Globally, there are great efforts made by organisations to improve effectiveness and systems to remain competitive in ever-changing business markets. Total quality management (TOM) has become a philosophy that most companies adopt once they reach a state where it would like to have a system where all efforts are made to satisfy customers or add value to customer experiences. An investigation was done at a South African chemical company to ascertain if important philosophies (continuous improvement, customer focus and winning with people) of TOM, which are found to be related to some of the company values, are taken seriously at all levels of the company. The company received a number of complaints from customers about the quality of service and goods supplied and it is of utmost importance to investigate if the concept of TOM is practiced effectively by this company since the implementation of the TOM programme. The study conducted has shown that the company understands the concept of quality and the impact of quality on customer satisfaction. TOM is useful when it is implemented at all levels in a company and was indeed found to be implemented on all company levels in this company. Management support, employee improvement, employee empowerment, process improvement, training and development, cleanliness and organisation, teamwork as well as customer focus are the TOM practices that were found to be highly rated within the company. Responses showed that management communication should be improved to ensure that everyone in the organisation is fully informed about all developments. From the results, it was concluded that the foundation of effective TOM is being practiced by the company except in a few minor cases and, therefore, more focus should be placed on those cases. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Buckman Laboratories (Pty) Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Buckman Laboratories) is an international, privately owned, specialty chemical manufacturer. The company's marketing strategy is based on customer intimacy and knowledge sharing and currently segments its markets (pulp and paper, water, leather and mining) by means of customer categorization based on industry potential sales. The Buckman brand is synonymous with the heavy industries (Sasol, ArcelorMittal, Mondi, Sappi, Eskom). For the company to grow and increase its profitability, Buckman Laboratories has to identify and select innovative brand drivers to stay competitive in the heavy industry market segment as well as identify other market segments to compete profitably in. In this study the Logical brand management model was specifically applied in terms of the customer perspective. Brand and cost drivers were identified from the company's and customers' perspective to identify opportunities in the current market segments (pulp and paper, water and leather). Metrics utilized were traditional gap analysis as well as the Opportunity Algorithm from Ulwick. Of importance was the consistent alignment of the model with Buckman Laboratories' strategy. The model includes continuous improvement, on-time delivery, product innovation, knowledge sharing, and providing a holistic product/service offering as brand drivers that will ensure innovative growth of the Buckman Laboratories brand. The conclusion is that the Logical brand management model as developed by Marc Logman may be successfully utilized to identify brand drivers to grow the Buckman Laboratories brand innovatively in future. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

In a new world of work characterised by competitiveness, benchmarking, technological innovation and efficiency, the South African chemical industry needs to function at an optimal level to meet the demands of its stakeholders and employees. The industry needs leadership of the highest standard and an efficient, productive workforce. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between leader empowering behaviour, self-efficacy, job resources and work-related flow for employees in the chemical industry. More specifically, it was examined whether personal and organisational resources facilitated flow at work, and whether employees who experienced flow mobilised more resources over time. The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. An availability sample (N= 213) from employees in the chemical industry was taken. A biographical questionnaire and a self-constructed instrument (JDRS) were used to measure the unique job demands and job resources in the chemical industry. Along with the JDRS, the WOrk-reLated Flow Scale (WOLF), the Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire (LEBQ) and General Perceived Self-efficacy Questionnaire (GPSQ) were used as measuring instruments. The statistical analysis was conducted with the help of the SPSS program. The results of the research indicate that the availability of leader empowering behaviour (i.e. delegation of authority, self-directed decision making, information sharing, and coaching for innovative performance), self-efficacy and job resources (i.e. supervision, availability of resources and autonomy) can result in higher levels of work-related flow in the workplace. Recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-187). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-79).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-149). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-149). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-88).