This study was intended to provide an analysis of the merger process of the Port Elizabeth Technikon on the basis change management models available according to theory. Before this discussion could ensue, it became necessary that the concept of change management be defined in detail so as to create a common basis of understanding in dealing with the change management models. There are various models that considered for discussion, namely the Lewin’s change model, the Hayes and Hyde’s change model, the Cummings and Worley’s change model and the Anderson and Anderson’s change process model. It was established that all available change models were based on the works of the Lewin’s change model. It was the Anderson and Anderson model that was found to more comprehensive in term of the various consideration it brought forward to the change manager or changing organization for consideration. Following the discussion on change models, a discussion of the research methodologies available followed. A survey methodology was decided to be appropriate for this study. An e-mail postal survey was decided as the appropriate process. The beauty of the e-mail postal survey was that it combined the benefits of personal and postal surveys. The Anderson and Anderson change model was used as a basis for devising questions in the questionnaire. The empirical study revealed that communication, consultation and resistance to change were not dealt with appropriately and as such staff morale had been greatly sacrificed. Be that as it may, it suffices to say that there is still chance to make things right. Top management needs to strengthen communication, consultation and feedback mechanisms. Secondly top management needs to establish a training and coaching program and a system for identifying and rewarding best performance. Opportunities for celebrating short-term victories should not be passed on since these enhance a sense of success and victory. The organization also needs to develop a system for harnessing new learning that will inform new ways of doing things which will become the cornerstone of the new culture.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology in the Faculty of Commerce, 2008 / Higher Education institutions have undergone and are still undergoing transformation in South Africa and this research focused on the merger of a higher education institution as a background to conduct empirical evidence to investigate the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the organization under study. In determining the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity, three hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis indicated that there exists a relationship between motivation and perceived productivity. Hypothesis two was that motivation remains constant through a merger and the last hypothesis was listed as perceived productivity remains constant through a merger. The concept of motivation was very broad, so the study narrowed the focus so that the factors that were examined were collectively labelled motivation resulting from contentment in the workplace and from rewards for good performance. The third aspect of motivation that forms part of the study is that of motivators. The primary data employed included a self administered survey and the secondary data include a literature framework that underpins the discussion of the variables motivation and productivity. The results reflect that there is a positive relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the specific organization under investigation indicating an increase or decrease in motivation is accompanied by a corresponding increase or decrease in perceived productivity.

This study examines the challenges and opportunities that face the merging of Higher Education institutions with the focus on staff’s responses to the merger at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN). The focus of the study was based on staff’s attitudes and their varying experiences since the merging of former University of Durban Westville (UDW) and University of Natal (UN) forming the new institution of UKZN. It examines the barriers, challenges and opportunities of the Heads of School, Academic staff and Administrative staff in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences (HDSS) and the Faculty of Management Studies. The study also reviewed the international or rather global experiences of mergers of Higher Education Institutions and brought into perspective examples of mergers such as in the UK, Australia, United States, Netherlands and Norway. The study then shifted focus to a much more local level in terms of UKZN in assessing the ethos of governance in terms of dialogue and inclusivity and how they perceived the merger of the two former institutions. Since the study is a qualitative, judgmental sampling technique was utilized in this study since it allowed me the researcher to use my own discretion as to who is in the best position to be knowledgeable about the subject under investigation. Therefore a structured interview was employed in this study with a set of inter-related questions, asked in the same order to all participants of this study. Issues of governance, mismanagement of finances, degree scandals, demoralized staff, wage disputes and academic freedom are some of the negative aspects that are perceived to riddle the new institution. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology in the Faculty of Commerce, 2008 / Higher Education institutions have undergone and are still undergoing transformation in South Africa and this research focused on the merger of a higher education institution as a background to conduct empirical evidence to investigate the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the organization under study. In determining the relationship between motivation and perceived productivity, three hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis indicated that there exists a relationship between motivation and perceived productivity. Hypothesis two was that motivation remains constant through a merger and the last hypothesis was listed as perceived productivity remains constant through a merger. The concept of motivation was very broad, so the study narrowed the focus so that the factors that were examined were collectively labelled motivation resulting from contentment in the workplace and from rewards for good performance. The third aspect of motivation that forms part of the study is that of motivators. The primary data employed included a self administered survey and the secondary data include a literature framework that underpins the discussion of the variables motivation and productivity. The results reflect that there is a positive relationship between motivation and perceived productivity at the specific organization under investigation indicating an increase or decrease in motivation is accompanied by a corresponding increase or decrease in perceived productivity.

Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006. / The educational reforms implemented by the Department of Education during the last decade have resulted in a number of high profile public university mergers taking place in South Africa. The private higher education sector has simultaneously been significantly restructured by new educational legislation, to such an extent that a numerous private providers have been forced to cease operations due to the onerous requirements of the new laws. In this context, private higher education institutions are increasingly being compelled to consider alternative strategic options in order to continue to operate as viable entities. This study examined two private theological higher education institutions operating in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and considered whether a merger of the two organisations would be advantageous in light of the pressures being faced by the institutions. The objectives of the study were to assess first, whether a merger of the two institutions would be feasible and second, whether it would be desirable. The study reviewed the literature relating to various forms of organisational co-operation , focusing particularly on mergers. The benefits associated with mergers were highlighted as well as the major causes of the extraordinarily high merger failure rate experienced in practice. The tendency of leaders of merging entities to overlook cultural and people issues when planning and implementing a merger was noted. Attention was given to the managerial approaches necessary to reduce the risk of merger failure. Factors specific to mergers within the non-profit and educational sectors were considered, focusing on structural options for multi-campus educational institutions in particular. The methodology used to address the research objectives called for the conducting of structured interviews with a sample of employees and Board or Council members from both institutions, as well as an examination of various institutional records. Employees of both institutions completed a simple questionnaire designed to provide data for an analysis of the respective organisational cultures of the two institutions. The findings of the study suggested that a merger between the institutions would be feasible, but that employees of the two organisations are not generally of the view that a merger would be desirable in the short term. There was however more support in principle for a merger in the medium to long term and the study consequently recommends that a joint task team be established to prepare a roadmap for the ultimate merger of the two institutions. In the short term it is recommended that a joint venture or strategic alliance be entered into by the two organisations primarily in order to test the compatibility of the two organisational cultures. Further recommendations cover issues such as the ideal structure for the merged entity and the process necessary to successfully manage the integration of two separate organisational cultures.

The Port Elizabeth College (PE College) was founded in January 2002 as a result of the merger between the three technical colleges in Port Elizabeth, namely, Russell Road, Bethelsdorp and Iqhayiya. Similar courses are offered in duplicated facilities, contrary to the sentiment of the legislation requiring the reduction of the number of technical colleges from 152 to 50. A further problem experienced by the management of PE College is that the Russell Road campus is so full that it is necessary to turn prospective students away, while the other campuses are under-utilised. The focus of this study is the evaluation of the location and coverage offered by the six PE College sites of delivery. The study examined the physical facilities of the PE College and investigated the requirements of staff and students, regarding their campuses of choice. The objectives were achieved through site visits to the six campuses, as well as a quantitative, structured, self-administered survey of all staff and students of the PE College in October 2003. The questions used in the survey were selected only after a literature review of location theory, which highlighted the factors to be considered in location decisions. Completed questionnaires were received from 1 256 student and 120 staff respondents. The empirical study showed that 13,2% of students and 9,2% of staff wished to study or work at a different campus. Sixty-eight percent of students who wanted to change campuses preferred to be based at the Russell Road campus, which is already full. As a result, this study has led to the recommendation that the PE College should use a product-based location strategy, where each campus specialises in a different field of study. Although this location strategy will not necessarily offer the greatest accessibility to students and staff, it will result in the least amount of duplication, and, therefore, reduced costs.

M.Comm. (Strategic Communication) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A university’s alumnus grouping is one of its most valuable assets in terms of its potential financial, strategic and social contribution towards the credibility and longevity of the institution. The goodwill and support of a primary stakeholder grouping such as the alumni is crucial to the aspirations of a Higher Education institution wanting to prosper in a fast-changing and highly competitive market. Alumni members have the capacity to assist in strategically positioning a tertiary institution as a market leader in the South African Higher Education Sector (SAHES) by means of representation on the institutional council and their involvement in networking, lifelong learning, career services, mentoring, fundraising and community development activities. In light of the restructuring and transformation that this sector has undergone since 1994, building and maintaining valuable relationships with alumni stakeholders of tertiary institutions in South Africa has become a new and more difficult challenge. The integrated network approach of relationship management could give an institution the opportunity to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. Information technology has had a significant impact on the power structure and relationship between organisations and their publics, stakeholders and the media. It has become extremely difficult for organisations to define and segment these audiences as, for example, Internet audiences are widely spread across geographical, cultural, and economic boundaries. This makes the packaging and dissemination of information a much more challenging task, as information needs to be generic enough to be commonly understood, but should also be personalised in such a way that it still addresses the different audience segmentations effectively. However, the identification and profiling of target audiences is critical for successful information dissemination, as this knowledge will guide the information managers within organisations in compiling relevant (to the target audiences) content and packaging the information in a way that is most suitable to the needs and resources of the targeted group. At the core of developing an alumni network is a secure database with an interactive Web-based platform allowing the alumni management teams and members to disseminate and share relevant information freely. According to a research project (the first phase of a longitudinal study) about disseminating information to UJ alumni, 98,2% of the respondents indicated that they wanted to have contact with the UJ Alumni Relations Office (Barnard, Rensleigh & Niemann, 2005). The majority of respondents, 86,7%, indicated that they preferred to receive the information via electronic mail or from the website. The research findings indicated that the UJ alumni stakeholder group is part of a privileged section of the South African population in the global and national digital divide. Thus, the alumni management of UJ had the opportunity to explore and use the information-sharing options offered by online and digital technologies. This research project forms the second phase of the ongoing research project in an attempt to discard the “one-size-fits-all” notion with regard to information sharing with the alumni stakeholders of tertiary institutions in South Africa. The aim of this research project is to determine the extent to which an online community portal could manage the information needs of alumni stakeholders in the SAHES, using the alumni of the University of Johannesburg as a case study. Establishing an online (virtual) community Web portal for UJ alumni will support a customised approach in terms of information content, dissemination, context and commerce. An online community environment will offer alumni opportunities to re-establish contact with peers and nurture relationships with one another through frequent social interaction (chat). Such a facility would allow and encourage conversations that are of value to all stakeholders, as these communities can exist beyond the boundaries of location and time. They foster not only the potential to promote business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C), but also consumer-to-consumer (C2C) interaction and could even exploit the possibilities of human-resource placements. The research consisted of an extensive literature review followed by a quantitative empirical survey and a qualitative discussion forum. The purpose of the literature review was to establish a theoretical framework in order to lay a solid foundation from which the empirical research was conducted. The different components of the research problem were discussed as well as possible variables that could influence the research problem. The restructuring of the South African Higher Education Sector was investigated, with specific focus on the University of Johannesburg and its alumni stakeholder group, taking an in-depth look into the value that an alumni stakeholder group holds for an institution. The management of alumni information needs was discussed, using Web-technology as focal point. Online community portals were defined, emphasising the benefits that this information tool could have for Higher Education alumni. As part of the quantitative study, an empirical survey was conducted in April 2006 among the alumni of the University of Johannesburg to determine their information needs concerning an online community portal, and the content required of such an online community model. A total number of 10 380 questionnaires was distributed to graduates of the University of Johannesburg at the Autumn Graduation ceremonies. The questionnaire consisted of four sections, namely Section A: Biographical Information, Section B: Online Activities, Section C: Alumni Information Services and Section D: Alumni Community Needs. In total, 1 703 questionnaires were completed and returned by these graduates to the UJ Alumni Relations Office. In addition, a qualitative discussion forum was conducted among 35 alumni management representatives from fourteen SAHES institutions during August 2006. The representatives indicated how information was disseminated electronically to alumni target audiences and their opinions towards alumni online community portals were tested. The research results indicated that an online community portal, could manage, to a great extent, the information needs of alumni in the South African Higher Education Sector (UJ alumni case study). Consequently, a prototype was proposed for an online community portal for SAHES alumni that would have a significant impact on the information and communication methods used to build alumni networks, for the benefit of both the alumni stakeholders and the Higher Education institutions in South Africa. Although the alumni of the University of Johannesburg served as a case study for this research project, the proposed prototype could be tailored to the needs of other alumni organisations throughout the South African Higher Education Sector. In terms of inter-institutional collaboration, this research project offers an opportunity to liaise and share information with other alumni organisations of the SAHES. This could result in successfully identifying a best practice model for managing the information needs of alumni stakeholder groups of tertiary institutions in developing countries, which is significantly different from the philanthropic approach to these stakeholder groups in first world countries. As a result, the employment sector of Higher Education institutions in South Africa could gain from the research outcomes, as the proposed prototype will offer an ICT and Web-based solution which could be applied for the mutual benefit of the relevant stakeholder groups and the institutions. / Prof. Chris Rensleigh

The merger has consequently brought about a lot of challenges on Walter Sisulu University (WSU) employees. While the amalgamation of the three historically disadvantaged institutions remains a noble initiative, on the other hand, it has brought about inequalities, such as disproportionate salaries among employees of the three campuses, poor work performance, which can only be attributed to lack of motivation and reluctance amongst the staff members to accept new conditions of service under WSU. A substantial number of those employees, some of whom were employed before the amalgamation, have terminated their service long before the merger even took place. The aim of this study was to explore the implications of the merger on the morale of employees at WSU. The objective of this study aimed firstly, to provide an understanding of those inherent factors, which adversely affected the morale of staff at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and secondly, to reflect on the impact of the restructuring process on employees. This study employed a quantitative descriptive research design to analyse the data, using statistical procedures. Target population for this study was fifty academic and fifty non-academic staff members from the three sites of Walter Sisulu University, namely East London, Ibika and Umtata. There were, therefore, 100 questionnaires distributed electronically (e-mail), and also a few hand-delivered to the offices of the respondents, in order for them to complete at a time convenient to them. This study used purposive sampling because it is based entirely on the judgment of the researcher. The study established that indeed the merger had negative implications on WSU employees, even though these implications varied from category to category. Through the findings that emerged in this research, conclusions could be drawn that the merger brought about many challenges on WSU employees, namely staff development, human resource and management issues, job security and work environment. Suggestions and recommendations are espoused to eliminate the situation.

Higher education landscape in South Africa could not escape the transformation which was necessary to ensure that South Africans receive quality higher education without any unfair discriminatory criterion. The 36 higher education institutions had to be merged and reduced to 21 and form a single coordinated higher education for the country. Tshwane University of Technology as a university with a multi-site institution has also resulted from this transformation agenda of the government. This merger is constituted by former Technikons Pretoria, Northern Gauteng and North-West. As a multi-site institution, managing other learning sites which used to be independent with their respective senior management structures became more challenging. An Interim Vice-Chancellor during the merger period appointed campus directors as an attempt to address challenges faced and discontent among staff and student. This study endeavours to describe and determine the roles of these Campus Directors in the institutional decision-making process of the University. / Public Administration / M. Tech. (Public Management)