Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School. / The implementation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002, effective as from 1 April 2004, presented a huge challenge as its implementation gave rise to concerns expressed by various key stakeholders. It also fuelled perceptions that South Africa may have sacrificed its competitiveness. In an attempt to manage these challenges the Mining Industry Growth Development and Employment Task Team (MIGDETT) was instituted in December 2008 by the mining industry in South Africa. During the MIGDETT process stakeholders concluded unanimously that transformation and growth are mutually inclusive concepts. Against this background, the objective of this study was to assess the implementation of the MPRDA Act using well researched mineral investment and competitiveness guidelines including Michael Porter's framework.

Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

Submitted in fulfillment oof part of the requirements for the Masters ooff Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Small businesses form the backbone of any nation’s economy, especially where unemployment is extremely high. South Africa is one of the many countries that struggle with low economic growth resulting in low employment. This study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, business performance and competitive advantage. South Africa’s small business sector is under pressure as evidence exists that the failure rate is well above 70 percent, and to an extent, up to 90 percent depending on various conditions. This study was conducted in Durban, South Africa. The study sought to answer the two questions namely: a) Is there a significant relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance? and b) Is there a mediating role of competitive advantage in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance? These questions were targeted to small business owners or managers in Durban, South Africa. Therefore, 177 participants responded, and both questions were tested and yielded positive results. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire consisting of 24 items. Indeed, the finding was that there is a positive and significant relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance, and that competitive advantage does mediate the relationship between business performance and entrepreneurial orientation. Finally, many studies examined in this study support the findings of this research pointing out that a strong positive relationship exists between business performance and entrepreneurial orientation. Similarly, there seems to be an agreement that there is some relationship between competitive advantage, entrepreneurial orientation and business performance. However, the literature reviewed did not clarify if competitive advantage does actually mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance whilst this study found that mediation does exist between the entrepreneurial orientation and business performance link. Hence, small businesses need to learn more about this relationship so to take advantage of possible synergies that may arise from it. Further, both the government of South Africa and the private sector should keep supporting small businesses by making use of research studies like this one and many more which are based on theory and practice. / M

This dissertation reports on the factors that contributed to the successful entry strategy of 1time Airline, a low cost carrier, into the South African airline industry as well as its competitive strategies within this context. Research interviews were conducted in November 2005 and research material gathered until end January 2006. Key issues include an evaluation of 1time's business model in relation to other low cost entrants as well as against material sourced through interviews with 1time Airline management, employees and consumers of the airline's product. Porter's Generic Strategies and Five Forces model are used as a framework in evaluating the airline. It is found that Nohria, Joyce and Robertson's "4+2 Formula" is effectively implemented at the airline, but that further implementation of Game Theory in terms of alliances should be investigated for continued success and sustainability.

It is commonly understood that the adoption and development of technological marketing capabilities by firms provides them with immense opportunities to transform their business practices and strategies, so as to strategically position themselves in the market and enhance firm performance. Nevertheless, little attention has, thus far, been given to the empirical investigation of the impact of adopting and developing the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces and firm performance of SMEs. The principal objective of this study was to fill this void by investigating the influence of the technological marketing on Porter‟s five competitive forces model (industry structure) of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Secondarily, the study sought to determine the influence of technological marketing capability on firm performance of SMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality; in order to ascertain whether or not the competitiveness of SMEs impacts on their firm performance; to determine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities when marketing their products/services and to examine whether or not SMEs adopt new and advanced technological capabilities in order to enhance their performance. The study employs a quantitative method in data collection. Sample data from 211 SME owners/managers in the retail and manufacturing sectors of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality was collected for the final data analysis of this project. The sample data was analysed by performing a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS 7 Statistical Analysis software. The principal finding of this study reveals that technological marketing has no significant impact on Porter‟s five forces. In addition, the results showed that technological marketing capability has a positive and significant influence on firm performance. The findings also revealed that SMEs adopt new and advanced technologies when marketing their products and services. The conclusions and implications of the research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested. The researcher recommended non technological strategies for improving SMEs‟ competitiveness and the following technological strategies to boost performance: creating a customer-centric e-commerce strategy, embracing outsourcing, joining e-business community and integrating information management into new marketing technologies. Strategies were also recommended to the government as the policy maker. These include introducing e-business finance arrangement, marketing hubs for SMEs and promoting synergies between technology vendor companies and the small enterprises. The study tried to address marketing technologies‟ policy deficiencies on the side of both SMEs and the government.

The aim of this study is to determine whether the introduction of a transport economic regulatory authority would serve as a valid intervention mechanism in the Public-Private Partnership of the transport infrastructure in South Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the study focused on the analysis of the concept of Public-Private Partnership, and how it has unfolded in a number of industrialised countries. Much attention was devoted in examining how the Public-Private Partnership arrangements followed by the studied countries influenced the current transport infrastructure management process in South Africa. To deal with the above, a host of macro-environmental variables were analysed in respect of their potential impact on the South African Department of Transport. The establishment of various agencies by the Department of Transport was seen as a consequence of the influence of the prevailing environmental forces. The outcome of the analysis revealed that a sustainable transport infrastructural development is a product of genuine partnership between the public and private sectors. Competition for the market and the significance of such competition in the transport infrastructure were outlined. The main goal of competition within the context of this study is to diffuse the economic power of the toll road industry and the protection of the individual's fundamental rights. The study also unearthed a need to deepen the talent and skills of both public and private sector officials as this would enable them to protect the citizens' right to make well-considered choices in the toll road industry. The study identified a need to establish a transport economic regulatory authority that would control the market dynamics of power relationships in the transport industry. Such a body should be creative and need to have regulatory oversight over transport infrastructure. / Transport Logistics & Tourism / D. Comm.

Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Increases in woody plant density ('bush encroachment') reduce livestock production and biodiversity. By convention, soil moisture, soil nutrients, fire and herbivory are regarded as the principal factors governing the tree-grass ratio of savannas. An experiment with a completely-crossed design was employed to investigate woody seedling (Acacia me/lifera) recruitment near Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, after fire and under conditions of maximum-recorded rainfall, nitrogen addition and grazing. The field experiment was repeated as a garden experiment to determine if the two experiments yield comparable results. Tree germination in the field was extremely low, probably due to below-average natural rainfall in plots that only received natural rain, and insufficient watering frequency in irrigated plots. As a result of low germination, none of the treatments (rain/nitrogen/fire/grazing) had a significant effect on tree recruitment in the field experiment. The duration of the experiment (2000/2001 growing season) was insufficient for the treatments to affect grass composition, although the high rainfall treatment and grazing exclusion significantly improved grass cover and height. The garden experiment showed that frequent watering, no nitrogen addition and grass clipping significantly enhanced tree germination and survival (termed 'recruitment'). There were also significant interactions among rain, nitrogen and grazing in their effects on tree recruitment. The effects of rain on tree recruitment were more pronounced under nitrogen supplementation and vice versa. Similarly, high rain and high nitrogen enhanced the effect of grazing on tree recruitment. It is inferred that above-average rainfall years with frequent rainfall events are required for mass tree recruitment. Tree seedlings can further benefit from space and resources which are made available through grass defoliation. Conversely, nitrogen enrichment improves the competitive ability of the fast-growing grasses relatively more than that of the N2-fixing tree component, thereby suppressing tree recruitment. In contrast to conventional wisdom that grazing alone causes encroachment, it is suggested that there are complex interactions between the abovementioned factors and 'triggering' events such as unusually high rainfall. Contrary to many claims that equilibrium models are inappropriate for explaining savanna dynamics, it was shown that consumer-resource theory has explanatory power for bush-grass dynamics of the savanna studied. The state-space approach that was used facilitated the understanding of savanna dynamics and enabled predictions about the system's response to perturbations. The applicability of consumer-resource theory to semi-arid nutrient-poor savannas confirmed the importance of resource competition in structuring natural systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toenames in die digtheid van houtagtige plante ('bosverdigting') verlaag veeproduksie en biodiversiteit. Volgens konvensie word grondvog, grondvoedingstowwe, vuur en beweiding beskou as die belangrikste faktore wat die boom-gras verhouding van savannas bepaal. 'n Volledig-gekruisde ("completely crossed") eksperiment is ontwerp om boomsaad-ontkieming (Acacia mellifera) naby Kimberley, Noord-Kaap, Suid- Afrika, te bestudeer na 'n brand en onder toestande van maksimum-aangetekende reënval, stikstof toevoeging en beweiding. Die veldeskperiment is herhaal as 'n tuineksperiment om vas te stel hoe resultate van die twee eksperimente vergelyk. Boomsaad-ontkieming was uiters laag in die veld, waarskynlik weens ondergemiddelde reënval in persele wat slegs natuurlike reënvalontvang het, en 'n te lae benattingsfrekwensie in die besproeide persele. As gevolg van lae ontkieming in die veldeksperiment, het geen behandeling (reënval/stikstof/brand/beweiding) boomsaad-ontkieming beduidend geaffekteer nie. Die duur van die eksperiment (2000/2001-groeiseisoen) was te kort vir die behandelings om grassamestelling te beïnvloed, alhoewel besproeiing en geen beweiding die grasbedekking en -hoogte betekenisvol verhoog het. Die tuineksperiment het getoon dat boomsaadontkieming en vroeë oorlewing (genoem 'vestiging') betekenisvol verhoog is deur gereëlde benatting, geen stikstof toevoeging en die sny van gras. Daar was ook beduidende interaksies tussen reën, stikstof en beweiding in hul invloed op boomvestiging. Die reënbehandeling het 'n groter uitwerking op boomvestiging gehad onder stikstoftoevoeging en vice versa. Hoë reënval en stikstoftoevoeging het ook die invloed van beweiding op boomvestiging versterk. Die afleiding is dat bogemiddelde reënvaljare met gereëlde reënbuie 'n vereiste is vir grootskaalse boomvestiging. Boomsaailinge kan verder voordeel trek uit die spasie en hulpbronne wat beskikbaar raak wanneer gras ontblaar word. Daarteenoor verhoog stikstofverryking die mededingendheid van die vinniggroeiende grasse meer as dié van die N2-bindende boomkomponent, met die gevolg dat boomvestiging onderdruk word. In kontras met die konvensionele veronderstelling dat beweiding opsigself bosverdigting veroorsaak, word voorgestel dat ingewikkelde interaksies plaasvind tussen die bogenoemde faktore en ander 'sneller-gebeurtenisse', soos buitengewoon hoë reënval. In teenstelling met baie aansprake dat ekwilibrium modelle ontoepaslik is om savanna-dinamika te verklaar, is getoon dat die verbruikers-hulpbron teorie ("consumer-resource theory") oor verklaringsvermoë beskik vir boom-gras dinamika van die savanna wat bestudeer is. Die staat-spasie ("state-space") benadering gebruik, het begrip van savanna-dinamika bevorder en voorspellings moontlik gemaak aangaande die sisteem se reaksie op versteurings. Die toepaslikheid van verbruikers-hulpbron teorie vir semi-ariede, nutriënt-arm savannas bevestig dat kompetisie vir hulpbronne 'n sentrale rol speel in die strukturering van ekologiese sisteme.

The aim of this study is to determine whether the introduction of a transport economic regulatory authority would serve as a valid intervention mechanism in the Public-Private Partnership of the transport infrastructure in South Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the study focused on the analysis of the concept of Public-Private Partnership, and how it has unfolded in a number of industrialised countries. Much attention was devoted in examining how the Public-Private Partnership arrangements followed by the studied countries influenced the current transport infrastructure management process in South Africa. To deal with the above, a host of macro-environmental variables were analysed in respect of their potential impact on the South African Department of Transport. The establishment of various agencies by the Department of Transport was seen as a consequence of the influence of the prevailing environmental forces. The outcome of the analysis revealed that a sustainable transport infrastructural development is a product of genuine partnership between the public and private sectors. Competition for the market and the significance of such competition in the transport infrastructure were outlined. The main goal of competition within the context of this study is to diffuse the economic power of the toll road industry and the protection of the individual's fundamental rights. The study also unearthed a need to deepen the talent and skills of both public and private sector officials as this would enable them to protect the citizens' right to make well-considered choices in the toll road industry. The study identified a need to establish a transport economic regulatory authority that would control the market dynamics of power relationships in the transport industry. Such a body should be creative and need to have regulatory oversight over transport infrastructure. / Transport Logistics and Tourism / D. Comm.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: African Acacia species are often major contributors to the progressive increase in the woody component of savannas, a phenomenon commonly referred to as bush encroachment. In Hluhluwe- Umfolozi Park, the numbers of adult Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. Ex Del. trees per hectare far exceed (by III) that of A. karroo Hayne adults. The relative dominance is reversed in the juvenile stage with A. karroo (725 ha') outnumbering A. nilotica (225 ha-I) threefold outside closed woodlands. African acacias produce large quantities of seed and may have large soil-stored seed banks. They suffer pre-dispersal predation by bruchid beetles and may be either wind or animal dispersed. Once dispersed they are vulnerable to post-dispersal attack. This study tested several hypotheses regarding various aspects of seed ecology of A. karroo and A. nilotica. The null hypothesis that seed ecology does not contribute to the success of A. karroo over A. nilotica, was tested. Acacia karroo trees were smaller (mean basal diameter: 7.8 cm) than A. ni/otica trees (mean basal diameter: 18.5 cm) on average, but produced more seeds (A. karroo mean: 1628; A. nilotica mean: 992) for a given basal diameter size class. It was found that A. karroo showed less bruchid infestation (mean: 1.36-3.81%) than A. nilotica (mean: 14.67-86.70%) at all stages of pod development with a proportion of A. karroo seeds (7.1 %) being able to germinate after bruchid attack. Bruchid attack rendered A. ni/otica seeds unviable. There was no difference between the two species with regards to the soil-stored seed bank and the viability of seeds found in the soil. Acacia karroo showed higher germination levels (5.1%) and better establishment (4.9%) than A. nilotica (1.5% and 0.4% respectively). On average, there was no difference in germination levels between burnt and unbumt seeds, but there was a significant difference in germination of burnt seeds in both burnt (4.5%) and unbumt (2.5%) sites and unbumt seeds in both burnt (2.8%) and unbumt (4.9%) sites when considered separately. Post-dispersal predation of A. karroo seeds (21.8%) was higher than that of A. nilotica (12.7%). There was more rodent predation in tall grass areas (26.0%) than short grass (10.7%) or canopy areas (15.2%), and most seeds were lost from unprotected control groups. Rodent presence was a significant factor in unexplained seed disappearance. The ability of A. karroo to germinate easily and the low levels of beetle predation experienced by this species seemed to be its main advantage over A. nilotica as an encroaching species in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Acacia spesies van Afrika is dikwels belangrike bydraers tot die progressiewe toename in die houtkomponent van savannas. Hierdie verskynsel word algemeen na verwys as bosindringing. In die Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park is die aantal volwasse Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. Ex Del. bome per hektaar aansienlik meer (l l l meer) as die aantal volwasse A. karroo Hayne bome. In die jong stadium is die oorheersing omgekeerd, met driekeer soveel A. karroo (725 ha-I) as A. nilotica (225 ha-I) bome buite beboste gedeeltes. Afrika se Acacia spesies produseer groot hoeveelhede saad en kan oor aansienlike grond-gebergde saadbanke beskik. Voor verspreiding word die saad aan predasie deur bruchid-kewers blootgestel. Die saad kan óf deur wind óf diere versprei word en na verspreiding word dit ook aan predasie blootgestel. Hierdie studie het verskillende hipoteses rakende verskeie aspekte van die saadekologie van A. karroo en A. nilotica getoets. Die nulhipotese dat saadekologie nie tot die groter sukses van A. karroo teenoor A. nilotica bydrae nie, is getoets. Acacia karroo bome was oor die algemeen kleiner (gemid. basale omtrek: 7.8 cm) as A. nilotica (gemid. basale omtrek: 18.5 cm) bome maar het meer saad (A. karroo gemid.: 1628; A. nilotica gemid.: 992) per gegewe basale diameter grootte klas gelewer. Daar is geen verskil tussen die twee spesies rakende grondgebergde saadbanke en die lewensvatbaarheid van hierdie saad gevind nie. Acacia karroo het hoër vlakke van ontkieming (5.1%) en beter vestiging (4.9%) as A. nilotica (l.5% en .4% respektiewelik) getoon. Daar was oor die algemeen geen verskil in die ontkiemingsvlakke van gebrande en ongebrande sade nie, maar wel 'n beduidende verskil in die ontkieming van gebrande sade in beide gebrande (4.5%) en ongebrande (2.5%) areas en ongebrande sade in gebrande (2.8%) en ongebrande (4.9%) areas as dit afsonderlik geëvalueer is. Die predasie van A. karroo saad na verspreiding (21.8%) was hoër as dié van A. nilotica (12.7%). Daar was meer knaagdier-predasie in gebiede met lang gras (26.0%) as dié met kort gras (10.7%) of boomryke gedeeltes (15.2%). Die meeste saad is in onbeskermde kontrolegroepe verloor. Die teenwoordigheid van knaagdiere het 'n belangrike rol in die onverklaarde verdwyning van saad gespeel. Dit is gevind dat A. karroo se vermoë om maklik te ontkiem, asook die lae vlakke van insek skade aan die saad, die belangrikste voorsprong is wat dié spesie oor A. nilotica as 'n indringer in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park het.