The high rate of accidents recorded in South African industry and the human and economic consequences involved reflect inadequacies in existing safety management policies and practices. The universally accepted right of employees to protection and the demands of social policy make the prevailing situation unacceptable. The complexities of the parameters of the employer's obligation for sound safety management requires practical guidelines for its understanding and application. The aim of this research is therefore to determine these parameters and to provide guidelines for their application. The parameters at issue are regulated by the principles of modern labour law, the developing common law, and statutory law such as MOSA. In order to pursue sound management practices and employment relations, the employer must not only take cognizance of his legal obligations but also various humanitarian, social and economic considerations. To correlate the complex nature of safety management with the demands of social policy, it is necessary to apply an appropriate standard of conduct to which every safety practice must adhere. This standard relates to the employer's general duty to take fair and reasonable precautions to eliminate or minimize occupational hazards. The employer's conduct is measured in terms of the objective standard of the reasonable employer in labour relations. The concept of reasonableness is therefore fundamental to the formulation of the parameters of the employer's obligation. The parameters are shown to centre round the reasonable foresight of the likelihood of harm and the implementation of reasonable precautionary measures to guard against the occurrence of such foreseeable harm. Furthermore, an unforeseeable incident that occurs in spite of preventive measures taken may reflect the need for subsequent preventive and corrective action. There is clearly scope for employers to adopt a more proactive approach in promoting sound safety management practices. Certain statutory, attitudinal and policy changes will be necessary for improved working conditions. These changes will include the formulation and implementation of an objectively-based safety policy that will facilitate the application of the parameters established. The proposed model flow-chart makes it possible to establish whether the parameters have been effectively implemented, and whether the employer or a third party is liable for a particular accident. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

This dissertation set out to ascertain that a South African vendor, on-time delivery to EU buyers, was unreliable. Late deliveries from South African vendors to EU buyers have led to Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd being a volatile sourcing office for the Kingfisher Group. Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd need to take considerable measures in determining which South African vendors they source products from in order to determine their success or failure. This research has highlighted the following problem: i. South African vendors are unreliable suppliers. Recommendations derived from this research include: ii. The need to clarify terms and conditions of trade, iii. To ensure Kingfisher Sourcing Africa (Pty) Ltd has a contract in place with South African vendors, iv. To periodically and systematically evaluate South African vendor's : Financial capabilities, Supply chain capacity, Management structure, Product offering mix, / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research investigates the role of brands in the advertising of beauty products. This study was conducted at tertiary institutions in the Durban Metropolitan Area. Since, students are believed to constitute a large market for consumer goods, especially beauty products, the study also seeks to determine consumption patterns and preferences of brands of beauty products by students at tertiary institutions. Using a survey-based study, the results of the survey highlights the importance of the branding of beauty products in promoting sales, loyalty and preference for various brands. The findings suggest that marketers' should continue to provide information to consumers about their beauty products, so that their benefits and functions are constantly emphasized, without exaggerating the claims of the brands. It has also emerged that detailed instructions on the use of beauty products and the frequency of their use be clearly indicated on their labels. This study has also revealed that brands of beauty products entrench the image of the company through its truthful advertising. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

Currency exposure has become a widespread issue as more corporations of all sizes source and sell in overseas markets and compete both at home and abroad with international companies. Very few companies are unaffected by currency risk, whether directly or indirectly. Businesses that source products from foreign countries face the risk that exchange rate movement will erode gross margins if competition prevents selling prices from rising in tandem, while resource-based companies face the uncertainty associated with the fact that the world's commodities markets are denominated in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling while their costs are often denominated in their local currencies. Businesses that ignore exchange rate volatility expose themselves to unnecessary risk, which could have significant consequences if exchange rates suddenly move unfavourably. The volatility of the South African Rand over the past few years is forcing treasurers and other managers responsible for international trade to look anew at how South African exchange rate fluctuations affect their company's results. Many companies have suffered from the effects of fluctuating exchange rates; some have reported losses running into millions of Rand. While more and more firms realize that they should manage foreign exchange risk, not all of them have come up with an appropriate management strategy. There has always been a great deal of debate over the best approach to hedging, or the best methods to forecast exchange rates; however hedging is of the utmost importance for companies. With the recent volatility of the rand, the multinational firm covered in this thesis, showed foreign exchange losses amounting to several millions, using forward exchange contracts to cover its high foreign exchange exposures. The major disadvantage of the forward contract as experienced by the firm and shown in this thesis is that it is a legally binding agreement and thus the firm was bound to accept the agreed exchange rate and also the fact that the exchange itself had to be done. If the commercial reason for the exchange disappeared, the cost of cancelling the forward contract would be quite high. In addition, if the exchange rate at maturity was more favourable to the firm than the one agreed to in the forward contract, the firm will still have to honour the contract and will not be able to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate. Thus, with FEC there is the elimination of the opportunity for profit, should exchange rates turn out favourably. When purchasing a currency option, however, the holder is protected from downward movements in the exchange rate whist still having the opportunity to benefit if the currency moves favourably. Hence, the purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the use of currency options as an alternative hedging strategy to forward exchange contracts to manage the firm's foreign exchange risk. It was found that, had the firm used currency options as compared to FEC over the last four years, the firm would have made significant saving in spite of the option premium. The firm would have enjoyed the flexibility offered by currency options, that is, to let the contract lapse when it would not be to the firm's advantage thus making a lower payment for its imports than would be paid under the forward exchange contract for the same period. The results were tested over a period of four years to prove that the difference in payments using the FEC and the currency options were statistically significant. What was apparent from the research, however, was that though the multinational firm could choose from a vast array of financial instruments and currency derivatives to manage its foreign exchange risk, the firm chose to stick to using forward exchange contracts. The reasons varied from fear of dealing with the complexities of the many instruments available on the market to the limited resources within the foreign exchange department to understand the technicalities of the various instruments. The investigation revealed though forward cover as used by the firm was more efficient in terms of ease of use. Currency options when applied to cover the firm's foreign imports resulted in less cash outflow, making it better and more profitable than forward exchange contracts. Options contract, though more expensive, would have allowed the firms to let the option lapse and therefore benefit from spot exchange rates if these were more favourable. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

All of us are consumers. We consume products such as bread and milk and services such as education, banking and transportation. A fundamental understanding of consumer behaviour forms the backbone of all marketing activities and is an imperative prerequisite for the success of businesses. Consumers' wants and needs in today's competitive world are continuously changing. Therefore companies are forced to understand how consumers make purchasing decisions before an effective marketing strategy could be designed. (Skinner, 1994:218) According to Lamb et al (2000:66) in order to design an appropriate marketing mix for their defined market, marketing managers must be able to understand consumers' behaviour thoroughly. This is essential because it will determine how successful the marketing strategy would be. Mowen (1995:5) define consumer behaviour as "the study of the buying units and the exchange processes involved in acquiring, consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences and ideas." In a nutshell, to stress the importance of understanding consumer behaviour, Assael summarises it by saying that "marketers have come to realise that their effectiveness in meeting consumer needs directly influences their profitability and the better they understand the factors underlying consumer behaviour, the better able they are to develop effective marketing strategies to meet consumer needs" (Assael,1998:5) This study examined toothpaste purchasing amongst Pietermaritzburg (PMB) consumers. The specific objectives were to evaluate which marketing stimuli affect the purchase of toothpaste in PMB, to evaluate the attributes consumers look for in toothpaste purchasing, to identify the various demographic variables that influence the purchase and finally to identify which brand of toothpaste has preference amongst PMB consumers. Theoretical reviews of the factors influencing consumer behaviour, which are categorised into marketing stimuli as well as environmental and individual factors are first discussed. These are followed by a brief description of the toothpaste industry and the various product attributes. The methodology used for the data collection as well as the interpretation procedures are also outlined. The key findings were Colgate Herbal was top on the list with 16.3% of respondents selecting it while Aquafresh All-in-One came in second with 15.3% of respondents having chosen it. Consumers attach different levels of importance to the different attributes of the toothpaste and the study found fresher breath to be the most important product attribute consumers look for when purchasing their toothpaste. The significance test done between brand preference and demographic variables indicated differences between racial groups. Based on the findings recommendations are then made for appropriate segmenting and positioning of the product that will be of use for manufacturers and retailers in the toothpaste industry. / Thesis (M.B.A.)- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This study sets out to test the hypothesis that the Eskom Black Economic Empowerment, as implemented by the Transmission Division of Eskom Holdings Limited, has had only limited success in fostering sustainable businesses. Although Eskom Transmission has been reporting excellent achievements in terms of the programme, the author argues that the performance measures are flawed in that they do not distinguish between small black owned businesses and large international businesses which conform to the Eskom definition of a Black Economic Empowerment supplier. Large companies with at least a 10% black shareholding, and meeting other criteria in terms of skills transfer, black management and procurement from other black owned suppliers could qualify as a Black Economic Empowered supplier. By including spend on such suppliers together with the Transmission spend on small, black owned suppliers, distorts the effects of the programme. The research has highlighted the following concerns: • The most important reason that employees support the BEE programme is because it is a policy requirement; • No development of suppliers apart from the indiscriminate use of price matching and setting aside of contracts; • Supplier assessments are inconsistent and are not always transparent; • Contract conditions and contracting methods are not always conducive to growth and development of small suppliers; • Minimal performance evaluation of suppliers is conducted; • The BEE programme is perceived as being most successful in enriching a few elite black individuals. In addition, it is perceived as having been successful in the creation of non value adding agents for white owned companies;Henk Langenhoven - MComm UKZN 2005 • Very few respondents to the survey indicated that they spend any time on the development of or giving advice to suppliers; • There is a 50% impression that BEE suppliers are capable of taking part in Eskom Transmission business; • A very low percentage of Small Medium and Micro Enterprises and Black Woman Owned suppliers applying for listing in the database are qualified to supply Eskom Transmission; • The very same suppliers tend to win contracts all the time, hence the indication is that there are few new entrants; • Historically, the indication is that the suppliers have generally have been on the database since before the implementation of the BEE programme. They have continuously changed ownership to keep pace with the changing requirements of policy; • The support ofBWO suppliers has come at the direct expense ofSMME suppliers. Recommendations derived from this research include: • Continuing with the current BEE reporting which is external to Eskom, but • Enhancing Key Performance Indicators to include measurements and targets for job creation as well as support of both SMME and BWO suppliers; • Structured supplier development programme with dedicated resources to take ownership of the programme; • Consideration is to be given to the methods of contracting when dealing with SMME and BWO suppliers; • Supplier performance evaluation is to be enhanced for inclusion of a wider spectrum of suppliers and end users. / Thesis (M. Com.)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2008.

This study sets out to ascertain the impact that the marketing initiatives of a retail chain have on the inventory levels of the retail chain. The stock levels of a retail chain are the source of many frustrations. However, through developing an efficient and effective supply of inventory, a viable, competitive advantage is created for the firm. The bullwhip effect is the name given to the fluctuation in demand for specific products that is seen through the supply chain, the discoverer of this effect was J W Forrester. The primary objective of this study is to identify whether the movement of stock through the supply chain identifies with the bullwhip effect where the influences of the marketing initiatives are felt. The secondary objective is to discover what impact the different role players have on this phenomenon, i.e. the store managers, buyers and suppliers. The promotion process is utilised as a tool to drive the strategy of the Clicks organisation, but a side effect is the creation of the Bullwhip Effect. The main problem is that the demand for the item is increased for a specific period and then the demand is either reduced to levels lower than before the promotion or will revert to the same level as before. Sales and stock movement data was recorded and graphically displayed to determine whether the Bullwhip effect was created. This research has highlighted the following problems: (a) There is no direct communication between the role players. (b) Decisions are based on somewhat dubious information. (c) Large promotional orders are based on sales history. (d) There are no real measures in place to rectify any errors. (e) The measuring criteria and KPAs differ between the role players. Recommendations derived from this research include: (f) Increase communication between the category buyers and the store managers. (g) Rather than bulk ship stocks to the stores, introduce a staggered shipping approach. (h) Create a position for a specialist person who can deal with the overstocks. This person would be responsible for reallocating overstocks including returning the overstocks to the DCs. (i) Reduce the number of "lost leaders" and extensive advertising of these "lost leaders" and rather concentrate on more generic advertising. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The current legislation in South Africa, namely the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Sector published on the 15 November 1995 by the Department of Public Service and Administration, addresses the need for transformation in the delivery of Public Services. The aim of this transformation process is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the way in which public services should be rendered, with the emphasis on customer focused ways of working. The South African Military Health Services (SAMHS) as a public service healthcare organisation within the South African Department of Defence (SANDF) is also governed by the White Paper on transformation, and is constantly reminded of the call for improved service delivery to its clientele. According to Schenke (2001:8) it is critical to understand that an interdependent relationship exists between employee satisfaction and customer satisfection, and therefore an organisation would need to focus on both these assets. An integral part of optimising service delivery in the SAMHS and improving customer satisfection, would be to ensure job satisfection among the healthcare professionals who render the services. Spytak, Marsland and Ulmer (1999:26) noted that satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative and committed to their jobs. A study was therefore undertaken to review job satisfection among health care professionals in a sample population in the SAMHS. The study examined the main contributing factors that affected job satisfection, and determined if there were differences in terms of job satisfection across the demographic variables of age, gender, marital status, employees with or without children and tenure. Finally it explored the correlation between job satisfection levels and intention to leave. The study constituted a comparative cross-sectional study of 61 healthcare professionals based at Area Military Health Unit KwaZulu Natal (AMHU KZN). The research methodology adopted in this study was a quantitative survey. Statistical analyses were completed using ANOVA'S, Pearson's Correlations and Factor Analysis. The results of the study indicated that there were four major contributing factors affecting job satisfection and these included, career management, strategic management and support, the nature of the work itself and interpersonal dynamics. There were no differences noted in job satisfection across the demographic variables of age, gender, marital status, employees with or without children and tenure. However results did indicate that there was a strong correlation between total job satisfaction and propensity to leave. A strong correlation was also found with each of the four main components affecting job satisfection, namely career management, strategic management and support, the nature of the work itself, interpersonal dynamics, and propensity to leave. Recommendations were made to the SAMHS with regard to job enrichment, compensation systems, staffing and promotions, and management style. The implementation of these recommendations could assist in improving the levels of job satisfection among health care professionals. The study also recommended further research to better understand issues that could impact on job satisfection of health care professionals in the military environment. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Universities, like many other service organisations are operating in a competitive environment aiming to attract the best students. It is therefore important for them to understand how they are positioned in the minds of their target market. “Positioning is the image the product or service has in the mind of the consumer” (Walker, Mullins and Larreche, 2008, p.150). Since its inception the Foundation Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal has been more successful in meeting its enrolment targets than in recent years where this has not been the case on the Pietermaritzburg campus. This study attempted to help understand the reasons for this and in doing so investigated the effect of a number of possible factors contributing towards this problem. These factors included the positioning of the programme to its target market, the needs of target market, the effect of competing universities, the availability of Financial Aid, the merger between the Universities of Natal and Durban-Westville and the introduction of the Augmented programme. The Foundation Programme’s target market includes learners from disadvantaged schools in South Africa. Grade 12 learners doing Science and Mathematics from this target marker were the chosen participants for this study. Seven objectives were set to address this research problem. Using a positioning framework the first objective was to identify the determining dimensions, i.e. what factors are looked by the target market when choosing an access programme and university. The second objective was to establish how various products were rated on those dimensions to determine how the Foundation programme is positioned within the target market relative to competing programmes. The third objective was to assess whether the needs of access students are incorporated into the way the programme is positioned. Determining the perceptions of the target market of the adverting strategies for this programme was the fourth objective. The fifth objective was to examine the effect of Financial Aid, or the lack thereof, on the perceptions of the target market. The sixth objective was to evaluate the effect of the merger on the perceptions of the target market, and the final objective was to critically evaluate the impact of the introduction of the Augmented programme on the enrolment numbers. The triangulation methodology was followed for this study. Firstly the researcher used literature to identify the key attributes and issues surrounding this study. The data collection consisted of two stages: qualitative research which included focus groups (Stage 1) and quantitative research which included questionnaires (Stage 2). The literature was used to develop Stage 1 of the data collection and the findings of Stage 1 were used to develop Stage 2 of the data collection. All three areas are brought together in the discussion and conclusions. The data was analysed using Excel and SPSS. Issues of reliability and validity were addressed throughout this study. The findings of this study showed that the overall positioning of Foundation Programme is not aligned to the needs of the target market. UKZN is seen very positively and was given the highest rating compared to competing universities. However there are still gaps between where UKZN is in the mind of its target market and where their needs are. The biggest gap was in the area of financial assistance and this was followed by infrastructure of the university. Both these factors are of particular importance to the target market because of their disadvantaged background. The findings also showed that amongst the target market there is not enough awareness of access programmes in general and in particular the access programme at UKZN. The Centre for Science Access’s (CSA) advertising isn’t reaching a substantial portion of the target market. The merger did not have any negative effect on the target market’s choice of which university to attend. However since the merger what has happened is that the pool of applicants is being shared across the two centres of the CSA. The Augmented Programme has also not affected the enrolment targets of the Foundation Programme, rather it has affected the “quality” of students in the Foundation Programme. If the Augmented Programme was not introduced the Foundation Programme would be taking in students with higher matric scores. Recommendations were made to improve the position of the Foundation Programme in the minds of its target market. These were directed to the CSA management, UKZN policy makers and the Department of Education. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Although franchising is growing in importance as a form of business with considerable benefits to all participants, little research has been done to evaluate the factors that contribute to a successful franchise relationship from the viewpoint of the franchisee. This study is intended to provide valuable information for establishing an effective management strategy, with a view to improving the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee. The study will include an analysis of the predictors of a quality relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee; and attempts to increase the understanding of the relationships between the predictors of a quality relationship, which may contribute to the franchisee's performance and satisfaction. Using the survey responses of the franchisees of the Convenience stores within the Petroleum Industry, this study identifies key factors that affect the franchisee's motivation to become a franchisee, the franchisee's perception of the franchisor's support, the quality of the relationship, loyalty/commitment to the franchisor and the franchisee's performance. The results of this study provide strong support for the idea that the quality of the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee plays a key role in ensuring that the contractual relationship will lead to financial success for both parties. Recommendations provided will assist the franchisor in establishing an effective management strategy to improve the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee and thus improve the rate of success for both the franchisor and the franchisee. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2007.