Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Now more than ever, organisations need to be resilient and sustainable. The world of business has
changed irrevocably since the industrial age and organisational strategies have not adapted much in
response to this environmental change. Are there new organisational strategies suited to this
changed environment, with characteristics contributing to sustainable futures?
The purpose of the paper is to highlight those principles and characteristics that could be linked to
the creation of sustainable and resilient organisations. A brief review of the literature available on
emergent organisational strategies and complex systems provides context to the paper. A number of
specific organisational strategies are identified, while characteristics pointing to the sustainability of
theses strategies in a complex environment are investigated.
With the literature study a starting point, the paper then offers a detailed case study of an
organisation which consciously uses a number of principles to support sustainable innovation. The
principles and practices used by Kessels & Smit – The Learning Company, emerge as patterns from
the data analysis. With these findings and the literature study as a foundation, a number of
principles are proposed as recommendations for designing organisational strategies aimed at
sustainable futures within organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nou meer as ooit, is daar ‘n behoefte aan organisasies wat volhoubaar en soepel is. Sedert die
industriele revolusie het die wereld van besigheid onherroeplik verander. Strategiee in organisasies
het skaars tred gehou met die veranderinge in die omgewing. Is daar nuwe organisasie strategiee
wat meer geskik is vir ‘n veranderde en komplekse omgewing, met karaktertrekke wat kan bydrae
tot volhoubare toekoms vir organisasies?
Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om beginsels en karaktertrekke van organisatoriese strategiee,
wat spesifiek in verband gebring kan word met die skepping van volhoubare organisasies, te
identifiseer en ondersoek. 'n Kort oorsig van beskikbare literatuur aangaande komplekse sisteme en
organisasie strategiee word gebruik om die vraag in konteks te plaas. Ondersoek word ingestel na 'n
aantal spesifieke organisatoriese strategiee, met karaktertrekke wat aanduidings gee van
volhoubaarheid in komplekse omgewings.
Met die literatuurstudie as 'n begin punt, volg 'n in-diepte gevallestudie van 'n organisasie wat 'n
aantal beginsels heel bewustelik gebruik om volhoubare verandering en innovasie te bevorder. Die
beginsels en gebuike van Kessels & Smit - 'The Learning Company' word bespreek aan die hand
van patrone in die data analise. Met hierdie bevindinge en die literatuur studie as 'n fondament,
word 'n aantal beginsels vir die ontwerp van organisatoriese strategiee wat gemik is op volhoubare
toekomste as aanbevelings voorgestel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17473 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van der Merwe, Andrea |
| Contributors | Roux, A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and 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 |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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