Intellectual capital, organisation capabilities and business performance among small businesses
- Authors: Stamper, Sakhumzi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2781-2944
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Small business -- Technological innovations , Performance technology , Management information systems
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28861 , vital:75152
- Description: This study was aimed at testing an intellectual capital-structural model and ascertaining the role of organisational capabilities on business performance in ICT-based small businesses in South Africa. The extant literature indicated that intellectual capital is a knowledge-related intangible assets which is rooted in an organisation that comprises intellectual property, intellectual competences and intellectual resources. Theoretically, the relationship between organisational knowledge and business performance is embedded in organisational learning because a lot of small businesses gain more knowledge from customers for the purposes of improving their sales and profits. The study used a quantitative approach and it was conducted on 261 owners/ managers of ICT-small businesses using a convenience sampling method. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and also structural equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tools for data analysis and testing relationships between variables were used. The study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between knowledge management capability and human capital. Additionally, the study discovered that innovation capability and business performance had a significant positive relationship. The study also revealed and confirmed that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between learning capability and business performance. Both the measurement and structural model fit indices showed reasonable goodness of fit indices. The findings of the study contributed to the literature of intellectual capital by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between organisational capabilities and performance. Together, the insights from this research underscored the importance of managing IC effectively with its components and prioritising the value of OC in order to comprehend the necessity for optimising firm performance. Lastly, this was the first study to test the mediating role of intellectual capital in the relationship between organisational capability and performance on ICT-based small businesses in a developing country. , Thesis (DBM) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-01
An assessment of the performance management and development system with reference to Nkqubela TB hospital
- Authors: Kune, Anele
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Performance technology , Performance -- Management Performance -- Measurement
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45205 , vital:38332
- Description: The aim of this study was to assess the performance management and development system, its implementation, practices, values and its relevance to the performance of the Nkqubela TB Hospital. The study explored how the institution implemented a performance management and development system and assessed the extent of policy compliance. An assessment was conducted into how the staff viewed, reacted and behaved with regard to the implementation through secondary data. This study also assessed whether or not the performance management and development system still was a viable tool to assess performance and/or if it was still relevant in attaining the objectives of the organisation. An assessment was also conducted into checking whether or not performance management motivated employees as its main purpose from a theoretical perspective versus current practices in the public sector, however, the focus of the study was the Nkqubela TB Hospital. The study also assessed the challenges encountered or experienced during the implementation of the performance management and development system at the Nkqubela TB Hospital. It adopted a qualitative approach and a desktop analysis was conducted. The study also assessed whether or not staff were being or had been trained in order to improve their development and the performance of services at the Nkqubela TB Hospital. As public administration is based on theories, this study also examined performance management from a theoretical perspective in relation to current practices at the Nkqubela TB Hospital. This research study significantly highlighted or discovered that training, communication, feedback and the proper implementation of performance without favouritism were important aspects and that it had to be noted for good governance. The research also revealed that a performance management and development system enabled employees to better understand the relationship and correlation between the strategic goals and objectives of the department, employees’ key performance areas and alignment with the vision of the organisation. Lastly, managers and supervisors should apply the performance management and development system to identify good and poor performance, and act appropriately through development, as well as recognising and rewarding good performance.
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- Date Issued: 2019