Thesis(MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The determination of what the concept ‘sustainable competitive advantage’ means within a
service environment and the consequent establishment of key resources within Pam Golding
Properties and the role that leadership and the creation of a learning organisation play, formed
the core of this study. The case study was therefore undertaken to glean relevant information
from reality in order to determine which resources that can be described as intangible assets
and competences contribute in a sustainable manner to the organisation’s competitive
advantage in a dynamic and changing business environment.
Existing and historical resources including leadership and learning within the organisation
were identified by means of semi-structured interviews with a range of company executives.
These resources were then assessed by means of questionnaires that were distributed to a wide
range of stakeholders within the organisation in terms of value for the client, sustainability
and transferability. These outcomes, in turn, provided the basis for conclusions and
recommendations for future utility in order to maintain competitive advantage that would
ultimately lead to sustained superior performance on all fronts.
The findings that were made, culminated in a visual representation of leadership and
organisational learning that form the core of the organisation and simultaneously illustrating
their interdependence with the other key resources, namely organisational culture, the Pam
Golding Properties brand, reputation, teamwork, relationships, systems and procedures,
managers and agents. These resources form the essence of the organisation.
The organisational culture within Pam Golding Properties that is representative of the core
values of integrity, honesty, sincerity and service delivery was found to be the overall
resource that provides the organisation with sustainable competitive advantage. This was
closely followed by the value of the brand and reputation, teamwork and inter-personal
relationships, the utilisation of efficient systems and procedures and the recruitment and
retention of competent managers and agents. Organisational leadership was found to instil confidence in the organisation. A common,
shared vision that is understood and underwritten by all employees is however lacking and
change needs to be managed in such a way that the organisation’s core ideology is not
compromised, but an envisioned future should be communicated throughout. The brand
carries out the promise of the culture and core values, but can be tarnished if the reputation for
service excellence is not upheld and it can lose credibility if expectations are not met. The
brand thus needs protection from within and this can only happen if the people in the
organisation share in the process of and toward an envisioned future.
It was established that meaningful change presupposes continual improvement in a dynamic,
yet sustainable organisation. It was therefore also recommended that a concerted effort be
made to actively promote and strive towards the company becoming a true learning
organisation in order to sustain its culture, brand, reputation and other intangible assets and
competences.
In the event that these and other recommendations in terms of resources are seriously
considered and strived for by company leaders, this organisation should be an example to the
rest of the world regarding sustainable competitive advantage. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bepaling van wat die konsep ‘volhoubare mededingende voordeel’ beteken binne ‘n
diensomgewing en die daaropvolgende vasstelling van sleutelhulpbronne binne Pam Golding
Eiendomme en die rol wat leierskap en die skep van ‘n leerorganisasie speel, het die kern van
hierdie studie gevorm. Die gevallestudie is dus onderneem om toepaslike inligting vanuit
realiteit te werf, om sodoende vas te stel watter hulpbronne wat as ontasbare bates en
bevoegdhede beskryf kan word, op ‘n volhoubare wyse tot die organisasie se mededingende
voordeel bydra in ‘n dinamiese en veranderende sake-omgewing.
Bestaande en historiese hulpbronne insluitend leierskap en leer binne die organisasie is
geïdentifiseer by wyse van semi-gestruktueerde onderhoude wat met ‘n aantal uitvoerende
lede van die maatskappy gevoer is. Hierdie hulpbronne is daarna deur middel van vraelyste
wat aan ‘n breë reeks insethouers binne die organisasie versprei is, geëvalueer in terme van
waarde vir die kliënt, volhoubaarheid en oordraagbaarheid. Hierdie uitkomste het weer die
basis verskaf vir afleidings en voorstelle wat gemaak is ten opsigte van toekomsbruikbaarheid
om mededingende voordeel te behou wat uiteindelik tot volhoubare superieure verrigting op
alle fronte sal lei.
Die bevindings wat gemaak is, het in ‘n visuele voorstelling van leierskap en organisasieleer
gekulmineer, wat die kern van die organisasie uitmaak en tegelykertyd hul interafhanklikheid
illustreer ten opsigte van die ander sleutelhulpbronne, naamlik organisasie-kultuur, die Pam
Golding Eiendomme handelsnaam, reputasie, spanwerk, verhoudings, stelsels en prosedures,
bestuurders an agente. Hierdie hulpbronne maak die essensie van die organisasie uit.
Die organisasie-kultuur binne Pam Golding Eiendomme wat verteenwoordigend is van die
kernwaardes van integriteit, eerlikheid, opregtheid en dienslewering het as die oorhoofse
hulpbron uitgestaan wat die organisasie van volhoubare mededingende voordeel verseker. Dis
gevolg deur die waarde van die handelsnaam en reputasie, spanwerk en inter-persoonlike
verhoudings, die benutting van doeltreffende stelsels en prosedures en die werwing en
retensie van bekwame bestuurders en agente. Daar is bevind dat organisasie-leierskap vertroue in die organisasie skep. ‘n Gemeenskaplike,
gedeelde visie wat deur al die werknemers verstaan en onderskryf word, kom egter kort en
verandering behoort op só ‘n wyse bestuur te word, dat die organisasie se kern-ideologie nie
onder verdenking gebring word nie, maar ‘n gevisioneerde toekoms behoort deurgaans
gekommunikeer te word. Die handelsnaam dra die belofte van die kultuur en kernwaardes uit,
maar kan skade opdoen as die reputasie vir diensuitnemendheid nie onderhou word nie en dan
kan geloofwaardigheid ingeboet word indien daar nie aan verwagtinge voldoen word nie. Die
handelsnaam moet dus van binne uit beskerm word en dit kan slegs gebeur indien die mense
in die organisasie aan die proses van ‘n gevisioneerde toekoms deelneem.
Dit is bevind dat betekenisvolle verandering aaneenlopende verbetering in ‘n dinamiese, dog
volhoubare organisasie veronderstel. Daar is dus ook voorgestel dat ‘n doelbewuste poging
aangewend word dat die wording van ‘n ware leerorganisasie aktief gepromoveer en
nagestreef behoort te word om sodoende die kultuur, handelsnaam, reputasie en ander
ontasbare bates en bevoegdhede vol te kan hou.
Indien hierdie en ander voorstelle ten opsigte van hulpbronne ernstig deur die maatskappy se
leiers bedink en nagestreef word, behoort hierdie organisasie vir die res van die wêreld ‘n
voorbeeld van volhoubare mededingende voordeel te wees.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19882 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Snyman, Pamela Beatrice |
| Contributors | Kapp, C.A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 150 leaves : ill |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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