Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2003. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M.Psych.Org.) - University of Queensland, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

M.B.A. / The aim is to do an assessment of the organisational norms of individuals within a marketing company in order to understand what the perceptions of the individuals are towards the organisation thereby creating a model on which strategic decision making can be based

M.Comm.

M.B.A. / This dissertation evaluates the aim: Organisations engaged in transformation need to connect competency with their change framework and that this influences the quality of the contribution made towards competitive advantage Companies who use change methodologies actually cultivate their distinct capabilities / competencies through these initiatives and if 3m are these similar to actual theories documented and if no how can this be incorporated into a model. This dissertation places the research into context by focusing on the identification of past theory, methodology and examples and by comparing this to three chosen companies to establish its credibility and usefulness. Primary data for the comparison was obtained through separate case study interviews. This data surrounded areas such as — core competency development, retention and acquisition and its association with competitive advantage, the basic understanding of the change initiative, method used and finally the actual change process employed. An extensive literature research was conducted to review current global thinking and knowledge on change, distinct capabilities and competencies. It was concluded that although the companies reviewed did change well only one of the three linked competence through its change processes. The other developed its capabilities through a variety of change programmes ( in this case intentional), it could therefore qualify that it had in fact used change to develop a competence, and that therefore a model such as the one formulated has a basis for development

M.Comm. / “We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us” – Marcel Proust Organizational change has become a buzzword in the organizational behaviour industry. In theory and on paper, organizational change is an appealing concept with its aim to assist leaders to adapt organisations to situational variables. In reality organizations are filled with aging paradigms, entrenched cultural artifacts, - values and deeply held - assumptions that make them quite inflexible and therefore closed to new and innovative ideas. Organizational leaders are faced with the problem of growing and renewing companies in order to meet the expectations of external and internal company stakeholders. The external stakeholders are continuously demanding higher and higher returns on capital and do not tolerate poor performance. The internal stakeholders of companies have also become more selective when choosing amongst potential to be employers. It is therefore important that organizations have an understanding of the image that they portray to the market and potential employees. Organizational culture is a tool that can assist leaders to define the type of organization they want to be and thus the image they portray to its stakeholders. Organizational culture is defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that a group learns as it solves its problems of external adaptation and internal integration. If the assumptions lead to success they are considered to be valid and should be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive and think and feel when confronted with external environment adaptation or internal organisation integration issues A positive organizational culture reinforces the core beliefs and behaviours that a leader desires while weakening the values and actions the leader rejects (Kaufman 2002). A negative culture becomes toxic, poisoning the life of the organization and hindering any potential for creativity, collaboration and prosperity

D.Litt. et Phil. / The study investigated the relationship between resistance to–readiness for change and meaning seeking, and whether a logotherapy-based intervention – Logo-OD – would impact on resistance to change. A quasi-experimental design and various statistical procedures were applied to test identified hypotheses. Of a survey population of 1 637 individuals, 193 and 76 respondents formed part of respectively the pre- and post-test samples. Whereas a significant relationship was established between said constructs, no significant effect of Logo-OD was observed. These results supported the primary conclusions emanating from the literature: the role of Logo-OD is one of a positive trigger event for organisational change. Whereas a prominent focus in both classic and contemporary literature is on the utilisation of the organisation’s human resources (HR) as a competitive advantage (see Barney, 1995; Cascio, 1998; Cook & Crossman, 2004; Drucker, 2002; Gratton, 2000; McGregor, 1960; O’Reilly & Pfeffer, 2000; Prahalad & Hamel, 1990; Richardson & Vanderberg, 2005; Schuler & Jackson, 1999; Schuler, Jackson & Storey, 2001), the need for organisations to adapt to increasingly turbulent changes has enjoyed similar attention (see Burnes, 2003, 2004; Cascio, 1995; Carnall, 2003; Chapman, 2002; Counsell, Tennant & Neailey, 2005; Hacker & Washington, 2004; Higgs, 2003; Johnson, 2004; Weber & Weber, 2001; Xavier, 2005). Alluded to here, is one of the greatest challenges faced by the modern organisation, namely that “human capital is fundamentally different from financial and technological capital” (Gratton, 1998, p. 13) as the realisation of human potential is dependent upon employees’ co-operation (Jackson & Schuler, 1999). However, organisational change “has left this resource severely wounded and the people themselves increasingly disenfranchised” (Morin, 1994, p. 53), thus threatening the very same employee commitment required to secure a competitive advantage. Subsequently, people constitute both “an essential factor” and “the biggest obstacles” to successful change (Smith, 2005a, p. 408, 2005b, p. 152). It is argued here that a central construct in determining individuals’ attitudes towards organisational change – albeit resistance to or readiness for change – is the meaning that they find in the organisational context.

South African Technical (SAT) is an Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Organisation. SAT provides a wide range of services to its customers, ranging from minor- to major maintenance schedules. Technological advances in the global aircraft repair and maintenance industry combined with the transition to a democratic government and the resultant effects of globalisation introduced the organisation to a process of change with an impetus on efficiency and competitiveness. The focus of this study is to understand how the SAT training department could contribute to organisational change towards a learning organisation. This research articulates that only employees who are educationally, socially and mentally prepared for a changing workplace will be able to reap the benefits from global integration. It is further reasoned that the best-placed organisations in the global context will be those that are able to adapt to the learning organisation vision. People in learning organisations continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, they nurture new and expansive patterns of thinking and they continually explore learning together. This study was placed within a qualitative research paradigm. A phenomenological design presented the study with opportunities to analyse, interpret, and describe the perceptions, feelings and experiences of the participants. Eight semi-structured individual interviews provided data for the purposes of this study. The data was analysed to identify categories, themes and sub-themes. The five main themes discussed were organisational learning, organisational culture, organisational change, globalisation and knowledge management. They were linked to the theory of learning organisations and were based on the findings of the data. / Dr. K. Steenekamp Prof. K.C. Moloi

Against a backdrop of increasing globalisation, deregulation, the rapid pace of technological innovation, a growing knowledge workforce, and shifting social and demographic trends, the primary task of management today is the leadership of organisational change (Graetz, 2000:550). In the words of Lussier and Achua Abstract v (2001:9): “The companies that will survive in the new global competitiveness environment are those that can attract and maintain leaders”. The above emphasises the important role of managers during times when change take place in the organisation. Yet employees are often managed inappropriately in a period of change. There are two reasons for this: (1) managers managing change are under pressure which undermines their own performance, (2) organisations often do not possess managers who are skilful at handling change. It is this second reason that will form the focus of this study. Carnall (1999:105) states that managing change effectively requires an understanding of both what is and seems likely to happen and of how people react to change, and a skilful management performance. Leaders must take on more facilitative roles, as competencies in change management become critical to creating and sustaining effective organisations. The major technological advances of today rely heavily on leaders to facilitate change. Leaders need to encourage people to “collaborate, take risks, take responsibility and be accountable for the change process the organisation must continually undergo to maintain a leadership position in its industry”, according to Moran and Brightman (2000:3). They furthermore argue that “change leaders recognise that they are always trying to balance stability and change. It is a delicate balance to accomplish since employees desire order and stability, while organisations must be ready to adapt to changing conditions quickly”. In this rapidly changing world, organisations must become more flexible, more responsive, and more willing to change and adapt. They must create and assimilate new knowledge at an increasing pace, encourage innovation, and learn to compete in new ways. Dess and Picken (2000:30) argue that the leaders of these organisations must be proactive in facilitating organisational learning and encouraging positive adaptation to external changes. The above shows what an important role leaders/managers have to play in the strategic change process. They need to possess the requisite skills in leadership, problem solving, continuous improvement, team effectiveness, and customer service in order to ensure the long-term growth and stability in the organisation which change can bring about. This research project will identify the various skills needed to successfully manage a change initiative.