Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the late 80s and early 90s there has been a sustained debate on the concept of globalisation. This has been, to a larger extent, due to global industrial restructuring In most countries the effects have been felt mostly in the manufacturing sector, and these were evident in areas such as technology, employment pattern and composition of labour force. Globalisation introduces a tendency to create a division of labour between a core of relatively well paid, skilled and secured workers, and a large pool of workers doing non-regular forms of work e.g. 'casual' jobs or part-time contracts, and with much of the work sub-contracted to companies with less unionised and low paid workers. This research assignment explores the effects that changes in global production have on the South African automotive industry. As South Africa is becoming increasingly integrated into the world economy it certainly will not be unaffected by effects of globalisation. The auto industry, and Volkswagen in particular will be use as a case. The industry is one of the largest export industries in South Africa at the current moment, and is said to have embraced the realities of globalisation. It is also a fairly well developed industry, technologically. The auto industry has always epitomised 'Fordist' forms of production with inward-looking industrial activity. The waves of changes in the sphere of production globally have both positive and negative etfects on the automotive industry. They are spurring development and innovation in an ailing industry, and thrusting it on a path towards 'world-class' manufacturing. On the other hand festructuring trend which is an outflow of global isation poses a great threat on employment patterns, and in the long run may lead toil"'decline in formal employment and introduction of non-regular forms of work e g. part-time, casual employment, and subcontracting. This will happen as pressures mount on the industry in line with the logic of international competitiveness to rationalise and cut costs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die konsep "globalisering" lok reeds sedert die laat tagtigerjare wydverspreid debat uit. Die kontensieuse aard van die begrip kan grootlike toegeskryf word aan die verskynsel van globale industriele herstrukturering. Wereldwyd is die impak van laasgenoemde veral gevoel in die vervaardigingsektor. Hierdie tendens het by uitstek in aspekte soos tegnologie, indiensnemingspatrone en die samestelling van die arbeidsmag gemanifesteer. Globalisering het die geneigdheid om 'n verdeling van arbeid te bewerkstellig in terme waarvan 'n kern van relatief goed besoldigde, geskoolde en beskermde werkers onderskei kan word van 'n relatief swak besoldigde groep wat stukwerk verrig. Die tweede groep verrig deeltydse werk, wat in baie gevalle uitgekontrakteer word aan maatskappye met lae vakbondverteenwoordiging. Die fokus van hierdie werkstuk val op die impak wat veranderinge in globale produksie op die Suid-Afrikaanse motornywerheid het. Namate Suid-Afrika toenemend deel word van die wereldekonomie, raak dit al hoe moeiliker om die negatiewe effekte van globalisering vry te spring. Die motornywerheid, en spesifiek die vervaardiger Volkswagen, word as gevallestudie gebruik. Die tegnologies ontwikkelde industrie is een van Suid-Afrika se vernaamste uitvoernywerhede, en volgens kenners het veral hierdie sektor die realiteite van globalisering ter harte geneem. Kenmerkend van die motornywerheid was nog altyd sy "Ford-agtige" vorm van produksie, gefokus op inwaartsgekeerde industriele aktiwiteit. Die golwe van verandering in wereldwye produksie hou sowel positiewe as negatiewe gevolge vir die motornywerheid in. Aan die positiewe kant moedig dit innovasie in 'n andersins stagnerende industrie aan. Die negatiewe sy hiervan is egter die bedreiging wat dit inhou vir indiensnemingspatrone. Dit mag op die langtermyn lei tot die agteruitgang van formele indiensneming en 'n toename in nie-algemene vorme van werk (bv. tydelike indiensneming en subkontraktering). Hierdie neiging sal posvat namate industriee deur die logika van internasionale mededingenheid gedwing word om te rasionaliseer.

The Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) was implemented on 1 September 1995 in the context of the country's political and economic liberalisation and the major structural shift in government policy and the trade regime. In an intensely competitive global environment, the strategies of a few dominant motor vehicle manufacturers, mainly operating from the Triad regions of North America, Europe and Japan, impact significantly on the developments of the global automotive industry. Over the past decade the small, highly protected and inwardly focused South African automotive industry has become fully integrated in the global strategies of foreign parent companies. As South Africa's leading manufacturing sector, the automotive sector is contributing significantly to the country's economy in terms of exports, investment, employment and the gross domestic product. The objective of the study was to establish and measure the relevance and value of the MIDP as a promotional tool in the global automotive environment by capturing the responses and perceptions of direct automotive industry exporters and stakeholders for * the South African automotive industry in general, and * the companies forming part of the empirical survey. To satisfy the objectives of the study, the research methodology incorporated an extensive primary and secondary research phase (qualitative and quantitative). A structured empirical survey was used to collect the primary data. The survey data were captured and processed by the Bureau for Market Research (BMR), Unisa. The main findings of the study are that: * The promotional relevance and value of the MIDP as a promotional tool is embedded in the programme's ability to trigger interest in the South African automotive industry, to generate business and to attract investments. * The MIDP is successful in contributing to the automotive sector's international competitiveness and is therefore a very important promotional tool for convincing foreign parent companies to consider South Africa as an investment destination. * The South African automotive industry would not be able to cope with global competition without the MIDP. * Different factors impact on the business operations of the South African automotive industry in general and the specific company in particular and the factors are viewed differently by the selected groups based on their demographic details. The process of trade liberalisation is forcing many South African companies to encounter both intensified competition and new forms of competition. The South African government's target of a 6 percent economic growth rate by 2010 will largely depend on the ongoing successes achieved in priority sectors such as the domestic automotive sector. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Role-players in the South African automotive industry have responded positively to the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) policy regime. Since 1995, South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (original equipment manufacturers – OEMs) have become fully integrated into the global networks of their foreign parent companies. As South Africa‟s leading manufacturing sector, the increasing importance of the automotive sector is reflected in its exports, investments and contribution to the country‟s gross domestic product. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the MIDP on the export strategies of the South African light motor vehicle manufacturers (1995–2008). The main findings of the research are that, since 1995, the MIDP has been the primary factor impacting on the export strategies of South African OEMs. Without the programme, the industry would not have been able to cope with global competition. It is important to note that without the MIDP there would have been no significant growth in exports from South Africa. The research found that the country‟s trade arrangements with the EU and the USA have enhanced the impact of the MIDP. It was also found that, given South Africa‟s distance to foreign markets, the most important constraint when accessing these markets is the cost of logistics. In addition, the most important determinant of foreign-market pricing when setting the export price, aligned with the influence of the OEM parent companies, is costs relating to manufacturing, transportation and marketing. The role played by the MIDP in sourcing decisions is the most important factor that has contributed to an increase in light vehicle exports. Furthermore, the perceived level of influence when determining new export destinations would seem to be higher for the US-based and the Japanese-based OEMs than the European-based OEMs. The new Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP) (to be introduced in 2013), which aims to double vehicle production to 1,2 million units by 2020, will reflect a quantum leap in terms of processes, technologies and the scale on which the domestic industry currently operates. In order for the South African automotive industry to achieve both its and government‟s objectives it will require priority attention. / Business Management / D. Comm. (Business Management))

Attempts to assess psychological stress rely heavily upon subjective techniques which measure changes in perceived mental loading and situational awareness (Hart and Staveland 1988, Reid and Nygren 1988, Lemyre and Tessier 2003, 1998). Although quantitative methodologies do exist, for example monitoring changes in the cardiopulmonary system (Gelfand et al. 2004, Harada et al. 2006), such parameters are subject to influence by factors other than stress. Psychological stress is known to influence the effectiveness of the innate immune system, leading to an increased risk of infection and immune-related disease (Dhabhar et al. 1996, Boscarino et al. 1999, Altemus et al. 2006). Leukocytes, primarily neutrophils have been identified as an essential component of this mechanism - periods of increased psychological stress have been shown to stimulate neutrophils to release reactive oxygen species into surrounding healthy tissues (Mian et al. 2003). The exact biochemical pathways by which this occurs have not yet been fully elucidated. However, this mechanism has become the basis for a novel in vitro technique (McLaren et al. 2003) which has the potential and sensitivity to rapidly quantify and discriminate between changes in psychological stress, resulting from exposure to short-term low-level everyday life-stressors. Aims The overall aim of this research was to further explore the relationship between short-term psychological stress and altered immune responsiveness. Leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) is a luminol-dependent chemiluminescent technique for the assay of reactive oxygen species production in whole blood samples. The feasibility of applying this test as an objective, quantitative, diagnostic measure of altered mental workload (mental stress), in the assessment of ergonomics within automotive research and development was examined. Methods Leukocyte activity was determined from whole blood, using a luminol-dependent, in vitro, chemiluminescent technique referred to as Leukocyte Coping Capacity (LCC). 2 The technique measures reactive oxygen species production following phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulation. Subjective psychological measures, including likert scales and the NASA task load index were employed to assess perceived stress and altered mental workload. Other traditional physiological parameters including heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and core body temperature were also measured. The ability of each parameter to detect and discriminate between related short-term stressors was investigated, and results were correlated with post-test changes in leukocyte activity. To investigate the mechanism of stress induced leukocyte activation, standard ELISA was used to assess post-stressor plasma concentration changes in nine mediators including Adrenaline, Noradrenaline, Cortisol, E-Selectin, L-Selectin, Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-6, Endothelin-1, and Tumour Necrosis Factor-α. All 5 studies involved the use of mental stressors that were associated with either driving or the ergonomics of driving. Participants were moderately fit and healthy, aged between 20 and 65 years. Study one assessed the ability of the LCC technique to objectively discriminate between two closely related stressors (performing a simple manoeuvre in two different vehicles). Study two investigated leukocyte sensitivity, by testing whether a quantifiable response was elicited following exposure to a low-level stressor lasting seconds. The third study was used to explore the mechanism of leukocyte activation following short-term low-level stress. In addition to testing the viability of leukocyte responsiveness as an objective quantitative ergonomic assay for use within the motor industry, study four investigated how the magnitude of leukocyte responsiveness changed following repeated exposure to the same stressor. The final study used leukocyte reactivity to investigate how mental loading was affected during the interaction with three different motor vehicle control interfaces, whilst simultaneously maintaining lane discipline within a simulated driving environment.

The idea of quality has travelled globally for many years as a result of globalisation (Crosby, 1979; Deming, 1989). It has become a key factor of increased competition in the global economy, which led to the attempts of international companies to transfer quality to different locations and cultures in order to achieve high-quality standards globally. Car manufacture became an important field for the international knowledge transfer. A quest to achieve high quality in car manufacturing has travelled along various management tools and production models since 1911 (Tolliday, 1998) and after 1990 it also began to travel to Eastern Europe, including Poland. The concept of quality in car manufacture in Poland is a good example of an idea that was successfully translated. Due to the absence of research on this topic it was chosen as a subject for this study. Henceforth, this thesis investigated the travel of the idea of quality in the car manufacturing industry, from Western Europe to Poland. The research explored the process by which this idea was negotiated within General Motors company, in particular its two plants -Vauxhall Luton in the UK and Opel Polska in Poland. A group of 30 managers involved in the knowledge transfer between these two locations were interviewed by means of ethnographic and the Repertory Grid techniques. A combination of these two methods contributed to our knowledge about the possible methods that can assist the exploration of the organisational cultures and values embedded in them. Additionally, the application of this methodological approach gave us an insight into the Resistance to Change phenomenon and possible factors behind it. The thesis identified reverse translation as an important area for future research. Reverse translation may be equally important as the forward process (Boyer et al, 1998), and in this study we argued that the initial research, prior to reverse translation and the identification of the appropriate type of RD to be implemented, can play a crucial role in the outcome of this process.

There has never been an age in which change did not take place. However, the increase in the unpredictability of many factors of the 21st century means that organisations are susceptible to, and must embrace change. This results in an increase in the pace at which organisations may have to deal with change. This research study evaluates the interventions considered to bring about optimal change within organisations. In order to complete this study it was necessary to address the fundamentals of change management, tools utilised to manage change and the current theoretical models that assist organisations in managing change. The study took place within the Eastern Cape as it is regarded as the second fastest growing economy in South Africa. The researcher used the automotive cluster as the population for the study as it is the largest industry within the Eastern Cape. Based on the theoretical findings of a literature survey a questionnaire was developed and distributed to a randomly selected sample in the automotive cluster. The objective of the questionnaire was to evaluate the theory used and to develop a process model of change management. The results of the empirical study were statistically analysed and interpreted. Among the most important findings of the research was the fact that organisations in the Eastern Cape do not follow any specific theoretical model for managing change and very few organisations have a formal change management policy. Although the respondents to the survey acknowledged that it is imperative to engender an awareness of change management principles, especially among top management, the majority does not adhere to this principle because it is too time consuming! This research study highlights a number of areas where the management of change can be improved and presents a practical process model that can be adapted and used by the majority of organisations within the East Cape Motor Industry Cluster.

The South African Automotive industry has been one that has enjoyed the subsidies schemes like the Motor Industry Development Program (MIDP), and in the near future the Automotive Production Development Program (APDP). There are however different schools of thought when it comes to subsidies for an industry. One is that there should be no incentives when others are for the schemes, which one is best for the growing economy of a young democratic and highly unemployed nation? Looking at the next planned incentive scheme to be introduced to replace the MIDP, the APDP is it better than the MIDP? How are these schemes going to benefit the country in the future and will they exist for as long as we have the Auto industry in South Africa? The objective is to prompt those in political power and positions capable of influencing infrastructure changes to think long term when making decisions today that will affect future generations. Future generations should be able to benefit from future technologies of the day and not be hindered by the lack of improved and capable infrastructure.

Today‘s customers expect zero defects with just-in-time (JIT) delivery from their suppliers, for the specified quantities, as a matter of standard practice. More importantly, customers expect companies to help them know what they need in terms of quantities and quality now, and for the future. No other change process adds long-term value as quickly as zero defects. Companies failing to embrace this quality culture face difficult challenges. To achieve this level of performance requires tremendous focus in an organisation and throughout its supply base. Business models around the world are changing dramatically from the "Source Local" to the "Source Anywhere and Build Anywhere" model (Cummins, 2008: 19). Companies have shifted away from a hierarchical, one-dimensional, supply chain entity to a fragmented network in favor of strategic partnerships with external entities. Many businesses facing such models are experiencing challenges and, if not managed correctly, can find themselves struggling to compete in this new landscape. Thus, when price concessions are so stringent, quality has to suffer. To reduce costs, suppliers are forced to seek less expensive ways to produce parts and components. Does this mean the use of different, less expensive materials? Does this mean less skilled labor? Does this mean production shortcuts? Or does this mean that suppliers just bite the bullet and pay the price? Once all the costs have been extracted from the supply chain, the only thing left to suffer is quality. The underlying objective of this research is to investigate the impact of delivery performance for a selected part at General Motors South Africa. In order to develop a research strategy to deal with, and solve, the main problem, the following research questions have been identified: a) What can be learned from literature about the impact of quality costs? b) Why is this specific part a suitable candidate for a cost investigation? c) What are the processes involved if a defect occurs? d) How can the cost be estimated? e) What effect does poor supplier quality have on productivity? This dissertation aims to investigate the problems and challenges General Motors South Africa are facing pertaining to the delivery performance of a selected part. The dissertation will also strive to highlight the impact of poor supplier quality on productivity and the related cost implications. Conclusions and recommendations will furthermore be outlined.

The recent surge in foreign capital inflows into developing countries has generated interest among researchers wanting to analyse the major determinants of Foreign Direct Investments in the motor industry (FDIsm). This dissertation investigates the determinants of FDI in the motor industry in South Africa. The underpinning theoretical literature in this study is the Micro-level theory of FDI and the Eclectic theory as well as empirical literature from several authors. The study used quarterly time series data, which covers the period 1994q1- 2008q4. FDIs are modeled as the function of economic growth, interest rates, exchange rate, education and the openness of the country. The variables in the model are tested for stationarity. Cointegration analysis was also used to test for long run relationships between the variables. The trace and the maximum eigenvalue tests suggest that there are at least two cointegration relationships, an error correction modelling technique is used to establish the determinants of foreign direct investment. The error correction model was estimated which provided both long run and short run parameter estimates. The results show that economic growth, education and the openness of the country are positively related to foreign direct investment in the motor industry. Interest rates and exchange rates negatively affect foreign direct investment in the motor industry in South Africa. The results of this study are also supported by the impulse response and variance decomposition tests. The policy recommendation that emanate from this study is that efforts should be made to boost the level of economic growth in order to enhance and attract more foreign investors. It is therefore important for the government to purse policies that will encourage economic growth.

The present study investigated the attitudes of middle managers towards organisational change within the automotive industry in South Africa. As a result of global recession, the automotive industry has been going through a series of changes but at a very slower pace. An empirical investigation was undertaken using a sample of seventy two (72) middle managers drawn using the cluster sampling technique. An organisational change attitude questionnaire adjusted to suit the automotive industry environment was employed to collect data. The findings of the study indicated that middle managers have positive attitudes towards technological change (59%), Innovative Change (84%) and Total Quality Management (65%) However, middle managers indicated that they have negative attitudes towards re-organisation. There was moderate significant relationship between factors influencing attitudes (administration, participation, communication and the threats and benefits) and the attitudes portrayed. Factors such as administration of the change process, threats and benefits of the outcomes as well as opportunity for personal growth were found to be highly influential to middle managers attitudes towards change. In all cases, demographic variables such as gender, age and experience played a significant role in the views of middle managers towards organisational change. Key words: Attitudes, organisational change, middle managers, factors influencing attitudes and automotive industry.