Improving customer retention at a selected medical fund through internal service quality and customer relationship management
- Authors: Xaluva, Bongiwe Lumka
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Customer relations -- Management , Customer services , Consumer satisfaction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8638 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008118 , Customer relations -- Management , Customer services , Consumer satisfaction
- Description: In today’s competitive arena, organisations need strategically to shift their focus from primarily concentrating on new customer acquisitions and rather to realise the importance of improving customer defections, thus looking at strategically retaining the existing customer base. Customer retention to all intents and purposes reflects the core of any service offering organisation and drives the competitiveness and viability of the business. Customer retention is a concern for all sector organisations including the medical aid schemes industry. It has been proven that retaining customers is less costly than attracting new ones and through a satisfied customer a business can elevate its competitiveness in the market. The significance of the study hinges on the importance of each business having comprehensive knowledge of why customers remain loyal patrons or why they choose to defect. It is important to note that the financial resources and time the business expends on improving service to the customer become futile if not matched by the high performance of the internal business units’ strategies. Having an understanding of customer movement will assist the organisation in properly addressing such issues and employing strategic processes that will enable the business to improve its retention strategies and curb defections. The primary objective of the current study was to investigate the impact internal service quality and customer relationship management have on customer retention. The study employed the SERVQUAL model as a measuring tool in establishing the relationship. The study investigated how customer retention (the dependent variable) is influenced by the different elements of internal service quality, namely assurance, empathy, service reliability, responsiveness, tangibles and elationship management, which represented the independent variables. The sample comprised eighty-one (81) out of a possible 130 AA Medical Scheme participants through the organisation’s four national offices. The empirical results showed that of all the variables relationship management, responsiveness and the tangibles have a positive impact on customer retention in medical aid schemes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Xaluva, Bongiwe Lumka
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Customer relations -- Management , Customer services , Consumer satisfaction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8638 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008118 , Customer relations -- Management , Customer services , Consumer satisfaction
- Description: In today’s competitive arena, organisations need strategically to shift their focus from primarily concentrating on new customer acquisitions and rather to realise the importance of improving customer defections, thus looking at strategically retaining the existing customer base. Customer retention to all intents and purposes reflects the core of any service offering organisation and drives the competitiveness and viability of the business. Customer retention is a concern for all sector organisations including the medical aid schemes industry. It has been proven that retaining customers is less costly than attracting new ones and through a satisfied customer a business can elevate its competitiveness in the market. The significance of the study hinges on the importance of each business having comprehensive knowledge of why customers remain loyal patrons or why they choose to defect. It is important to note that the financial resources and time the business expends on improving service to the customer become futile if not matched by the high performance of the internal business units’ strategies. Having an understanding of customer movement will assist the organisation in properly addressing such issues and employing strategic processes that will enable the business to improve its retention strategies and curb defections. The primary objective of the current study was to investigate the impact internal service quality and customer relationship management have on customer retention. The study employed the SERVQUAL model as a measuring tool in establishing the relationship. The study investigated how customer retention (the dependent variable) is influenced by the different elements of internal service quality, namely assurance, empathy, service reliability, responsiveness, tangibles and elationship management, which represented the independent variables. The sample comprised eighty-one (81) out of a possible 130 AA Medical Scheme participants through the organisation’s four national offices. The empirical results showed that of all the variables relationship management, responsiveness and the tangibles have a positive impact on customer retention in medical aid schemes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Improving employee job performance in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM)
- Authors: Maqungo, Thandeka Abigail
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Employee motivation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance standards
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8805 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1017533
- Description: The South African national government has bestowed certain authority on local governments in order for community services to be delivered by officials who are closer to the community and who will consider community needs. Post-apartheid South Africa is confronted with a major challenge in ensuring that municipalities deliver optimal and professional services to ratepayers of all ethnic and diverse cultures. Municipalities have important objectives to implement, while service delivery is one of its major goals. The ratepayers in the NMBM have complained and protested against poor service delivery that resulted from poor job performance by NMBM employees. It is therefore necessary to investigate the obstacles that are hindering the NMBM employees in exhibiting effective and satisfactory job performance in order to deliver the required services to the customers. The primary objective of the study is improving employee job performance in the NMBM by investigating the factors that influence such performance. More specifically, the study investigates the influence of job involvement, team work, organisational communication, skills development and training, recognition and pay and rewards on the job performance of NMBM employees. Convenience sampling was used to select a sample of 250 respondents from the large population of about 2 000 NMBM employees. The sample was stratified to include all occupational levels including the executive mayor, portfolio councillors, executive directors, and financial officers, operating officers, chiefs of staff, directors, assistant directors, senior managers, professionals and blue collar staff. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed, but only 200 usable questionnaires were returned, producing a response rate of 80 percent. The empirical results showed that recognition systems, job prestige, skills recognition, and skills development and training were significantly related to the job performance of the NMBM employees. Job involvement, fringe benefits, pay and rewards, teamwork and organisational communication were not significant related to the job performance of the NMBM employees. The study provides managerial and future research recommendations in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Maqungo, Thandeka Abigail
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Employee motivation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Performance standards
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8805 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1017533
- Description: The South African national government has bestowed certain authority on local governments in order for community services to be delivered by officials who are closer to the community and who will consider community needs. Post-apartheid South Africa is confronted with a major challenge in ensuring that municipalities deliver optimal and professional services to ratepayers of all ethnic and diverse cultures. Municipalities have important objectives to implement, while service delivery is one of its major goals. The ratepayers in the NMBM have complained and protested against poor service delivery that resulted from poor job performance by NMBM employees. It is therefore necessary to investigate the obstacles that are hindering the NMBM employees in exhibiting effective and satisfactory job performance in order to deliver the required services to the customers. The primary objective of the study is improving employee job performance in the NMBM by investigating the factors that influence such performance. More specifically, the study investigates the influence of job involvement, team work, organisational communication, skills development and training, recognition and pay and rewards on the job performance of NMBM employees. Convenience sampling was used to select a sample of 250 respondents from the large population of about 2 000 NMBM employees. The sample was stratified to include all occupational levels including the executive mayor, portfolio councillors, executive directors, and financial officers, operating officers, chiefs of staff, directors, assistant directors, senior managers, professionals and blue collar staff. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed, but only 200 usable questionnaires were returned, producing a response rate of 80 percent. The empirical results showed that recognition systems, job prestige, skills recognition, and skills development and training were significantly related to the job performance of the NMBM employees. Job involvement, fringe benefits, pay and rewards, teamwork and organisational communication were not significant related to the job performance of the NMBM employees. The study provides managerial and future research recommendations in this regard.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Improving service quality and operations at a South African private healthcare clinic through the implimentation of lean principles
- Authors: Theunissen, Dirkie Petra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Hospital care -- South Africa -- Quality control , Hospital care -- South Africa -- Cost effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8882 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020654
- Description: Although open to debate, it is something of an undisputed fact and has been since the days of Florence Nightingale, that hospital management is frustrated with recurring problems - many of them due to broken processes. Hospitals are places of phenomenal healing and heroic care. However, as with any human-led endeavour, there are problems. (Grunden (2009)) A first time use of the word ‘lean’ generally begs some explaination as it is not a commonly used word. The simplest way to explain the word is by way of the introduction of the concept known as ‘lean management’. Lean management is a methodology which allows hospitals to advance the quality of patient care by reducing errors and waiting times. Lean is a system of reinforcement of hospital business for the long term thereby reducing costs and risk. Kanban (2009) states that lean is a toolset; a management system and a viewpoint that can change the way hospitals are structured and managed. Lean helps managers to comprehend and identify broken systems and to improve these in small parts, while employees aid in finding solutions for broken systems. This proposal analyses the effect lean tools have had within Arwyp Medical Centre in Kempton Park, South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Theunissen, Dirkie Petra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Hospital care -- South Africa -- Quality control , Hospital care -- South Africa -- Cost effectiveness
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8882 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020654
- Description: Although open to debate, it is something of an undisputed fact and has been since the days of Florence Nightingale, that hospital management is frustrated with recurring problems - many of them due to broken processes. Hospitals are places of phenomenal healing and heroic care. However, as with any human-led endeavour, there are problems. (Grunden (2009)) A first time use of the word ‘lean’ generally begs some explaination as it is not a commonly used word. The simplest way to explain the word is by way of the introduction of the concept known as ‘lean management’. Lean management is a methodology which allows hospitals to advance the quality of patient care by reducing errors and waiting times. Lean is a system of reinforcement of hospital business for the long term thereby reducing costs and risk. Kanban (2009) states that lean is a toolset; a management system and a viewpoint that can change the way hospitals are structured and managed. Lean helps managers to comprehend and identify broken systems and to improve these in small parts, while employees aid in finding solutions for broken systems. This proposal analyses the effect lean tools have had within Arwyp Medical Centre in Kempton Park, South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Improving the performance of SME building contractors through the implementation of TQM philosophy
- Authors: Ntsholo, Vukani Patrick
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Total quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Business enterprises -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Construction industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8814 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018741
- Description: The study focused on identifying ways in which the delivery of the building infrastructure projects that are executed by SME contractors can be improved. TQM, which has been widely used in other sectors with great success, has been explored as the tool that can be used to improve the delivery of building projects. The literature review that was conducted focused on the entire spectrum of the project cycle. It first addressed the functioning of the public sector and the legislative mandate of the DPW. Then it addressed the construction industry and SME contractors that are working in the built environment. TQM together with its elements were explored in detail to determine its applicability in terms of the delivery of building projects. The empirical study was undertaken to test the outcomes of the literature review in the context of the built environment. A quantitative research method was adopted for the study which achieved a response rate of 44 percent. Descriptive statistics were computed during the analysis of the data with the mode being used as the main measuring tool. The findings revealed that there was an uneven distribution of human capital in the industry and the consulting firms were the biggest benefactors of this. The study also revealed a high turnover rate in the SME contractors while the public sector has the oldest employees. Architects and construction managers were found to be the least represented profession. There was also a high concentration of role players in the Amathole Region. The recommendations were four fold and the Department of Public Works (DPW) as client body had to take the centre stage in implementing such recommendations. The recommendations are meant to address: the development of technical people to enhance their capacity, the reduction of the high turnover rate of technical people, the uneven distribution of resources, and specifying of the roles and responsibilities of all the people that are involved in building infrastructure projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Ntsholo, Vukani Patrick
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Total quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Business enterprises -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Construction industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8814 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018741
- Description: The study focused on identifying ways in which the delivery of the building infrastructure projects that are executed by SME contractors can be improved. TQM, which has been widely used in other sectors with great success, has been explored as the tool that can be used to improve the delivery of building projects. The literature review that was conducted focused on the entire spectrum of the project cycle. It first addressed the functioning of the public sector and the legislative mandate of the DPW. Then it addressed the construction industry and SME contractors that are working in the built environment. TQM together with its elements were explored in detail to determine its applicability in terms of the delivery of building projects. The empirical study was undertaken to test the outcomes of the literature review in the context of the built environment. A quantitative research method was adopted for the study which achieved a response rate of 44 percent. Descriptive statistics were computed during the analysis of the data with the mode being used as the main measuring tool. The findings revealed that there was an uneven distribution of human capital in the industry and the consulting firms were the biggest benefactors of this. The study also revealed a high turnover rate in the SME contractors while the public sector has the oldest employees. Architects and construction managers were found to be the least represented profession. There was also a high concentration of role players in the Amathole Region. The recommendations were four fold and the Department of Public Works (DPW) as client body had to take the centre stage in implementing such recommendations. The recommendations are meant to address: the development of technical people to enhance their capacity, the reduction of the high turnover rate of technical people, the uneven distribution of resources, and specifying of the roles and responsibilities of all the people that are involved in building infrastructure projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating a business model for implementing pathology services within the public sector
- Authors: Ngcwangu, Sakiwo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Pathological laboratories -- Administration , Medical laboratories -- Administration , Laboratories -- Organization & administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:9345 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013368
- Description: As the business evolves, organisations are faced with challenges as today’s customers have changed, and demand a value for the products and services purchased. Customer satisfaction is a key factor to business excellence. The health sector and its service providers are faced with such demands, having to ensure customer satisfaction with limited resources. The aim of the study was to investigate a business model that could be implemented within the public sector to render pathology services. Particular reference was given to the National Health Laboratory Service as a provider of choice for rendering medical laboratory services within public health institutions and related departments. The data has been collected using a self constructed questionnaire which has been distributed to the NHLS centers within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. 45 percent of the employees, in the region took part in the survey. The study tested the perceptions of the respondents with respect to the business model, specifically the determinants of a business model and its effects. The results of the empirical study revealed that a relationship exists between the business model, its determinants and customer satisfaction. Correlation analysis was done between the business model, customer relation management, continuous improvement, talent management, business process reengineering and customer satisfaction. Conclusions and recommendations have been drawn from the study. The NHLS needs to change its approach to business, invest in people education, training and development, improve its communication strategies with customers and realign its processes in order to maintain business excellence and provide a better service within the public sector
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Ngcwangu, Sakiwo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Pathological laboratories -- Administration , Medical laboratories -- Administration , Laboratories -- Organization & administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:9345 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013368
- Description: As the business evolves, organisations are faced with challenges as today’s customers have changed, and demand a value for the products and services purchased. Customer satisfaction is a key factor to business excellence. The health sector and its service providers are faced with such demands, having to ensure customer satisfaction with limited resources. The aim of the study was to investigate a business model that could be implemented within the public sector to render pathology services. Particular reference was given to the National Health Laboratory Service as a provider of choice for rendering medical laboratory services within public health institutions and related departments. The data has been collected using a self constructed questionnaire which has been distributed to the NHLS centers within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. 45 percent of the employees, in the region took part in the survey. The study tested the perceptions of the respondents with respect to the business model, specifically the determinants of a business model and its effects. The results of the empirical study revealed that a relationship exists between the business model, its determinants and customer satisfaction. Correlation analysis was done between the business model, customer relation management, continuous improvement, talent management, business process reengineering and customer satisfaction. Conclusions and recommendations have been drawn from the study. The NHLS needs to change its approach to business, invest in people education, training and development, improve its communication strategies with customers and realign its processes in order to maintain business excellence and provide a better service within the public sector
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating a positioning strategy for a car wash business in Port Elizabeth : a case study
- Authors: Naidoo-Kurup, Malanie
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Car wash industry -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Economic development -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa -- Planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8856 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020148
- Description: The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate positioning strategy for a car wash business in Port Elizabeth to promote its competitive advantage in the market place. To meet this aim the customers' perceptions of the business were examined. It has been widely acknowledged by researchers and development agencies that Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and entrepreneurs play a crucial role in the economic development of a nation. This is particularly significant for a developing nation such as South Africa to address its critical challenges of unemployment and poverty which impact on social stability. Research reveals that the failure rate of SMMEs in South Africa is an alarming 75 percent. In this context, the need to explore innovative strategies to support and sustain the SMME sector has become increasingly important. A detailed survey of relevant literature revealed that the attributes of a firm that relate to the quality of service, pricing, attitudes of staff, image of the firm etc. can be considered as important variables which customers use to differentiate a business from its competitors. It is suggested that the success of a firm largely depends on its ability to position itself in a competitive environment by focusing on attributes which customers value the most in relation to similar businesses. This case study was approached from a positivist paradigm and data from 61 customers of the car wash were collected. The quantitative data were statistically analysed to examine the attributes of the business which the respondents of the survey perceived as offering the most value to them when compared to other car washes in the area. These attributes were then used to develop a positioning map for the business. The results showed that the attribute of the business which was most valued by the respondents was the manual washing of vehicles. A positioning strategy for the car wash based on this finding is suggested.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Naidoo-Kurup, Malanie
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Car wash industry -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Economic development -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa -- Planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8856 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020148
- Description: The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate positioning strategy for a car wash business in Port Elizabeth to promote its competitive advantage in the market place. To meet this aim the customers' perceptions of the business were examined. It has been widely acknowledged by researchers and development agencies that Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and entrepreneurs play a crucial role in the economic development of a nation. This is particularly significant for a developing nation such as South Africa to address its critical challenges of unemployment and poverty which impact on social stability. Research reveals that the failure rate of SMMEs in South Africa is an alarming 75 percent. In this context, the need to explore innovative strategies to support and sustain the SMME sector has become increasingly important. A detailed survey of relevant literature revealed that the attributes of a firm that relate to the quality of service, pricing, attitudes of staff, image of the firm etc. can be considered as important variables which customers use to differentiate a business from its competitors. It is suggested that the success of a firm largely depends on its ability to position itself in a competitive environment by focusing on attributes which customers value the most in relation to similar businesses. This case study was approached from a positivist paradigm and data from 61 customers of the car wash were collected. The quantitative data were statistically analysed to examine the attributes of the business which the respondents of the survey perceived as offering the most value to them when compared to other car washes in the area. These attributes were then used to develop a positioning map for the business. The results showed that the attribute of the business which was most valued by the respondents was the manual washing of vehicles. A positioning strategy for the car wash based on this finding is suggested.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating organisational factors that impact on engagement of knowledge workers in the banking sector of Botswana
- Authors: Mahlanza, Matlala Nono
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Knowledge workers -- Botswana , Engagement (Philosophy) , Work-life balance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8841 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020031
- Description: There is extensive literature on employee engagement; its antecedents; linkages to positive business outcomes; and its positive impact on retention. Top performing organisations have even found that aligning the engagement strategies to the business goals drive performance outcomes. There is no universal definition of employee engagement and drivers, therefore, a general approach without due cognisance of worker demographics may result in the application of inappropriate engagement strategies. In this study, the focus is on knowledge workers within the banking sector of Botswana. Knowledge workers make up almost two thirds of organisations and are said to be unique and complex in their nature. Work to a knowledge worker is more mental than physical, hence, the need to use interventions aimed at the behaviour to increase their performance. The needs of a knowledge worker and that of the business ought to be integrated. An organisation that is able to identify those factors that would influence their engagement is promised high levels of productivity that would translate into profits and high retention. The main research problem for this study was to determine the strategies that should be used to engage knowledge workers within the banking sector in Botswana. A literature study was conducted to identify characteristics of knowledge workers, meaning of employee engagement and approaches to measuring employee engagement. Eleven organisational factors that have an influence on employee engagement and some of the engagement strategies were identified from literature. The eleven factors identified were: growth and development; rewards and recognition; trust in leadership; work/life balance; two way communication; mission, vision and values; quality of manager; relationship with colleagues; fairness of HR policies; job design; and accountability. An empirical study was also conducted to investigate which of the eleven organisational factors had an influence in the engagement of knowledge workers. The current engagement level of knowledge workers within the banking sector was measured using the Gallup Q12 measuring tool. The main findings from this research are that a significant number of knowledge workers are engaged. The findings of this study also coincide with the theoretical overview that there are organisational factors that have an influence on the engagement of employees. A significant finding was that, although knowledge workers differ in their perception of the organisational factors, they generally indicate that work/life balance initiatives are lacking in their workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Mahlanza, Matlala Nono
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Knowledge workers -- Botswana , Engagement (Philosophy) , Work-life balance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8841 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020031
- Description: There is extensive literature on employee engagement; its antecedents; linkages to positive business outcomes; and its positive impact on retention. Top performing organisations have even found that aligning the engagement strategies to the business goals drive performance outcomes. There is no universal definition of employee engagement and drivers, therefore, a general approach without due cognisance of worker demographics may result in the application of inappropriate engagement strategies. In this study, the focus is on knowledge workers within the banking sector of Botswana. Knowledge workers make up almost two thirds of organisations and are said to be unique and complex in their nature. Work to a knowledge worker is more mental than physical, hence, the need to use interventions aimed at the behaviour to increase their performance. The needs of a knowledge worker and that of the business ought to be integrated. An organisation that is able to identify those factors that would influence their engagement is promised high levels of productivity that would translate into profits and high retention. The main research problem for this study was to determine the strategies that should be used to engage knowledge workers within the banking sector in Botswana. A literature study was conducted to identify characteristics of knowledge workers, meaning of employee engagement and approaches to measuring employee engagement. Eleven organisational factors that have an influence on employee engagement and some of the engagement strategies were identified from literature. The eleven factors identified were: growth and development; rewards and recognition; trust in leadership; work/life balance; two way communication; mission, vision and values; quality of manager; relationship with colleagues; fairness of HR policies; job design; and accountability. An empirical study was also conducted to investigate which of the eleven organisational factors had an influence in the engagement of knowledge workers. The current engagement level of knowledge workers within the banking sector was measured using the Gallup Q12 measuring tool. The main findings from this research are that a significant number of knowledge workers are engaged. The findings of this study also coincide with the theoretical overview that there are organisational factors that have an influence on the engagement of employees. A significant finding was that, although knowledge workers differ in their perception of the organisational factors, they generally indicate that work/life balance initiatives are lacking in their workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating talent management as a strategy to promote employee retention at ABSA Bank
- Authors: Pepeta, Phumeza Martha
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- Personnel management , Employee retention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8820 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019691
- Description: Research studies have reported that many organisations are challenged with the ability to retain talent. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether Absa Bank’s talent approach is succeeding in retaining critical talent. Talent management is undoubtedly one of the critical strategic imperatives facing business leaders today. The current war for talent and skills shortage has resulted in growing pressure to attract and retain talent in order to have a competitive advantage. The literature review in this study revealed that there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to talent management. The study emphasised the importance of having a talent strategy that focuses on unleashing and harnessing talent rather than just recruiting the best people in the market. The study further highlighted that organisations should clearly identify their own talent drivers, based on their unique organisational culture and business strategic imperatives. The key talent drivers discussed in this study include recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, reward and recognition, diversity and culture, quality leadership and barriers to effective talent management. The study further argued the importance of having a compelling employee value proposition (EVP), in an attempt to attract and retain the best people. The target population for this study consisted of middle managers at Absa Bank, where the majority of key value roles, which are critical for retention lie. A sample of 100 respondents was randomly selected from the total population. The findings suggested that when an organisation has effective leadership, it is more likely to create a compelling EVP that is conducive to talent retention. Furthermore, the findings revealed that Absa is effective in applying certain talent strategies whilst other areas required more attention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Pepeta, Phumeza Martha
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- Personnel management , Employee retention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8820 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019691
- Description: Research studies have reported that many organisations are challenged with the ability to retain talent. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether Absa Bank’s talent approach is succeeding in retaining critical talent. Talent management is undoubtedly one of the critical strategic imperatives facing business leaders today. The current war for talent and skills shortage has resulted in growing pressure to attract and retain talent in order to have a competitive advantage. The literature review in this study revealed that there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to talent management. The study emphasised the importance of having a talent strategy that focuses on unleashing and harnessing talent rather than just recruiting the best people in the market. The study further highlighted that organisations should clearly identify their own talent drivers, based on their unique organisational culture and business strategic imperatives. The key talent drivers discussed in this study include recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, reward and recognition, diversity and culture, quality leadership and barriers to effective talent management. The study further argued the importance of having a compelling employee value proposition (EVP), in an attempt to attract and retain the best people. The target population for this study consisted of middle managers at Absa Bank, where the majority of key value roles, which are critical for retention lie. A sample of 100 respondents was randomly selected from the total population. The findings suggested that when an organisation has effective leadership, it is more likely to create a compelling EVP that is conducive to talent retention. Furthermore, the findings revealed that Absa is effective in applying certain talent strategies whilst other areas required more attention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating the factors influencing the effectiveness of the task teams of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
- Authors: Schultz, Lizle
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Economic development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8896 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020915
- Description: Business Chambers worldwide strive to promote trade and investment. These chambers act on behalf of businesses in an effort to enhance economic growth and development. The Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PERCCI) was established in 1994 with a view to fostering, encouraging, promoting, protecting, developing and establishing commercial and industrial enterprises within the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage Metropole (now Nelson Mandela Bay). Thus PERCCI has since changed its name to Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (NMBBC). The NMBBC focuses on the provision of services to business in the form of information, communication, seminars, task teams, networking functions and a strong international trade focus. Lobbying, representation and strategic interventions are also key focus areas, with the objective of facilitating an environment which is conducive to economic growth. The vision of the NMBBC is to be a leading and dynamic business chamber that contributes effectively to the economic growth of Nelson Mandela Bay. The vision, mission and objectives of the NMBBC are delivered through the following task teams, each its own specific mandate: Crime Task Team, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Task Team, Environment, Health & Wellness, Human Capital Development, Industrial Development Strategy, International Trade & Investment, Mentorship Programme, Service Excellence, SME Task Team, Strategic Projects/Infrastructure, Strategic Resources Forum, Tourism Task Team and Transport Task Team. Currently, only four of these task teams are in operation and the effectiveness of their functioning is currently not well established. Therefore, the present study investigated the factors which influence the effective functioning of the task teams, with a view to improving their performance and overall contribution to the organisation. A literature study was conducted on factors influencing the effectiveness of teams and a hypothesized theoretical model developed. Thereafter, an empirical study was conducted within a positivist paradigm using primarily a case study approach. Initial focus group interviews with 17 task team members were followed up by a questionnaire survey distributed amongst 75 NMBBC task team members. The factors investigated were: Clear Purpose, Clear Roles, Open Communication, Shared Leadership, Motivation and Commitment and their influence on team effectiveness. The empirical results indicate that relationships exist amongst all the factor variables investigated with the most significant relation found to be between commitment and motivation. The results further indicate that all the measured factor variables exert an influence on the effectiveness of the task teams with commitment being the most influencing variable and motivation the least. The study concludes that while the task teams are making a significant contribution to the performance of the NMBBC, they are nonetheless not functioning optimally. As there is room for improvement, the study makes a number of recommendations to the NMBBC in an effort to increase the effectiveness of their task teams.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Schultz, Lizle
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Economic development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8896 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020915
- Description: Business Chambers worldwide strive to promote trade and investment. These chambers act on behalf of businesses in an effort to enhance economic growth and development. The Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PERCCI) was established in 1994 with a view to fostering, encouraging, promoting, protecting, developing and establishing commercial and industrial enterprises within the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage Metropole (now Nelson Mandela Bay). Thus PERCCI has since changed its name to Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (NMBBC). The NMBBC focuses on the provision of services to business in the form of information, communication, seminars, task teams, networking functions and a strong international trade focus. Lobbying, representation and strategic interventions are also key focus areas, with the objective of facilitating an environment which is conducive to economic growth. The vision of the NMBBC is to be a leading and dynamic business chamber that contributes effectively to the economic growth of Nelson Mandela Bay. The vision, mission and objectives of the NMBBC are delivered through the following task teams, each its own specific mandate: Crime Task Team, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Task Team, Environment, Health & Wellness, Human Capital Development, Industrial Development Strategy, International Trade & Investment, Mentorship Programme, Service Excellence, SME Task Team, Strategic Projects/Infrastructure, Strategic Resources Forum, Tourism Task Team and Transport Task Team. Currently, only four of these task teams are in operation and the effectiveness of their functioning is currently not well established. Therefore, the present study investigated the factors which influence the effective functioning of the task teams, with a view to improving their performance and overall contribution to the organisation. A literature study was conducted on factors influencing the effectiveness of teams and a hypothesized theoretical model developed. Thereafter, an empirical study was conducted within a positivist paradigm using primarily a case study approach. Initial focus group interviews with 17 task team members were followed up by a questionnaire survey distributed amongst 75 NMBBC task team members. The factors investigated were: Clear Purpose, Clear Roles, Open Communication, Shared Leadership, Motivation and Commitment and their influence on team effectiveness. The empirical results indicate that relationships exist amongst all the factor variables investigated with the most significant relation found to be between commitment and motivation. The results further indicate that all the measured factor variables exert an influence on the effectiveness of the task teams with commitment being the most influencing variable and motivation the least. The study concludes that while the task teams are making a significant contribution to the performance of the NMBBC, they are nonetheless not functioning optimally. As there is room for improvement, the study makes a number of recommendations to the NMBBC in an effort to increase the effectiveness of their task teams.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Learnership program's effectiveness at an FET college
- Lekhelebana, Letlatsa George
- Authors: Lekhelebana, Letlatsa George
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Vocational education , Skilled labor -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8870 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020314
- Description: High levels of unemployment and skills shortages in key parts of the South African economy are well documented. The failure of the South African economy to absorb new entrants to the job market is also well documented. The paradox of an economy that was growing for over a decade during the late nineties and early 2000s creating a lot of vacancies and yet at the same time seeing ever growing levels of unemployment numbers also makes for interesting reading. Learnership programs are intended to address this situation by reducing the problem of skills shortages and leading in the human capital development that is aligned to industry needs. Thus is the purpose of this study to determine whether the beneficiaries of the learnership programs, the graduates, find benefit from having completed these learnership programs. It is to evaluate whether they find the program to have been effective in either equipping them sufficiently to improve prospects of finding permanent employment or successfully starting their own businesses. An extensive literature study of the history of the FET and its development, the concept of learnership and legislation and statutes applicable to the sector in South Africa was undertaken so that the skills development initiatives in the country are contextualised. The empirical part of the study involved a self-constructed questionnaire designed to illicit perspectives of the FET training and learnership within the FET graduate population that have completed their studies at an FET institution within Nelson Mandela Bay. The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find the training to be effective and confirm the literature findings that learnerships can improve the issue of skills shortage in industry. The study makes recommendations that encompass work-based strategies and training based strategies to further improve the program. The recommendations are targeted at the FET college, the work-place training providers and the MERSETA and are meant solely to assist the organisations in overcoming the identified challenges emanating from learnership implementation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Lekhelebana, Letlatsa George
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Vocational education , Skilled labor -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8870 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020314
- Description: High levels of unemployment and skills shortages in key parts of the South African economy are well documented. The failure of the South African economy to absorb new entrants to the job market is also well documented. The paradox of an economy that was growing for over a decade during the late nineties and early 2000s creating a lot of vacancies and yet at the same time seeing ever growing levels of unemployment numbers also makes for interesting reading. Learnership programs are intended to address this situation by reducing the problem of skills shortages and leading in the human capital development that is aligned to industry needs. Thus is the purpose of this study to determine whether the beneficiaries of the learnership programs, the graduates, find benefit from having completed these learnership programs. It is to evaluate whether they find the program to have been effective in either equipping them sufficiently to improve prospects of finding permanent employment or successfully starting their own businesses. An extensive literature study of the history of the FET and its development, the concept of learnership and legislation and statutes applicable to the sector in South Africa was undertaken so that the skills development initiatives in the country are contextualised. The empirical part of the study involved a self-constructed questionnaire designed to illicit perspectives of the FET training and learnership within the FET graduate population that have completed their studies at an FET institution within Nelson Mandela Bay. The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find The data collected indicate that a substantial majority of the sample find the training to be effective and confirm the literature findings that learnerships can improve the issue of skills shortage in industry. The study makes recommendations that encompass work-based strategies and training based strategies to further improve the program. The recommendations are targeted at the FET college, the work-place training providers and the MERSETA and are meant solely to assist the organisations in overcoming the identified challenges emanating from learnership implementation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Local government reform in Western Australia: a case study on change readiness
- Authors: Van Heerden, Vicky
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Local government -- Australia -- Subiaco (W.A.) Organizational change -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Local officials and employees -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Industrial relations -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Industrial management -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Corporate culture -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003897
- Description: The Western Australian State Government’s local government reform programme, initiated in February 2009, provides the context for this research. Nedlands, a local government in Perth’s western suburbs, resolved to participate in this reform programme and signed a Regional Transition Group Agreement with Subiaco local government in August 2010. The purpose of the Regional Transition Group was to prepare a business plan to investigate the potential benefits and viability of a Nedlands and Subiaco amalgamation. Whilst the local government of Nedlands is currently investigating the more operational and technical aspects of local government reform in the merger feasibility study, this research focused on employee readiness, more intangible but no less important. The difficulties of achieving success with organisational change initiatives are well documented. A number of models of planned organisational change have been developed to address these difficulties and support successful change and are outlined. This research highlights the value of the first phase of planned change, namely readiness for change, where organizational members are prepared for and become supporters of change. It also highlights the importance of change communication with respect to developing employee readiness. Definitions and some of the dimensions of ‘readiness for change’ are outlined. The five dimensions of readiness for change - discrepancy, appropriateness, principal support, efficacy and valence - provide the ‘lens’ through which readiness for change at Nedlands is explored. From this perspective, the documentation communicating local government reform at Nedlands was analysed. These dimensions were also used to ascertain, from the perspective of the Nedlands' managers, their level of readiness and the readiness of the employees of Nedlands for local government reform. The findings suggest that Nedlands local government has not consciously planned to ‘ready’ employees for local government reform. A number of management recommendations are made to strengthen the change readiness message communicated by the Nedlands local government and to support the development of the Nedlands employees’ readiness for change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Van Heerden, Vicky
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Local government -- Australia -- Subiaco (W.A.) Organizational change -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Local officials and employees -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Industrial relations -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Industrial management -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.) Corporate culture -- Australia -- Nedlands (W.A.)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003897
- Description: The Western Australian State Government’s local government reform programme, initiated in February 2009, provides the context for this research. Nedlands, a local government in Perth’s western suburbs, resolved to participate in this reform programme and signed a Regional Transition Group Agreement with Subiaco local government in August 2010. The purpose of the Regional Transition Group was to prepare a business plan to investigate the potential benefits and viability of a Nedlands and Subiaco amalgamation. Whilst the local government of Nedlands is currently investigating the more operational and technical aspects of local government reform in the merger feasibility study, this research focused on employee readiness, more intangible but no less important. The difficulties of achieving success with organisational change initiatives are well documented. A number of models of planned organisational change have been developed to address these difficulties and support successful change and are outlined. This research highlights the value of the first phase of planned change, namely readiness for change, where organizational members are prepared for and become supporters of change. It also highlights the importance of change communication with respect to developing employee readiness. Definitions and some of the dimensions of ‘readiness for change’ are outlined. The five dimensions of readiness for change - discrepancy, appropriateness, principal support, efficacy and valence - provide the ‘lens’ through which readiness for change at Nedlands is explored. From this perspective, the documentation communicating local government reform at Nedlands was analysed. These dimensions were also used to ascertain, from the perspective of the Nedlands' managers, their level of readiness and the readiness of the employees of Nedlands for local government reform. The findings suggest that Nedlands local government has not consciously planned to ‘ready’ employees for local government reform. A number of management recommendations are made to strengthen the change readiness message communicated by the Nedlands local government and to support the development of the Nedlands employees’ readiness for change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Managing the conflict between social and economic value : the case of the Amadlelo Project
- Authors: Ngcaba, Yandisa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Social responsibility of business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020151
- Description: The objective of the study was to investigate the role that social entrepreneurship can play in rural economic development. This objective was achieved by answering the following secondary research questions: How do for-profit social ventures create social value? How sustainable are the for-profit social venture projects in rural areas? What are the challenges facing for-profit social ventures in scaling up their projects? What metrics can be used to monitor and measure social ventures? What are the leadership traits of social entrepreneurs? The point of departure in resolving the objective of this study was to do an analysis of the available literature relevant to the research. The literature review covered was on rural development and social entrepreneurship. Rural development literature covered issues specific to rural development such as the history of rural development in South Africa, land redistribution and restitution and food security, amongst others. Social entrepreneurship literature dealt with the following issues: charity organisations, corporate social responsibility, for-profit social ventures and social capital, amongst others. The researcher used a multiple case study method to resolve the objective of the research. It was conducted with five projects of Amadlelo Agri in the Eastern Cape. An empirical and qualitative study was conducted with forty one employees and six senior managers of Amadlelo Agri respectively in order to test the theory. The results of the empirical and qualitative study were compared to the reviewed literature in order to ascertain whether Amadlelo Agri complied with the findings of the literature review. The research concludes that for-profit social ventures can play a very important role in rural development by turning latent community assets into profitable businesses for the benefit of the community; reducing unemployment and poverty; bringing financial and other resources needed in rural communities and by providing skills development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Ngcaba, Yandisa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Rural development -- South Africa , Social responsibility of business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8858 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020151
- Description: The objective of the study was to investigate the role that social entrepreneurship can play in rural economic development. This objective was achieved by answering the following secondary research questions: How do for-profit social ventures create social value? How sustainable are the for-profit social venture projects in rural areas? What are the challenges facing for-profit social ventures in scaling up their projects? What metrics can be used to monitor and measure social ventures? What are the leadership traits of social entrepreneurs? The point of departure in resolving the objective of this study was to do an analysis of the available literature relevant to the research. The literature review covered was on rural development and social entrepreneurship. Rural development literature covered issues specific to rural development such as the history of rural development in South Africa, land redistribution and restitution and food security, amongst others. Social entrepreneurship literature dealt with the following issues: charity organisations, corporate social responsibility, for-profit social ventures and social capital, amongst others. The researcher used a multiple case study method to resolve the objective of the research. It was conducted with five projects of Amadlelo Agri in the Eastern Cape. An empirical and qualitative study was conducted with forty one employees and six senior managers of Amadlelo Agri respectively in order to test the theory. The results of the empirical and qualitative study were compared to the reviewed literature in order to ascertain whether Amadlelo Agri complied with the findings of the literature review. The research concludes that for-profit social ventures can play a very important role in rural development by turning latent community assets into profitable businesses for the benefit of the community; reducing unemployment and poverty; bringing financial and other resources needed in rural communities and by providing skills development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Research into entrepreneurship and small business in South Africa: current status and future challenges
- Authors: Tai-Hing, Paul
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8794 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015981
- Description: This research seeks to advance knowledge of the current state of entrepreneurship and small businesses in South Africa, and reports on a review of 32 articles and 244 research abstracts in the field. The studies as a whole indicate that entrepreneurs in South Africa require more knowledge in the fields of: Networking in business, Internationalisation of business, Entrepreneurship training. Since the 1990s, research in entrepreneurship has grown in terms of the number of articles published and conference papers presented. In many countries entrepreneurship has also become part of the political agenda as it is perceived as a possible solution to high unemployment rates. In addition, interest in entrepreneurship has heightened during the 2000s, especially in business schools. Much of this interest is driven by student demand for courses in entrepreneurship, either because of genuine interest in the subject, or because students see entrepreneurship education as a useful hedge given uncertain corporate careers. Most of the entrepreneurship research abstracts reviewed for this study focused on race, gender and ethical issues in South Africa. These three research topics focused on: Attitudes and experiences of black women: differ from other racial groups in business with the results indicating that black women were competent and highly-motivated, but lacked communication skills and Western business orientation. Many black women also desired equality although their male counterparts opposed this. Black women also lacked role models and career guidance. Different population groups participate in the economy: reflect regional, income, expenditure, skill, occupational and labour differences, including labour supply and demand. Ethics concerns: include whether it should be taught in the human resources management curricula taught in universities. From the findings it appeared that entrepreneurship research in South Africa is fairly similar to international research contexts. As entrepreneurship and small businesses are diverse and multi-disciplinary, the studies reviewed indicated a wide range of different models, theories, frameworks, and combinations of these. However, the theoretical richness of the studies reviewed was, in many cases, relatively low, and only a few of the studies could be regarded as highly-theoretical. In addition, the presentation of the various theories and models applied was very often inadequately reported. It is also important to note that altogether between 7 and 11 percent of the studies were without any well-argued theoretical framework. Thus, researchers in the field should discuss the theoretical frameworks applied in their empirical analyses, to ensure this will improve the theoretical understanding of the phenomenon. Although this study made use of the mixed-method approach to conduct the research, it is also important to note that, in 12 percent of cases, methodological issues were poorly described. Most of the studies often did not describe the data collection response rate provide sample demographic and firm size details as well as identify the target industry. These details were often missing or loosely defined. The reasons for the selection of a certain research approach were also poorly explained, making many of the research studies deficient or limited methodologically. These omissions present a challenge, not only to authors in the field, but also to reviewers and editors in academic journals, as this impacts on the scientific rigor of published papers. On the basis of published papers reviewed, it seems that, personally-administered data collection works best in South Africa. From the research studies undertaken in South Africa, it is evident that much has been researched in the areas of gender (specifically the role of women in business), entrepreneurship training and ethics in business. It is evident that during the 1980s, no research was conducted in South Africa in the areas of family businesses and entrepreneurship training, while international research focuses on these topics. During the 1990s, no research focused on networking in small businesses, and. during the 2000s, there was a lack of research on internationalisation of businesses as only six articles were published from 2000 until 2011 on these topics. This highlights a need for internationalisation research especially as it is well-documented that the South African economy cannot survive if it does not take cognisance of its international competitors. On the basis of the articles and abstracts reviewed, the current state of knowledge concerning entrepreneurship and small businesses in South Africa was assessed, especially the need for the internationalisation of South African small businesses. Moreover, research studies could also focus on the obstacles encountered in the internationalisation process of South African small businesses.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Tai-Hing, Paul
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8794 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015981
- Description: This research seeks to advance knowledge of the current state of entrepreneurship and small businesses in South Africa, and reports on a review of 32 articles and 244 research abstracts in the field. The studies as a whole indicate that entrepreneurs in South Africa require more knowledge in the fields of: Networking in business, Internationalisation of business, Entrepreneurship training. Since the 1990s, research in entrepreneurship has grown in terms of the number of articles published and conference papers presented. In many countries entrepreneurship has also become part of the political agenda as it is perceived as a possible solution to high unemployment rates. In addition, interest in entrepreneurship has heightened during the 2000s, especially in business schools. Much of this interest is driven by student demand for courses in entrepreneurship, either because of genuine interest in the subject, or because students see entrepreneurship education as a useful hedge given uncertain corporate careers. Most of the entrepreneurship research abstracts reviewed for this study focused on race, gender and ethical issues in South Africa. These three research topics focused on: Attitudes and experiences of black women: differ from other racial groups in business with the results indicating that black women were competent and highly-motivated, but lacked communication skills and Western business orientation. Many black women also desired equality although their male counterparts opposed this. Black women also lacked role models and career guidance. Different population groups participate in the economy: reflect regional, income, expenditure, skill, occupational and labour differences, including labour supply and demand. Ethics concerns: include whether it should be taught in the human resources management curricula taught in universities. From the findings it appeared that entrepreneurship research in South Africa is fairly similar to international research contexts. As entrepreneurship and small businesses are diverse and multi-disciplinary, the studies reviewed indicated a wide range of different models, theories, frameworks, and combinations of these. However, the theoretical richness of the studies reviewed was, in many cases, relatively low, and only a few of the studies could be regarded as highly-theoretical. In addition, the presentation of the various theories and models applied was very often inadequately reported. It is also important to note that altogether between 7 and 11 percent of the studies were without any well-argued theoretical framework. Thus, researchers in the field should discuss the theoretical frameworks applied in their empirical analyses, to ensure this will improve the theoretical understanding of the phenomenon. Although this study made use of the mixed-method approach to conduct the research, it is also important to note that, in 12 percent of cases, methodological issues were poorly described. Most of the studies often did not describe the data collection response rate provide sample demographic and firm size details as well as identify the target industry. These details were often missing or loosely defined. The reasons for the selection of a certain research approach were also poorly explained, making many of the research studies deficient or limited methodologically. These omissions present a challenge, not only to authors in the field, but also to reviewers and editors in academic journals, as this impacts on the scientific rigor of published papers. On the basis of published papers reviewed, it seems that, personally-administered data collection works best in South Africa. From the research studies undertaken in South Africa, it is evident that much has been researched in the areas of gender (specifically the role of women in business), entrepreneurship training and ethics in business. It is evident that during the 1980s, no research was conducted in South Africa in the areas of family businesses and entrepreneurship training, while international research focuses on these topics. During the 1990s, no research focused on networking in small businesses, and. during the 2000s, there was a lack of research on internationalisation of businesses as only six articles were published from 2000 until 2011 on these topics. This highlights a need for internationalisation research especially as it is well-documented that the South African economy cannot survive if it does not take cognisance of its international competitors. On the basis of the articles and abstracts reviewed, the current state of knowledge concerning entrepreneurship and small businesses in South Africa was assessed, especially the need for the internationalisation of South African small businesses. Moreover, research studies could also focus on the obstacles encountered in the internationalisation process of South African small businesses.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Second life: a support teaching methodology for entrepreneurship
- Authors: Mandla, Siyabulela
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Shared virtual environments , Teaching -- Methodology , Business students , Entrepreneurship
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8827 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019728
- Description: The constant evolution of technology and the prevalent demands of the 21st century continue to put pressure on both the business and education sector. Business is ever looking for competent workers to meet these progressive demands, while the education sector continues to struggle to produce such competent workers to meet the heightened needs of the business sector. Universities and business schools have a greater role and responsibility in ensuring that these competent employees are produced. The use of virtual platforms like Second Life has gained significant popularity in the education sector. Therefore the objective of this study was to explore and examine some of the prevalent benefits associated with using Second life for teaching entrepreneurship. This study was also extended to cover the following areas: The benefits of Second Life for business and education sector; - The benefits of Second Life for teaching and learning environment. The study followed an exploratory research design in an attempt to answer the main research question and the respective sub-questions related to the study. Using a qualitative approach, student’s perceptions, opinions, assumptions, observations and experiences during their interaction with Second Life were identified and reflected in the study. The research discovered that the associated benefits of Second Life were coherent with the reviewed literature findings. The research study concluded that Second Life can be used as a support teaching methodology for entrepreneurship for third year MBA students at NMMU Business School. In addition, the research also highlighted some recommendations regarding the introduction and implementation of Second Life at NMMU Business School and future research opportunities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Mandla, Siyabulela
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Shared virtual environments , Teaching -- Methodology , Business students , Entrepreneurship
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8827 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019728
- Description: The constant evolution of technology and the prevalent demands of the 21st century continue to put pressure on both the business and education sector. Business is ever looking for competent workers to meet these progressive demands, while the education sector continues to struggle to produce such competent workers to meet the heightened needs of the business sector. Universities and business schools have a greater role and responsibility in ensuring that these competent employees are produced. The use of virtual platforms like Second Life has gained significant popularity in the education sector. Therefore the objective of this study was to explore and examine some of the prevalent benefits associated with using Second life for teaching entrepreneurship. This study was also extended to cover the following areas: The benefits of Second Life for business and education sector; - The benefits of Second Life for teaching and learning environment. The study followed an exploratory research design in an attempt to answer the main research question and the respective sub-questions related to the study. Using a qualitative approach, student’s perceptions, opinions, assumptions, observations and experiences during their interaction with Second Life were identified and reflected in the study. The research discovered that the associated benefits of Second Life were coherent with the reviewed literature findings. The research study concluded that Second Life can be used as a support teaching methodology for entrepreneurship for third year MBA students at NMMU Business School. In addition, the research also highlighted some recommendations regarding the introduction and implementation of Second Life at NMMU Business School and future research opportunities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Successful implementation of succession planning: second generation
- Authors: Fox, Roderick Charles
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Family corporations -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8771 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012445 , Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Family corporations -- Management
- Description: Family businesses are prevalent in South Africa and throughout the world. Succession is one of the largest challenges facing family businesses. It has been estimated that only one third of family businesses survive to the second generation. This study attempts to determine what the main features are to promote successful family business succession and continuity. The family chosen for this research is the Venter family. The research has scaled the various influencing variables from the literature review into the following focus areas: relationships, conflict, vision, effective succession characteristics and continuity. The findings reflect many instances found in the literature, some are: individuals can manage themselves and have relationships with others; have the ability to resolve conflicts; have mutual support and trust; there is respect between the founder and successor; the business vision is clear; communication is open and clear and decisions are based on expertise and knowledge. Many other aspects are highlighted in the research that follows. In addition, the study attempts to identify the generational effects, the major characteristics of the family owned succession process and the views of the predecessors on the succession process and the post succession period.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Fox, Roderick Charles
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Family corporations -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8771 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012445 , Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Family corporations -- Management
- Description: Family businesses are prevalent in South Africa and throughout the world. Succession is one of the largest challenges facing family businesses. It has been estimated that only one third of family businesses survive to the second generation. This study attempts to determine what the main features are to promote successful family business succession and continuity. The family chosen for this research is the Venter family. The research has scaled the various influencing variables from the literature review into the following focus areas: relationships, conflict, vision, effective succession characteristics and continuity. The findings reflect many instances found in the literature, some are: individuals can manage themselves and have relationships with others; have the ability to resolve conflicts; have mutual support and trust; there is respect between the founder and successor; the business vision is clear; communication is open and clear and decisions are based on expertise and knowledge. Many other aspects are highlighted in the research that follows. In addition, the study attempts to identify the generational effects, the major characteristics of the family owned succession process and the views of the predecessors on the succession process and the post succession period.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The assessment of the international organisations high performance strategy, through global business unit managers
- Authors: Van den Heever, Andette
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Organisation Effectiviness , Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8837 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019966
- Description: In today’s competitive global environment it is vital for businesses to continuously outperform their competitors, making each business more and more dependent upon product quality and the ability to adjust rapidly to change. To survive, businesses more and more depend on the creativity, initiative and problem-solving abilities of their employees. The research in this treatise will focus on the components of a high performance organisation, when assessing the international high performance strategy of Company A, developed by top management. The implementation of Company A’s strategy relies on how well the organisation fosters an environment which is conducive to high performance. At this stage it is not clear if the chosen strategy will succeed and direct the organisation towards sustainable high performance in the long run. Hence, the research question, which is the crux of this study, is to assess the effectiveness of Company A’s international high performance strategy in creating a sustainable high performance organisation in the long run. To achieve the primary objective of this research study, the researcher compared various prominent models of high performance organisations with one another. Despite the limitations, the researcher believes that the significance of De Waal’s model is that he managed to identify the factors involved in creating a high performance organisation. Based on the quantitative and qualitative comparisons, the researcher decided to use the research conducted by De Waal as the framework for the basis of this study. The Delphi Technique was used to identify the effectiveness of the strategy through a consensus seeking and commitment building process. Contrary to expectations, the empirical results indicated that Company A’s strategy does clearly indicate a high percentage of effectiveness. Although it definitely indicates that there is still a long road ahead of Company A to reach ultimate sustainable high performance, it definitely is on the right track. The research highlighted a few areas of concern, but with continuous adjustment and alignment of their strategy Company A would have a solid framework to work towards high performance in the long run.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Van den Heever, Andette
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Organisation Effectiviness , Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8837 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019966
- Description: In today’s competitive global environment it is vital for businesses to continuously outperform their competitors, making each business more and more dependent upon product quality and the ability to adjust rapidly to change. To survive, businesses more and more depend on the creativity, initiative and problem-solving abilities of their employees. The research in this treatise will focus on the components of a high performance organisation, when assessing the international high performance strategy of Company A, developed by top management. The implementation of Company A’s strategy relies on how well the organisation fosters an environment which is conducive to high performance. At this stage it is not clear if the chosen strategy will succeed and direct the organisation towards sustainable high performance in the long run. Hence, the research question, which is the crux of this study, is to assess the effectiveness of Company A’s international high performance strategy in creating a sustainable high performance organisation in the long run. To achieve the primary objective of this research study, the researcher compared various prominent models of high performance organisations with one another. Despite the limitations, the researcher believes that the significance of De Waal’s model is that he managed to identify the factors involved in creating a high performance organisation. Based on the quantitative and qualitative comparisons, the researcher decided to use the research conducted by De Waal as the framework for the basis of this study. The Delphi Technique was used to identify the effectiveness of the strategy through a consensus seeking and commitment building process. Contrary to expectations, the empirical results indicated that Company A’s strategy does clearly indicate a high percentage of effectiveness. Although it definitely indicates that there is still a long road ahead of Company A to reach ultimate sustainable high performance, it definitely is on the right track. The research highlighted a few areas of concern, but with continuous adjustment and alignment of their strategy Company A would have a solid framework to work towards high performance in the long run.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The credit risk management skills shortage in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
- Authors: Teka, Babalwa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- Risk management -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Credit -- Management , Risk management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8834 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019893
- Description: Tito Mboweni (2011) said one of South Africa’s biggest tests is the overwhelming the skills shortage. He was echoing the views of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande who himself said “South Africa could not afford to have an economy "constrained by a severe lack of skills". There are numerous initiatives that having been undertaken by government in an attempt to solve the skills shortage problem. However, these initiatives are not aimed at the tertiary education system. The tertiary education system is the focus of this study as the author investigates how the NMMU Business School can play a significant role in addressing the skills shortage in the credit risk management sector. Following a literature review, surveys were completed by the NMMU Business School MBA students (ninety of them completed it) and personal interviews were conducted with three Provincial HR managers from South Africa’s “four big banks” in Nelson Mandela Bay (Nedbank, Standard Bank and ABSA). The study found that the skills shortage is indeed a problem. The study found that reasons including the legacy left by apartheid and students pursuing the wrong degrees were highlighted as some of the reason for this skills shortage. An opportunity for the NMMU Business School was identified to support the banking industry in addressing credit risk management skills shortage. The benefits include financial reward and more importantly an opportunity to differentiate the Business School and the courses offered at the school from the rest. Some of the recommendations included sourcing of the best practices from institutions like the Millpark Business School on effective partnering with the banking industry as well as a proactive approach to be adopted by the banking industry in terms of lobbying support from other potential role players for example but not limited to, student bodies, BankSeta and the smaller banks in the industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Teka, Babalwa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- Risk management -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Credit -- Management , Risk management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8834 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019893
- Description: Tito Mboweni (2011) said one of South Africa’s biggest tests is the overwhelming the skills shortage. He was echoing the views of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande who himself said “South Africa could not afford to have an economy "constrained by a severe lack of skills". There are numerous initiatives that having been undertaken by government in an attempt to solve the skills shortage problem. However, these initiatives are not aimed at the tertiary education system. The tertiary education system is the focus of this study as the author investigates how the NMMU Business School can play a significant role in addressing the skills shortage in the credit risk management sector. Following a literature review, surveys were completed by the NMMU Business School MBA students (ninety of them completed it) and personal interviews were conducted with three Provincial HR managers from South Africa’s “four big banks” in Nelson Mandela Bay (Nedbank, Standard Bank and ABSA). The study found that the skills shortage is indeed a problem. The study found that reasons including the legacy left by apartheid and students pursuing the wrong degrees were highlighted as some of the reason for this skills shortage. An opportunity for the NMMU Business School was identified to support the banking industry in addressing credit risk management skills shortage. The benefits include financial reward and more importantly an opportunity to differentiate the Business School and the courses offered at the school from the rest. Some of the recommendations included sourcing of the best practices from institutions like the Millpark Business School on effective partnering with the banking industry as well as a proactive approach to be adopted by the banking industry in terms of lobbying support from other potential role players for example but not limited to, student bodies, BankSeta and the smaller banks in the industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The effect of strategic project leadership elements on successful strategic management implementation
- Authors: Nel, Nevin Narhan
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Strategic management , Project management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8819 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018931
- Description: Executives and managers are required to develop the required competencies to ensure the long term success of their organisations. In the competitive and dynamic business environment organisations are faced with, strategic management and planning has gained momentum as a management science which aids managers and executives in circumventing the challenges that such a dynamic environment can present. Strategic management and planning is, however, of no consequence unless the strategic plan is deployed and implemented in an organisation and the implemented plan is evaluated in action. Many organisations find the process of strategy implementation much more of a challenge than the process of strategy formulation. Consequently, many of these organisations have utilised project management to assist in the strategic management implementation process. The competitive and dynamic business environment also requires organisations to constantly develop and execute more innovative business strategies to remain competitive. In order to do this, many organisations have started to explore the alignment between business strategy and project management strategy. Various commentators note that successful implementation of strategy is challenging, especially considering the 70 per cent execution failure rate. It is further noted that organisations only realise 60 per cent of the potential value of their intended strategies due to failures in planning and implementation. Consequently, projects are often chosen as vehicles to implement these business strategies. The primary objective of this research is to improve the implementation of strategic management initiatives within organisations. This was achieved by investigating whether Shenhar’s strategic project leadership elements (i.e. organisational structure, process definition, implementation metrics, implementation tools and organisational culture) have an impact on the successful implementation of strategic management initiatives. The study also aims to investigate whether age, gender, race, designation, education, industry experience and tenure at Eskom Telecommunications, have an impact on the perception of the following variables under investigation: Implementation metrics; Implementation tools; Organisational structure; Organisational culture; Process definition; and Strategic management implementation. If the correlation between strategic management implementation and Shenhar’s strategic project leadership elements is established, it would assist organisations in the implementation of successful strategic management initiatives, by aiding an understanding of how these independent variables affect the implementation process. Improved implementation of strategic management initiatives would assist management teams in organisations to overcome the unique challenges that change in an organisation’s internal and external environment cause. The scope of this study was limited to be conducted in Eskom Telecommunications only. The study is concluded with a number of recommendations that Eskom Telecommunications could implement to improve strategic management implementation and a synopsis of this study’s contribution to theory is provided, in addition to recommendations for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Nel, Nevin Narhan
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Strategic management , Project management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8819 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018931
- Description: Executives and managers are required to develop the required competencies to ensure the long term success of their organisations. In the competitive and dynamic business environment organisations are faced with, strategic management and planning has gained momentum as a management science which aids managers and executives in circumventing the challenges that such a dynamic environment can present. Strategic management and planning is, however, of no consequence unless the strategic plan is deployed and implemented in an organisation and the implemented plan is evaluated in action. Many organisations find the process of strategy implementation much more of a challenge than the process of strategy formulation. Consequently, many of these organisations have utilised project management to assist in the strategic management implementation process. The competitive and dynamic business environment also requires organisations to constantly develop and execute more innovative business strategies to remain competitive. In order to do this, many organisations have started to explore the alignment between business strategy and project management strategy. Various commentators note that successful implementation of strategy is challenging, especially considering the 70 per cent execution failure rate. It is further noted that organisations only realise 60 per cent of the potential value of their intended strategies due to failures in planning and implementation. Consequently, projects are often chosen as vehicles to implement these business strategies. The primary objective of this research is to improve the implementation of strategic management initiatives within organisations. This was achieved by investigating whether Shenhar’s strategic project leadership elements (i.e. organisational structure, process definition, implementation metrics, implementation tools and organisational culture) have an impact on the successful implementation of strategic management initiatives. The study also aims to investigate whether age, gender, race, designation, education, industry experience and tenure at Eskom Telecommunications, have an impact on the perception of the following variables under investigation: Implementation metrics; Implementation tools; Organisational structure; Organisational culture; Process definition; and Strategic management implementation. If the correlation between strategic management implementation and Shenhar’s strategic project leadership elements is established, it would assist organisations in the implementation of successful strategic management initiatives, by aiding an understanding of how these independent variables affect the implementation process. Improved implementation of strategic management initiatives would assist management teams in organisations to overcome the unique challenges that change in an organisation’s internal and external environment cause. The scope of this study was limited to be conducted in Eskom Telecommunications only. The study is concluded with a number of recommendations that Eskom Telecommunications could implement to improve strategic management implementation and a synopsis of this study’s contribution to theory is provided, in addition to recommendations for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The impact of strength-based leadership on high-performance work teams : a Volkswagen case study
- Authors: Jacobs, Corneluis Theodorus
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Leadership , Teams in the workplace
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8810
- Description: In the modern day organisation where the emphasis is largely on teams rather than individuals, it is of critical importance to have teams who can be regarded as high-performing. High performing teams will ensure that companies can achieve more with less in terms of resources required. However the creation of a high performing team remains a consistent challenge due to innate human behaviour and traits. One of the keys that could assist in the creation of a high-performing work team is a strength-based leadership approach. The study compromised of firstly, the philosophy of strength-based leadership and the underpinnings of this philosophy. Secondly, the author also looked at the high-performance team model, attributes associated with this model and the various theories of how a high-performing team can be created. Thirdly an empirical study was conducted using a selected management team within a major automotive manufacturer that was already following the strength-based leadership approach. The empirical study aimed to establish to what degree this leadership philosophy is being followed as well as gauging the current level of team performance. Finally the empirical findings were correlated with the theoretical back ground established, and recommendations were made. Overall the team studied can be regarded as a high-performing work team, partially due to their approach in following the strength-based leadership approach. Individual team members are very aware of their own strengths as well as those of their fellow team members. The manager also seeks to continually utilize the individual strengths of his team. The team also has a very positive attitude and subsequently team motivation and performance is very high. However conflict resolution is currently a potential barrier to further performance enhancement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Jacobs, Corneluis Theodorus
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Leadership , Teams in the workplace
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8810
- Description: In the modern day organisation where the emphasis is largely on teams rather than individuals, it is of critical importance to have teams who can be regarded as high-performing. High performing teams will ensure that companies can achieve more with less in terms of resources required. However the creation of a high performing team remains a consistent challenge due to innate human behaviour and traits. One of the keys that could assist in the creation of a high-performing work team is a strength-based leadership approach. The study compromised of firstly, the philosophy of strength-based leadership and the underpinnings of this philosophy. Secondly, the author also looked at the high-performance team model, attributes associated with this model and the various theories of how a high-performing team can be created. Thirdly an empirical study was conducted using a selected management team within a major automotive manufacturer that was already following the strength-based leadership approach. The empirical study aimed to establish to what degree this leadership philosophy is being followed as well as gauging the current level of team performance. Finally the empirical findings were correlated with the theoretical back ground established, and recommendations were made. Overall the team studied can be regarded as a high-performing work team, partially due to their approach in following the strength-based leadership approach. Individual team members are very aware of their own strengths as well as those of their fellow team members. The manager also seeks to continually utilize the individual strengths of his team. The team also has a very positive attitude and subsequently team motivation and performance is very high. However conflict resolution is currently a potential barrier to further performance enhancement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The influence of copreneurial relationships on the restaurant industry : a study in the Nelson Mandela Metropole
- Von Hoffman, Ethen Langeford
- Authors: Von Hoffman, Ethen Langeford
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Couple-owned business enterprises -- Management , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020003
- Description: Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the South African economy, especially in light of the recent global recession. For family businesses, namely copreneurs in the restaurant industry, to be afforded a better opportunity to perform better and be viable and sustainable, a deeper understanding and insight into their dynamics is required. Researching and implementing strategies or recommendations to improve the influence of copreneurial relationships in the restaurant industry is fundamentally important to the growth and sustainability of restaurants in the hospitality industry, in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM). However, no known studies have been performed in this area of copreneurship. This study sought to present exploratory research in the rapidly expanding and critically important sector family business, namely copreneurships specifically in the restaurant industry in the NMM, in South Africa. The primary research objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding and insight into the influence of copreneurial relationships in the restaurant industry in the NMM. A phenomenological, or qualitative, research paradigm, through the use of focused one-on-one interviews, was employed to probe and analyse relational factors of copreneurial relationships. A qualifying questionnaire was constructed to determine the most effective sample for the study followed by an extensive questionnaire constructed to probe into the demographics and the specifically identified relational factors of the ten qualifying copreneurships. The collected data was then analysed and inferences were derived from the findings of the study. The findings revealed that what restaurant copreneurships perceive to be the most important relationship factors are very closely linked to the relationship factors perceived important to personally work on and improve. Of the relational factors considered for this study, namely: Commitment, communication, conflict, division of labour, emotional attachment, relationship bond, respect, spousal harmony, trust and the spousal values system, several factors stood out as those baring greatest influence on copreneurial relationships and their business. This study, from an analysis of the collected interview data and subsequent findings, determined communication to stand out above all other factors as being the most critical to copreneurial relationships. All other factors emanated as important but division of labour, values system, respect and relationship bond were revealed as extremely important, just behind communication. In light of these findings, as well as the discovery of other affecting factors, the study concluded that the viability and sustainability of restaurant copreneurships is of paramount significance. In order to facilitate this, copreneurial couples must cherish their relationships with each other, understand the dynamics of the relational factors affecting their relationships, invoke relational improvements for their viability and sustainability, not neglect family responsibilities and preservation in light of business needs and work together as a team.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Von Hoffman, Ethen Langeford
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Couple-owned business enterprises -- Management , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Small business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020003
- Description: Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the South African economy, especially in light of the recent global recession. For family businesses, namely copreneurs in the restaurant industry, to be afforded a better opportunity to perform better and be viable and sustainable, a deeper understanding and insight into their dynamics is required. Researching and implementing strategies or recommendations to improve the influence of copreneurial relationships in the restaurant industry is fundamentally important to the growth and sustainability of restaurants in the hospitality industry, in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM). However, no known studies have been performed in this area of copreneurship. This study sought to present exploratory research in the rapidly expanding and critically important sector family business, namely copreneurships specifically in the restaurant industry in the NMM, in South Africa. The primary research objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding and insight into the influence of copreneurial relationships in the restaurant industry in the NMM. A phenomenological, or qualitative, research paradigm, through the use of focused one-on-one interviews, was employed to probe and analyse relational factors of copreneurial relationships. A qualifying questionnaire was constructed to determine the most effective sample for the study followed by an extensive questionnaire constructed to probe into the demographics and the specifically identified relational factors of the ten qualifying copreneurships. The collected data was then analysed and inferences were derived from the findings of the study. The findings revealed that what restaurant copreneurships perceive to be the most important relationship factors are very closely linked to the relationship factors perceived important to personally work on and improve. Of the relational factors considered for this study, namely: Commitment, communication, conflict, division of labour, emotional attachment, relationship bond, respect, spousal harmony, trust and the spousal values system, several factors stood out as those baring greatest influence on copreneurial relationships and their business. This study, from an analysis of the collected interview data and subsequent findings, determined communication to stand out above all other factors as being the most critical to copreneurial relationships. All other factors emanated as important but division of labour, values system, respect and relationship bond were revealed as extremely important, just behind communication. In light of these findings, as well as the discovery of other affecting factors, the study concluded that the viability and sustainability of restaurant copreneurships is of paramount significance. In order to facilitate this, copreneurial couples must cherish their relationships with each other, understand the dynamics of the relational factors affecting their relationships, invoke relational improvements for their viability and sustainability, not neglect family responsibilities and preservation in light of business needs and work together as a team.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012