Sustainable management of the back sourcing of service functions at South African universities
- Authors: Hashatse, Lebogang
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Contracting out -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Universities and colleges -- Management Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Employees
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64996 , vital:74004
- Description: This study employed a three-phase qualitative case study research method to determine whether backsourcing and reintegration of previously outsourced services and workers could be managed in ways that contributed to the long-term sustainability of institutions. To achieve this goal, the study developed a framework for the sustainable management of university-based resources. The framework was a response in support of institutional sustainability after South African public universities were compelled to implement involuntary backsourcing in response to the ongoing #FeesMustFall (#FMF) and #OutsourcingMustFall (#OMF) protests that commenced in the latter part of 2015. An extensive literature review was conducted as part of the study’s phase one. The goal was to obtain insight into management practises used in outsourcing and backsourcing as well as to gain a thorough grasp of the concept of sustainability and its application in resource management in the settings of operations, organisations and universities. The literature demonstrated that there were well-established theoretical frameworks supporting the concepts of backsourcing and sustainability management. These frameworks provided clear outlines of how successful backsourcing and remunicipalisation processes could be effectively managed. Moreover, they highlighted that these management processes could be used by profitable sustainable businesses. This contributed to the development of a theoretical framework for the study. A conceptual framework together with the outcome of the literature review, served as a guide for conducting a qualitative case study at a selected Higher Education Institution (HEI) in South Africa, which was chosen as the primary research site. This constituted phase two of the study. The selected HEI case study established its efficacy in managing the process of backsourcing and reintegration. Furthermore, it demonstrated sustainable ways that contributed to the institution’s overall sustainability. In conjunction with the established theoretical framework and the developed conceptual framework, the selected HEI , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Management Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
A structural model for sustainable growth of the south African business process outsourcing sector
- Authors: Chinhamo, Edmore
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Outsourcing sector , Contracting out -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58306 , vital:58970
- Description: he total size of the South African Business Process Outsourcing sector is not growing as quickly as other global BPO locations like the Philippines and India. The sector has been identified by the South African government as a key sector for economic growth and for reducing unemployment. Reviewed frameworks are not exhaustive in providing a framework that is suitable for countries with an apartheid history like South Africa, so, the main aim of this study has been, therefore, to develop a structural model for sustainable growth of the South African BPO sector. The research was two phased: Firstly, it interrogated existing theories and models on BPO growth to identify variables for BPO growth. The variables were identified as talent pool, infrastructure, accessibility, lower costs, and legislative framework. The relationships between variables were hypothesised. The reviewed literature discussed the global economy and traced the origins of outsourcing as rooted in the advent of Information Technology and computer-enabled production which enabled fragmented processes which could be in any part of the world. The literature showed that competition for markets, coupled with a glut of products on the market, forced creativity which resulted in companies seeking operations in low-cost locations. The first popular locations for BPO operations were India and the Philippines, with emerging locations, like South Africa, positioning themselves to tap into this global development. Secondly, a quantitative study was performed using a web-based questionnaire which was sent to a sample of BPO executives in the BPO value chain in South Africa to test relationships among between variables. The results of the study showed statistically significant relationships between talent pool, infrastructure, lower costs, accessibility and legislative framework with BPO growth, albeit with varying degrees of strength. Contrary to popular belief, lower costs are no longer the most important driver of BPO location choice. Accessibility and legislative framework have also been confirmed by data as variables affecting BPO growth. After the computation of the relationships, the research concluded that the model developed is a good fit for BPO growth. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
A Veblenian Dichotomy re-examination of labour brokerage and South African labour market functionality
- Authors: Haaketa, Bernadatte Tina
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Veblen, Thorstein, 1857-1929 , Contracting out -- South Africa , Temporary employment -- South Africa , Industrial relations -- South Africa , Labor supply -- South Africa , Labor supply -- Effect of technological innovations on -- South Africa , Manpower policy -- South Africa , Labor market -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/168446 , vital:41583
- Description: Labour markets ar ound the world have witnessed a great change in labour relations. The introduction of globa lisation, increased competition and technological advancements has caused business organisations to change their employment methods. While trying to survive and remain profitable, employers have adopted a new form of triangular employment relationship. Thi s form of employment relationship known as labour broking and which forms part of the Temporary Employment Services (TES) involves a relationship between the worker, labour agent (broker) and a client c ompany. Although it may seem like a good strategy for business organisations, the change in employment relationships has had negative effects and contributed to labour market dysfunctionalities . This has resulted in critics of labour broking calling or an end in labour broking and supporters of labour broking asking for better regulation of the industry. Labour markets are me When it comes to analysing labour broking and its impact on labour market functionality in South Africa. Scholars and analysts such as Budlender ( 2013 ) and Bhorat, Lil enstein, Oosthuizen , and Thornton ( 2016 ) have used the Neoclassical , New Institutional Economics and Marxist approach es. The current views on labour broking and the current schools of thought fail to look at the underlying behavioural aspect of labour brokers and the client c ompanies. Hence making it easy for labour brokers and their client companies to continue with their unscrupulous activities. However, this t hesis adapted the Veblenian Dichotomy framework which focuses on understanding the role of the evolutionary proce ss and the role of institutions in shaping economic behaviour. The Veblenian dichotomy shows that power plays an important role in how labour markets are run. Similarly, behaviour also influences the manner in which labour brokers and client companies trea t workers. And lastly the Veblenian dichotomy shows that in order for the industry to be run better there has to be change in the behaviour and cultu re of the labour brokers and client companies . This view allows for deeper analysis of the reasons for the flour ishing nature of labour broking and the rationale behind the behaviour of economic players and attempts to provide solutions on how labour brok ing can be correctly administered in South Africa. The Veblenian Dichotomy categorises institutions into t wo sets, namely the ceremonial institutions and instrumental institutions. Where Ceremonial institutions are said to be institutions that foster the interests of business such as profitability and earning of free income, even if there is no corresponding i ncrease in production. While Instrumental institutions, usually working through the influence of technology, address the interests of the common pers on and the labourer as well as business (Waller, 1982; Foster, 1981; Veblen, 1919). These two systems of va lues and institutions are antagonistic and the relative strength of one to the other determines economic outcomes and in whose interests the outcomes would be (Waller, 1982; Foster, 1981; Veblen, 1919). The Veblenian Dichotomy further looks at ceremonial encapsulation which occurs when ceremonial systems prevail over instrumental systems. Ceremonial encapsulation presents the hypothesis that the insti tutional structure will absorb new technology only to the extent that it can do so without disrupting the e xisting value structure (Waller, 1987; Bush, 1979.) The thesis use d various sources , such as working papers, public hearings, court cases, trade union submissions, integrated reports from companies, employee submissions and media publications on the debate about labour broking whether labour broking and applied the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysi s (IPA) research approach, in the process of data collection and analysis . The thesis further applied thematic analysis to derive themes that would be used to analyse the impact of labour broking on labour market functionality in South Africa. The emergent themes and subthemes were Exploitative lab our relations subthemes; job Insecurity, increased financial burden and no skills development. The second theme was; Competitive advantage and the subthemes were; i ncreased profits and organisational efficiency. The third theme was l abour market efficiency and the subthemes were. E mployment creation and labour market flexibility. And, the last theme was a mbiguous l abour regulation s with subthemes; n o freedom of association and a tool for circumventing labour regulations . Lastly, Tool’s (1994) criteria of j udgement for institutional adjustments was used to evaluate the emergent themes and to evaluate the impact of l abour broking on the overall welfare of individuals, which includes determining whether employees in the TES sector gain skills and improved stan dards of living. The findings of the research the TES sector is characterised by ceremonial values. Ceremonial values (as mentioned in section 3.3) are those values that are warranted by the ways of life that prescribe status and hierarchies and unpleasant distinctions to apply value and status on other people (Bush, 1987, 1988; Ayres, 1967). Thus changing the way in which labour brokers conduct themselves or handle labour broking activities would prove to be difficult . T he power that is mostly used in TES employment sectors is condign power. Condign power is explained as the form of power that is predominantly used in ceremonially encapsulated markets. And it involves making use of punishment or fear in order to get people to do something. This is because w orkers in the TES sector are forced to submit to conditions that they would not normally have submitted to if t hey did not have a fear of losing their jobs. This supports existing literature which shows that in the TES sector, TES employers use force and p ower in order to get the workers to do something, and this results in a master - servant relationship between the employer and the employee. Furthermore, the protests that erupt in the TES sector agree with Marxist theory which notes that the frustrations in the way workers are treated would result in a revolution of the working class against the employers. However, now, workers have not been able to overcome the employers and take over the industry. In addition to what current literature says, the research found that some managers make use of labour broking as a way of manifesting their exploitative characteristics on the labour market, thus creating information asymmetries in order to advance their own personal needs. Situations such as these reve al characteristics of opportunistic behaviour, which is perpetuated by the imperfect flow of information. This means th at the market is imperfect, and imperfect markets are characteristics of dysfunctional labour markets. The research also found that it i s the South African Constitution that protects labour brokers and client companies from accounting for the unfair treatm ent of workers. Labour brokers and client companies rely on the South African Constitution to defend them when it comes to banning labou r broking. This is because section 22 of the Constitution talks about the right of every individual to trade freely in S outh Africa (Kutumela, 2015). When institutional adjustments do not meet the requirements of the progressive criteria, it means they are regressive. Based on the data that was collected and the responses and remarks of the workers, trade unions, and trade union federations, it can be said that TES employment and labour broking hinders labour market functionality. Hence, it can be concluded that, due to the characteristics mentioned, labour broking does indeed have a regressive element which hinders labour m arket functionality. An area for further research for TES employment would be to look at the impact of the amendments to the Labour Rela tions Act. Specifically focusing on the Constitutional Court ruling, which forces labour brokers to treat employees who have been employed for longer than three months as permanent employees.
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- Date Issued: 2020
Evaluating support service co-operation in the Netcare-Settlers public private partnership, Grahamstown, South Africa
- Authors: Mahote, Tulisa
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Settlers Hospital , Netcare 911 , Public-private sector cooperation -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Privatization -- South Africa , Medical care -- Privatization -- South Africa , Health services accessibility -- South Africa , Contracting out -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3408 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020834
- Description: The neo-liberal restructuring of state assets and facilities, which has taken place internationally over the past three decades, as well as in South Africa, has been a matter of great controversy. Privatisation, in particular, has been a polarising issue, especially when applied to fields like healthcare. Supporters of privatisation view it as cutting costs, mobilising funding, expertise and innovation, resulting in improved delivery, and opening possibilities for a spread of ownership. Critics claim the process involves retrenchments, declining services for the (poorer) majority of people, and a focus on the elites as citizens become transformed into customers, and with any economic empowerment going to the already prosperous. This thesis examines these issues by looking at the privatisation of hospitals in South Africa, with a case study of the Netcare-Settlers Public Private Partnership (PPP) (also known as the Settlers Private Hospital) in Grahamstown, South Africa. Netcare is South Africa’s largest private hospital company, and also has substantial operations in the United Kingdom. The thesis sets out the context: a highly inequitable healthcare system in the country, the rise of privatisation in the apartheid and post-apartheid eras, and healthcare privatisation. In terms of the Netcare-Settlers PPP, the thesis examines how the PPP was structured and developed, focusing on the impact of the PPP on non-clinical operations. The thesis argues that the results of the PPP are mixed, that it has greatly improved areas like facilities, maintenance, cleaning and catering, performed less well in increasing the doctor/ patient ratio or in attracting specialists, and is associated with the widespread and problematic use of outsourcing of service workers like cleaners and security. Overall, the PPP has improved healthcare, with some effective sharing of resources between the public and private parts of the hospital, but also relies on a pool of relatively low waged, under-unionised, labour. In terms of the general debate over privatisation, the Netcare-Settlers PPP shows that both supporters and critics have some valid points, and that privatisation in practice is not an either/ or, black/ white, good/ bad proposition, but something more complex. The success and failure of PPPs depend on the details of the contracts, and these can be used to maximise the performance of both the public and private partners. Better contracts may help avoid the uneven results seen at institutions like the Netcare-Settlers PPP.
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- Date Issued: 2015
The effect of outsourcing a South African automotive company's material handling activities on its operational performance
- Authors: Dolley-Ryneveld, Mieshkah
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Contracting out -- South Africa , Industrial management -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8936 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021202
- Description: Outsourcing has become a popular trend in the last two decades and has been applied in both non-essential and critical business functions. It has been viewed as a vital source of competitive advantage and is expected to remain an important component in future business strategies. Over the past few years, the outsourcing of logistics functions in particular has shown strong growth. Thus, an abundance of research on the outsourcing of logistics is available. However, there has been little research on the outsourcing of material handling activities as a sub-component of logistics, nor its effect on a company’s operational performance. The purpose of this treatise is to determine the effects of outsourcing a South African automotive company’s material handling activities on its operational performance. It further aims to compare the company’s expected outcomes for outsourcing with actual outcomes. In addition, the factors which contributed positively and negatively to the operation of the outsourced material handling activities at the company, are established. The automotive company in this study is situated in Port Elizabeth, but due to confidentiality reasons the name of the company is not mentioned in the study. The study consists of a literature review on the background of outsourcing, outsourcing theories, outsourcing trends, important outsourcing considerations and gaps in outsourcing research. Primary data, collected through the use of a questionnaire to determine the effects outsourcing has on the company’s operational performance, is collected, reported and analysed in the study. The performance criteria used to determine these effects are: cost; delivery speed and reliability; flexibility; quality; the outsourcing relationship and the management of the outsourcing relationship. The study results reveal that the operational performance of the company remained the same after outsourcing.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Development of effective solutions for the implementation and management of owner-driver schemes in the Province of the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Ranchod, Sanjiv
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Transportation, Automotive -- Dispatching , Small business -- Management Case studies , Storage and removal trade -- Subcontracting -- South Africa , Trucking -- South Africa , Contracting out -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:10891 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55 , Transportation, Automotive -- Dispatching , Small business -- Management Case studies , Storage and removal trade -- Subcontracting -- South Africa , Trucking -- South Africa , Contracting out -- South Africa
- Description: Introduction: During the past decade, companies have examined their core business, and anything that was not related to this, or did not add value to their product, was outsourced. One of the functions which fell into this category was the distribution operation, or more commonly known as transportation (in and out bound). In many instances, the distribution function was given up for tender, and specialised transport businesses, called third party logistic providers, whose core business was transport, were given the opportunity of taking over the distribution function. Some progressive companies went a little beyond the traditional approach and created opportunities for their own employees to be involved in the newly created, outsourced distribution network. This was largely an empowerment opportunity, with the aim of creating SME’s (Small-Medium-Enterprises), and providing people from a previously disadvantaged background (black people and other ethnic minorities) the opportunity to go into a business enterprise for themselves. The latter, although, politically the correct thing to do, simultaneously created opportunities and problems. Many of the companies that empowered their own employees, through Owner-Driver schemes, used the driving competency levels as the main criteria for the transition process. The other required skills were often overlooked or ignored. This empowerment process was driven to promote “Black Economic Empowerment”, an important national imperative. Although this process was an honorable gesture on the part of many companies, the process often took place without much foresight The viability and long-term continuity of the business were not taken into account. It is the researchers personal view, based on interviews with O-D’s and companies operating O-D schemes that the O-D’s which were empowered to operate their own business ventures, had limited or insufficient business skills and the very businesses that were given to them to improve their lifestyle were at risk of becoming unviable enterprises. This is clearly evident in some of the schemes being operated by companies such as Autonet and South African Breweries (hereinafter referred to as SAB). Other Eastern Cape companies that operate Owner-Driver schemes include Italtile, Shatterprufe and Ready Mix Materials (hereinafter referred to as RMM), and according to Management consultants spoken to, have obtained mixed levels of success with their schemes. The above schemes were confirmed with the various companies mentioned.
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- Date Issued: 2001
Outsourcing for competitive advantage : an evaluation of an owner driver proposition in a South African removals company
- Authors: Coleman, Belinda
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Contracting out -- South Africa , Storage and removal trade -- Subcontracting -- South Africa , Trucking -- South Africa , Benchmarking (Management) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11002 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015540
- Description: The aim of the research was to assess what competitive advantage a Removals company could expect to gain by outsourcing its driver function to owner drivers. An extensive literature review identified key outsourcing issues. The literature was related to a case study of Stuttaford Van Lines (SVL), a company that is experiencing problems with its current independent contractor driver arrangements and that needs to review its outsourcing decision. In order to learn from best practice in the field of outsourcing to owner drivers, a benchmarking exercise was undertaken at South African Breweries (SAB). The benchmarking exercise identified six key issues that contributed to the success of the SAB owner driver scheme. These points, together with others identified from the literature, were integrated into a recommended outsourcing implementation process for SVL. The research found that it is possible for SVL to outsource the driver function to owner drivers and that such a scheme can be expected to improve customer service levels. The success of the scheme will depend on the selection of the drivers and how effectively it is managed. It was found that it would not be profitable for SVL to outsource to owner drivers using the compensation model proposed. Cost reduction is however only one of the factors to consider in an outsourcing decision.
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- Date Issued: 2000