SPAR Eastern Cape is a special organisation. It is an extraordinary place to work and have fun at. The organisation celebrated its twentieth “birthday” in 2013. Operating in a very difficult sector, this business has done extremely well in establishing itself as one of the leading businesses in the Eastern Cape. The success of this incredible business is driven by employees from all levels. With an extreme conviction in the apothegm that “none of us is as smart as all of us”, the organisation is built around high performance teams through a unique culture called: Amafela Ndawonye (referred to as Amafela hereafter). “Amafela” has been in operation at SPAR Eastern Cape since the organisation’s inauguration in 1993. Organisational cultures are dynamic. Organisational cultures shift, incrementally and constantly, in response to external and internal changes. Trying to assess an organisational culture is therefore complicated by the reality that one is trying to hit a moving target. However, a possibility exists that culture enhancement can be managed as a continuous process rather than big shifts (often in response to a crisis). A stable destination with regards to organisational culture should never be reached. The culture of an organisation should always be learning and developing. This prompted the researcher to ask the question, as an organisation responds to internal and external changes; can it lose its relevancy in the process? The primary objective of this research is to determine whether the commitment to the culture of “Amafela” and relevancy thereof at SPAR Eastern Cape is declining. The first step in achieving this objective was an in-depth theoretical study. The second step, and in order to achieve this objective, was an empirical survey conducted to canvas the opinions of (N= 149) respondents at SPAR Eastern Cape. The main findings of this research conducted at SPAR Eastern Cape can be summarised as follows: The organisational culture was assessed according to how respondents interpret the organisation’s existing organisational culture, and thus underlining areas in need of enhancement. In general the outcome of the survey exhibited that a large number of employees at SPAR Eastern Cape denoted that the culture of “Amafela” is still strong and is still relevant in the organisation. In this research, good to excellent levels of consistency for all eleven factors of “Amafela” were achieved. The items are therefore parallel in the test. Organisational leaders will influence the function of the people within the organisation. Moreover, leadership will set the present and future course of the company. This research articulates a correlation between leadership and “Amafela” factors. The eleven dimensions of the “Amafela” factors ranked according from favourable to less favourable. Customer focus emerged as the factor which most respondents agreed and strongly agreed with. It can be concluded then, that the culture of “Amafela Ndawonye” at SPAR Eastern Cape has the full support of the employees and is still relevant in the organization.

It is critical in this dynamic and changing environment that both the leadership and educators of schools and organisations are well equipped with the skills and knowledge to create high performance teams (HPT). High performance teams can be defined as those highly motivated team players in the organisation or school that maximise their people integrated knowledge, skills and values to a shared purpose or vision of their stakeholders. In this mixed method research an analysis of the whole school operational teams of some secondary schools including all educators, head of departments, administrators and principals was undertaken. Four secondary schools from two quintile groups situated in various areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan were the sampling units and the sample size was eighty one. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected utilising a carefully constructed questionnaire based on a theoretical conceptual framework of enabling factors for HPT in business contexts. The theoretical framework of the Kenexa High Performance Model was utilised in this study. A questionnaire was constructed based on the factors of the High Performance Work Index (HPW) study done by the Australian Business School. This model was adjusted to utilise factors aligned to those factors within the school operational context. Using other literature references further factors were included into the survey instrument. The School High Performance Work Index (SHPWI) was the dependent variable while the independent variables included organizational commitment, and employee engagement. These were literature based measures and the questionnaire items were taken from previous research studies, thereby allowing construct validity. The other independent variables included Communication, Leadership, Strategic Management, School Organizational Climate, Positive Practices, Conflict Management, Motivation and Trust. A statistical analysis was undertaken on each school’s team response data. Reliability and validity of the constructed questionnaire was shown by using the Kenexa employee engagement index and the Organizational Commitment measure, which were highly correlated with the SHPWI. In literature, high performance teams (HPT) show common patterns in business and in this study it was seen that a number of common factors contributed towards a HPT in school operational teams. In this research study the main enabling factors in whole school operational teams that could lead to the formation of HPT’s involved factors of leadership, communication and motivation. The SHPWI showed a high correlation with employee engagement and organizational commitment. The HPT profile involved innovation (freedom of thinking), employee (educator) engagement, fairness, leadership, learner needs, communication, trust, conflict management, school organizational climate, positive practices, strategic management and motivation. In the correlation between the SHPWI and the independent variables the highest correlation (statistically significant at p < 0.05 N = 81; r > 0. 500) occurred between the School High Performance Index and Leadership (0.822), Communication (0.785) and Motivation (0.766). In the multiple linear regression (MLR) of the results of this study the highest correlations with a value of R2 = 0.774 was obtained with variables of Leadership, Communication, Motivation and Strategic Management factors. Qualitative data was coded and linked with the factors in the quantitative data and the top five factors were selected and summarised for each school. Merged data showed that each school exhibited a different profile of strengths and weaknesses. Recommendations were outlined for each school operational team. Different schools in different quintiles have different needs and gap factors that require improvement. It is therefore imperative that schools analyse their strengths and weaknesses within their school operational teams. This research study aimed therefore to start research on a human resource metric that can be further developed to allow school operational teams to examine and analyze their own HPT profile, so that specific interventions may be implemented.

M.Ing. (Engineering Management) / The survival of organisations during the recent recession in South Africa and the rest of the world forced them to eliminate unnecessary expenditure, ineffective personnel and processes. The drive towards maximum project success became essential in order to survive. The researcher identified a concern within a technical team in the Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), a major rail based transport company. The research problem as identified is: That project teams are compiled randomly or by availability of personnel which promotes possible project failure and not by competency and without regard to team role efficiency. The researcher decided to investigate the influence of compiling a project team where the team members function within their preferred team roles. It was found that the Belbin Self Perception Inventory (SPI) is an effective instrument to determine the preferred team roles of project team members. This study is a qualitative one. A literature study supported the fact that employing team members in their preferred team roles does make a noticeable difference to the productivity of individual team members and the team. A failed project was identified within the TFR technical team. The Belbin SPI instrument was used to determine the preferred team roles of all the team members for the chosen project. The actual team roles performed by every member in the chosen project were determined by means of an interview with the team leader. The data obtained from the SPI was compared with the interview data and it was found that three of the four team members involved in the chosen project were not employed within their preferred team roles. This lead to a conclusion that, should the team members have been employed in their preferred team roles, their project would have been much more likely of being successful. This study points the way to a further quantitative study where the possibility of predicting project success could be investigated.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A few years ago, pharmaceuticalcompanies were more inclined to look at business from the inside out. The principal focus was on the company's goals, and identifying and selling to customers were the method of achieving those goals. However,today the customer is king and therefore the focus is shifting to accommodatethis change. The road to success - or failure - is now an expressway, and companies must be ready to accelerate,tum, or stop quickly. Flexibilityand manoeuvrabilitymean a great deal in an increasinglycompetitivemarketplace(Gabe & Goldberg, 1999). What makes a sales team effective in today's competitive global market? What are the key drivers of success in pharmaceutical sales team effectiveness? The most prominent trend in the US market is customer focus, and the most prominent issue is the recruitment and retention of top performers. Today's focus on relationship building may have occurred in part because companies found that their relationships were less than ideal. Nearly 60% of US pharmaceutical companies use customersatisfaction results, among other measurements, to determine the effectiveness of their sales force. A sales force that can make the transition from selling the product to selling the solution - which is the essence of customer focus - has a better chance of earning customer confidence and "partnering" (Gabe & Goldberg, 1999). To isolate factors that make a pharmaceutical sales representative effective is not easy. The best pharmaceutical representatives have excellent selling skills and behaviours, exhibit consistent performance, build networks, contribute to their teams, focus on the most profitable accounts, open new accounts, and win customer loyalty. How does one identify top pharmaceutical salespeople? Look for the representatives with the ability to learn continuously from experience, to take full responsibility for professional development, to size up each situation, and to apply the most effective skills for that encounter. Most often, they will be the ones using consultative and adaptive selling dialogue techniques (Snader, 2002). According to the study, it was evident that the following effectiveness criteria or selling task characteristics have a definite impact on sales force effectiveness and in turn should be part of every salesperson's capabilities: territory management, objection handling, business planning, adaptive selling, customer focus, knowledge, service, selling skills and training. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die verlede was farmaseutiese maatskappye geneig om hul besigheid van binne na buite te ontleed. Die belangrikste fokuspunt was die maatskappy se doelwit en die identifisering van, en verkope aan hul kliënte die middel tot die doelom hierdie doelwitte te bereik. Vandag, daarenteen kraai die kliënt koning en die fokuspunt het verskuif om by hierdie verandering aan te pas. Die verskil tussen die sukses en mislukking van 'n maatskappy sal afhang van die buigsaamheid en stuurbaarheid van die maatskappy om gereed te wees vir enige aksie in hierdie toenemend mededingende mark (Gabe & Goldberg, 1999). Wat maak 'n verkoopspan doeltreffend in vandag se mededingende globale mark? Wat is die sleutel eienskappe wat sukses sal waarborg vir 'n farmaseutiese verkoopspan? Die belangrikste neiging in die Amerikaanse mark is kliënte-fokus en die mees prominente kwessie is die werwing en behoud van die top presteerders. Die fokusverskuiwing na die verhouding tussen die verkoopsverteenwoordiger en die kliënt het plaasgevind nadat maatskappye besef het hulle het nie ideale verhoudings met hulle kliënte nie. Nagenoeg 60% van alle Amerikaanse farmaseutiese maatskappye gebruik onder andere ook resultate van kliënte-tevredenheid vraelyste as 'n maatstaf om die doeltreffendheid van hulle verkoopspan te bepaal. 'n Verkoopspan wat in plaas van 'n produk verkoop eerder aan die kliënt 'n oplossing vir sy spesifieke probleem bied - wat die kern van 'n kliënt-gefokusde benadering is - skep vertroue by die kliënt en lei tot 'n suksesvolle vennootskap tussen die partye (Gabe & Goldberg, 1999). Dit is baie moeilik om eienskappe te identifiseer wat 'n farmaseutiese verteenwoordiger se doeltreffendheid verseker. Die beste farmaseutiese verkoopsverteenwoordigers gebruik uitstekende verkoopstegnieke, bou netwerke, is goeie spanlede, fokus op die mees winsgewendste kliënte, wen nuwe kliënte en die lojaliteit van hulle kliënte. Hoe word top farmaseutiese verkoopspersone dan geïdentifiseer? Kyk uit vir die verteenwoordiger wat die vermoeë het om te leer uit ondervinding, wat volle verantwoordelikheid neem vir sy persoonlike ontwikkeling, wat elke situasie ontleed en dan die toepaslike vaardighede gebruik vir die spesifieke situasie. Meestal sal dit die verteenwoordigers wees wat konsulterende en adaptiewe dialoogtegnieke gebruik (Snader, 2002). Volgens die studie was dit duidelik dat die volgende kriteria vir doeltreffende verkope of verkoopseienskappe 'n defnitiewe impak het op 'n verkoopsspan se doeltreffendheid en dus deel moet uitmaak van elke verkoopspersoon se vermoë: Areabestuur, die hantering van objeksies, besigheidsbeplanning, 'n adaptiewe verkoopstyl, 'n kliënt gefokusde benadering, kennis, diens en opleiding.

Orientation: This study is about team dialogue and how dialogue in teams may impact on levels of employee engagement, especially how this can be applied and used in Industrial & Organisational Psychology. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence that dialogue sessions in work teams may have on employee engagement. Motivation for the study: The manager and first-line superior play a crucial role in facilitating and enabling the connection between the employee and the organisation and how this impacts on employee engagement. When practised successfully, dialogue may have an influence on the level of employee engagement, as it allows groups to move beyond any one individual’s understanding to gain new insights and to create ideas in ways that could not be achieved individually. It may be argued that team dialogue and relational practices could assist in improving employee engagement in the South African workplace. Research design, approach and method: The study used a quasi-experimental approach in terms of which an experimental group was exposed to an organisational development intervention of team dialogues over a period of time and then compared to a control group that had not been exposed to the organisational development team dialogue intervention. The main findings were reported and discussed, and recommendations were made. Main findings: Team dialogues have an impact on employee engagement Contributions/value add: This study contributes to the field of Industrial & Organisational Psychology in that it demonstrates the influence that team dialogue has on employee engagement. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Orientation: This study is about team dialogue and how dialogue in teams may impact on levels of employee engagement, especially how this can be applied and used in Industrial & Organisational Psychology. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence that dialogue sessions in work teams may have on employee engagement. Motivation for the study: The manager and first-line superior play a crucial role in facilitating and enabling the connection between the employee and the organisation and how this impacts on employee engagement. When practised successfully, dialogue may have an influence on the level of employee engagement, as it allows groups to move beyond any one individual’s understanding to gain new insights and to create ideas in ways that could not be achieved individually. It may be argued that team dialogue and relational practices could assist in improving employee engagement in the South African workplace. Research design, approach and method: The study used a quasi-experimental approach in terms of which an experimental group was exposed to an organisational development intervention of team dialogues over a period of time and then compared to a control group that had not been exposed to the organisational development team dialogue intervention. The main findings were reported and discussed, and recommendations were made. Main findings: Team dialogues have an impact on employee engagement Contributions/value add: This study contributes to the field of Industrial & Organisational Psychology in that it demonstrates the influence that team dialogue has on employee engagement. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The study focused on the leadership strategies employed by secondary school management team (SMT) in managing teamwork in Tshwane North District schools. Apart from a literature review, the objective of this study was to explore leadership strategies employed by SMT in managing teamwork, and how it affects the overall school management and performance. The study was conducted in the purposefully sampled six secondary schools wherein 18 SMT members were interviewed and 100 questionnaires distributed to 10 randomly sampled schools from the population of 30 schools. The study adopted the mixed methods research and sought to unpack the leadership strategies SMT members employ to manage teamwork. Empirical findings elicited by this study are that the concept of leadership strategies is a positive development. The participants’ perception of leadership strategies is generally favourable and they welcome the development, though many argue that it is essentially nothing new. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The dissertation presents a participatory research process in organisational change with social work supervision. The study was conducted with a group of social work supervisors employed by the Department of Health and Welfare in the Central region of the Northern Province from September 1997 to November 1998. The participatory research process engaged the participants in a consciousness-raising and educational process. They were enabled to identify problems which rendered them ineffective, brought about by the socio-political transformation process in South Africa since 1994, and were strengthened as a collaborative group to work together to bring about change in their situation. Going through the process of dialogue as a group, the participants became empowered and more confident to do participatory supervision, which in tum would empower the supervisees as direct service providers. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

The dissertation presents a participatory research process in organisational change with social work supervision. The study was conducted with a group of social work supervisors employed by the Department of Health and Welfare in the Central region of the Northern Province from September 1997 to November 1998. The participatory research process engaged the participants in a consciousness-raising and educational process. They were enabled to identify problems which rendered them ineffective, brought about by the socio-political transformation process in South Africa since 1994, and were strengthened as a collaborative group to work together to bring about change in their situation. Going through the process of dialogue as a group, the participants became empowered and more confident to do participatory supervision, which in tum would empower the supervisees as direct service providers. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))