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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49710 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Niekerk, Gerhard Henri |
| Contributors | Loubser, S. S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 105 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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