M.Phil. / Organisations and organisational actions have a profound influence on the lives of modern day citizens. This influence is most often recognised and the magnitude felt when these organisations cease to exist, which is occurring with increasing frequency. Literature related to this occurrence increasingly suggests that a strong organisation identity is paramount to organisational sustainability. Organisation identity per se has been largely under researched in organisations, literature and research with the majority of organisational work on the phenomenon having been conducted in the public relations and marketing domains. In terms of literature and research, the knowledge base is largely limited to conceptual debates with very few empirical studies aimed at building theory and advancing the existing knowledge on the subject. This perceived lack of empirical research and critical study of organisation identity can probably be attributed to its ambiguous nature, the lack of a strong theoretical base and the debate surrounding the conceptualisation of identity as being stable versus being fluid. The purpose of the current study was to confirm, empirically, the presence of identity in an organisation and then to detect the changes, if any, that have taken place in the organisation's identity over time. A brief literature review was undertaken to set the context for the study and to provide a basis from which to commence with the study. The notions of individual identity, social identity, corporate image, corporate identity, corporate branding and organisational culture were reviewed in an attempt to distinguish the organisation identity concept from these. For the purpose of providing a context for the study, brief attention was also directed to the different intellectual traditions on organisation identity, the existing empirical studies and the challenges associated with studying the phenomenon. In order to arrive at an informed research question, it was concluded that organisation identity is concerned with the organisation as entity and that organisation identity is a x socially-constructed, sub-conscious phenomenon which becomes salient during periods of change. Furthermore, organisation identity refers to who and what the organisation is and refers to those features of the organisation that are core, distinctive and enduring. Based on the ambiguous nature of the organisation identity phenomenon and the fact that it is tacitly held and is constructed over time by the individuals that experience it, it was concluded that the phenomenon lends itself to qualitative research. The study was approached from within the knowledge framework provided by the classical school of thought on organisation identity which views organisation identity as being those features which the members of the organisation believe to be core, distinctive and enduring. Use was made of an open-ended, self administered questionnaire, which included two different techniques. The questionnaire required of respondents to describe the organisation's answer to the question "Who am I?" using the Twenty Statements Test as well as to describe the organisation through the use of a metaphor and to provide reasons for choosing a specific metaphor for both the past and the present. The research setting chosen was an English primary school and the questionnaire was administered to all the employees of the organisation (86 in total). A total of 54 responses were received and the data subsequently analysed. Use was made of open coding and the development of themes and the data was scrutinised to identify themes and categories of interest. Relevant quotes as used by respondents and which were illustrative of a specific theme were then utilised to describe the most prominent themes. Statements that were closely related were included as part of the same theme, where applicable. When viewing the current study against the background of the classical definition of organisation identity, an argument was made for the future omission of the "core" feature and the inclusion of the unifying nature of organisation identity. When operationalising identity as being the organisation's distinctive features as presented in xi terms of the answer to the question "Who am I?" it was once again apparent that this is a valid means of determining and surfacing organisation identity. The organisational sense-of-identity was confirmed by the fact that some respondents made specific reference to identity. The data was viewed using these conceptualisations of identity and it was concluded that the organisation did posses an identity and that changes had taken place in this identity over time albeit not fundamental in nature. Attention was also devoted to the dynamic nature of organisation identity and the links between identity and the organisational life cycle stage as well as the effect of size on organisation identity. Based on the findings, it was argued that the time has come to rigorously study organisation identity as a phenomenon in its own right and to further the empirical knowledge base of the field in order to inform theory development. The study concluded that organisation identity has significant implications for the management of the school and indeed for other organisations where similar situations prevail. It was argued that the management of the organisation should take action to harness the advantages of the relatively strong identity of the organisation as a means of competitive advantage. In the final instance it was concluded that organisation identity might prove to be the answer to ensuring organisational longevity in a world characterised by organisational demise.

In this research paper, the constructive management of political behaviour in organisations was investigated. A general overview of relevant aspects which specifically relate to the constructive management of political behaviour in the automotive industry was presented. The literature study included a discussion of the nature of political behaviour and guidelines for the management of political behaviour in organisations. The research methodology consisted of three phases: Phase 1: A literature study to determine guidelines to manage political behaviour in organisations constructively. Phase 2: An empirical study to determine the effectiveness of these guidelines in practice by means of a survey amongst role players in the automotive industry in South Africa. Phase 3: The findings from the literature study and empirical study were integrated into guidelines of how managers can manage political behaviour constructively. The study identified nine main strategies for managing political behaviour. They are: Open communication. Communication must be open to keep all parties informed and to prevent distrust. Reduction of uncertainty. This involves preventing employees being unsure of what the future holds. Awareness. The aim of awareness is for managers to be sensitive to and aware of situations that could elicit political behaviours. Furthermore, they must recognize political behaviour for what it is. Setting an example. Managers must set an exemplary example and not engage in political behaviour. An understanding of the reason/motivation for the formation of informal (political) groups or cliques. Having established the reason why political groups form will enable a manager to manage them more effectively. Confront political game players. Managers must address all forms of possible political behaviour in a serious manner. Understanding the organisation’s strategy, goals and action plans. All employees need to know exactly what direction the organization is moving in and what is in it for them. It is management’s task to ensure this open and clear communication, to prevent fears and political behaviour. Tie resource allocation and rewards to strategy. This can be achieved by ensuring that the criteria for the allocation of rewards is straight forward and understood by all. Reward systems must, furthermore, be directly linked to performance. There should also be transparency in decision-making. Isolate resource acquisition from internal operations. It is necessary to clearly specify the conditions and ground rules for the acquisition of resources to ensure that the process is transparent. The conclusion reached is that political behaviour in organizations can be managed constructively to build win-win relationships.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the nature of organisational culture and the most effective response scale for assessing organisational culture. The study also aimed to establish which response scale format would yield the best metric characteristics for use in organisational culture instruments. The range of response scale in the study were four, five and six-point scale. / Prof. Gert Roodt

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

M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / The primary aim of this research project was to determine whether induction has an influence with regard to establishing a favourable organizational climate with the new employee. Two organizations were used for this research, the one with a well-planned induction programme and the other with no induction programme at ,all. The two orqanizations correspond well with regard to service conditions, fringe benefits and working hours and the administrative personnel of both were used as experimental subjects. The latter included both males and females and they were further divided according to qualifications and age group. The organizational climate questionnaire used for collection of the data, is that of Litwin and Stringer. Gelfand (1972) redeveloped the questionnaire for a South African application. The questionnaire measures nine dimensions that provide objective information regarding organizational climate. Altogether 122 questionnaires, 65 at organization A and 57 at organization B, were used for the final interpretation. The following hypothesis was made: An organization that employs a well-planned induction programme will create a more favourable organizational climate with the new employee than would an organization that does not employ any induction programme at all. In order to determine the significant differences between the two research groups, t-tests were conducted. It was expected that new employees who have followed a well-planned induction programme would from the start, reflect a more positive image of the climate within their new organization. However, with the exception of three dimensions, confirmation could not be obtained for these initial expectations. A global comparison between the two organizations also did not indicate any real differences between the two research groups.

D.Comm. / Organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the pervasive impact that culture has on its success. Corporate cultures exhibit certain characteristics that are collectively created through years of interaction, and which unconsciously direct the activities of its employees. Research indicates that culture plays a pivotal role in an organisation, and has the ability, either to make a positive contribution to the organisation‘s success, or to be a liability. Culture is also crucial in fundamental change efforts. In current times, social, cultural, political and technological forces constantly challenge organisations to reassess and redefine their strategies. In order to counter these challenges, the focus of many local companies has been on improving their capabilities and growing skills, as they are expected to compete and survive in a dynamic business world. One of the ways to achieve this is to obtain leverage from culture, a driving force in the organisation. To this end, this study seeks to explore the role of culture in driving business success. It is anticipated that the knowledge generated from this inquiry will afford new insights, and inform higher corporate practice. The research employed a qualitative case-study methodology. Participants of this study included a purposefully selected group of eight employees who occupied various managerial roles in the organisation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was employed in analysing the resultant data. The key findings highlighted the role of culture in driving the organisations past success. However, these cultural traits proved to be questionable for continued success. In order to remain competitive, the changing environment and global challenges compelled the company to redefine its strategies, and introduce innovative measures to achieve its objectives. Strategy compelled the company to move forward to adapt to the ever-increasing environmental changes, but culture posed a constraint on learning and change. Further findings are also presented, and recommendations are made for future research and business practices.

This study has been undertaken with the specific objective of acquiring an insight into the concept “organisational culture” within a business strategic management context, as well as the role played by the organisation in the formulation and implementation of organisational strategy and culture. In this study an integrated approach is followed in order to describe and analyse the concepts within the context of business strategic management. The study confirms the importance of organisational culture as a key component of the business strategy and cultural management process. Traditionally the influence of organisational culture has largely been ignored by both researchers and practitioners. Managers, therefore, need to develop an awareness of the cultures of their organisations, and acquire a thorough understanding of the concept of culture and its influence on the formulation and implementation of business strategy and culture. Researchers from various disciplines, such as anthropology, industrial psychology and strategic management, have analysed various aspects of the concept of organisational culture. It is noted in particular that few researchers view the concept as a component of an integrated organisational system. With reference to research findings and statements by management practitioners, it appears that different perceptions have been formed with regard to what is meant by the concept of organisational culture, as well as its specific influence on the organisation and the realisation of the organisation’s mission. The different perceptions may be attributed to the fact that individual components of the concept have been studied within the context of various distinct disciplines. This has resulted in the concept of organisational culture not being clearly distinguished from the related concept of organisational climate within the context of strategic management. However, there appears to be general consensus that organisational culture exerts a substantial influence on the formulation and implementation of organisational strategy. / Prof. N. Lessing

M.Com. (Enterprise Management) / In quest of being the best coal mine complex in the world, Secunda Collieries has to enter a second growth phase. Amidst an ever changing environment the development of organizational structure, human resources and organizational culture play a important role in the consistent success of a company. Without the ability to evaluate the performances of this environment and the ability to adapt, no organization can thrive. Organizations tend to go through stages of organizational growth, with each stage progressing from a period of relative calm to a management crisis. How well the organization anticipates and deals with the crisis determines whether it leads to organizational decline or opportunities for renewal and future growth. The characteristics of the four-stage life-cycle model show how an organization can evolve from an informal, one-person show, in the entrepreneurial stage, to a bureaucratic teamwork emphasis in the decline stage. By applying the life-cycle metaphor to organizations, we are saying that there are distinct stages through which organizations proceed, that the stages follow a consistent pattern, and that the transitions from one stage to another are predictable rather than random occurrences. The placing of organizations, however, within these life-cycle stages, is independent of chronological age. The growth of the Sasol Coal division has been influenced by the growth of the Sasol group. Since its founding in the 1950's as a single division, the Sasol group has grown to twelve divisions. The coal division has grown from a single mine to the world's biggest underground mining complex...

Organisational culture has increasingly come to the fore as an important aspect of safety management. Very little literature, if any, could be found on the application of the concept within the mining industry. The state of safety in South Africa’s mining industry has been placed under the spotlight after a number of fatalities caused an outcry amongst mineworkers. The research was initiated to gain a better understanding of the impact of organisational culture factors on safety management in a South African thermal coal mining operation, with the view of finding ways to improve mining safety. The research sought to develop a model from the literature to evaluate the safety culture of a coal mining operation. Further analysis compared the perceptions of various groups within the sample, which included contractors, managers and workers. The relationship between some of the factors were also explored to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of organisational factors that influence safety management. The research yielded a useful model for evaluating the safety culture of a coal mining operation, and highlighted strong relationships between shared safety values, management involvement and the safety culture of the organisation. The research also showed that there was no significant difference in the culture perceptions of contractors and mine employees. Significant differences were however found between managers’ perceptions of the safety culture and the perceptions of workers. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The research project measured the influence of lean culture elements as well as power distance elements on the success of lean manufacturing implementations. The literature review revealed that lean transformations are not always successful and sustainable since organisation see these as quick win opportunities to improve short term profits. Lean, however, is a long term philosophy that entails not just quick changes but a fundamental change in the way that business is done. The elements that were measured in the study were organisational awareness, employee engagement, managerial consistency, accountability, mutual respect and autocratic behaviour. The study revealed a strong relationship between these factors and the success of lean implementations. The results indicated that there is a positive relationship between lean culture and the other lean elements. The study also indicated that autocratic behaviour has a positive relationship to lean implementation. The study showed that tools that were developed in the past are valid across various industries and that power distance does play a role in lean implementations.