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Faculty of Management Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/13

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End date: 2009Has files: Yes

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 110
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    A marketing mix model for a complex and turbulent environment
    (Acta Commercii, 2007) Mason, Roger Bruce; Staude, Gavin
    Purpose: This paper is based on the proposition that the choice of marketing tactics is determined, or at least significantly influenced, by the nature of the company’s external environment. It aims to illustrate the type of marketing mix tactics that are suggested for a complex and turbulent environment when marketing and the environment are viewed through a chaos and complexity theory lens. Design/Methodology/Approach: Since chaos and complexity theories are proposed as a good means of understanding the dynamics of complex and turbulent markets, a comprehensive review and analysis of literature on the marketing mix and marketing tactics from a chaos and complexity viewpoint was conducted. From this literature review, a marketing mix model was conceptualised. Findings: A marketing mix model considered appropriate for success in complex and turbulent environments was developed. In such environments, the literature suggests destabilising marketing activities are more effective, whereas stabilising type activities are more effective in simple, stable environments. Therefore the model proposes predominantly destabilising type tactics as appropriate for a complex and turbulent environment such as is currently being experienced in South Africa. Implications: This paper is of benefit to marketers by emphasising a new way to consider the future marketing activities of their companies. How this model can assist marketers and suggestions for research to develop and apply this model are provided. It is hoped that the model suggested will form the basis of empirical research to test its applicability in the turbulent South African environment. Originality/Value: Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to understand how to cope in complex, turbulent environments is necessary, but has not been widely researched. In fact, most chaos and complexity theory work in marketing has concentrated on marketing strategy, with little emphasis on individual tactics and even less on the marketing mix as a whole. Therefore, this paper can be viewed as an important foundation for a new stream of research using chaos and complexity theory to better understand marketing mixes and the choice of marketing tactics for complex and turbulent business environments.
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    Consumer protection awareness in South Africa
    (2007-01) Mason, Roger Bruce
    This paper addresses the lack of knowledge about awareness of consumer protection in South Africa, especially amongst disadvantaged consumers. Literature shows that there is a high correlation between the level of economic development and the awareness of consumer rights. The more developed a country is, the more aware its people will be in terms of their consumer rights. The less developed a country is, the lower the level of consumer rights awareness consumers will have. Consumers, like any other citizens of a country, have a right to be protected by the law. Private and non-governmental organisations and the consumer councils need to ensure that the interests and rights of consumers are well protected. The study involved a literature review and an exploratory empirical study into the effect of income and education on awareness of consumer protection by a sample of Durban consumers. A strong positive relationship between consumer protection awareness and income and education was found. Recommendations for actions to improve consumer protection awareness amongst low income, poorly educated consumers are made, and further research to develop a deeper understanding of the problem is suggested
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    An exploratory investigation of the relationship between the achievement of ISO 9000 quality standards and the level of customer service provided by manufacturing companies in the Durban area
    (2002) Ganachaud, Luci; Mason, Roger Bruce
    During the past 20 years, marketing in industrialized countries has evolved towards Relationship Marketing placing more attention on customer loyalty. To achieve this new objective, increased interest has been placed on delivering quality customer service. In parallel, the notion of quality has evolved toward total quality, now considering every aspect in the company. Following this evolution, new quality tools have been developed, such as the ISO 9000 standards.
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    Decision support systems : critical success factors for implementation
    (1998) Averweg, Udo Richard Franz; Melville, Stuart W.
    Decision Support Systems (DSS) are interactive computer-based systems developed to support managers in complex tasks requiring human judgment. DSS utilise data, provide an easy user interface and allow for the decision maker's own insights.
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    A study investigating the use of computer aided design (CAD) in the clothing sector to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the eThekweni area
    (2003) Patel, Fathima Bibi; Chetty, Rajendra P.
    Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems have contributed significantly towards the quality and efficiency levels at large clothing companies. The disadvantages that SME's entrepreneurs face through the lack of access to new technology and technological skills affect their productivity and competitiveness.
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    The fostering of entrepreneurship at secondary schools in the north Durban region
    (2003) Narain, Nalinee; Sookrah, R.
    The Department of Education has, since 1998, introduced entrepreneurship education in government schools, for the first time. One of the overall developmental outcomes of the curriculum, of which there are five, is to develop entrepreneurial capacities. Economic and Management Sciences, one of the eight learning areas, encourages learners to develop basic skills and knowledge needed to manage their lives and their environments effectively; to understand the basics of the economy and how it works, and develop basic entrepreneurship, financial management and planning skills to operate effectively in the economy
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    The South African managed healthcare system and the general practitioner
    (2000) Govender, Krishnavelli Marla; Raap, Peter John
    Managed care is defined by Chetty (1999: 1) as "the practice of evidence based medicine with an approach to managing both the quality and cost of medical care". Managed care was introduced into South Africa in the last decade due to increasing cost of healthcare. All forms of managed care represent attempts to control costs by modifying the behaviour of general practitioners.
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    The external environment’s effect on management and strategy : a complexity theory approach
    (Emerald Group Publishing, 2007) Mason, Roger Bruce
    Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the influence of the external environment on the choice of strategic management activities, from a chaos and complexity perspective, since a business environment is a complex adaptive system. Design/methodology/approach – The study in this paper was of an exploratory nature, using the qualitative techniques of case study, depth interviews and document analysis to collect data from two companies each in the IT and packaging industries, namely, more successful/less successful companies. Findings – The paper finds that first, it was proposed that more successful companies in turbulent environments would use radical, fast and disruptive strategies. Furthermore, strategy making should be a democratic, bottom-up process and should be organic, self-organising, adaptive and emergent. The results confirmed these propositions. Second, it was proposed that more successful companies in stable environments would use more traditional management and strategies and more formal strategy planning activities. The findings did not confirm this proposition, probably due to the fact that in reality a truly stable environment does not exist in South Africa. Originality/value – This paper is of benefit to managers and strategists by emphasising a new way to consider the future management and strategies of their companies. Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to increase understanding of how to cope in complex and turbulent environments is necessary, but has not been widely researched.
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    Goal clarity and trust in management in educational mergers
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2007) May, Tuto; Mason, Roger Bruce
    Purpose: The aim of this paper is to explore employees’ opinions on goal clarity, trust in management and perceptions of organisational readiness for change in the context of the changes caused by the merger to form the Durban Institute of Technology (DIT) in order to increase knowledge about the human aspects of mergers. Design/Methodology/Approach: A survey of staff was conducted, with a sample of respondents completing a questionnaire, which investigated whether or not there were relationships among the change variables, namely goal clarity, trust in management and perception of organisational readiness for change. Findings: The key finding of the study is that the goals of the institution were not clarified sufficiently during the change process at DIT. The correlation of goal clarity, trust in management and perceptions of organisational readiness for change were all significant at the p < 0.01 level; and the direction of the relationship between the variables was strongly positive (between 0.7 and 1.0). Implications: The results suggest that management success in identifying organisational goals clearly during a change initiative could help improve employees’ attitudes, thereby increasing the likelihood of merger success, and minimising the negative reactions and staff dissatisfaction often associated with mergers. Originality/Value: Although there is a lot of research in the generic field of mergers and considerable research into mergers in higher education, both overseas and in South Africa, there is a lack of research in the human aspects of mergers. This is especially true of the three key change variables of perceptions of readiness for change, goal clarity and trust in management. Furthermore, what research there is has not focussed on the opinions of individual employees, but on the opinions of trade unions and student representatives. Therefore, this study contributes to filling an important gap in the literature on higher education mergers in South Africa.
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    Follow me, I’m right behind you : leading from a complexity viewpoint
    (University of Reading, UK., 2008-11) Mason, Roger Bruce
    This paper is based on the premise that businesses and their environments are complex adaptive systems (CAS), and are therefore too complex to be ‘managed’ by a single leader. The literature suggests that CASs are self-organising systems and that effective direction and guidance emerges from such self-organisation. Thus, the traditional view of a leader as a decision-maker, instructing and controlling the organisation is inappropriate in a complex/turbulent environment. A qualitative, case study method was used to investigate the leadership activities in four companies, two each in a turbulent industry (computers) and in a stable industry (packaging). Depth interviews were conducted with 31 respondents. Interview transcripts were analysed using NVIVO, and then compared with field notes and documentary analyses. The objective was to identify if a self-organising leadership approach was prevalent in the more successful company in the turbulent industry, and if bureaucratic management was more prevalent in the more successful company in the stable industry. In other words, is self-organising leadership more effective in a turbulent environment? The study has value as it is based on theories not common in the management literature. It is also of value to educators, as many management courses are still based on the assumption of the manager as all-knowing planner and controller. Furthermore, it will be of interest to practitioners who are under pressure from environmental changes, and from societies that are demanding more from their organisations. The findings showed that both the more successful companies, and the less successful computer company, operate via considerable self-organisation principles. Company activities and performance emerge from the interactions amongst the managers, staff and customers, with little direct instructional management from the CEOs. The less successful packaging company managed via the traditional bureaucratic model. These findings and their implications are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made.