Thesis(MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

Regency, a manufacturer of stationery and paper related products, invented a novel file, designed with many (from two to seven) intemal leaves or segments. This created an effect of having many files within a file -or "files within a file" concept. A patent was secured to protect the design and a trademark called "PIGGYBACK FILES" was registered. To determine the potential business opportunities, in terms of market share and profit that could be realised, Regency conducted a marketing survey with respondents from different industries and was encouraged by the findings, in that the inventive Piggyback file was well liked and found to be innovative, with highly functional features. It was now up to Regency to expedite and develop a marketing strategy to exploit the business opportunities. / Thesis (MBA)- University of Natal, 2003.

For an organisation that outsources its purchasing function to a specialist purchasing organisation the benefits are mostly relate to the peace of mind the organisation has in knowing that there is sufficient focus and attention being given to the purchasing function along with the relevant procedures and controls to ensure that the purchasing function is being done to ensure maximum benefit for the organisation. The result of the additional attention along with the other advantages such as the buying power of the OPSP is that there are significant savings to be achieved through outsourced purchasing. There are also issues of concern that need to be taken into consideration when outsourcing the purchasing function. These include issues such as organisational inertia, co-ordination difficulties and lack of plant specific knowledge within the specialist purchasing organisation. The impact of these can however be overcome through co-operation and the commitment of both parties to the long term success of the relationship. The results achieved by organisations outsourcing their purchasing have been varied, and it is the factors that have an impact on the success of the venture that are of interest. The most significant of these factors were found to be the availability of information from the organisation, the expertise and buying power of the outsourced purchasing service provider (OPSP) and the flexibility and support from the end-users and management of the organisation. In order to maximise the benefits that can be achieved through outsourcing, the organisation needs to ensure that the information required by the OPSP in order to effectively purchase for the organisation is available. This includes information such as complete and correct specifications on all commodities, annual usages and price histories. The organisation must also ensure that the OPSP it selects has the buying power and purchasing expertise required to ensure maximum benefit. Additionally the organisation must ensure that all staff involved and effected by the purchasing function are made aware of the potential problems and more importantly the benefits for the organisation so that the staff support the process. Should these steps be taken the organisation would stand to reap more benefits out of outsourced purchasing. The percentage saving on the cost of stock commodities over the first 3 months that purchasing was outsourced was taken as an indication of the success of outsourced purchasing and was measured for 3 organisations, PG Bison, Dunlop Industrial Products and Assmang. PG Bison achieved the highest percentage saving (10.7%), followed by Dunlop Industrial Products (7.4%) and Assmang (3.7%). All 3 of the above organisations were analysed to determine the presence of the factors influencing the success of outsourced purchasing and it was found that PG Bison had the most in its favour and it would therefore be expected to get the most benefits out of outsourcing its purchasing, which in reality it appeared to have done. Based on the results of the analysis Assmang would have been expected to achieve better results than Dunlop, which in practice was not the case. The percentage saving achieved by Dunlop was well above that of Assmang. The rating scale developed therefore failed to accurately predict the extent to which each client would benefit from outsourced purchasing. There could be a number of reasons for this. The use of the percentage savings on stock commodities as a measure of the success of outsourced purchasing can be debated, but it is the only factor which can be accurately measured and it is a direct result of a number of the advantages of outsourcing identified. It is most probable that the discrepancy in the analysis arises in the process used to calculate the outsourcing rating for each of the organisations. The process used to determine the impact that each of the factors identified has on the savings could be further refined in a number of ways. The distribution of the questionnaire could be increased to include more staff from the organisations concerned. The analysis could be expanded to include other organisations and the results analysed to identify common factors and varying factors in an attempt to identify how variations in factors impact on the savings achieved. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

This dissertation assesses the external environment of the Telecommunications market in South Africa. It accomplishes this goal by explaining the political economy, market structure, key driving forces and conducting an Industry analysis. The study considers the literature on regulation and liberalisation, convergence and the various techniques of industry and competitive analysis. A case study on the historic and current Telecommunications environment is presented. The analytical framework developed for this study adopted from Naidoo (2002), consists of five components: the external environment, remote environment, industry environment, operating environment, key driving forces and an industry and competitive analysis. It also includes a background overview and recommendations. Data for the study was largely collected using publications and journals, which have been published in electronic format on various Internet hosted databases including: verbatim submissions to the White Paper on telecoms policy (Government Gazette no. 16995 Notice No 291 of 13 March 1996), submissions on the licensing of the Second Network Operator, participant-observation, government documents, statistical databases, published literature and unpublished papers. The perspective of the study is to learn and apply the knowledge elsewhere. The main purpose of this study is to describe the industry for the various Telecommunications operators (fixed, cellular and VANS) in the South African market and to conduct a strategic analysis. Another objective is to provide the researcher with further knowledge of this particular industry and to ascertain from a business environment viewpoint whether to invest in the telecommunication sector in South Africa. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

No abstract available. / Thesis (MBA) - University of Natal, 2003.

Information systems and information technologies are the fastest growing industries in developed and developing countries. However, " ... studies repeatedly point out that 30 to 45% of systems projects fail prior to completion. Over half of all systems projects overrun their budget and schedules by up to 200% or more" (Lientz & Rea, 1999). The objectives of the research was: • To determine best practices for developing an information system. Regardless of what information system it is, there are certain practices that will be applicable to all information systems. • To evaluate the development of an information system in a financial institution, and • To establish ways to improve the development of information systems. The study was conducted amongst the project team that developed the information system and the users ofthe system. The findings of the study indicated that problems were experienced during all phases of the SDLC. It was evident that the incorrect procedures in the initial phases of the SDLC, caused problems throughout the entire development process. Implementing the recommendations proposed would enable the project team to successfully implement an information system that meets the user requirements. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

Teams play an important role in most organisations in today’s modern economy. The use of teams has expanded dramatically in response to competitive challenges. Research indicates that teamwork can achieve outcomes that could not be achieved by the same number of individuals working in isolation. However, teams need to be cohesive and effective in order to be successful. Team building, team cohesiveness and team effectiveness are discussed in detail, outlining their importance for good teamwork. The Police Services is dependent on effective teamwork as this forms an integral part of their daily work activities. Therefore, teams in the Police Services need to be highly cohesive in order to enhance team effectiveness. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the impact of team cohesiveness on team effectiveness at the police services. The key dimensions of team cohesiveness that were explored in this study are : setting goals and understanding them, extent of participation, communication, idea generation, conflict management, interpersonal relations and obstacles and the extent of their influence on team effectiveness. The research was conducted at the police services in Kwa-Dukuza, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Simple random sampling was used in this study. Various statistical techniques were used to test the three hypotheses. The results were analysed and a presentation and discussion of the respondent’s perceptions were presented. From this study, it is evident that team cohesiveness with special reference to the following sub-dimensions: setting goals and understanding them, extent of participation, communication, idea generation, conflict management, interpersonal relations and obstacles does impact significantly on team effectiveness. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also outlined. Furthermore, a discussion of the possible causes for the findings are included, along with recommendations to improve team cohesiveness in order to enhance team effectiveness. / Thesis (M.Admin.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2004.

The population growth and sophisticated demands of present day lifestyle place tremendous pressure on organisations resulting in industrialisation and diminishing the planets natural resources. Sustainability of the environment for both the present and future generations calls for a paradigm shift of stakeholders especially business organisations to take measures to curb wastage and become more environmentally conscious. A business's survival depends on the strategy it pursues in conjunction with the demands it faces in its operating environment. This thesis has evaluated Total's business using the tools of strategic management and studies the sustainable development strategies and initiatives adopted by this multinational corporation. The study is exploratory and links Total's business strategy to sustainable development. An in depth literature review was carried out on the theoretical aspects of strategic management and sustainable development. These included the strategic process, macro; industry; and internal environments, Porter' five forces model, core competencies, strategic intent, and the evaluation of strategy using the criteria of suitability, acceptability and feasibility by Johnson and Scholes. This followed through with a discussion of the major landmarks on sustainable development including the World Conservation Strategy, Brundtland Report, evolution of sustainable development, evaluation criteria, indicators, and the development of a model that was used in chapter four. The case study of Total is also presented discussing historical, financial, strategic and sustainable development material both at Total's international operations in France and the South African subsidiary. The research findings indicate that Total is a world-class company demonstrating success in the business, environmental and social arenas. It committed resources to both sustainable development and business development, producing good results in 2003. The company acceded to the requirements of Agenda 21, which called on countries to reduce pollution, emissions and the use of precious natural resources. Governments need to lead this change but emphasises that everyone can play their part in tackling non-sustainable practices. In this way, local actions can lead to the solution of global problems. Successful realisation of sustainable development involves a change in both ideas and actions. Globally sustainable development has gained prominence and hence it is time that it became an integral component of the strategy development process. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2005.

Over half of the respondents indicated that they had benefited from the introduction of strategic management at Saybrook. The benefits of strategic management at Saybrook were mainly increased sales and the saving of Saybrook from liquidation. According to the respondents the objectives of changing the way a company is run should be mainly to promote profitability and viability in the business, to improve quality, initiate growth for machines and human resources, the creation of value for stakeholders and improvement of processes. There was positive overall impact on relations between Saybrook and stakeholders as a result of the adoption and implementation of strategic management with the main areas of gain being increased profitability and better quality products. In nutshell the benefits that accrued to Saybrook due to the introduction of strategic management were increased profit, increased efficiency, better customer focus and higher quality products. Saybrook is better performer now than before the introduction of strategic management, increasing productivity and creating a conducive environment for the development of solutions to business problems were also cited as main strength of strategic management. Respondents were of the opinion that strategic management should focus on both management should focus on both management and employees since success of technique depend on teamwork. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The price of property in South Africa has come under debate during the last few years. After a four-year boom during which prices soared, the property market is in crisis, with consumers facing a desperate struggle to obtain finance to either purchase or build homes. Towards the latter part of 2007 and early 2008 the tides began to change and so did the reversal of positions to now being a buyers market. Many who have over extended themselves in terms of mortgages are now sitting with unpaid mortgage bonds and stand the chance of their homes being repossessed as they are unable to meet the instalments. The next best alternative is to resort to renting until the crisis subsides and the economy settles itself. Purchasing property is a crucial decision in ones lifetime and it can be an expensive one. It binds one to a long term commitment and the problem remains one of not obtaining the adequate knowledge of factors that influence the buyers or lessees as they undergo the often extensive process of searching for and deciding on whether to buy a home or rent especially in uncertain times. This research sets out as a main aim to investigate the important factors that one needs to take cognisance of when deciding on whether to buy or rent a property in the current economic situation. It outlines four key research objectives around the following variables in consumer literature as well as the current economic situation: i.e. risk, family life stage, financial situation, tax implications and investing options. The study adopted an exploratory and qualitative research design employing a survey (questionnaire) as its main data collection instrument administered by a face to face interview with six respondents. The sample comprised of six estate and letting agencies in the Durban and surrounding area that were willing to participate in the research. It is thereby followed by a practical case study highlighting the financial implications attached to the decision to rent or buy respectively. The study finds that the stage one is in in the family life cycle has an influence and is significant when deciding whether to buy or to rent, recommending that investors and estate agents should seek to understand this in order that they tailor their marketing, developments and sales efforts effectively. On the level of financing and risk, the study finds that individuals that are financially distressed would rather rent in times like these as the need to have a deposit and the tighter lending criteria is not advantageous. The study finds that most people wish to sit out the storm before engaging in a twenty to thirty year commitment. Investors are found to be investing in property as buy-to-let options and most of them are buying cash. The property option as an investment is very much alive and lucrative to those who are able to obtain financing or have surplus cash on hand. On the level of the tax implications the study finds that it is a significant factor as many do not have funds for transfer duty and legal transferring costs. The study finds that a decision to buy would preferably be from a developer directly to alleviate transfer duty costs. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.