 2009 and 2010 Imperial started to recover in terms of profit growth and share price. Specific literature on the development of entrepreneurial organisations into professional organisations is almost nonexistent according to the researcher. Most literature found deals only with organisational development and transition management. All the literature is captured and summarised into a conceptual model that can be used in the development of entrepreneurial organisations into professional organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingsverslag is om 'n gevallestudie op te stel t.o.v. Imperial Holdings Ltd. ('n gelyste maatskapy op die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs) rondom die tema van strategiese leierskap, entrepeneurskap en organisatoriese ontwikkeling. In 'n neutedop saamgevat – die ontwikkeling van 'n organisasie vanaf entrepeneursvlak tot 'n professionele vlak. Die tweede doelwit is om inligting rondom die temas van strategiese leierskap, entrepeneurskap en organisatoriese ontwikkeling te ondersoek en te ontleed. Hierdie onderwerp word verder opgedeel in vyf afdelings wat insluit strategiese leierskap, organisatoriese strategieë, die ontginningsdinamiek en entrepeneurskap van die eienaar, eienaarsoordrag- en opvolgingsbestuur, organisatoriese en kulturele veranderinge en die teorie agter volgehoue organisatoriese groei. Imperial Holdings Ltd. is 'n gediversifiseerde industriële diens- en kleinhandelgroep met aktiwiteite wat logistieke dienste, motorverhuring, toerisme, finansiële dienste en voertuigverspreiding- en verkope in Suid-Afrika, Afrika, Europa en Australië insluit. Imperial is gelys op die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs en die bestuursmodel is gebaseer op 'n desentraliseerde bestuursstruktuur wat entrepeneurskap, vernuwende denke en industrie gekonsentreerde praktyke aanmoedig. Die Imperial verhaal word aangebied as twee hoofstukke. Die eerste hoofstuk dek die periode 1948 tot 2007 met 'n spesifieke fokus op Bill Lynch. Hy was die hoof uitvoerende bestuurder vanaf 1990 tot 2006 en was daar vanaf die begin van Imperial se bestaan. Mnr. Lynch het in 2006 afgesterf, amper 'n jaar nadat hy die gesogte Ernest and Young World Entrepreneur toekennning verwerf het. Na sy afsterwe het onder meer 'n wêreldwye finansiële krisis gevolg wat in 2008 'n lae periode in Imperial se prestasiemodel verteenwoordig. Die tweede hoofstuk fokus op die nuwe uitvoerende besturende direkteur van Imperial, mnr. Hubert Brady, se bydrae tot nuwe groei en veranderinge op strategiese en finansiële vlak in die maatskappy. Hy is 'n meer konserwatiewe bestuurder met 'n CA (SA) agtergrond. Dit was baie moeilik vir hierdie navorser om spesifieke literatuur en inligtingsmateriaal te vind oor die transformasie van entrepeursorganisasies na professionele organisasies. Meeste huidige navorsingsmateriaal fokus slegs op organisatoriese - en oorgangsbestuursmodelle. Al die materiaal in hierdie navorsingsverslag is versamel en saamgevat in 'n konseptuele model wat gebruik kan word in die ontwikkeling van entrepeneursorganisasies na professionele organisasies.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / The global business environment has evolved since 1990. This change has brought companies new realities in the form of new business opportunities for growth and, at the same time has exposed them to new competitors. This has caused companies to invest many resources in devising new effective strategies to take advantage of the new opportunities, whilst protecting their market positions, which are crucial to their continued economic existence. Effective implementation of strategy has become the goal of many organisations. However, in translating their grand plans into action, unacceptably high rates of failure have been reported among many companies. In most organisations, this responsibility has been left to lower levels of management. The purpose of this research was to establish what factors affected the implementation of strategy and more specifically, what role lower levels of management play in the implementation process. A qualitative study was undertaken where in-depth interviews were held with a senior executive and middle managers of a global company. Eight propositions were posited after a detailed review of literature on strategy implementation and middle managers. These were tested in relation to the results of the research and conclusions were then drawn. The data was analysed using content analysis and frequency tables. The research findings showed that middle managers play a critical role in facilitating the effective implementation of strategy. It also showed that the execution process is fraught with numerous challenges, some of which are lack of sufficient budgets, high staff turnover affecting continuity and the destructive nature of internal competition.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / The world is constantly changing, creating a new environment and challenging businesses, societies and countries with unpredictable and volatile economic currents on a global scale. The new economy is the big second wave of change that will stay with us for the next century. People and organisations that want to participate in the new economy have to adapt to the new rules of the game or become extinct. Speed, agility, reliability, knowledge and networking globally are some of the skills necessary to survive, in this changed world. Values and strategy execution are critical elements in the quest to become a high-performing organisation in the new economy. Strategy in organisations is the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities. Whilst a brilliant strategy can put you on the map, only a solid execution process will keep you on the map and competitive. Most organisations set the vision and strategy, but do not set the operational requirements executing the strategic objectives. The new economy represents a historic shift in values, a new paradigm from which people in organisations cannot separate themselves if they want to stay relevant in the new economy. Transforming organisational values from the old economy to the new economy is a challenge – primarily a leadership challenge. Absa (Amalgamated Banks of South Africa), a leading financial services organisation in South Africa and part of the global financial service group, Barclays, offers life insurance to its customers, through its subsidiary Absa Life. Absa Life is the target audience for this research study. In the group, Absa Life contributes almost six per cent to the total earnings of the Absa Group. The organisation embarked on a strategy, in 2008 to become a top-five life insurer in South Africa by 2012. ‘Big hairy audacious goals’ (BHAG’s) were set and the 230 members of the Absa Life team at the time bought into the vision and strategy. For Absa Life to reach the stretched goals the leadership team has to take note of important elements of a high-performance organisation. This research study assesses the current value profile of Absa Life, the organisation. The researcher utilises an instrument, the Beehive questionnaire, developed by the Village Leadership Consulting for the value profile assessment. A valid sample, including all job levels and divisions in Absa Life formed the target audience for this questionnaire. The questionnaire (electronic survey format) benchmarks the Absa Life value profile against the old and new economy value profiles. The researcher uses the results of the Beehive questionnaire and the Evolution to Excellence framework, to highlight the organisational and leadership challenges and recommend best practices for Absa Life leadership team. The Absa Life leadership team will determine their readiness, embracing these challenges and will be the team that is responsible for the survival of Absa Life in the 21st century or not.

Thesis (MPhil))--Stellenbosch University, 2010. / It is broadly accepted that our post-modern society is characterised by unprecedented levels of change, coupled with increasing complexity and uncertainty. In this context, the ability to successfully anticipate and adapt to changing circumstances is crucial for an organisation‟s survival and prosperity. Long-standing traditional models of organising, managing and knowing, as well as many contemporary formulations, are found to be inadequate in dealing with the challenges of high-velocity change. This study conducts a conceptual review of the diverse literatures on organisational adaptation and foresight to, first, synthesise the essential characteristics of adaptive organising; and secondly, to determine whether and how foresight can be applied to improve the effectiveness of organisational adaptation. A model of adaptive organising is developed that describes how, by adopting an emergent strategy approach via processes of exploration and experimentation and by balancing change and preservation, firms can derive new advantages from volatility. Recognising the limitations of anticipatory foresight in fast-paced environments, a socially embedded foresight practice that links macroscopic thinking and microscopic action is proposed as an enabling infrastructure for emergent strategy. It describes how foresight provides context for broad-based action, the outcome of which keeps foresight refreshed with how reality is unfolding. Finally three foresight methods, visioning, scenarios and peripheral vision, are reviewed drawing links to adaptive organising from which three propositions are put forward for future research. These foresight practices are shown to produce shared understanding and direction which stimulates collective exploratory action, and encourage alternative perspectives and interpretations of the organisation‟s situation allowing strategic variety to flourish and new advantages to emerge.