Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

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Towards the establishment of an entrepreneurial culture at Eastern Cape Technikon : a strategy within the Department of Electrical Engineering
(2004) Sitshinga, Mlungisi Martin
The study examined the perceptions of the Eastern Cape Technikon (ECT) Department of Electrical Engineering (DEE) learners on entrepreneurship education as part of their curriculum, their learning styles and learning approaches. This was important in order for the researcher to devise teaching approaches and materials that would suit their learning styles and approaches. The study was therefore based on the assumption that changing from traditional to innovative learning and teaching approaches would motivate and better prepare learners to become entrepreneurs.
The development of an incubator system to promote entrepreneurship for technikon fashion design graduates
(2003) Moodley, Sunthra
The South African economy is unable to support the employment needs of the growing number of graduates. In an attempt to address these needs, the proposed study focuses on the development of an incubator system to nurture young entrepreneurs (graduates), until they are able to survive independently – usually in two to three years.
An investigation into the commercial and the Zulu traditional modes of slaughtering, butchering, culinary properties and service with special reference to socio-cultural ritual behaviors in KwaZulu-Natal
(2006) Mnguni, Mzobanzi Erasmus
In this study investigated the commercial and Zulu style of slaughtering, skinning, butchering, culinary properties and service with special reference to Zulu socio-cultural ritual behaviors in South Coast of the KwaZuluNatal province.
An investigation into the criteria for project success within Transnet
(2006) Pillay, Renee
Project Management is the wave of the future. This discipline and its evolution continues to be one of the principal means by which operational and strategic changes are managed in the enterprise. The importance of Project Management for organisational success will expand, rather than wane, in years to come. Projects, particularly large scale complex ones with multiple stakeholders, are failing at alarming rates despite a wide spectrum of efforts to solve the problem. The lack of meaningful results and outcomes is due, in part, to the fact that organizations tend to operate on a set of unproven assumptions concerning project objectives, business requirements, user expectations, motivations, agendas, schedules, costs and time frames. The management dilemma is that Transnet has committed R 65 billion to projects in the hope of developing its core businesses to that of world-class standards as a logistics service provider in South Africa. Transnet’s capital project division, Protekon, is responsible for managing the projects committed to this R 65bn capital expenditure. Transnet’s perception of Protekon’s failure to successfully deliver projects could result in appointments of external consultancies such as Hatch McDougal and Guba (HMG – an engineering consultant firm). Whereas, previously, Protekon was the monopoly service provider of engineering and project management skills within Transnet, Transnet’s sub-divisions appear to be utilizing outside consultancies more frequently. The reason for procuring engineering and consultancy services external to Transnet, among others, is the perception that Protekon is performing poorly in delivering successful projects. The outsourcing of work, fuelled by the negative perception of Protekon’s performance, directly impacts on the profitability of Protekon in the short to medium term. The objective of this dissertation was firstly to investigate the effect of Protekon’s involvement in Transnet’s project success; and secondly, to recommend strategies to improve the rate of project success, that could be applied within Transnet and Protekon.
An investigation of the change process and its effect on employees : a case study of Antalis (Pty) Ltd
(2004) Stevens, Craig
The research study conducted was an investigation into the change process and its effect on employees, a case study of Antalis (Pty) Ltd. The objective of the research was to achieve a better understanding of how the company had changed and whether or not the change process was the correct one to have undertaken under the circumstances, and to investigate the effects the change had on the employees and the culture of the company.
Recommendations for improvement of supply chain management at Era Beier
(2005) Moodley, Yegambarum
The study examines the supply chain management, within the business unit of EraBeier(Pty) Ltd. This business is situated in Pinetown South Africa. The concept of supply chain management is examined in terms of quality of material supplied, supplier evaluation, logistics, inventory and purchasing. These facets identified by the concept of supply chain management are prerequisites to achieving continuous process flow, are deemed crucial for effectiveness.
The knowledge, attitude and training needs of line managers at the South African Sugar Association (SASA) with regards to the management of HIV/AIDS infected employees
(2005) Naidoo, Predhie
The knowledge, attitude and training needs of line managers at the South African Sugar Association (SASA) with regards to the management of HIV/AIDS infected employees. Background: The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS is having an increasingly adverse impact on the operations of companies. Due to the changing environment in which line managers have to operate as a result of HIV/AIDS, line managers will increasingly be faced with handling HIV/AIDS infected employees and all the issues surrounding this epidemic. The research investigates the knowledge, attitude and training needs of line managers in SASA with regards to the management of HIV/AIDS infected employees. Objective: The goals of the research are; 1). To ascertain the prevailing level of knowledge, attitude and training needs of line managers at SASA with regards to the management of HIV/AIDS infected employees. 2). To establish the relationship between the biographic variables and knowledge, attitude and training needs with regards to the management of HIV/AIDS infected employees.
The effectiveness of contracting bursary students to the Department of Health (KwaZulu-Natal) as a specialist skills retention strategy
(2006) Johnson, Liza
Imbalance in the health workforce is a major challenge for health policy-makers, since human resources are the most important of the health systems input (Sanders & Lloyd) Several developed nations are increasingly relying on immigration as a means of coping with domestic shortages of health care professionals (Vujicic et al. 2004). The extent of migration and other losses of professional skills are difficult to quantify. However, the effects of these are multifaceted and have far reaching consequences for both the economy and the maintenance of health services in the country. The effects of this “brain drain” limit service delivery and limit the general population’s access to health services. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of contracting bursary students to the Department of Health (KwaZulu-Natal) as a specialist skills retention strategy.
Consumer perceptions of charity shops in the Durban area
(2006) Lekhanya, Lawrence Mpele
Many people have used the term “charity shop” without having a clear understanding of it, even although there are numerous articles and a previous research survey about charity shops in the UK, Canada and Australia. It seems that no research has been done in South Africa on this particular topic. Also, the confusion that surrounds consumer perceptions of charity shops highlights the need for marketers to conduct more research on this particular area. The following study was conducted within the South African marketplace, specifically in four Durban areas, using quantitative research methods. The main objective of the research was to determine consumer perceptions of charity shops in the Durban area and the factors influencing these perceptions.
The business strategy development among SMME's in the KwaZulu-Natal clothing manufacturing sector
(2006) Laljit, Carmen Rochelle
One of the major problems facing SMME’s in the South African clothing industry is the surge of clothing imported particularly from China, which negatively impacts on the ability of local firms to survive in business. Despite this challenge within the volatile business environment some SMME’s within the clothing industry have been resilient and have remained in business. This survey focused on the existing business strategies of SMME’s within the clothing manufacturing sector of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The main aim of the research was to establish the underlying factors of competitive advantage of SMME’s and to determine the strategic action taken by businesses in order to combat the impact of the sale of imported clothing in South Africa. In addition, an evaluation of the success of these strategic choices was carried out so that future business strategies for SMME’s can be developed to ensure sustainable competitive advantage.
The effect of organizational change on productivity : a case study of a safety glass manufacturing division within the PG Group
(2005) Laudenberg, Peter
The research problem investigates to what extent the introduction of change has affected employee motivation and job satisfaction with reference to organizational productivity.
The readiness of eThekwini electricity employees for change to a regional electricity distributor
(2007) Mntungwa, Muzi Brian
The research assesses employee readiness at eThekwini Electricity to form part of the Regional Electricity Distributor, which had been legislated by Government. The premise of the study is to investigate, identify and understand key factors likely to promote or inhibit effective readiness to change. If these factors can be measured by the organisation, an evaluation of the difficulty of the change effort can then be used to plan accordingly. By assessing readiness for change in the organisation, Top Management will be in a position to identify gaps that may exist between their own expectations about the change effort and those of other organisational members.
An investigation into the feasibility of using e-business to sell plant material to the South African nursery industry
(2005) Pollard, Bryn
The South African nursery industry has faced many challenges over the last ten years. Excess in both demand and supply occur in any given year. The cost of maintaining a plant beyond its ideal ‘sell-by-date’ erodes profit and after time, results in complete wastage. The seedling nursery industry cannot afford to throw away large quantities of surplus seedlings or those that have become root-bound. The size of the wastage problem was unknown. It was believed that a website for trading surplus stock of seedlings might be the answer to the oversupply experienced by individual nurseries. The literature was consulted to establish what had made large companies successful. The advantages and disadvantages of E-business were investigated.
Job satisfaction at IT SMEs in Durban
(2006) Peerbhai, Reshina
The purpose of this study is to assess the job satisfaction of employees at selective IT SMEs in Durban and to ascertain if the personal characteristics of gender, age, race, and tenure influenced job satisfaction. This was assessed by determining if these employees were satisfied with their reward structure, their work environment, and the impact of gender, age, race and tenure on job satisfaction.
An investigation into the residual effects of a change in sponsorship of a sports event on consumer perceptions of, and attitudes towards the original sponsor and the event itself
(2007) Cochetel, Fabrice
This study examined brand awareness after a change in sponsor and audience perceptions about the sponsors and the event before and after the change.
Management attitudes towards gainsharing as a strategic tool for productivity improvement at a selected South African company
(2005) Zondo, Robert Dumisani
There is a lack of commitment and participation in productivity initiatives at shop floor level in South Africa and companies are faced with competitive challenges of promoting innovativeness relating to productivity improvement amongst employees. South Africa’s labour productivity in the manufacturing sector is low when compared to Korea, United States of America, Taiwan, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. It has increasingly been recognised in industry that by introducing a carefully crafted incentive scheme, it may be possible to induce South African workers to work both harder and smarter and use existing technologies in new and better ways that enhance their productivity. The study proposes to evaluate to what extent gainsharing can be a solution.
Selecting an appropriate organisational performance management system for South African municipalities
(2006) Zulu, Zwile
This study is aimed at understanding the potential organisational performance management systems that could be used by municipalities and hence the topic "Selecting an appropriate organisational performance management system for South African municipalities"
The impact of a piece rate incentive scheme on employee output at a selected automotive company
(2005) Walsh, Anthony
This study encompasses the triangulation of research methods in order to determine the impact of a piece rate incentive scheme on employee output within the South African context. The existing body of knowledge tends to reflect the conditions found in developed countries such as the USA, Canada and the UK, very little research appears to have been conducted in the South African context.
The market orientation of proudly South African companies : students' perceptions
(2007) Thoola, Tebello Paul
The aim of this research is to evaluate students’ perceptions toward the market orientation of Proudly South Africa companies at Durban University of Technology. The Proudly South African campaign is currently very topical, having become a visible brand in its own right within the period of ten years, with the primary objective of creating job opportunities, supporting local companies by buying products that are produced within the boundaries of South Africa and to initiate nationalism among South Africans.
The training needs of leather technicians to support corporate competitive advantage at Feltex automotive leathers
(2006) Unruth, Rajesh
The purpose of this study is to identify the training needs of leather technicians with the aim of supporting corporate competitive advantage within their company. Identifying competencies is an essential first step towards developing a training programme and to support corporate competitive advantage.