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Filling critical skills gaps in South Africa : assessment of Old Mutual's Ilima trust as a CSR case study

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is taking on a developmental stance in Third-World
Countries. Old Mutual, through its partnership with the South African govemment, set up a
trust to assist govemment in skills development at local, provincial and national level and
small enterprises. Old Mutual's retired senior employees were taken on as consultants in
Project iLima to share their experience and expertise with government employees.
Literature on mentoring is reviewed, covering the definitions of mentoring, the different
phases of mentoring and the competencies required for each phase for the mentor and
mentee. Finally the benefits of mentoring are addressed.
The method used to uncover the business system involved primary research and a
synthesis process. Interviews were held with two iLima consultants, after which
questionnaires were used to gather qualitative feedback from the iLima consultants and
their clients. The feedback was synthesized until business objectives and activities were
identified.
The study project sheds light on iLima's business system. This is done through a method
of synthesis, which seeks to get to the underlying meaning of the responses. Eight key
business objectives are identified. These can be achieved through managing twenty-one
business activities. The business model provides a compass or map from which business
solutions can be aligned to business opportunities and problems. The model is a one-page
representation of the entire business system that Project iLima ought to put under strong
management, in the writer's view.
The iLima business model may be summed up as follows: "Through the attractiveness of
the iLima purpose and culture, a strong client engagement model and successful project
delivery, Project iLima can build a strong ccnsulting brand and adopt a viable business
strategy beyond its four year funding limit."
The contribution this thesis makes to the business-modeling domain is to use a noncollaborative
method to generate a systemic business model. The thesis demonstrates a
simple synthesis process to generate the business model provided there is access to a
sufficiently broad-based, but not necessarily deep, knowledge repository.
Recommendations were made as to how Project iLima's management can introduce the
business model as a management tool. It is recommended that a further study be done to
test the acceptability and adoption of the model.
In addition to the presentation of the iLima business model, CSR trends locally were
explored. It appears from the trends covered that targeted skills development is still a fairly
new phenomenon in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Korporatiewe Sosiale Verantwoordelikheid is aan die ontwikkel in Derdewereld lande. Ou
Mutual het 'n trust in vennootskap met die regering gestig om die regering te help met die
ontwikkeling van vaardighede op 'n lokale, provinsiale en nasionale vlak. Afgetrede senior
werknemers van Ou Mutual is as konsultante aan boord gebring by die iLima Trust om hul
ondervinding en kennis met regeringsamptenare te deel.
Hierdie studie bespreek die besigheidsmodel van iLima. Die model identifiseer agt sleutel
besigheidsdoelstellings wat bereik moet word deur die bestuur van een-en-twintig
besigheidsaktiwiteite. Dit verskaf ook 'n kompas of riglyn waardeur besigheidsoplossings
in lyn gebring kan word met besigheids-geleenthede of bedreigings. Die model is 'n
voorstelling op een bladsy, van die hele besigheidstelsel wat iLima Trust onder effektiewe
bestuur moet plaas.
Die iLima se besigheidsverhaal kan as volg opgesom word: "Deur die aantreklikheid van
die iLima doel en kultuur, 'n sterk kliente-verhoudingsmodel en suksesvolle projeklewering,
hoop iLima Trust om 'n sterk konsultasie handelsmerk te bou en om 'n
lewensvatbare besigheidstrategie te implementeer wat sal voortbestaan na die einde van
die vier jaar van befondsing".
Die metode waardeur die besigheidstelsel ondersoek is, het primere navorsing en 'n
proses van sintese behels. Onderhoude is gevoer met twee iLima konsultante, waarna
vraelyste gebruik is om kwalitatiewe terugvoering van die iLima konsultante en hul kliente
te verkry. Die terugvoering is deur 'n proses van sintese geneem om besigheidsdoelstellings
en aktiwiteite te identifiseer.
Die bydrae van hierdie tesis tot besigheidsmodelering is om op 'n nie-kollaboratiewe wyse
'n sistemiese besigheidsmodel te genereer. Die tesis demonstreer 'n eenvoudige
sinteseproses om die besigheidsmodel te genereer, gegewe toegang tot 'n wye, maar nie
noodwendig diep, versameling van inligting.
Aanbevelings is gemaak waardeur iLima se bestuur die besigheidsmodel kan bekendstel
as 'n bestuurstegniek. Daar word ook aanbeveel dat 'n verdere studie onderneem word om
die aanvaarbaarheid en aanneming van die model te toets.
Bykomend tot die bespreking van die iLima se besigheidsmodel, is 'n ondersoek en
bespreking van Korporatiewe Sosiale Verantwoordelikheids-tendense op 'n nasionale en
internasionale vlak. Geteikende vaardigheidsontwikkeling is in die verband nog steeds 'n
redelik nuwe verskynsel in Suid Afrika.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/6412
Date12 1900
CreatorsMbewe, Sibonokuhle
ContributorsThomas, Wolfgang, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsStellenbosch University

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