Property around the world is regarded as a pillar of wealth creation. South Africa is no exception, being a capitalist society with residential property by large forming a base of individual wealth, as an investment class. A new set of legislation which was promulgated in June 2007 and which promotes and advances the social and economic welfare of South Africans, by advocating a fair, transparent, competitive, sustainable, responsible, efficient, effective and accessible credit market industry thereby ultimately protecting the consumer. This new legislation, the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 replaced the Usury Act 73 of 1968 and the Credit Agreements Act 75 of 1980. The effects of this legislation ricocheted into the South African economy generating conflicting outcomes. The purpose of this research investigated the paradoxical effect of the National Credit Act on the South Africa Residential Property Market. The dissertation first carried out a thorough review of the literature of the South African Legislation pertaining to the property market post and prior to the promulgation of the National Credit Act, South African Residential Property Market, South African Residential Rental Market and South African Building and Construction Industry. The study sought to validate the paradoxical effect of the legislation by analysing secondary data to investigate the contribution and correlation of mortgage loan advances, residential rental market growth and residential construction activity. The analyses revealed a strong direct correlation between the implementation of the National Credit Act and mortgage loan advances; residential rental growth and the performance of the residential construction industry, respectively. The data analysis from the questionnaires carried out on six residential property developers further reiterated the strong correlation as illustrated by the secondary data analyses. The main findings of this study revealed that the implementation of this legislation resulted in a paradoxical effect on the South African property market. Home ownership decreased, while rentals sky-rocketed, forcing households to accede to higher rentals which are not governed by the Act. Furthermore, confidence as well as job creation in the residential construction industry slumped to an all time low, resulting in job losses and fewer homes being built. The research therefore concluded that the decline in the home ownership market and the consequential growth in the residential rental market is a result of the implementation of the National Credit Act and substantiates the paradoxical effect of the Act. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

This dissertation is a focused qualitative case study analysis of UEC Technologies (Pty) Limited (UEC). UEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the JSE listed telecommunications, multimedia and technology (TMT) group, Allied Technologies Limited (Altech). UEC is the only South African based TV set-top box (STB) developer and manufacturer. The focus of the case study analysis centres around UEC's strategies of growth and globalisation in the global set-top box industry. The research took the form of a qualitative case study based on in-depth personal interviews with key decision-makers at UEC. The research was supported by a detailed study of secondary data relating to the STB industry as well as documentation prepared specifically for UEC relating to its business practice and business methodology. The case study focused particularly on the concentric diversification strategy adopted by UEC. This strategy was analysed with specific reference to the acquisition process followed by UEC during the negotiations with Zenith Network Systems (ZNS), a division of the American electronics giant, Zenith. The research culminates in the formulation of a company-specific analysis model (figure 4.1) which is proposed to be used by UEC when analysing future potential acquisitions. This company specific analysis model takes into account the current academic theoretical stance on both growth and globalisation strategy while fine tuning the process by adopting the specific requirements for both the STB industry and UEC's current business position. The aim of this model is to analyse potential concentric diversification growth opportunities by analysing elements of the spheres of industry environment, operating environment and internal environment. The industry environment is influenced by the barriers to entry into the industry and the size of the market and industry. The operating environment is influenced by globalisation and the need for growth. The internal environment is influenced by access to new markets and clients as well as the need for new technologies and products. The research dissertation culminates in a discussion of the model and the design, as well as an evaluation thereof. The discussion in regard to the model concludes that the model is in line with current academic as well as strategic thinking. Furthermore that the model is meticulously designed to cater for UEC's unique requirements and the specific requirements of the STB industry. In conclusion to the dissertation, it is postulated that the model would be of considerable benefit to UEC when analysing future acquisition opportunities. The model is an ideal analytical tool as its elements are made up from corporate strategy, has been crafted to align with UEC's specific requirements. This model provides a formal framework for assessing acquisitions and thus enabling UEC to compare multiple potential acquisitions against a fixed criteria model. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The South African Liquid Fuels Industry is currently in a state of flux. A new fuel pricing mechanism has been rolled out and new legislation has been enacted within the past few years that have significantly impacted on the business environment. The Main Supply Agreement which governed the marketing and distribution of Sasol's liquid fuel products also came to an end on the 1 st of January 2004. All these drivers have had a major impact on the business environment that the Sasol Liquid Fuels Business operated in. The government has also stated its policy to further deregulate the industry including the pricing structure of liquid fuel. The United States Liquid Fuels Industry is the largest in the world and is based on an unregulated fuel price thus leading to price competition among competing retailers. It therefore serves as a good basis with which to compare and evaluate the South African industry. A comprehensive industry analysis is performed in order to explore, understand and describe the nature of the liquid fuels business environments in the USA and South Africa. The Delphi technique was used to gather primary data on the state of the South African Liquid Fuels industry. Thereafter a benchmarking of the South African Liquid Fuels Industry is carried out using primary data from the Delphi study and secondary data from the literature review. The techniques used include PEST analysis and Porter's Five Forces. Aspects of the United States industry that are similar to the South African industry are identified. A scenario for a future deregulated South African Liquid Fuels Industry is described and a marketing and distribution strategy for Sasol is proposed. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

Every organization has to undergo change at some time or another. To achieve successful change, the management of the organization have to follow a well structured and organized process. This change process poses a challenge to management to ensure that all its complexities are effectively handled. In light of this, the dissertation on hand is an evaluation of the change process at Dow Agrochemicals (KwaZulu Natal) and the impact it has on the organization's strategic objectives. The method chosen for this study was exploratory using a case study and an extensive literature survey. The technique used for this exploration was qualitative. The strategies and techniques for effective change management have been explored through the literature survey, and the information for the case study was obtained from interviews, questionnaires, documentation and observation. The empirical survey has been compared to the literature survey to evaluate the change process in the organization. Although there were pitfalls in the change process, it was found that the overall management of the change process was done well. Recommendations are presented which are intended to improve the change initiative in order to survive in a competitive environment. Lastly, the areas for future research on this subject have been outlined. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

Organisations are constantly evolving and the importance of their human capital is regularly brought to the fore. More and more companies are investigating issues such as organisational climate and job satisfaction in an effort to find ways to retain staff and increase productivity. However, this issue is not just limited to the private sector. The public sector is also feeling the effects of low job satisfaction among employees. One of the major contributing factors to employee happiness is the organisational climate and the manner in which this is perceived by staff. While research has been conducted in the private sector there is limited research available on organisational climate in the public sector. The aim of this study was to assess the organisational climate in a Government Department and to discover if there is a link between organisational climate and employee job satisfaction. The objectives were to identify the perceived nature of the organisational climate in a Government Department, to identify the level of job satisfaction of employees in the Department, to compare the employees’ perceptions of the organisational climate to that of the managers and to identify those factors of organisational climate which impacted most on employee job satisfaction. A questionnaire was developed using QuestionPro and was distributed to employees of the Department. Seventy employees responded. Overall it was found that there was a negative perception of the organisational climate in the Department. In terms of job satisfaction, the majority of employees indicated that they were dissatisfied. However, it was found that managers were more satisfied with the organisational climate than the junior staff. Overall it was found that there is a relationship between organisational climate and employee job satisfaction. A number of recommendations were developed such as team-building exercises and recognition by managers of performance by staff, involve staff in decision making, issues need to be resolved timeously, and performance assessment needs to become less intimidating to deal with some of the issues identified. This study was limited in that it only considered one department in KwaZulu-Natal. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the public sector across South Africa. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

As organisations grapple with change in an ever changing business environment at the centre of all are employees. More often than not the process is viewed in one dimension and that is, how best will the organisation implement the change process. Very little focus is given on the impact that changes have on the ability of employees to cope with the change and continue to deliver excellent quality of work and stay focused. Today’s business leaders are expected to go beyond managing the change process but to ensure that employees understand the need for the change. The case study evaluates how BPSA employees’ motivation and performance was impacted by changes in their organisation. The study also examines the impact of a clearly defined need for change, well defined change objectives and excellently communicated vision in motivating employees and leading to superior performance. Primary data was gathered by means of a structure quantitative questionnaire. A sample of 64 employees participated and responded to the questionnaire, the respondents were from diverse departments within BP Southern Africa. The study only focused on all the employees that were affected by the change process. Statistical analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation). Findings indicated that there was a negligible positive and insignificant relationship between motivation and organisational change. And there’s no correlation between performance and organisational change. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

This study has empirically analyzed the significance of emotional satisfaction in the financial service encounters. The specific focus of this study is around finding out if the relationship between emotional satisfaction and the following important concepts exists i.e. service quality, customer loyalty and relationship quality. Furthermore, the study seeks to clarify the role of emotional satisfaction in predicting customer loyalty and relationship quality. The relationship between emotional satisfaction, service quality, customer loyalty, and relationship quality as a context, was utilized, as well as data from a sample survey of 1,261 Inland West First National Retail Bank customers. The aim of this study is to establish using probable sampling technique if there are merits in support of customer experience strategic choice within retail banking sector. A survey approach has considerable ability in generating answers to business questions such as the what? why? and how? through use of questionnaires. Interviews will also be conducted as part of the greater FNB survey. The results showed that service quality is positively associated with emotional satisfaction, which is positively associated with both customer loyalty and relationship quality. In addition, customer's feelings of enjoyment proved a best predictor of customer loyalty, while feelings of happiness served as the best predictor of relationship quality. The findings of the survey imply the need for a FNB to strategically leverage of the key antecedents of customer loyalty and relationship quality in its pursuit of customer retention and long-term profitability / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

Low cost and high efficiencies are probably the most common of strategies used in large businesses today. This requires, however, optimum levels of commitment and performance from the employees coupled with an excellent taste for change. The transition from the use of Mondi employees to labour broker employees is a change process that impacts on a company's most valuable asset - their employees. It is with this in mind that the researcher conducted a case study aimed at identifying the impact of using labour broker employees in the waste handling operations on the morale of the affected employees. The researcher found it essential to evaluate the impact of this change on operational costs and efficiencies of the section. The three research questions that were outlined to meet the above aims were: (1) Does the use of labour broker employees in the waste paper handling part of the recycling operations impact positively or negatively on the morale of the Mondi waste paper handling operators? (2) Does the use of labour broker employees in the waste paper handling part of the recycling operations reduce the operational costs in that section? (3) Does the use of labour broker employees in the waste paper handling part of the recycling operations decrease or increase the operational efficiencies in that section? The initiative to use labour broker employees in the waste paper handling operations was not set up as an experiment. It was already in motion and the researcher opted to study it. Direct observation and unstructured interviews were used to answer research question (1). It was found that the change had completely demotivated the Mondi waste handling operators. Their morale levels dropped to particularly low levels as they felt disliked, not part of a team and unappreciated for their efforts and past service. The impacts of this low morale were hidden due to the plant being under utilised against its design capacity. They also had a prevailing sense of insecurity and uncertainty regarding their jobs, which made them uneasy. Factors associated with operational costs and efficiency was measured before (2004) and after the initiative (2005) to establish the impact of using labour broker employees on them. Direct observations and a quantitative analysis of data from the company's finance and technical departments were used to answer research questions (2) and (3). It was noted that there was a decrease in the operational costs due to the lower rate of pay of the labour broker employees and them doing overtime. The use of labour broker employees resulted in no significant improvement on the operational efficiencies. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

This research project focuses on understanding the reasons why projects executed within Denel UAVS do not meet the objectives as set out in beginning of the project and inevitably, the project fails. The aim of the study is to meet the following objectives: 1) To evaluate the effect the current project management process practiced within Denel UAVS has on project success. 2) To evaluate the effect of size and complexity of projects executed within Denel UAVS has on project success. 3) To establish the most important interpersonal skills required by project managers, within Denel UA VS for project success. 4) To evaluate the influence the current organisational structure within Denel UAVS has on project success. The research method for this research project consists of two phases: namely phase one - Literature Review and phase two - Empirical study. The Literature review was conducted to evaluate the common reasons for project failure and to gain a better understanding of defining project success. A survey questionnaire was distributed to employees of Denel UAVS to obtain quantitative data as part of the Empirical study. The research provides information on results obtained and specific analysis of data collected from employees within Denel UAVS. The research also provides information on the reasons for project failure within Denel UAVS. The researcher makes recommendations to the management of Denel UAVS based on the results obtained from this study. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

With the renewed emphasis in recent years on profitability as the the key corporate metric, "forgotten" functions such as finance, human resources, procurement and IT are back in the spotlight. They are not only being viewed as sources of cost efficiency, which has been the traditional focus, but also as tools for corporate strategy and competitive advantage. But turning these functions into strategic value drivers can be as difficult as spinning straw into gold. Indeed companies have adopted a variety of approaches, form simple cost reduction and consolidation to discrete outsourcing and offshore strategies. However inconsistent approaches have led to equally inconsistent results. Benefits are available, but, in many instances, they are less than ideal and frequently short lived. In this paper, we will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the newly implemented Anglo Coal Financial Shared Services Centre to determine if the inherent benefits of introducing a shared services environment is being realised. We will benchmark the current "AS-IS" state of the SSC to best practice in order to assess the gap and recommend a set of possible initiatives that, if implemented, will help improve the performance of the SSC. A broad, systematic approach was used in the diagnosis of the SSC that incorporated the three primary elements of a system - the processes, the technology that enables the processes and the people that drive the process. The research methodology is divided into two phases. Face-to-Face interviews were utilised to assess the process and technology aspects while a rating questionnaire was used to evaluate the people aspects. The study then makes several recommendations to help correct the most critical findings on process, technology and people of the study. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.