The South African Maritime Industry has, as well as other industry sectors, recently been exposed to the dynamics that have been brought about by the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Policy which has become law in South Africa. The nature of the policy has created a situation where it (the policy itself) needs to have attention apportioned to it. The attention has been directed towards the implementation of the policy by the shipping companies. In addition, there has been attention directed towards compliance with the legislation that polices Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment. The government's requirement that the South African maritime industry generates a strategy document led to the adoption, by the industry's major role players, of the Maritime Transport & Service Industry Black Economic Empowerment Charter. The purpose of this research work is to investigate and create an understanding whether the aspirations of the above mentioned charter are realistic and feasible to achieve when, the nature of the shipping industry and other maritime related businesses, is considered. Does the way in which the shipping business operates make it easy for Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment to be implemented in the way proposed by the charter? The qualitative theory generating approach is adopted on the research. In the design of this research work a case. study is done where a major shipping company, Island View Shipping was studied. The aim is to consider issues that affect the maritime industry as viewed from inside the business environment. Semi-structured interviews are also conducted with the individuals at Island View Shipping who have, for many years, played (working in different levels/positions and working for different companies almost all over the world) major roles in the company itself and in the industry in general. Data analysis is based on the inductive reasoning approach where themes are created and analyzed. The conclusions and recommendations are divided according to themes that are identified in Chapter Five. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

"We fail more often not because we fail to solve the problem we face but because we fail to face the right problem." (Russell L. Ackoff) Although centralisation of support functions causes initial cost savings, benefits may not improve unless there is continuous enhancement of product offerings and service quality. Commonly tension arises between the shared services centre and the business units, and this is exacerbated when business units do not understand the level of service they receive, or the service centres do not understand the level of quality they offer. This ultimately leads to confusion, lowered morale and loss of workers. Six Sigma is a business strategy and a systematic methodology, use of which leads to breakthrough in profitability through quantum gains in product / service quality, customer satisfaction and productivity. The concept of implementing Six Sigma was pioneered at Motorola in the 1980's and the objective was to reduce the number of defects to as few as 3.4 parts per million opportunities. For effective implementation of Six Sigma projects in organisations, one must understand the critical success factors that will make the application successful. This dissertation attempts to understand the underlying principles of Six Sigma and its applicability to the Gauteng Shared Services Centre, in order to achieve quantum gains in service quality, customer satisfaction and productivity. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

This paper looks at the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transaction at TransUnionITC. The transaction was concluded in 2005 however TransUnionITC has been involved in BEE activities and initiatives for the past decade. TransUnionITC has been instrumental in enhancing BEE policies in that they have been involved in rural training and awareness programs aimed at making consumers aware of their account history profiles and how they affect their economic participation. The TransUnionITC BEE transaction is analysed here in terms of the following: TransUnionITC Considerations, the BEE partners, equity holding effectiveness, management after the BEE transaction, beneficiaries of the transactions, the BEE implementation process, Financial Services Charter scorecard, the DTI's generic scorecard or compliance issues, problems encountered, stakeholder expectations management and survey of TransUnionITC staff. The company strategy will also be analysed to see if it has changed as a result of the transaction and how this has affected the company's strategic focus. Factors that have been influenced by the transactions such as profitability and new opportunities will be explored. There are at least 24 laws as well as policy and regulatory provisions dealing with empowerment (Business Map, BEE Rationale and evaluation - 2005), these include sector charters, various tender boards, small business promotion bodies, labour relations institutions and regulatory councils. Some of these include: Maritime transport and services industry charter, Forwarding and clearing Industry charter, Mining sector charter, Tourism industry charter, Petroleum and liquid fuels industry charter and Financial Sector Charter, Information Communication Analysis of the implementation of Black Economic Empowerment: The case of TransUnionITC. Technology (lCT) charter. These charters are still under review, and will be finalised after the revision of the codes of Good Practice after December 2005. TransUnionITC falls within the FSC charter and as a result their BEE transaction will be analysed to see if it complies with this specific charter. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

This study explores strategies for building sustainable and competitive organizations with the University of Zululand (UZ) as a case of the study. The problem of the study is uncovering reason/s why the UZ has not developed into a sustainable and a competitive organization. In order to solve the identified problem, two activities were undertaken. These are a review of theory on building sustainable and competitive organizations and collection and analysis of data about the UZ. Systems thinking theory a discipline of a learning organization was used as a framework of the study. Systems thinking theory was used because conventional approaches to organizational development have not been able to offer lasting solutions to the problems that affect sustainability of organizations. Extensive reference was made to the work of Senge (1990, 1994, and 1999). Works of other scholars on this subject were widely consulted. According to Senge (1990) the most successful organizations are what he calls learning organizations. Learning organizations are distinguished by the following disciplines, viz., systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, and team learning. In as far as data is concerned, three sets of data were collected and analyzed, namely, in depth-one-on one interviews were conducted with people that are knowledgeable about the UZ; and with representatives of business of the city of Umhlathuze to find out how they view the UZ; and a survey was done to determine attitudes of employees of the UZ towards the institution. The analysis of data showed that the UZ did not meet the criteria of a learning organization, that helped to explain why this institution has not developed into a sustainable and a competitive organization. The study recommended that this institution adopt a living systems framework and thus becomes a learning organization, because it is only by becoming a learning organization that the UZ will be sustainable and competitive. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

The overarching objective of this study was to establish the extent to which the Multi-Fiber Arrangement impacted on the garment industry of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The quota system which controlled access to the world's biggest textile and clothing markets in the United States (US) and European Union (EU) namely Multi-fiber Arrangement (MFA) was incorporated in 1974. Nonetheless, with the thrust towards the increasingly liberal world market, MFA was abolished on 1 January 2005. As a result countries such as Lesotho had to compete on an equal footing with developed countries. Lesotho depends heavily on textile and clothing exports, thus, it is potentially vulnerable to this change in competitiveness. There have been predictions that the garment industry will suffer as a result of quota abolition and spell the end of thousand of jobs. This study was conducted to understand the various implications of Multi-Fibre Arrangement phase out on the Lesotho garment industry. The study first examines the impact of MFA on the economic growth and employment in Lesotho. Then it determines the consequences of MFA phase out on workers and the garment industry, that is, whether this elimination badly affected the industry and workers. Lastly, it establishes if adequate actions or efforts have been undertaken to attenuate potential negative impacts on workers. The results strongly indicate that MFA had contributed enormously to the Lesotho economic growth. The phasing out has led to job losses and disruption in the industry. However, programs have been put in place to mitigate and manage the negative impacts on workers such as providing training to workers with the aim of improving productivity. By the same token, recommendations have been suggested in order to address the impacts, such as to integrate vertically the industry to enhance production times. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

A persistent theme over the past year in public discussion has been the state of skills in the South African economy and society (DoL, 2003:1). The DoL (2005:55) further states that the issue of "scarce skills" has become a key government priority. It is now generally accepted that skills shortages in key occupational areas are hindering future economic growth (DoL, 2005:55). Within the civil engineering industry in South Africa recent studies have found that there has been a slow decline in the number of civil engineering professionals since the seventies and early eighties; all sectors in the industry have reported staff shortages, particularly of experienced midcareer professionals; staff utilisation rates are over 90% on average and in excess of 100% in many firms and there is a critical shortage of experienced civil professionals responsible for production work (Lawless, 2005 and SAACE, 2005). Some of the reasons cited for the skills shortages and skills gaps include poor quality of both secondary and tertiary education, inadequate training provided by employers, the overall unattractiveness of civil engineering due to relatively lower salaries being paid as compared to other professions and working conditions and emigration (for various reasons). The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact skills shortages have had on client satisfaction within Stewart Scott International (SSI), a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm, in KwaZulu-Natal. Thereafter, from the findings of the research, identify specific areas of dissatisfaction ( from SSI's clients' perspective) and develop short to medium term strategies to better manage the situation, it being noted that addressing the root causes of skills shortages and skills gaps requires long term interventions. The research also sought to assess from SSI's clients' whether they believed any decline in their satisfaction levels was as a result of skills shortages in the industry. The data collection instrument used in the study was a structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were sent to clients with whom SSI had been doing business with for at least five years. The study found three areas of concern in SSI's quality of service (which clients' believed were as a result of skills shortages), viz SSI's approach to work, SSI's creativity in proposed solutions and SSI's approach in dealing with problems in relationships with clients. The findings of the research are similar to the findings of the NACI ( 2003) in SA and Mills and Treagust (2003) in Australia. The study further found empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that the levels of skills and levels of client satisfaction are related. The research found that: • There has been a decline in SSI's approach to work • There has been a decline in SSI's creativity in proposed solutions • There has been a decline in the manner and time frames SSI deals with problems in relationships The following are recommended: • More efficient use of resources (short-term) • Coaching and training initiatives be reviewed and formalised (short-term) • Develop a new skills management specification (medium-term) in / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This study analyses the purchasing behaviour of households and briefly on industrial consumers with regard to their detergent purchases. Following from this analysis, the scope for a new detergent business venture will be investigated. The local industry has a plethora of detergent manufacturing companies supplying the retail and industrial markets, thus an appropriate analysis and strategy developed from this study will enable a new detergent business venture to have an improved understanding of the detergent industry in Pietermaritzburg leading to some minimisation of the risks for potential detergent entrepreneurs. The objectives for the study is detailed below. Primary Research Objectives : 1. To examine whether mcome accounts for household purchasing preferences between branded and non-branded detergents. 2. To determine whether location is a factor that must be considered m the marketing of detergents. 3. To examine whether there are gender differences in the purchasing behaviour of detergents among households. 4. To determine which are the major factors that influence detergent buying behaviour among industries. Secondary Research Objective: To determine whether there is scope for the introduction of a new detergent venture among households in Pietermaritzburg. This study found that income accounts for differences in purchasing of detergents. The manufacturer of detergents needs to be aware that location is a factor that must be considered in the marketing of detergents. Branded detergents carry a premium price whereas non-branded detergents are cheaper. Correspondingly, the marketer must match the type of detergent product to the consumer profile of the location in which the business is operating. It was found that gender does not account for differences in monthly expenditure on detergents. Price and quality of detergents were found to be important characteristics for both the household and business user. In addition, it was found that consumers were willing to support a new detergent business venture in Pietermaritzburg. The major variables influencing detergent brand choice in the Pietermaritzburg market seem to be attitudinal variables such as perception regarding the efficacy (QUALITY) of the brand, closely followed by the perception on the valuefor- money (PRICE). Field level promotional activities such as price-offs, freebies associated with different pack sizes of the same brand also seem to impact the choice of the brand, although the impact was low. Base price reduction is generally resorted to quite infrequently and hence a price elasticity measure may be found to be statistically insignificant. A critical result drawn from this study is the importance of attitudes in affecting behavior in the purchase of detergents. In the South African market, it is generally believed that brand attitudes are primarily influenced by advertising. If this assertion is assumed to be true, this research makes a case for better management of consumer attitudes through the deployment of appropriate advertisements using the correct media (Banerjee, 2004: 3). The major recommendations from this study found that manufacturers of household detergents need to dedicate resources to print media when advertising their products. Targeting the most appropriate consumer and capturing potential consumers by television should be looked at by marketers (Dutta-Bergman, 2006: 103). Liquid detergent manufacturers need to major more on the price of the product and the quality. These two factors are critical in ensuring a new detergent business venture is successful and sustainable . Davis (1993: 19) punts 'green marketing' as one of the strategies that may shift consumers to purchase products. Accordingly, companies that can market a 'green' detergent product would have a greater chance of penetrating the market, and gaining market share from the dominant and larger multi-national detergent companies. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The Department of Health (DOH) has embarked on a noble initiative to address the disproportionate distribution of resources and spending within the public and private healthcare sectors. Social Health Insurance (SHI) has thus been mooted as the vehicle to obtain a more equitable healthcare dispensation. This thesis explores the state of preparedness of the DOH, for the implementation of SHI. Ten aspects of health have been identified which will assist in determining if sufficient reforms have been implemented to facilitate the successful implementation of SHI. The prospective mechanism of financing of SHI is compared to the highly acclaimed model employed by the Australian Department of Health. Two research methodologies have been utilized viz. the case study approach and semi structured interviews, to provide comprehensive data. This enabled the researcher to adequately answer the research question. The responses from the respondents on the 10 aspects of healthcare have been arranged into themes to facilitate a greater understanding of the issues being highlighted. Established strategic management instruments have been utilized to analyze the data obtained and evaluate the preparedness of the DOH for the implementation of SHI. Following the data analysis, recommendations are proposed that would facilitate the successful implementation of SHI, thereby promoting its viability and sustainability in providing quality healthcare to all who call South Africa home. / Thesis (MBA)--University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

In an effort to address the poverty situation in world, the international community set up Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) committing countries to work towards achieving these by 2015. Tanzania is one of the poor countries located in Sub-Sahara Africa and is expected to work towards the MDGs. Tanzania Development Vision 2025 and National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) are some of the efforts made by the government of Tanzania to achieve these goals. A nongovernmental organization within Civil Society sector is the subject of this study. The researcher believes in the importance of the organization and other similar organizations as major contributors in delivering the objectives of the poverty reduction strategy in the country. The research investigated the current institutional framework of the Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Tanzania, specifically focusing on its financing strategy with a view to assess how the strategy can be strengthened or changed in order for the organization to remain strong and effective. The key questions of the study being; what make up an effective financing strategy, Can an NGO be financially sustainable without donor support? And what constitute a financially stable organization? The methodology used during the study included interviews with staff members and other key stakeholder, consulting literature and other relevant organization documents. The information collected was analyzed using a range of strategic analysis and research tools. Key to the financial stability is ensuring that the organization does quality and relevant work that is well planned and undertaken by motivated and competent staff. The study concludes that structures need to be reviewed time to time and defined to reflect organization's reality. Given the organization's situation it is recommended that capacity building work it does is accelerated and extended to local government as long as it will not affect the organization's core values. The Vision and mission should stay the same. To avoid confusion with the stakeholders and tax authorities the management should clarify non-profit making status of the organization. An audit of personnel capacity need to be carried out and their work responsibilities reviewed. Finally the organization should develop a clear proposal on capacity building for poverty reduction to access more donors funding. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal,2007.

Despite advances in technology, software and planning tools that are available to project managers, information systems (IS) projects continue to fail. Storm (2005, pg 1) has suggested that management issues are a central theme in these failures, recommending more thorough training for project managers and improved management overall. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations, arguably the most complex of IS projects, are particularly costly, high risk endeavors (Davenport, 1998, pg 7). When multiple locations are involved, the projects are even more challenging (Boudreau and Robey, 1999, pg 294; Markus et al, 2000, pg 46). This remains true even when a company has completed the strategic planning, the software configuration and the required infrastructural support, as experience shows companies may still face considerable complexity in getting from the capability to the reality. Due to a configuration knowledge barrier (Robey et al, 2002, pg 40), extensive use is often made of external consultants whose services add considerably to project cost (Haines and Goodhue, 2003, pg 24). By internalising and realising the benefits of a learning process within the business, implementation teams will become more self-reliant as their experience grows, increasing the possibility of success in subsequent implementations (Chang, 2004, pg 7). The challenge is how to achieve this learning effectively and efficiently (Esteves et al, 2002, pg 3). This dissertation proposes that an action learning approach may hold the key to reducing the variability of success in successive projects. This research has benefit for all practitioners, and particularly Project and Programme Managers working in Information System projects. It shows how incorporating an action learning approach to projects results in savings through doing things cheaper, quicker and better. It further proposes a practical, workable methodology for ensuring how action learning should take place as part of standard project methodologies. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.