Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Continuous change has become one of the major characteristics of the South African
manufacturing environment. Such an unstable dynamic environment, where
continuous change is a normal occurrence, necessitates an appropriate response in
order to regain or sustain competitive advantage. The environment is changing so
fast that most small and medium manufacturing enterprises barely have the ability to
survive the day-to-day challenges, without even seeing or thinking about the real
challenges of surviving in the future, and more importantly, not only surviving, but
actually prospering through these new challenges.
The conventional approaches of strategic management do not satisfy the fast
decision making requirements of today's organisations. The development of the
different schools of strategic planning clearly shows how the strategic management
process has developed with the changing times. One of the enduring problems
facing the field of strategic management is the lack of theoretical tools available to
describe and predict the behaviour of firms and industries. The fundamental
problem is that industries evolve in a dynamic way over time as a result of complex
interactions among firms, government, labour, financial institutions and other
elements of the environment. These interactions are strategic in the sense that
decisions by one party take into account anticipated reactions by others, and thus
reflect recognition of interdependence.
Existing models tend to assume relatively simple linear relationships without
feedback. Chaos theory, which is the study of non-linear dynamic systems,
promises to be a useful conceptual framework that reconciles the essential
unpredictability of industries with the emergence of distinctive patterns. To
understand the relevance of chaos theory to strategy, industries need to be
conceptualised as complex, dynamic, non-linear systems.
A basic strategic planning model was developed, incorporating some aspects of
chaos theory, containing the following basic elements: vision, environmental
scanning, strategic objectives, measurements, strategies and performance
evaluation. The final aspects covered are some aspects of strategy implementation,
concluding with some final notes confirming that one of the main reasons for strategic
assessment of the organisation's situation is to exploit possible advantages from
external, discontinuous changes and so gain first mover advantages by surprising the
'enemy'. To cope with chaos, a quickly responsive, organic corporation needs to be
crafted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die hoofkenmerke van die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse vervaardigingsomgewing
is voortdurende verandering. Ten einde 'n mededingende voordeel in hierdie
veranderende, dinamiese milieu te verkry en te behou, verg besondere vaardighede
en innoverende tegnieke. Die meeste klein- en mediumgroot-ondernemings bevind
hulself midde-in hierdie vinnig veranderende omgewing, waar hulle nie net daagliks
moet oorleef nie, maar ook die uitdaging van langtermyn oorlewing die hoof moet
bied. Ongelukkig vorm langtermynoorlewing en groei dikwels nie deel van meeste
ondernemings se beplanning nie.
Konvensionele benaderings tot strategiese beplanning kan nie meer die moderne
onderneming se behoefte aan vinnige besluitneming bevredig nie. Die ontwikkeling
van die verskillende denkskole oor strategiese beplanning toon ook 'n duidelike
beweging in die rigting van sneller verandering in strategiese bestuur. Een van die
probleme ten opsigte van strategiese bestuur, is die gebrek aan teoretiese modelle
om die gedrag van ondernemings te beskryf en te voorspel. Die onderliggende
probleem is egter dat ondernemings oor 'n lang tydperk groei en ontwikkel as deel
van 'n komplekse interaksie met ander ondernemings, asook met die regering,
arbeid, kapitaal en ander elemente binne die bedryf. Sodanige interaksie is van
strategiese belang, aangesien 'n spesifieke rolspeler telkens antisipeer watter impak
elke besluit wat geneem word, op die res van die omgewing gaan hê.
Bestaande teoretiese modelle impliseer relatief eenvoudige, lineêre verwantskappe
wat geen terugvoer bied nie. Daarteenoor skep die sogenaamde chaosteorie, dit wil
sê die studie van dinamiese, nie-lineêre stelsels, 'n konseptuele raamwerk met
bepaalde patrone waarmee die onvoorspelbaarheid van ondernemings verklaar en
beskryf kan word. Die relevansie van die chaosteorie vir strategiese beplanning en
bestuur kan egter slegs begryp word indien ondernemings as komplekse, dinamiese,
nie-lineêre stelsels beskou word.
In hierdie studie is 'n basiese strategiese beplanningsmodel ontwikkel. Belangrike
aspekte wat gedek is, is einddoel, omgewingstudie, strategiese doelwitte, meting,
strategieë en prestasie-evaluering. Daar word ook kortliks gekyk na moontlike
probleme om dié model te implementeer, met verwysings na die impak van
chaosteorie op die tradisionele beplannings- en implementerings-modelle. Ter
afsluiting word daar klem gelê op die geleenthede wat deur die snelveranderende
omgewing geskep word, en die noodsaaklikheid daarvan dat 'n onderneming gereed
moet wees om binne hierdie omgewing vinnig en effektief op te tree. Die kern van
enige onderneming se sukses lê in sy vermoë om verandering raak te sien,
geleenthede te identifiseer en onmiddellik daarop te reageer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51957 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | De Beer, A. J. |
| Contributors | Burger, J., 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 | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 155 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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