Magistro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjama kokybės vadybos sistemų ir marketingo sąveika modernius veiklos metodus besirenkančiose ir į vertės kūrimą vartotojams besiorientuojančiose įmonėse. Didelis dėmesys skiriamas paieškai kategorijų ir indikatorių, įrodančių šių, savo vertybėmis panašių verslo filosofijų, įtaką viena kitai. Darbą sudaro teorinė ir praktinė dalys. Teorinėje dalyje, remiantis atlikta naujausios mokslinės literatūros, mokslinių publikacijų, kokybės vadybos standartų analize, pateikiamas kokybės vadybos sistemų ir marketingo sąveikos aiškinimas teoriniame lygmenyje, nemažai dėmesio skiriama kokybės vadybos ir marketingo, kaip atskirų verslo filosofijų, aprašymui lyginamuoju aspektu, apibendrinta pasaulyje atliktų tyrimų ir žinomų įmonių patirtis. Praktinėje dalyje, pasitelkus atvejo studijos bei tradicinės apklausos metodus, pateikiami Šiaulių regiono verslo įmonėse atlikto tyrimo rezultatai. / The Master’s degree work is related to the interaction of the quality management systems and marketing in companies, oriented towards the creation of the value for consumers and preferring modern methods of activities. A big part of attention is given for the search of categories and indicators, which prove the inter-influence of these business philosophies, which are related to each other by their values. The work is composed from theoretical and practical parts. Theoretical part was prepared using the newest scientific literature, scientific publications, analysis of the quality management standards; the explanation of the interaction between quality management systems and marketing in theoretical level is presented, much attention is given to describing quality management and marketing, as separate business philosophies, on the comparative aspect; experience from researches, performed in the world as well as from well-known companies is summarised in the work. Practical part deals with the results of the research, performed in business companies in Šiauliai region using the methods of case analysis and traditional questionnaire.

Social entrepreneurship is given considerable attention within literature and academic research despite that fact it is an area that needs considerable attention and research. The main purpose for societal entrepreneurs is to create societal value but there can be difficulties to understand value creation within the area. Important components within Total Quality Management (TQM) are process orientation and value creation. A TQM perspective with processes in focus provides opportunities to clarify societal value creation within societal entrepreneurship initiatives. The main purpose of this thesis has been to explore how societal value is created within the area of societal entrepreneurship and the underlying purpose has been to contribute to the development of knowledge and understanding about the societal entrepreneurship area. In order to fulfil the purpose one literature case study and three empirical case studies have been conducted with processes in focus. The literature case study was conducted first and it resulted in a theoretical process map based on a process perspective, which showed how societal value was created within a societal entrepreneurship initiative. After that the three empirical case studies were conducted separately and the findings from the empirical case studies were compared with the previously developed theoretical process map. A cross case analysis was made to find out if the process map could be confirmed, developed or rejected. The result of the case studies contributes to earlier findings within research and gives a common, comprehensive and simplified picture of a complex phenomenon and an opportunity to understand how societal value is created. A general overall process map is presented that gives a picture of how value is created within the area of societal entrepreneurship. The result shows the management process and support process fields. The map also shows a main process that is further developed with input, output and sub processes. The studies point out that societal value is created through processes and that societal value creation can be described out of a process orientation perspective. Important components to create societal value have been found to be: 'unidentified needs'; 'knowledge about the context'; 'identified need'; 'an idea or a vision'; and some kind of 'organization' and important activities to create value seem to be: 'being in the context'; 'analysis of knowledge'; 'searching for solution'; 'organize and mobilize'; and 'realize'. Fields where support processes are performed that are of importance in societal value creation have been identified. Those fields are 'creation of financing opportunities'; 'performance of political decisions and acts'; 'development and use of networks'; 'establishment of initiative'; 'creation of media information'; 'development and use of scientific results'; and 'development and use of competence'. The map does have potential for development. Further studies need to be done within the area concerning how societal value is created and to get an even more comprehensive process map of the societal entrepreneurship area but the result presented in this thesis is a start to understanding how societal value is created and to develop knowledge and understanding of the societal entrepreneurship area.

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of educators on the effectiveness of the training for IQMS. The study explores just how effective the training was and what does this mean for the classroom practitioner in their implementation of the IQMS. Since 1994, the South African Department of Education has directed the educational system through a series of initiatives and has set quality assurance of the education system as its overriding goal. In 2003 the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) was gazetted as a national instrument for the evaluation of educators and schools. The appraisal is driven not only by the need to develop, but also to evaluate individual educators for salary and grade progression, affirmation of appointments, rewards and incentives. It is a particularly sensitive initiative and therefore the advocacy and training should address management issues of appraisal and be adequate to promote effective implementation. Currently, the training program employed by the Department of Education is the ‘cascade model’; starting with the national team and involving other teams at subsidiary levels. The one to one interviews and the group interviews comprise of level one educators who have gone through the process of IQMS. These respondents are at the lowest level of the cascade model of training used. The main finding was that most of the respondents were unhappy with the training they received and felt that the Department in terms of retraining, support and intervention programs did not support the initial training. The study recommends that it is essential for the Department to have a national / provincial training coordinator who is allocated a limited time slot at subsidiary training programs to clarify all the relevant issues and questions in the training program. This would give a national / provincial perspective on the implementation of IQMS. The study also recommends further training to be convened to clarify inconsistencies in the implementation of IQMS. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study primarily looked at teachers¡¦ experiences of the IQMS evaluation and its impact on their professional development. IQMS has been actively introduced at the school system for the past five years. The purpose of this study is two fold. Firstly, this study wants to explore the outcomes of IQMS within the school context with a specific focus on outcomes relates to teachers. Secondly, this study wants to document the experience of schools¡¦ trip through the IQMS process from the perspectives of teachers and the school managers. A survey methodology was used to produce the data together with the analysis thereof. Some of the key findings from this study reveal that: Teachers with lower teaching qualifications and teaching experiences perceived IQMS to be beneficial to them, while teachers with higher qualifications and longer teaching experiences were suspicious of the IQMS process. Younger teachers tend to have more positive feelings towards IQMS while older teachers tend to have negative feelings towards IQMS. On the other hand middle aged teachers tend to have mixed feelings towards IQMS. The IQMS evaluation report had a positive impact on teachers in general, in terms of them identifying a need to develop themselves. Some of the key recommendations in relation to this study are: The Department of Education should ensure that sufficient workshops and trainings are properly planned and provision is made for in service training of teachers. Quality education can only be possible if the Department of Education ensures that all schools are well resourced. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This thesis investigates the diagnostic review of aspects of management, with particular reference to perceptions of "quality" and criteria for "total quality". The system of education in South Africa faces grave problems: the collapse of the culture of teaching and learning, under-resourced schools and under qualified educational managers and educators. In this regard the new paradigm in managing schools known as Total Quality Management (TQM), was investigated in this thesis. Total Quality Management (TQM), is an approach which has great potential for the enhancement of public schooling in South Africa. School systems in South Africa now faces dramatic changes in the external environment. The TQM approach focuses in particular on leadership and people, and the comprehensive change to the theory and practice of management. This study, thus, tries to determine the nature and characteristics of TQM in the school through the review of literature, and to determine the elements of TQM that were identified in the school. The study further investigates if the strategies employed in schools are based on TQM principles and if it could be characterised as effective in terms of TQM. A literature study was undertaken to analyse TQM and to determine methods for implementing TQM in the school. The empirical research consists of two phases: a quantitative phase comprising the use of a self - completion questionnaire to determine to what the official position of the school is and to what extent the principal makes use of TQM, and a qualitative phase in which the key individuals of the school namely the principal, deputy principal and two heads of department participated in interviews to determine to what strategies the school use are based on TQM. The data collected from both the literature review and the empirical study was used to develop a strategy as a guide to improve school effectiveness through TQM. The main findings of this study reveals that there are identifiable characteristics of TQM in the school, although most educators could not identify with the philosophy of total quality management as an approach to managing the school. The study also finds that the strategies employed by the school's management team can be regarded as effective in terms of TQM. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This research investigates the effectiveness of teambuilding in the whole School Development Department of an NGO based in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, KwaZuluNatal. My personal view is that teamwork is essential to the effective functioning of people in organisations. As I am the manager of the Whole School Development Department, I initiated a teambuilding programme at the beginning of 2002. My gut feeling is that teambuilding is the most important tool that can bring a team together in pursuit of common goals. By embarking on this research, I would be able to explore the perceptions of team members in respect of the effectiveness of teambuilding. From the outset it was believed that a case study approach would be most appropriate. This approach allowed the manager (researcher) to freely observe and interact with the subjects of the research. During the research, data was collected and analysed on an ongoing basis. Due to the nature of the research and the size of the population (eleven members in the team) the researcher was able to focus on the entire population. Results obtained revealed that the manager and team members were committed and dedicated to make teambuilding work. All the participants had a large say in how it would be run and all wanted the team to be as good as it could be. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Maintenance philosophies have evolved over a period of time. These philosophies have evolved from breakdown maintenance to ReliabilityCentred Maintenance (RCM). By performing proper maintenance on plant equipment, organisations' goals can be achieved. This forms the basis of the Total Productive Maintenance strategy, which aims to support business goals. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is based on the integrated manufacturing system approach that includes process control, quality assurance, safety and maintenance. Some organisations in South Africa have taken an initiative to implement the Total Productive Maintenance program. This research study confirms that organisations that have implemented the TPM program have had increased productivity, reduced costs and improved the quality of their products. Secondly, factors that affect successful implementation of the Total Productive Maintenance program are identified. Through training of all the employees on TPM, encouraging teamwork and systematically implementing the TPM program, the organisations' competitiveness can enhanced. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The International Organization for Standardization is one of the most popular quality management systems in the modern business environment. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Total Quality Management (TQM) interface the quality management systems within an organization. Over the last decade, the International Organization for Standardization has established a variety of quality management systems such as ISO9001:2008; ISO14001:2004; ISO10002:2007; ISO13485:2003; ISO9000:2005, ISO 9000:2008, ISO14971:2007; ISO18000:2007, and other ISO quality management systems are facilitating many professionally-run the businesses. This research topic, however, investigates how the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system affects the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa. This research is based on the qualitative and quantitative methods used to ascertain how the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system affects the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa. Samples are selected randomly at 95% confidence levels with a margin of error of 5%. The study was also retrospective in that it relied on the data collected from individuals who had been exposed to the ISO9001:2008 quality management system in the rubber and plastics industry in a South African manufacturing environment. The ISO 9001:2008 quality management system distinguishes between the end results and the means of achieving organizational objectives. The final recommendation after the indepth discussion in Chapter Six is aimed at improving levels of product and service quality; the reduction of product cost; an improvement in the working relationship between employer and employee; increasing customer satisfaction; offering confidence to suppliers, competitors, investors and in business ventures in general, while attaining greater profitability in the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa in particular. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

One of the major challenges for organisations operating in today's global business environment is to improve productivity, reduce costs and enhance customer service. Six Sigma methodology has become a popular approach in a number of organisations as a business improvement tool. This research presented Six Sigma as a business transformation methodology within Lonmin operations. The purpose of this research was to identify the primary factors in the Six Sigma framework, and to evaluate the relationship between these factors in the framework and their contribution towards transformation in terms of business improvement. This research critically evaluated the application of Six Sigma within Lonmin in the South African context. Quantitative data was obtained from questionnaires distributed to the different Six Sigma role players within Lonmin. A probability sample was used; sixty five (65) Six Sigma candidates were drawn from Lonmin with a Six Sigma population size of one hundred and twenty (120) employees listed in the Six Sigma database. Data was collected using an e-mail based questionnaire developed by the researcher. The main contributions of this study showed that communication and organisational culture were the most important factors to transform business performance when Six Sigma was integrated with business principles. The study revealed that project selection was a vital element in the process that determined the value towards business improvement. Six Sigma must be supplemented by other programmes (Theory of Constraints, Design For Six Sigma) in order to be more effective in attaining business performance. This research will benefit management to evaluate and structure an aligned methodology for transformation. Employees will be motivated to attain greater knowledge and skill. Research will prove beneficial to organisations that need to transform their organisation. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

This dissertation investigated the quality of service delivery at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Pietermaritzburg campuses. According to du Toit (2004:182) student satisfaction is important in the Higher Education sector due to its role in effective enrolment management. It is essential for student perceptions of service quality to be evaluated and managed by the university. Iacobucci, et al (1995:277) emphasized that service quality and customer satisfaction are important concepts to academic researchers studying consumer evaluations as a means of creating competitive advantages and customer loyalty. According to the South African Department of Education (2004:3), the creation of a new merged institution must ultimately be accompanied by standardised service levels. Hence this study attempted to investigate the service levels of the merged institution in Pietermaritzburg. The research set out to measure service expectations of higher education as well as measure service perceptions at the DUT. The research also set out to establish the SERVQUAL gap, which causes unsuccessful service delivery (Gap 5) and examine the dimensions which contribute to Gap 5. A SERVQUAL analysis was undertaken on the two Pietermaritzburg campus, viz. Riverside and Indumiso campus. The study found that on average customers had high expectations in tangibles, reliability and assurance dimensions and their highest perceptions were found in the assurance dimension. The study also found that management of DUT need to apply a varying degree of attention to the dimensions between the two campuses. The key recommendation to management of DUT was to introduce a Total Quality Management (TQM) system and a service marketing management plan. In addition to implementing this, management also needs to develop a service-minded workforce. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.