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The impact of e-mail utilisation on management effectiveness at Sishen iron ore mine

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Management make use of e-mail as a tool to enable them to do their daily tasks. E-mail is used as one of the best communication channels by management. Sishen Mine also makes use of e-mail as communication channel. The question however is whether e-mail has a positive or negative impact on management effectiveness. The history of e-mail as well as the reasons for e-mail use have been investigated. The different areas of use of email were discussed. Additional to this, the positive effects experienced by the individual as well as companies when using e-mail were highlighted and discussed. Unfortunately e-mail also has negative influences on the individual and the company and these were also highlighted and discussed. Data was obtained from the Sishen e-mail application in order to analyse the use of e-mail by the employees. The key insight from the e-mail application data was that a small group of employees send and receive the majority of e-mail at Sishen. A survey was sent out to all e-mail users at Sishen in order to determine the influence of e-mail on management effectiveness. The survey data enabled a detailed geographic analysis of the e-mail users at Sishen per department, gender, race, age and years of service as well as the details of the respondents. Analysis of the survey data revealed that e-mail has a positive impact on management effectiveness and that Sishen uses e-mail extensively. However, the data also revealed that e-mail impacts negatively on management effectiveness. The key insight from the survey was the extreme low levels of computer and e-mail training done by management. The lack of sufficient e-mail training was seen as one of the major contributing factors of high levels of frustration with e-mail experienced by management. Recommendations were made to Sishen as a result of the study to enable improvement of management effectiveness through the use of e-mail. Implementation of key recommendations with potential key positive impact was also highlighted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bestuur gebruik e-pos as 'n gereedskapstuk om uitvoering aan hul take te gee deur middel van die kommunikasiekanaal wat e-pos bied. E-pos leen hom daarna om 'n uitstekende kanaal te wees vir kommunikasie. Sishen Myn gebnuik ook e-pos as 'n kommunikasiekanaal. Die vraag is of die kommunikasiekanaal 'n goeie of slegte invloed het op bestuurseffektiwiteit van die bestuur van die myn. Die geskiedenis van e-pos en die redes vir die gebruik van e-pos is ondersoek. Die verskillende gebruike asook die waarde van e-pos vir die individu en maatskappye is uitgelig. E-pos het ongelukkig ook nadele vir die individu en maatskappye en hierdie nadele is uitgewys en bespreek. Na die toepaslike literatuurstudie is inligting vanaf die e-pos databasis onttrek om die e-pos gebruik van Sishen werknemers te evalueer. Die belangrikste insig vanuit die databasis-ontleding het daarop gedui dat 'n klein hoeveelheid mense die grootste hoeveelheid e-posse binne Sishen stuur en ontvang. 'n Vraelys is tydens 'n meningsopname aan alle e-pos gebruikers binne Sishen uitgestuur om die invloed van e-pos op bestuurseffektiwiteit te bepaal. Vanuit die analise van die vraelys inligting was dit moontlik om geografiese samestelling van die e-pos gebruikers te bepaal. Dit was moontlik om te sien hoeveel werknemers per afdeling, geslag, ras, ouderdom en jare diens e-pos gebruikers is, asook om die besonderhede van die gebruikers vas te stel. Verdere analise van die vraelysinligting het aangedui dat e-pos 'n positiewe uitwerking op bestuurseffektiwiteit het en dat werknemers dit goed gebruik. Ongelukkig het dit ook na vore gekom dat daar genoegsame bewyse is dat daar ook negatiewe invloed op bestuurseffektiwiteit is. Die mees insiggewende was die besonder lae vlakke van rekenaar en e-pos opleiding wat bestuur deurloop het. Dit word gesien as een van die grootste bydraende faktore tot die hoe vlakke van frustrasie wat ervaar word deur bestuur. Vanuit die bevindinge van die vraelys is daar aanbevelings aan Sishen gemaak om sodoende te help om die bestuurseffektiwiteit te bevorder deur die gebruik van e-pos. Die potensiele voordele wat verkry kan word wanneer die aanbevelings implementeer word, is ook aangedui.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5751
Date03 1900
CreatorsLe Grange, Andries
ContributorsButler, Martin, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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