Dissertation (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: At the beginning of the 1990s, the South African textile industry faced many
challenges, including the dismantling of protective barriers, requiring firms to
adapt to increased foreign competition in the local and global markets. Many
opted for investment in new technology. This study set out to analyse the
behaviour of South African textile firms in the process of introducing new
technology in pursuit of competitiveness.
The analysis was conducted following the evolutionary approach in economics
(discussedin Chapter 2). This approach incorporates time, pays attention to the
deliberate actions of firms to shape their environment, as well as persistent
diversity amongst firms.
This study asked two broad questions. First, what were the major trends in
textiles regarding technology, demand-side factors, the trade regime, etc.?
(Chapter3). Chapter 3 sets the scene for the rest of the study in that it
illustrates how the competitive environment of textile firms has changed and
argues that the aggregate picture is often not a true reflection of the dynamics
of the industry, thus paving the way for micro-level analysis of firms and
institutions. Secondly, what were the subsequent responsesby textile firms and
institutions to these changes?This question is investigated for the global textile
industry (Chapter 3), the South African, Italian and Mauritian textile industries
(Chapters 4 and 5), and for specific firms in the South African textile industry
(Chapters 6 and 7).
Institutions play an important role in shaping the development of industries, just
as firms in an industry may influence institutions. The role of institutions in the
South African textile industry is considered in Chapter 5, which serves as
background to Chapter 6, where we enquire about the significance of these
institutions from the firms' perspective. The central focus of Chapter 6,
however, is on the processof acquisition and implementation of new technology
in South African textile firms. The implications of this process for other
strategies, organisational processes, competencies, and routines are also analysed. Basedon the outcome of the firm-level analysis, three categories of
firms are distinguished, namely leading firms, moderate adapters, and laggards.
Using the characteristics of the firms in each category, we select three firms to
pursue further in case studies. Chapter 7 presents the results of these case
studies. Although the main focus of our study is on the implementation of new
technology, we want to illustrate in this chapter how the successof this process
critically depends on factors such as an appropriate organisational structure, the
competencies of management and labour, as well as the institutions in the
industry. We further highlight the important role that individuals, such as
entrepreneurs, play in shaping the paths of firms, their relationships with
institutions, suppliers, and customers, and even the structure of the industry.
We conclude that investing in new technology is a necessary but not sufficient
strategy for successful rejuvenation of firms in a mature industry.
Complementary changes, such as in organisational structure, use of human
resources, and supply-chain relations, are of crucial importance, too (Chapter
8). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Aan die begin van die 1990s het die Suid-Afrikaanse tekstielbedryf menige
uitdagings (soos die aftakeling van beskermingsmaatreëls) in die gesig gestaar,
wat hulle gedwing het om meer doeltreffend in die plaaslike en globale markte
te word. Hierdie studie ontleed die gedrag van ondernemings in die
tekstielbedryf in die proses van verkryging en implementering van nuwe
tegnologie ten einde mededingingendheid te bevorder.
Die studie volg die evolusionêre benadering, wat tyd inbou en aandag skenk aan
doelbewuste aksies deur maatskappye om hulle omgewing te beïnvloed, asook
volgehoue diversiteit tussen maatskappye (Hoofstuk 2).
Die studie het twee breë vrae gestel. Eerstens, is daar gekyk na die belangrikste
tendense t.O.V. tegnologiese veranderinge, vraagkantfaktore, handelsregulasies,
ensovoorts, in die tekstielbedryf (Hoofstuk 3). Hoofstuk 3 skets die struktuur vir
die res van die studie deur die veranderinge in die omgewing waarbinne
tekstielmaatskappye meeding uit te lig, maar ook deur aan te toon dat die
globale prentjie nie altyd 'n ware refleksie van die dinamiek van 'n nywerheid is
nie, omdat soveel diversiteit daardeur verbloem kan word. Hierdie argument is
dus ten gunste van verdere mikrovlak analise van ondernemings en instellings.
Tweedens word gevra watter reaksies op hierdie veranderinge daar van
ondernemings en instellings se kant af was. Hierdie vraag word ondersoek vir die
globale tekstielbedryf (Hoofstuk 3), die Suid-Afrikaanse en Italiaanse
tekstielbedrywe, asook die bedryf in Mauritius (Hoofstuk 4 en 5). Verder word
die vraag vir spesifieke Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings in Hoofstukke 6 en 7
bestudeer.
Instellings speel 'n belangrike rol in die ontwikkeling van nywerhede, net soos
ondernemings in nywerhede ook instellings kan beïnvloed. Die rol van instellings
in die Suid-Afrikaanse tekstielbedryf word in Hoofstuk 5 behandel, deels as
agtergrond vir Hoofstuk 6 waar die belangrikheid van instellings uit die
ondernemings se oogpunt van naderby beskou word. Die hooffokus van Hoofstuk
6 is egter die verkryging en implementering van nuwe tegnologie in Suid-Afrikaanse tekstielmaatskappye. Die implikasies wat hierdie proses vir ander
strategieë, organisatoriese prosesse, vaardighede en roetines van die
ondernemings inhou, word ook bestudeer. Voortvloeiend uit die
ondernemingsvlakanalise, word drie kategorieë van ondernemings onderskei,
naamlik leiers, middelmatige aanpassers en sloerders. Op grond van die
kenmerke van die ondernemings in elkeen van die kategorieë is drie
maatskappye vir verdere ontleding in gevallestudies gekies (Hoofstuk 7).
Alhoewel die hooffokus van die studie die implementering van nuwe tegnologie
is, illustreer ons ook in Hoofstuk 7 dat die proses sterk beïnvloed word deur
faktore soos die organisatoriese struktuur, die vaardighede van die bestuur en
werkers, sowel as die instellings in die industrie. Ons beklemtoon verder die
belangrike rol wat individue, soos entrepreneurs, speel t.O.V. die
ontwikkelingstrajek van ondernemings, sowel as die verwantskappe wat
ondernemings met verskaffers, instellings en klante opbou. Aksies deur individue
beïnvloed in die finale instansie ook die struktuur van die industrie.
Ons gevolgtrekking is dat investering in nuwe tegnologie 'n noodsaaklike maar
nie voldoende strategie vir die suksesvolle vernuwing van ondernemings in 'n
volwasse nywerheid is nie. Komplementêre veranderinge, byvoorbeeld in die
organisatoriese struktuur, die benutting van arbeid, en verhoudings in die
verskaffingsnetwerk, is ook van kernbelang.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53654 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Jafta, Rachel Catharina Cornelia |
| Contributors | Malerba, F., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 296 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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