Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)
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Item The influence of organisational change on organisational culture and employee engagement at a retail distribution centre in KwaZulu-Natal(2024) Ndlovu, Thobeka; Murwirapachena, GeniusOrganisational change remains one of the most critical challenges facing organisations. It is imperative for employee engagement and organisational culture to be incorporated into the organisational strategic goals to enhance employee performance and organisational success. Generally, organisational change can be triggered by factors including the business, political, economic, and cultural environments, competitor initiatives, technological innovations, globalisation, or restructuring. The riots that happened in several parts of Durban and Johannesburg in July 2021 affected several businesses. In the aftermath, studies have emerged detailing the impact of the riots, yet very few studies, if any, exist on the impact of the unrests on organisations across the retail distribution sector. This study aims to close this gap by investigating the impact of organisational change on organisational culture and employee engagement within the retail distribution sector. The study fulfils three main objectives to achieve this aim. The first objective is to examine the Influence of organisational change on organisational culture. Secondly, the study seeks to examine the Influence of organisational change on employee engagement, and lastly, the study aims to determine the role of demographic factors, if any, on the influence of organisational change on organisational culture and employee engagement.Item Assessing the influence of organizational culture on small, medium and micro enterprise’s business sustainability in the eThekwini Municipal area(2024) Khoza, Ntokozo Thanks-LordThis research accepted that the government of South Africa supports the development of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) due to their potential to grow the country’s economy. The research then aimed to ascertain the extent to which the influence of organizational culture on SMMEs can influence business sustainability in the eThekwini Municipal area of South Africa. The study scrutinized the ability of SMME managers and operators on how they can through organizational culture ensure business sustainability in a way that contributes to sustainable economic growth. Additionally, the factors that influence the development and the performances of SMMEs in the eThekwini Municipal area were observed. The study follows the human behaviour of SMME managers, operators, and business owners as to how they can contribute to economic development and survive in the competitive market. Using simple random sampling, data was collected from various SMMEs in the eThekwini Municipal area. A total of 250 entrepreneurs responded to the questionnaire. This data was captured and analyzed on SPSS (version 26) and yielded descriptive statistics. The key findings were that the entrepreneurs revealed that business awareness; transparency; market capturing; opportunity recognition; market intelligence; clarity of purpose; business risk; creativity; self-motivation; and team spirit were all significant in founding and operating a successful business. A challenge that emerged from the respondents was that a high number of entrepreneurs did not give much significance to assuming responsibilities. However, they were taking good care of their environments and using their cultural values to reform the environment. The main objective is that entrepreneurs, operatives and managers must learn to assume responsibly if they are to build their businesses and environment that renounces incorrigible act. This could also be an avenue for further research.Item A case study of superusers' influence towards productivity at Transient Port Terminals in Durban(2024-05) Khumalo, Msizi Mafika; Sangham, Anilrai IThis thesis evaluated Superuser influence on organisational productivity in an organisation at Transnet Port Terminals in Durban. The study was motivated by a general concern in the Port terminals regarding Superusers, training, policies, leadership, and application information systems synergistical roles towards performance in Organisation. This study used qualitative data collection to gain a clearer view of the Durban Transnet Port Terminals environment and found that workers demand inclusivity when determining enablers and objectives. This study recommends the presence of a Superuser, structured training, application information systems, inclusive change management processes and engaging management to manage a successful Durban Port Terminal. It also identifies Superuser's positioning and input in enhancing the Port operational accomplishments. This review examines the influence of Superusers on organizational productivity in an organization. Due to the COVID-19pandemic, this study concentrated on the Durban Port Terminals, where access, mobility, and the open freedom of applying carefree observations were restricted. Only employees who were cleared to attend work and those with access to computers took part in the study, and interactions between respondents and the researcher were constrained by the COVID-19 protocols, study design research tools and safe distance guidelines. This study aims to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of malfunctioning systems, or users that are ill-equipped, on total productivity. It also aims to investigate the extent to which Superusers, and application information systems improvement could contribute to the performance and effectiveness of Transnet, and the impacts on national economic growth and social transformation. It is intended to reflect on superusers, strategies, leadership, and training which can synergistically bridge the gap between business, resources, and application systems to improve productivity. It aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding superusers, performance, and organizations. Superusers have the potential to significantly reduce the productivity gapItem Organisational change management framework for hospitals : a comparative case of St Mary’s, Marianhill, South Africa and St Joseph’s, Adazi-Nnukwu, Nigeria(2024-05) Anusi, Happiness Ifunanya; Mutambara, EmmanuelChange management in healthcare organisations is a complex task considering the continuous changes in global demography, technology, strategies, clinical communication, information transfer, and disease burden. The current global pandemic highlighted the need for healthcare organisations to continue implementing measures that adequately respond to health challenges towards patient satisfaction. Many organisations find it difficult to implement organisational change successfully. Unsuccessful change programmes can be attributed to the lack of employee training and development, poor leadership, inadequate communication, poor organisational culture and inadequate resources (Mosadeghrad & Ansarian, 2014). However, change programme implementation and its impact depend largely on the ability of managers to adopt and adapt the change programme techniques in their organisations. Agboola & Salawu's (2010) identified that the introduction of change produces a variety of reactions due to the intrinsic uncertainty or the alteration of employee behavioural patterns, including status quo, anxiety and lack of tolerance, amongst others. The greater the impact on the existing culture, the greater the amount of resistance likely to emerge and the more difficult it will be to implement change. The study of Organisational Development (OD) can serve as a learning paradigm for academic research by enhancing student knowledge about how change management can enable hospitals to create effective responses to changes. The main purpose of this study was to explore organisational change management practices in hospitals in Nigeria and South Africa and proposed a conceptual framework for the change management process for hospitals in a developing context. Employees are one of the most critical elements in any organisational change. Research objectives guided this study to determine the influence of driving forces of change on employee performance in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; to examine the impact of organisation culture on the practical implementation of change in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; to determine the influence of practical implementation of change on patient satisfaction in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; and to establish if drivers of change influence resistance to change during the implementation process in St Mary's Hospital, Marianhill and St Joseph's Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu. This study provided information on resisting forces and stakeholder attitudes towards the change. And thus, assisted in restructuring the health system for greater efficiency through structural reforms that bring healthcare closer to the people, foster greater accountability and promote community participation. A case study research design was adopted for this study. An explanatory mixed-method approach was adopted with the observed hospitals. The target population and sampling frame were the employees and management from different organisational levels at both hospitals. The total number of employees and final sample size for the study was 132 for St Joseph's Hospital and 150 for St Mary's Hospital. The researcher designed two sets of questionnaires for all employees, a survey for quantitative and an open-ended questionnaire for qualitative. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 28.0 and NVivo 12 were used to analyse the data. The analysis results for objectives one, two, three and four revealed a significant relationship between drivers of organisational change and employee performance. Organisational culture significantly impacted the practical implementation of change. Practical implementation of change showed a significant relationship with patient satisfaction. However, a non-significant association was found between drivers of change and resistance to change. The study found that both hospitals were successful in their change programmes. This can be attributed to proper employee training and development, good leadership, effective communication, strong organisational culture and adequate resources. Technology and organisational policy have been documented as key drivers of organisational change and performance. The study recommends that the management of the two healthcare organisations continue to implement technological changes with appropriate and required training. Management should continue to improve the adopted communication system, participative leadership and motivation system to enhance the implementation of change and promote team-building exercises to improve staff attitudes.Item An assessment on the impact of employee perceptions on organisational strategic change in the context of CRL commission(2022) Mnguni, Phumzile; Mathebula, MMThis research focuses on the impact of employee perceptions on organisational strategic change with specific reference to the Commission on the Rights of Cultural Religious and Linguistic communities (CRL Commission) at Braamfontein, Johannesburg for the past five years.Item Employee retention strategies in the context of organisational change ar a selected private health care provider in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal(2022-09-15) Kisten, Asthera; Lourens, Melanie Elizabeth; Lourens, MelanieThe aim of the study was to investigate employee retention strategies in the context of organisational change at a selected private healthcare provider in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. The main problem revolved around poor employee retention, coupled with the many organisational changes taking place in the organisation over the last five years. This has to some degree affected service delivery at the healthcare provider. The study adopted a quantitative research design and pre-coded structured closedended questionnaires were administered to the target population. There are 500 employees at the private healthcare provider and the sample size for the research was 260. A survey method was utilised. The response rate of completed surveys received was 96% using the personal method of data collection. The responses were captured and the data was analysed utilising the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 for Windows. Numerous hypotheses were formulated and tested using Pearson’s Chi-square and Spearman’s rank order co-efficient. The key findings indicated that organisational changes had an impact on employee retention, which contributed to the effectiveness of service delivery at the private healthcare provider. The findings also indicated that employee retention strategies contribute to improved service delivery at the private healthcare provider. The recommendations suggest that the management of the private healthcare provider should strive to improve employee retention through effective communication; training and development; career development; providing incentives, rewards and recognition; embracing feedback from employees; and implementing employee suggestions where possible. The TURNITIN program was utilised to test the entire dissertation for plagiarism. The study concluded with recommendations for future research.Item The applicability of systems thinking in Universities of Technology (UoTs) in KwaZulu-Natal(2021-04) Mhlongo, Patrick Mbongwa; Zondo, Robert Walter DumisaniOrganisations in both the private and public sectors have to interact with their surrounding and volatile environments in order to survive. Hence it is critical for organisations to remain competitive under such conditions. There is a need to respond effectively to the needs of stakeholders. Universities of Technology (UoTs) are not immune to global and local challenges. For UoTs, their stakeholders include students, government, accreditation bodies and industry. The focus of the study was on exploring Systems Thinking in the context of UoTs. Systems Thinking empowers members of the organisation with the ability to think holistically in terms of how organisations operate. Given the challenges and the environment in which UoTs operate, it was critical to conduct the study to explore an alternative management approach. The study explores the Systems Thinking approach as an alternative management approach to traditional management practices. The research problem identified in this study is silo practices or functional silos in UoTs. The Systems Thinking philosophy has been identified as an effective management approach to deal with unpredictable and complex challenges in both the public and private sectors. It serves as a catalyst in terms of conditioning organisational members to appreciate the interrelations and interdependence of various departments or units within an organisation. The study adopted a mixed methods approach, investigating the applicability of Systems Thinking in UoTs as the aim of the study. Data was collected through a combination of interviews and a survey. Systems Thinking was the phenomenon being explored, thus the study was phenomenological. A Convergent approach was used as both qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously. In other words, the study was cross-sectional. Moreover, data collected was used to develop grounded theory. It was through the inductive philosophy that the study contributed to the development of a theory. Self-administered questionnaires and unstructured face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from the participants. Qualitative and quantitative data were necessary to achieve the objectives of the study and also to answer the formulated research questions. Permanent employees of the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) participated in the study. The population comprised staff from both the administration and academic sectors. Stratified sampling and simple random sampling were used to select manageable sample from the population. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse quantitative data, whilst Nvivo was the computer software used to analyse qualitative data. A response rate of 73% was achieved. The findings indicated that there was a lack of an institutionalised and internalised overarching Systems Thinking in the UoTs. Participants also felt that there was a strong culture of functional silos in the UoTs. The study showed that the focus of employees was more on departmental or faculty goals, instead of broader institutional goals. Participants were optimistic about opportunities for the application of Systems Thinking in the UoTs. Resistance to change was one of the factors identified as a challenge in terms of the implementation of a Systems Thinking philosophy in the UoTs. The study makes a theoretical contribution and provides necessary insights to improve processes and practices in UoTs. The significance of the study is that it identifies a phenomenon that has received no attention from previous researchers. The study deals with the gap in the existing literature as the focus has been more on Systems Thinking in the context of the corporate sector. The significance of the study is that is provides insights that should be considered during decision-making and strategy formulation processes in UoTs. Systems Thinking empowers decision-makers with the ability to consider all relevant variables of the situation.Item Change management leadership and its impact on employees’ resistance to change : case study of selected automobile companies in the Durban Metropolitan Region of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)(2022-04) Chukwuma, Nonye Emmanuella; Govender, L.N.This study is based on the contention that the world is shifting from an industrial paradigm to a post-industrial paradigm and, as a result, change ought to be managed effectively. The literature reviewed for this study has indicated that there are neither appropriate models to address monumental changes in the automobile industry, nor tools to address resistance to change, due to inadequate leadership skills. Accordingly, the study investigates existing change leadership styles and particularly focuses on the transformational and transactional change leadership styles which also include other leadership styles. The study further explores factors that influence resistance to change: demographic factors; the theoretical components of resistance to change; and communication adequacy. The research study also explores the process of a change management leadership model adapted from related research studies, which is aligned with managing resistance effectively at the selected automobile dealership companies in the Durban Metropolitan Region of KwaZulu-Natal. A sample size of 300 staff members and managers were conveniently considered, comprising 270 staff and 30 managers, in a mixed-method research study. However, only 170 questionnaires were returned, and 28 managers were successfully interviewed, which resulted in an average response rate of 66% (63% for the quantitative study and 93% for the qualitative study). To analyse the data quantitatively, inferential statistics and descriptive statistics were used. The hypothesised model formulated was tested with the structural equation model (SEM). Findings revealed no relationship between transformational leadership and resistance to change. However, there was a relationship between transactional leadership and resistance to change. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis employing the NVIVO software package. Recommendations from the study include the application of the proposed change management leadership model and other intervention strategies mentioned in the study for the improvement of change management in the dealership companies.Item Impact evaluation of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) in the department of Academic Administration at a University of Technology (UoT) in South Africa(2021-01) Kunene, Xolani Sunshine; Neerputh, ShirleenOrganizational evolution is an inevitable trend in higher educational institutions. Aside from being dynamic entities themselves, organizations operate under dynamic environments and exist to serve the needs of other entities that equally evolve. Most importantly, the services offered by organizations are susceptible client’s deliberate or induced changes. To remain relevant is a function of the quality of service offered and ability to continually add value in alignment with current demands. Ensuring this continuity is a monumental challenge that requires organizations to implement suitable strategies to monitor and evaluate their business processes to remain relevant, efficient, and competitive. This has given credence to the implementation of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) in higher education to address operational challenges. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of Business Process Reengineering implementation in the Department of Academic Administration in a University of Technology in South Africa. The research study objectives were: • To examine employee’s awareness of the broad principles of Business Process Re-engineering implementation in Higher Education; • To investigate the impact of Business Process Re-engineering on employee’s work daily routines, and • To investigate perception of employees on the success of Business Process Re-engineering. The research main question was: What impact has Business Process Re-engineering implementation had in the Department of Academic Administration in a University of Technology in South Africa? The sub-questions were: • What level of awareness exist amongst employees about Business Process Re-engineering? • What are the factors relevant for Business Process Re-engineering success? • What is the implementation status of Business Process Re-engineering in the Department of Academic Administration? A non-probability sampling method was used in this study. Relevant information was obtained through the application of the questionnaire, which was then classified into themes. A quantitative method approach was used. Self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection, consisting of both structured and one open-ended survey question. The study population included one hundred and ten employees and a sample of sixty, total returned responses of forty-nine (49). Respondents included both academic and administrative (support) staff members. Data analysis was conducted through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, for both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of this study indicate that the implementation of Business Process Reengineering had a positive impact in a specific University of Technology. First positive impact is based on employee perception that automation has resulted in an increased use of online services, secondly departments were able to respond rapidly to problems and the strategic goal of the project was aligned with the departmental goal. This study contributes towards an under-researched area of Business Process Reengineering implementation in the administrative sector in higher education. The researcher envision that the findings will help in expanding Business Process Reengineering to other departments in a University of Technology, as well as provide BPR strategies to enhance the administrative quality of university services.Item The evaluation of the effectiveness of job placement administration practice : a case study of the Human Resources Business Unit (HRBU) at Msunduzi Municipality(2019-11) Vezi, Phumelela Talent; Ngwane, Knowledge Siyabonga VusamandlaMsunduzi Municipality is located in KwaZulu-Natal, in its second largest city called Pietermaritzburg. The city is the legislative and administrative centre of the province (Statistics South Africa, 2018). Msunduzi Local Municipality was placed under administration in March 2010. The major organisational restructuring processes and placement of employees began in 2004 in the Msunduzi Municipality. The reason was that former employees of the municipality worked for many years without any career development. The placement had more problems such as misappropriation on placement of employees, high workloads, low staff morale and lack of job satisfaction. Through the restructuring and placement process, Msunduzi Municipality intended to recognise the need for satisfying and rewarding careers for employees. Therefore, it became imperative to investigate the effectiveness of administration on job placement in the Human Resources Business Unit of Msunduzi Municipality in order to find and recommend ways of satisfying employees and at the same time enhancing their social and economic advancement. A sample size of 26 participants, 11 females and 15 males out of 350 total employees was chosen for the study as participants. This is because qualitative research employs a small sample size since it involves in-depth interviews of participants which requires more time. This study was be based in Pietermaritzburg, specifically on Human Resources Business Unit (HRBU) of Msunduzi Municipality. The found that the employees at Msunduzi Municipality had different ideas about what job placement is all about and the policies that entails it. It emerged very strongly in the findings that most of the employees perceived the job placement process to be poor and consequently affecting the growth and survival of the organisation.