Mining companies operating in developing countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have come under increasing public criticism for not only failing to bring benefits to the country in which they operate but for often making the situation even worse through adverse environmental and social impacts. The particular focus of this treatise is the social division that a new mining project can generate between the operating company and the community living on or near to the mine site. In one area in north-eastern DRC, a large multinational mining company, AngloGold Ashanti, plans to develop a gold mine. While there have been no manifest conflicts between the company and the host community, there is evident latent conflict in the form of uncertainty and mistrust between parties. Although the company is engaged in two different models of companycommunity participation, this has either resulted in or failed to prevent tensions between the company and the local community. This research offers an exploration and discussion of the existing models of company-community participation as a conflict management strategy. With reference to relevant research and literature, as well as other available models for company-community participation, this treatise will provide a series of recommendations as to how the existing models could be made more effective in managing conflict.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 592-662). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee engagement research is an emerging field of study and several models suggest that leadership is crucial in the development of work engagement. However, a gap remains in understanding what leadership behaviours could influence engagement. High levels of employee engagement, which refers to employees’ investment of physical, cognitive and emotional energy in their work, provide significant organisational benefit in almost every conceivable organisational metric. The objective of this research was to explore the impact of transformational leadership on work engagement in a mining company in South Africa from an employee point of view. This exploratory and explanatory study used a cross-sectional design focussing on middle management employees at a Paterson D-Lower level. All employees worked in a mid-sized mining company in South Africa. An online self-reporting survey was used to measure the following constructs and their respective dimensions: work engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption), transformational leadership (individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation) and transactional leadership (contingent reward and management by exception – active). The research questionnaire was adopted from The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The study indicated that transformational leadership does impact work engagement. The survey achieved a 21 per cent total response rate with a 17 per cent response rate of completed questionnaires. Work engagement showed a statistical significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.454, p < 0.05), but no significant correlation with gender, business unit, qualification or time reporting to the same supervisor. There is partial support for the impact of time in a specific job on work engagement, especially for employees who have been in the same job for less than five years. The study found that transformational leadership correlated positively with work engagement (r = 0.33, p = 0.115) as well as with vigour, dedication and absorption. Inspirational motivation showed the highest significant correlation with work engagement (r = 0.474, p = 0.019), while intellectual stimulation (r = 0.152, p > 0.2) did not seem to correlate significantly with work engagement. Individualised consideration (r = 0.296) and idealised influence (r = 0.282) seemed to correlate positively with work engagement (p < 0.2). The study found that vigour and dedication correlated positively with individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Absorption differed from vigour and dedication by correlating strongly with management by exemption – active and weakly with all other dimensions, except inspirational motivation. Inspirational motivation showed the highest correlation of all the leadership dimensions with vigour (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), dedication (r = 0.437, p < 0.05) and absorption (r = 0.404, p < 0.1). Transformational leadership’s dimensions combined explain more of the variance in vigour, dedication and absorption than transactional leadership. The impact of transformational leadership on work engagement seemed to be more complex than originally suspected, and individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation should all be present for the transformational leader to impact on engagement. More research is needed to explore the complex interaction between transformational leadership and work engagement, considering possible mediating factors like work environment, personal resources and job resources.

“Corporate social responsibility”, an unremittingly contested concept since its inception, has attracted global interest in a progressively integrated world economy. The aim of this study is to explore and critique recent claims of a move towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives by multinational mining corporations (MNMCs). Today, MNMCs are expected to promote and practice CSR for the socio-economic consequences of their activities in host countries. The study will also investigate how (if at all) host-country political and regulatory environments affect CSR initiatives undertaken by MNMCs. Previously, mineral developers merely insured full compliance with host-country environmental regulations. However, there is a growing recognition that full legal compliance is insufficient in meeting society’s demands with regards to mining issues. Thus, mineral developers are increasingly expected to gain a ‘social license to operate’ (SLO) from local communities in order to avoid potentially costly conflict and exposure to social risks. In order to achieve the aim of the study, a comparative-case analysis of the activities of the Anglo-American giant, AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa and Ghana will be employed. Furthermore, by drawing particular attention to CSR and SLO, the study will explore how international norms such as CSR evolve, are appropriated and sometimes operationalized by powerful actors and agents within the international system.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 2015 / The minerals industry has in the last decade witnessed volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). The diamond industry has not been immune to these challenges. These challenges coincided with the decision of the diamond mining family in 2011 to opt out of De Beers after approximately a century of being in control by selling their 40 % stake to Anglo American plc (AA) which already had 45 % stake in De Beers. This transaction increased Anglo American plc‟s stake in De Beers to 85% thus joining venture with the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) under an already existing entity called Debswana. Botswana has been hailed as a beacon of success and a model African state both politically and economically mainly due to its effective management of economic proceeds generated mainly through Debswana diamonds. Something that might be seen as a possible threat to this economic stability is the merger and acquisition (M&A) between the GRB and AA. As a result this study was conducted as a way of investigating any possible impacts of the partnership of GRB and AA on the Debswana diamond company through the M&A transaction that occurred in 2011. The study was restricted to the mining operations in order to assess Debswana‟s performance more meaningfully pre and post the acquisition of De Beers shares by AA. The mining activities from Debswana operations comprise of Letlhakane, Damtshaa, Orapa, Jwaneng and Morupule Coal mine. The study is focusing on the production statistics and financial analysis using stock market and financial ratios. These are discussed in detail to assess the possible impact of the merger on Debswana‟s performance. In addition to this, empirical evidence based on factors determining a firm‟s performance before and after acquisition or merger is also discussed, with further action of aligning determinants to the literature findings. The study‟s key findings were that there has been a significant reduction in AA‟s financial performance post-merger but Debswana‟s performance has been fairly consistent. This is probably due to the fact that the 3-year post merger window period may not be sufficient to observe sufficient changes in Debswana‟s performance. Further research can be conducted on the current AA‟s repositioning strategy that aims at divesting in other operations and focusing on others and its impact on Debswana over a much longer window period than 3 years. / M T 2016

Abstract not available

The primary object of this dissertation is to investigate the training problem in the Kgalagadi gold (Kalgold} mining company, located some 40 km West of Mafikeng. The company is reported not to have trained most of its staff in the Metallurgy department since the majority union, National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), does not approve of the organisational training plan. The said training plan is perceived as an intervention that would not address the employees' training needs. Subsequently, the untrained employees are susceptible to workplace accidents characterised by poor work expertise. Nevertheless, the mentioned staff often face disciplinary charges for negligence or incapacity that could be linked to a lack of appropriate training. In effect, this study focuses on the training problem experienced by the company as well as disciplinary actions for incapacity related to little or no training. Not only that, but also shall it highlight the shortfall caused by absence of a training needs analysis and establish if this could lead to training that does not address the employees' training needs. The study also seeks to investigate whether management involves the Majority union, NUM, in drawing up the organisational training plan. Moreover, this dissertation will also look into the company's relationship with its SET A, the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA). Careful attention will be on the unclaimed skills development levies lost in the event Kalgold fails to train its staff within the context of the National Skills Development Framework of South Africa. / (M.Admin.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

The social and environmental impacts of mining, especially in the case of large mining developments, can be dramatic and irreversible. From a regulatory perspective, the impacts of mining present a range of challenges, at both global and local levels. In recent years, however, many large, globalised mining corporations have been attempting to demonstrate that they can be trusted to adequately address the potential social and environmental impacts of their activities. This has lead some mining corporations to engage in certain behaviours that may be further leveraged to help to steer them towards improved social and environmental outcomes. This research explores the reasons why some mining corporations want to be trusted, how they believe trust can be built, the kinds of activities they are undertaking in order to build trust, and the implications of this for regulation and governance. Sociological perspectives on trust are employed as a theoretical foundation to analyse the significance of trust to large mining corporations in the context of their social and environmental performance, and the consequences of this for corporate regulation. Using a qualitative methodology, data was collected through participant observation, relevant industry documentation, and interviews with mining executives, non-government organisations, regulators and other key players in the mining industry. This data provides an insight into the dynamics of trust, regulation and corporate behaviour from the perspective of the mining industry and its stakeholders. The research finds that trust does play a significant role in corporate behaviour, and in regulatory dynamics. Further, many corporate trust-building efforts were found to have resulted in some level of improved social and environmental performance, at least at the level of systems, procedures and corporate rhetoric. Such findings around corporate trust-building and resultant corporate behaviour have implications for regulatory strategy in that it helps to explain why and how corporate trustworthiness may be targeted by regulators in order to achieve improved regulatory outcomes. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on trust and regulation in the fields of sociology and regulatory studies, and has practical application in terms of regulatory strategy. It also offers a platform for further studies into how trust might be more effectively harnessed in terms of regulatory strategy in the mining industry and across other industry sectors.

The South African government introduced the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) as an intervention to resolve economic imbalances. In furthering inclusivity in the previously exclusive sectors, like Mining, the BEE legislations and Mining Charter were introduced to benefit the HDSA. The study addressed a significant gap in BEE research, which is important within the South African context, as the country currently reviews progress after the initial 20 years of democratic dispensation. The research examined the share price performance of mining stocks listed on the JSE by tracking their share price performance after announcements relating to black empowerment transactions. The objectives of the research were to, first, determine whether announcements of BEE transactions lead to better shareholder wealth creation in the South African mining sector, second, to determine the impact of these announcements on Old and BEE mining companies that were listed on the JSE post- 1994, third, to determine whether the early BEE announcements made before the release of the Mining Charter in September 2010 had a greater positive impact on the Cumulative Abnormal Returns (CARs) of Mining companies compared to those made after the amendment to legislation. The research employed an event study methodology to analyse a sample of 26 mining companies that made a total of 241 qualifying announcements from January 2000 to November 2014. The results of the study showed negative impact on the CARs of the mining companies. It was noted that the old mining companies that existed before 1994 had better average abnormal return than the BEE companies. Further, the results showed that the Average Abnormal Returns (AARs) of the BEE announcements made prior to the Mining Charter had greater AARs than those made after the implementation. In sum, the BEE announcements had largely a negative impact on share performance of the mining companies. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

M. Tech. Business Administration / Mining is an economic activity that has the potential to develop areas that are impacted by its operations. However, mining operations may also negatively affect the surrounding communities as a consequence of certain undesired practices which either may damage the environment or disturb existing social structures such as tampering with graves. Despite this destabilisation, mining companies may offer either disproportionately low compensation, or, in some cases, engage in unequal distribution of corporate social benefits. If not planned in a sustainable way, mining activities can damage the landscape resulting in diminishing returns to the communities. Thus the research question is, what benefits accrue to the communities in the Sekhukhune District Municipality as a result of profitable mining operations? The objective of this study was to evaluate community programs driven by mining companies as well as obstacles inherent in the development of sustainable Local Economic Development (LED) projects in areas dominated by mining operations. In completing this research a qualitative method was followed. A case study of the Sekhukhune District Municipality in the Limpopo Province was conducted in order to ascertain the role of mining in contributing towards development of sustainable business ventures. Face to face interviews were conducted with all relevant stakeholders in the district in completing the work. The research revealed discrepancies in as far as mining contribution to the area is concerned. The respondents painted different pictures of the matter. Mining companies believe that they are contributing substantially to the communities in terms of sustainable business development and so forth, whereas the opposite is correct. The local municipalities do not have the capacity to deal with issues relating to community development and negotiating with mining companies. It is recommended that joint participation in the development of programs as well as LED projects by all stakeholders in the area be adequately appreciated and enhanced.