Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This Study Project is entitled: "An Investigation Into The Industry Attractiveness Of The. Management Consulting Industry In South Africa". The management consulting industry is by no means a new or fledgling industry, with its roots dating back to the early 1900's where it had a strong engineering orientation. The global consulting industry experienced a massive growth phase during the late 1980's and during the 1990's, and was not only enormously lucrative, but also a highly attractive industry. It now appears that the management consulting industry has been negatively affected by global economic factors (such as recession, globalisation, technology, terrorism) over the last few years, particularly in 2000 to 2002, where is has now reached a stage of maturity and is in a period of major consolidation. This global industry trend has been increasingly evident in South Africa (SA), and judging from the way consulting firms have been restructuring, consolidating and revising their recruitment policies (on a global scale) in the last few years, it appears that the industry could be becoming less attractive than it has been in the past. An important objective of this Study Project was to investigate the key issues and problems facing the consulting industry, largely from the perspective of the clients who ultimately make the decision to bring in a consultant. By conducting a strategic assessment of the management consulting industry in South Africa, the ultimate objective was to determine the fundamental attractiveness of the consulting industry at present. To achieve the above objectives, it was determined that qualitative, investigative research would be conducted, rather than a quantitative, numerative approach to data gathering. The research methodology used in this Study Project was a combination of secondary and primary - research. Firstly, secondary research, in the form of an in-depth, global literature review was conducted on the topic. Having established the key themes and issues facing the consulting industry, primary research could then be conducted. This was achieved by conducting indepth, personal interviews with key decision makers across client industries in South Africa, to determine the current industry attractiveness of the management consulting industry. The current down phase in both global and South African general economic business cycles, has dictated that cost and value-added issues are top of mind in organisations where clients are no longer content to pay high fees, and not see meaningful results. And so, whilst management consulting plays a definite role in a client organisation, a large gap has been created for the small to medium specialist firms to grow, particularly in the local marketplace. Clients feel that the small specialist firms are able to offer better value for money, more personalised service, lower fees (as a result of lower overheads) and build a more sustainable long-term relationship with them. Clients are also relying less on consultants to solve all their problems, and are realising the excellence of their own internal resources. Overall, the management consulting industry, both globally and particularly in South Africa, is only averagely attractive at this present moment. It has definite attractions and uses to clients, whilst simultaneously drawing serious concerns from the client firms who require their services. Being in a mature phase of its life cycle, and given the current down phase in the global economic cycle, the consulting industry is poised to either go into decline or experience a resurgence of growth. Thus, it is how the consulting firms respond to the new economic challenges placed upon them and how they respond to the criticisms which have been brought to light, that will dictate which firms survive and which will not. Finally, it is recommended that the relative attractiveness of the management consulting industry (as conducted in this Study Project) be re-evaluated on a fairly regular basis in order to understand the next stage in the life cycle of the industry, to provide clients and industry players with insight into the factors influencing the consulting industry. And to provide an independent resource to the consulting industry, to guide them in shaping their future strategies for survival. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie Studieprojek is getiteld: "'n Ondersoek Na Die Aantreklikheid Van Die Bestuurskonsultasie-industrie In Suid-Afrika". Die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie is geensins 'n jong, nuwe industrie nie. Sy wortels dateer terug na die vroeë 1900's waar dit 'n sterk ingenieurs-oriëntasie gehad het. Die internasionale konsultasie-industrie het in die laat 1980's en gedurende die 1990's 'n enorme groeifase beleef en was nie net geweldig winsgewend nie, maar ook uiters aantreklik. Dit blyk egter nou dat die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie oor die laaste paar jaar negatief beïnvloed word deur internasionale ekonomiese faktore (soos resessie, globalisering, tegnologie, terrorisme). Dit is veral die geval in die tydperk 2000- 2002, waar dit nou 'n fase van volwassenheid bereik het en 'n tyd van konsolidasie beleef. Hierdie internasionale industrie tendens word al meer in Suid-Afrika gemerk. Dit blyk, veral uit die wyse waarop konsultasie firmas die afgelope paar jaar herstruktureer, konsolideer en hul aanstellingsbeleid (op 'n internasionale skaal) in heroorweging neem, dat die industrie minder aantreklik is as in die verlede. 'n Belangrike doelwit van hierdie Studieprojek was om die sleutelfaktore en probleme wat die konsultasie-industrie in die gesig staar, te ondersoek - grootliks vanuit die perspektief van die klant wat uiteindelik die besluit neem om 'n konsultant te raadpleeg. Deur 'n strategiese ondersoek na die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie in Suid-Afrika te doen, was die hoofdoelwit om die huidige fundamentele aantreklikheid van die konsultasie-industrie te ondersoek. Om bogenoemde doelwitte te bereik, is kwalitatiewe, ondersoekende navorsing gedoen in plaas van 'n kwantitatiewe, numeriese benadering van dataversameling. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat in hierdie Studieprojek gevolg is, is 'n kombinasie van sekondêre en primêre navorsing. Eerstens is sekondêre navorsing in die vorm van 'n indiepte, internasionale literatuurstudie oor die onderwerp gedoen. Na bepaling van die sleuteltemas wat die industrie in die gesig staar kon primêre navorsing aangepak word. Dit is gedoen deur indiepte, persoonlike onderhoude met sleutelbesluitnemers in die Suid-Afrikaanse klantesektor om sodoende die huidige aantreklikheid van die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie te bepaal. Die huidige afwaartse neiging in beide die internasionale en Suid-Afrikaanse algemene ekonomie en sakesektor, het dikteer dat koste en waardetoevoeging prioriteit het in organisasies waar klante nie meer geneë is om hoë fooie te betaal terwyl hulle nie betekenisvolle resultate sien nie. En dus, terwyl bestuurskonsultasie 'n besliste rol speel in klante-organisasies, is daar 'n groot gaping vir klein tot medium spesialiste om te groei, veral in die plaaslike mark. Klante voel dat die klein spesialis-firmas beter waarde vir geld bied, 'n meer persoonlike diens lewer, laer fooie (weens laer lopende koste) het en 'n langtermyn-verhouding met hulle bou. Klante steun ook al minder op konsultante om al hul probleme op te los en besef die uitnemendheid van hulle eie interne bronne. In die algemeen kan gesê word dat die aantreklikheid van die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie, beide internasionaal en veral Suid-Afrika, net gemiddeld is. Dit het besliste waarde en gebruik vir klante, terwyl dit gelyktydig bekommernis bring vir die firmas wat die dienste benodig. Die konsultasie-industrie, gegewe die volwasse fase van sy lewensiklus en die huidige afwaartse fase van die internasionale ekonomiese siklus, kan óf 'n afname beleef óf 'n oplewing wat kan lei tot groei. Dus, dit is hoe konsultasie-firmas reageer op die nuwe ekonomiese uitdagings wat aan hulle gestel word en hoe hulle reageer op die kritiek wat tans uitgewys word, wat sal bepaal watter firmas sal oorleef en watter nie. Dit word aanbeveel dat die relatiewe aantreklikheid van die bestuurskonsultasie-industrie (soos in hierdie Studieprojek gemeet) gereeld herevalueer word om die volgende fase in die lewensiklus van die industrie te verstaan. Sodoende sal klante en rolspelers in die industrie se aandag gevestig kan word op faktore wat die konsultasie-industrie beïnvloed. Dit sal ook 'n onafhanklike bron bied om die industrie te lei in die bepaling van 'n toekomsstrategie om oorlewing te verseker.

The primary aim of this thesis is to explore, through organisation development (OD) consultants' accounts, the meaning of 'capacity building' in the South African development context. The need for theory development in this area is apparent from two interrelated vantage points. Firstly, while 'capacity building' is an increasingly espoused development approach, it is seen to be a confusing and ill-defined concept, for which there exists no adequate theory. Secondly, there is an growing call within the OD field to perfonn 'recOIlllaissance' (Weick,1990) on OD as it is being practised in different socio-historical and organisational contexts, so as to discern future trends for this discipline. Due to the lack of documented debate which grounds OD issues in the South African development sector, OD practitioners' 'capacity building' interventions were seen to provide suitably unchartered terrain for this study. Given that theory generation was intended, the general epistemological principles provided by Glaser and Strauss's (1967) 'grounded theory' methodology were adopted. As a way of avoiding some of the criticisms and limitations of this approach, this thesis followed later conceptualisations of this method, in particular its reframing within the social constructionist idiom. In accordance with this perspective, this study directed attention to the ways in which OD consultants, in a non-governmental organisational (NGO) sector known as 'intermediary' NGOs, accounted for their 'capacity building' role in this development context. The results, based on in-depth interviews with ten OD consultants, indicate that 'capacity building' is an elusive and inchoate concept with more than one meaning for the participants. Their narrative account variously constructs 'capacity building' as value-driven OD process facilitation; funder and market regulated service provision; and people-driven product delivery. As a result of this multi-vocal construction, the participants' accounts reveal that OD consultancy in this sector is primarily concerned with 'managing the tensions' of the consultants' ambiguous and contradictory roles. By examining how the tensions articulated by the consultants inhere in their relationship to the environment in which they operate, this thesis firstly explores how the contradiction and anlbiguity attached to this concept can be traced to different stakeholder expectations of 'capacity building'. Secondly, it exanlines how these different stakeholder discourses conflict with each other and with an OD perspective. Thirdly, through an explication of the core category of 'managing tensions', it explores the image of OD consulting as a 'shifting and inconstant balancing act'. Fourthly, it shows how there exist wider contextual forces operating in the development sector which serve to throw these consultants 'off balance' and into delimited and 'received' service provision roles which run counter to their raison d'etre. Finally, the research examines new ways of approaching the 'capacity building' question and of understanding the nature of OD consultancy. It concludes with an attempt to respond to a conceptual aporia in OD literature by examining possible alternative images and metaphors for the role of the OD consultant.

M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pierre du Plooy co-founded Prophyta (Pty) Ltd, a company that provided technical consultation services in the fields of horticulture and soil science to the South African deciduous fruit industry. Initially, the founders employed goods-dominant logic, viewing their services as intangible products that needed to be sold to clients. Between the founding of Prophyta in September 2012 and November 2014, Pierre du Plooy’s value proposition, service offering and revenue model diverged from those of other consultants in Prophyta, to the extent that he resigned from Prophyta and became an independent horticultural consultant. The study focussed on Pierre du Plooy’s existing clients. The clients were surveyed to determine their satisfaction with the current service offering, their interest in additional services, their openness toward alternative revenue models and key success factors according to them. A questionnaire was designed and 29 clients were invited to participate in the survey. Six responded, resulting in a response rate of 21 percent. Client satisfaction with the current service was measured using SERVQUAL. Fifteen statements applicable to the horticulture advisory service were made and respondents’ expectations and perceptions measured on a five point Likert scale. The values obtained for the expectation and corresponding perception per statement were used to calculate a difference score. A negative value for the difference score meant the perception of the current service exceeds client expectations regarding the statement in question. In general, the clients were satisfied with the current service offering. Two main aspects needed focus. A horticulturist needs to stay up-to-date with new research and technologies, requiring him to stay abreast of relevant literature, as well as attending symposia and production areas abroad. A horticulturist also has to be very attentive to keep classified information shared by clients confidential. The first aspect relates to the creation of new knowledge, the second to strengthening and building of relationships based on trust. According to the literature, both these aspects form the bases of competition and are very important in obtaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. It is recommended that Pierre du Plooy focus on above-mentioned aspects in order to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors. It is also recommended to repeat the client survey every two years in order to monitor changing client expectations and make sure client needs are being met.

D.Ed. / The new millennium is considered to be a period of empowered social change, having profound implications for schooling. The transformation of education in present-day South Africa emphasises the need for quality education for all. This is necessary in order to be able to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Thus even the most competent educational institutions are forced to improve and change in order to keep up with worldwide innovations. As the poor matric results of the last decade indicate, it seems that schools' performance is not up to standard. It became increasingly clear that certain factors precipitated the pathological situation in schools and that assistance and interventions are required. The main focus of this study is to establish what schools can do in order to improve and become more effective. It is well known that schools in South Africa are facing a crisis. South Africa's education system is therefore compelled to find solutions against the idiosyncratic backdrop of the country's unique socio-economic and socio-political problems. In order to develop a world-class education system suitable of meeting the challenges of the 21' century, school improvement seems necessary. The problem investigated by this study was: How can schools improve with the help, advice and expertise of external agents, namely school consultants. In order to improve schools there must be various agents or participants who must be actively involved and play a part in any reform process. These role players have been identified as: the school principal, teachers, parents and learners. However, it became clear that the subjective involvement of these protagonists is not sufficient to contribute towards a significant educational improvement endeavour. The aim of this study is to analyse and describe how schools can improve through the expert advice and contribution of external school consultants. This aim was realised by: undertaking a theoretical investigation in the form of a literature study; undertaking an empirical, qualitative investigation in order to establish in what way the assistance of an objective advisor in the form of a consultant, can contribute to improving the intricate problems currently facing schools. During this qualitative investigation it was established that: South Africa has problems endemic to this country which precipitate pathology at school level; The main role players in schools are not sufficiently equipped to initiate change; External consultants as change and improvement agents are a solution suggested by international literature; If consultation is done in a professional, ethically correct manner it can indeed lead to school improvement.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The large scale of democratization of the South African society after April 1994 brought about immense curriculum transformation in the education system. It was specifically aimed at addressing the educational imbalances of the past. Policy changes in the curriculum were thus inevitable. A part of transformation in education was the quest for greater participation by all school communities in South Africa through an approach of effective school-based curriculum management and development. A qualitative research design, guided by an interpretive research paradigm, was employed to answer the research question. The aim of the study was to explore how curriculum coordinators experienced their leadership role and functions within the context of schoolbased curriculum development. Data was generated by means of semi-structured questions to provide rich descriptions and explanations of the experiences and perceptions of curriculum coordinators in their particular contexts. Firstly, the literature revealed that it is indeed an enormous challenge for curriculum coordinators to initiate curriculum change, and secondly, that it is very difficult for curriculum coordinators to demonstrate their leadership role and coordination function as curriculum leaders effectively and to provide good support and direction. Curriculum coordinators are faced with the challenge of empowering themselves, enabling them to implement curriculum change continuously so that the curriculum is managed effectively. The research findings indicated that the curriculum coordinators do fulfil their responsibilities regarding curriculum management. Nevertheless, curriculum coordinators were not sure what their leadership function and role should be. Furthermore, the study revealed that there is a need to develop specific guidelines and clear policy to help curriculum coordinators to execute their roles and responsibilities effectively. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die grootskaalse demokratisering van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing na April 1994 het ongekende kurrikulumtransformasie in die onderwystelsel tot gevolg gehad. Dit was hoofsaaklik daarop gemik om die onderwysongelykhede van die verlede te probeer regstel. Beleidsverandering in die kurrikulum sou dus onvermydelik wees.`n Aspek van transformasie in die onderwys was ook die strewe om groter deelname vir alle skoolgemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika te bewerkstellig deur `n benadering van effektiewe skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumbestuur en ontwikkeling. Die studie het dit ten doel gehad om die leiersrol en funksies van die kurrikulumkoördineerders binne skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumontwikkeling te ondersoek en vas te stel hoe hulle dit ervaar. Om die navorsingsvraag te beantwoord is `n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp binne die interptretatiewe navorsingsparadigma onderneem. Data is gegenereer deur gebruik te maak van semi-gestruktureerde vrae wat aan vier kurrikulumkoördineerders gestel is om insig te kry in hul ervarings en persepsies van hul onderskeie kontekste. Uit die literatuurstudie blyk dit eerstens dat dit inderdaad `n groot uitdaging vir kurrikulumkoördineerders is om kurrikulumverandering te inisieer en te bestuur. Tweedens is dit uiters moeilik vir kurrikulumkoördineerders om hul leiersrol en koördineringsfunksie as kurrikulumleiers effektief te demonstreer en om effektiewe leiding en ondersteuning te bied. Die uitdaging vir kurrikulumkoördineerders is om hulself te bemagtig om voortdurende kurrikulumverandering te kan implementeer om sodoende effektiewe kurrikulumbestuur te verseker. Uit die resultate is bevind dat kurrikulumkoördineerders wel probeer om hul verantwoordelikhede ten opsigte van kurrikulumbestuur te vervul. Nietemin ervaar hulle dat hulle nie heeltemal seker is oor wat hulle leiersfunksie en rol behoort te wees nie. Verder toon die studie dat kurrikulumkoördineerders `n behoefte het aan `n duidelike beleid en raamwerk wat hulle sal help om hulle verantwoordelikhede effektief te kan uitvoer.

Poor Physical Science performance in South African schools is due to ineffective Physical Science teaching. Quality Physical Science teaching stems from quality Physical Science subject advisory services. Traditionally interventions to raise teaching standards were done by inspectors who established if schools functioned according to set rules rather that supporting teaching staff. School inspection was considered a fault finding mission with punitive objectives; hence principals and teachers were negatively disposed to it. The Department of Basic Education since has re-interpreted intervention from checking compliance to support and development of school personnel. This task is allocated to units in district offices in provincial Departments of Education and district staff members’ responsibilities are linked to responsibilities of principals and teachers. The subject advisory unit focuses on curriculum matters in each school subject; thus Physical Science subject advisors support Physical Science teachers with content, pedagogical content knowledge, assessment and Interventions for improved results. This study investigated the role of Physical Science subject advisors in enhancing the quality of Physical Science teaching. Requirements for employment of a subject advisor (qualifications, work experience, interest, attitude and competence), challenges and solutions were explored by a mixed method study. A Physical Science provincial DCES, Physical Science subject advisors, principals, Physical Science teachers in four districts and four PLC support groups were purposefully sampled to explore perceptions of the subject advisor’s role in improving Physical Science teaching. Quantitative data collected by document analysis and questionnaires and qualitative data collected by individual and focus group interviews were analysed. Findings showed that the Physical Science subject advisors possessed minimum qualifications and experience; however, the school subject (Physics and Chemistry combined) does not match the specialization in tertiary institutions (divided into Physics and Chemistry). Thus, some subject advisors may major in one of two parts. Further, certain school content is not included in the university syllabus. This may limit advisors’ content knowledge, the core of content support in Physical Science. This influences support offered to Physical Science teachers and requires advisors’ professional development which is not currently offered by the Department of Basic Education. Recommendations based on the findings include immediate and long term solutions to improve effective subject advisory. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)