Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item The relationship between the activity and impact training approaches as used in selected South African food manufacturing companies implementing total quality management(2000) Lourens, Melanie Elizabeth; Chetty, GopalkrishnaThe aim of this investigation is to establish the relationship between the Activity and Impact .training approaches in selective South African food manufacturing companies in order to establish which training approach makes the greatest contribution to a Total Quality Management implementation strategy. The main characteristics of these two training approaches are the following: In the Activity training approach the focus is on individual training requirements. Here the trainee and/or the line supervisor subjectively identify individual training requirements (training needs). Furthermore, this approach has no conclusive form of evaluation being conducted, especially to determine whether the knowledge and skills gained during the training course has been transferred to the trainee's working environment Impact training focuses on results-orientated training aimed at meeting the needs of the organisation by providing employees with relevant knowledge and skills to improve their performance. The work environment is seen as an extension of the training programme enabling both the Human Resources Department (Training and Development Department) and the line manager to work in joint collaboration when measuring the trainees' performance in a practical environment A self-designed questionnaire was used to determine whether the selected sample population (n=171) follows an Activity or an Impact training approach when implementing a Total Quality Management strategy. The research revealed three pertinent findings: Firstly, Total Quality Management programmes implemented within the South African food manufacturing industry characterise both the Activity and the Impact training approaches.Item Clustering : it's impact on the competitiveness of small manufacturers in the clothing industry in Port Elizabeth(2000) Van Laar, Catherina Elizabeth; Davies, Theresa-AnneThis research has aimed to explore the impact of clustering on the ability of small manufacturers in the clothing industry in Port Elizabeth to enhance their competitiveness. The research study was conducted in two stages, which included both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Firstly, an exploratory qualitative study using the Delphi method was employed to identify the key problems currently being experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry. Finally, the application of a structured questionnaire to small manufacturers in the clothing industry followed, exploring the awareness of and interest in clustering as a strategy for enhancing competitiveness. A key observation to emerge from the qualitative research is that significant differences were evident between the responses of academics, professionals in small business development and small business owners. An analysis of the problems experienced by small manufacturers in the clothing industry revealed that high labour costs and low I productivity were the frontrunners. The lack of knowledge was cited as the most important problem preventing the wide scale implementation of horizontal clustering. Another key observance to emerge from the quantitative study is the fact that very few significant differences are evident between the two groups viz. small business owners and experts. The research indicated that although in the minority, horizontal linkages exist between small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth. The results indicated furthermore that the majority of small clothing manufacturers in Port Elizabeth areItem An investigation into the influence of quality and standardisation of merchandising activities in grocery retailing chains on impulse purchasing in the Durban area(2001) Bourel, Sandra; Mason, Roger BruceLittle is known about the implications of merchandising activities of retailers, despite the fact that retailing plays a vital role in the economy. South African retailers, who are the only players in their domestic territory, need to be aware of the economic situation and of the expansion strategies of the main international retail actors. Unlike South African retailers, international companies are experienced in the world-wide grocery retailing field and have shown a lot of determination in expanding their presence and power on an international scale. This dissertation illustrates the landscape of grocery retailing today, and the risk faced by a reactive attitude by South African retailers in the face of international competition. The dissertation provides a framework, and a complete description, for integrating merchandising activities, which include visual merchandising activities, as a crucial tool to influence consumers' buying behaviour, through their impulse buying behaviour. This research project has, as its main purpose, the identification of a relationship between merchandising activities in the grocery retailing field and the impulse buying behaviour of shoppers. The dissertation addresses three issues for efficiently managmg merchandising activities, namely, the importance of the level of standardised merchandising, the role of perceived