Submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban University of Technology. Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Insolvency may be broadly defined as an inability of business entity to meet pending financial commitments. For a construction firm, such a situation creates conditions whereby a business entity is unable to fulfill its contractual obligations with regard to work in progress or creditors owing. There are indications to suggest that during periods of adverse conditions the occurrences of insolvencies are mutually exclusive and remain a subject of debate. The occurrence of these financial failures adversely affect business concerns operating within the civil engineering construction industry. In South Africa, figures released by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC) in 1992 suggested an expected general decline in workload handled by this sector. This was a result of scaling down of heavy infrastructure projects because of government shifting focus to housing and other related projects mainly towards meeting the needs of the previously disadvantaged communities. During that period large contractors suffered financially and some went through insolvency. The government had also put emphasis on transformation of the sector to allow participation of emerging and small contractors, but this was not properly regulated, so most of these contractors did not have the experience and skills to operate sustainable construction firms. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) was established in 2000 as a statutory body to provide leadership to stakeholders and to stimulate sustainable growth, reform and improvement of the construction public sector for effective delivery and the industry’s enhanced role in the country’s economy. The CIDB’s regulations were implemented after 2003 and are continuously improving the construction public sector’s growth. This research study investigated and evaluated the factors associated with insolvencies amongst civil engineering contractors in KwaZulu-Natal. The study investigated the hypotheses that “the prominent factors associated with civil engineering contractors insolvencies are related to managerial/operational issues”, the prominent factors associated with civil engineering contractors insolvencies are related to financial issues”, “South African government initiatives create an environment for small to medium contractors to develop through their implementation”, and good management and operation of small to medium construction companies reduce insolvency in construction”. Operational management and strategic factors were found to be amongst the leading causes of companies failures. The study also made some recommendations from the research findings. The findings are relevant to the South African government infrastructure service delivery programs and the general issue of affordable infrastructure services. / M

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Consulting engineers in South Africa are currently faced with numerous trends that have a negative impact on their business. The volatility of world and especially SA markets have caused investors to adopt a "wait and see" approach as to investing in large developments. The result was that private sector developments were lagging behind and forced consulting engineers to compete for the available work and inevitably suffer from reduced turnover. A further trend, and maybe more serious one for some traditional consulting engineers, was the change in focus by the newly elected Government in the mid nineties. With the focus on social and upliftment issues, government funds were allocated to new infrastructure developments associated with these issues. This caused a radical reduction of funds allocated to traditional areas like roads and bridges, an area where traditional consultants were predominantly positioned. Government also introduced various other policies, like allocating work to affirmative business enterprises, in order to level the playing fields. This, combined with the reduced available funds, compounded the situation for traditional consulting engineers. The above situation created many challenges for consulting engineers, of which the most important one is that of securing work for the future and competing for the reduced amount of available work. This brought to the fore the issue of marketing, an area that was not previously given too much attention. Market orientation is therefore proposed in this study as a solution to the problems faced by consultants. This study will examine the present situation, provide a literature background to marketing orientation, consider the relevance of market orientation to the consulting engineering industry, and then finally if it is accepted that market orientation is relevant, propose a model that could be used in addressing the situation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadgewende ingenieurs word tans aan verskeie tendense blootgestel wat 'n negatiewe uitwerking op hul besigheid het. Die onbestendigheid in wêreld markte, en spesifiek die Suid Arikaanse mark, het veroorsaak dat beleggers 'n "wag en kyk" benadering begin volg het met betrekking tot grootskaalse ontwikkelings. Die resultaat hiervan was dat privaatsektor ontwikkelings tot 'n groot mate afgeplat het en raadgewende ingenieurs gedwing is om mee te ding vir die beskikbare werk en onvermydelik gebukkend te gaan onder verlaagde omset. 'n Verdere tendens, en moontlik meer ernstige een vir sekere raadgewende ingenieurs, was die verandering in fokus deur die nuut verkose Regering gedurende die middel negentien negentigs. Met die nuwe fokus op sosiale aangeleenthede en opheffing van agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, word regerings fondse hoofsaaklik toegewys aan nuwe infrastruktuur onwikkelings wat verband hou met die nuwe fokus. Dit het 'n radikale verlaging in beskikbare fondse veroorsaak wat tradisioneel aan areas soos paaie en bruê toegewys was, 'n area waarin raadgewende ingenieurs oorwegend gepositioneer was. Die Regering het ook verskeie ander beleidsmaatreëls ingestel, soos die toekenning van werk aan regstellende besighede, ten einde die speelveld gelyk te maak. Dit, gepaardgaande met die verlaagde beskikbare fondse, het die situasie verder vererger vir tradisionele raadgewende ingenieurs. Bogenoemde omstandighede het baie uitdagings aan raadgewende ingenieurs gestel, waarvan die belangrikste waarskynlik die sekerheid aangaande toekomstige werk en die gepaardgaande mededinging ten opsigte van die verminderde hoeveelheid beskikbare werk. Hierdie omstandighede het die bemarkings-kwessie na vore gebring, 'n area waaraan nie veel aandag in die verlede gegee is nie. Mark oriëntasie word gevolglik voorgestel in hierdie studie as 'n oplossing vir die probleme waarmee konsultante gekonfronteer word. Hierdie studie sal die huidige situasie waarin raadgewende ingenieurs hul bevind ondersoek, 'n agtergrond van mark oriëntasieliteratuur verskaf, die relevansie van mark oriëntasie vir die raadgewende ingerneurs bedryf ondersoek en dan laastens, indien dit aanvaar word dat mark oriëntasie relevant is, 'n model voor te stel wat gebruik kan word om die situasie aan te spreek.

Management of an engineering consultancy unit in the Eastern Cape Province is concerned about the costs incurred by project managers and specialist engineers pursuing tender opportunities that are not feasible. Annual losses in this unit due to unsuccessful tenders amounts to R2,5 million annually, which equates to about 12% of the revenue generated by the unit. The aim of the research study is to assist the consulting engineering firm by investigating and identifying the key determinants for making the decision of whether to bid on a particular tender opportunity. The study includes an assessment of relevant literature, academia and text to investigate key factors that could influence the decision to bid on tenders from which research questions and appropriate theories were drawn. Based on the research questions and theories that emanated from the literature, the study also includes the assessment of primary data through the administration of a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire is empirically analysed within the positivistic research paradigm through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made based on the findings of the administered questionnaire.

Text in English / The purpose of this study was to explore the work-life balance experiences of female engineers as they progress through various career life stages. Research has demon-strated that female engineers experience unique challenges as a result of gendered norms within male-dominated occupations, with changing life-roles, needs and ex-pectations across the various career life stages, impacting how they negotiate and perceive work-life balance. A qualitative research approach was followed using a her-meneutic phenomenology paradigm that employed a multiple case study approach consisting of semi-structured interviews with nine female engineers across three career life stages. The findings of the study confirmed current research into work-life balance, highlighting that work-life balance needs and expectations are different across the lifespan and are particularly affected by the changing nature of the work role within the lives of female engineers. Companies should consider changing their organisational culture to acknowledge the needs of female engineers in both family and work domains. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The research problem reflected a lower number of female postgraduate students and academics as compared to their male counterparts within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A descriptive survey was disseminated to a stratified sample of undergraduate final year students in the disciplines of Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Bioresources Engineering. An online survey was also sent to the nine female academics within the Faculty. The study indicates that the social and academic environment within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal was not a deterrent to female graduates studying further and entering academia. The exam performance of both male and female students was similar and neither the drop-out rate nor failure was due to gender but rather to the choice of degree. An issue of concern to both the student and the academic group was the low numbers of female academics. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Burnout can occur in any occupation and is a risk in the modern world of work. The objective of the study was to investigate how burnout, coping and sense of coherence are related and influence each other in an engineering environment. A Cross-sectional survey design was used in this descriptive study. The convenience sample consisted of 118 engineers and scientists at various levels in a global engineering organisation that is based in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) questionnaires were administered for this quantitative study. A theoretical relationship was proved by means of a literature study and an empirical relationship proved that there is indeed a relationship between the constructs and that focus and venting of emotions as well as SOC are predictors of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. SOC also proved to be a predictor of professional efficacy. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The research problem reflected a lower number of female postgraduate students and academics as compared to their male counterparts within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A descriptive survey was disseminated to a stratified sample of undergraduate final year students in the disciplines of Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Computer and Bioresources Engineering. An online survey was also sent to the nine female academics within the Faculty. The study indicates that the social and academic environment within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal was not a deterrent to female graduates studying further and entering academia. The exam performance of both male and female students was similar and neither the drop-out rate nor failure was due to gender but rather to the choice of degree. An issue of concern to both the student and the academic group was the low numbers of female academics. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Burnout can occur in any occupation and is a risk in the modern world of work. The objective of the study was to investigate how burnout, coping and sense of coherence are related and influence each other in an engineering environment. A Cross-sectional survey design was used in this descriptive study. The convenience sample consisted of 118 engineers and scientists at various levels in a global engineering organisation that is based in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) questionnaires were administered for this quantitative study. A theoretical relationship was proved by means of a literature study and an empirical relationship proved that there is indeed a relationship between the constructs and that focus and venting of emotions as well as SOC are predictors of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. SOC also proved to be a predictor of professional efficacy. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)