The importance of learning agility as a component of sustained business success
- Authors: Hennig, Mark Robert
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Success in business -- South Africa , Management -- South Africa , Experiential learning
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51523 , vital:43295
- Description: The purpose of this treatise is to determine if learning agility is an important component for business success. With the arrival of new technology, change and information explosion the rate of uncertainty is increasing. Leaders are challenged to present continuous change and need to be able to adapt and develop their competencies to remain relevant. The VUCA world increased the complexity of the environment and provide volatility, uncertainty, complexity and are ambiguous. A significant amount of research has been done to define learning agility. The three drivers of learning agility are change, information explosion and rapid response during a crisis. The concept of learning agility can be defined as the readiness and ability to learn from experience and to utilise the learning competency to perform successfully under new environments. The seven-model framework was developed to assess how leaders cope under change. The three leadership competencies are intellectual intelligence, managerial intelligence, and emotional intelligence. Studies shows that emotional intelligence will be an important competency a leader can have and together with learning agility, will provide success to any organisation. The researcher believes that an individual who is not learning agile will not succeed in the new fast-changing environment. The term learning agile is rather a new concept and the influence it has on the organisation is complex. For leaders to succeed, their mindset needs to be adaptable and willing to change. Training and learning from experience will assist the leader to move forward and be an agile leader. A key success factor for organisations is to identify and recruit learning agile individuals to drive competitiveness and enhance relevance in the market. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business Administration, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Success factors of social enterprises in the education sector
- Authors: Makgato, Noko Leonard
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa Economic development -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22629 , vital:30034
- Description: Social entrepreneurship is a complex concept with many dimensions that is not well understood in South Africa. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the limited body of knowledge leading to a better understanding of various factors of success that are at play within social enterprises in the education sector in South Africa, including characteristics of the social entrepreneurs at the helm of these ventures. For the purpose of this research, social entrepreneurship is treated as a phenomenon that occurs at the intersection of for-profit, non-profit and non-governmental organisations, without being limited to any single organisational format. Data analysed was obtained through in-depth interviews with persons in the top leadership of FIVE social enterprises, including founders and executives. From this data a composite set of success factors was developed, with the findings presented according to emerging themes and topics. The study reveals a core set of attributes related to environmental, organisational, leadership, financial and stakeholder factors that manifest in successful social enterprises. Research conclusions and recommendations based on this study were made, opportunities for further research were identified and shortcomings of this study were acknowledged.
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- Date Issued: 2018
A proposed Christian-based governing model to increase the success of entrepreneurial ventures in South Africa
- Authors: Boshoff, Leslie Ian
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa , Business -- Religious aspects , Sustainable development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4827 , vital:20712
- Description: The Republic of South Africa (RSA) became a democracy when the African National Congress (ANC) came to power in 1994. However, more than twenty years after the apartheid era, the people of the RSA are highly politicised and society still shows an extremely high level of inequality in income that is aggravated by the lack of formal job opportunities in the country. Disturbingly, early-stage entrepreneurial activity in the RSA declined from 7.8 percent in 2008 to 5 percent in 2009. As a result, the low levels of entrepreneurial activity are partly responsible for the stagnation in the structural transformation of the economy. The economy remains dependent on sectors such as agriculture and mining where looting, instability, violence and rent-seeking are endemic in spite of plentiful natural resources. As a consequence of these factors, manufacturing is becoming increasingly uncompetitive and the economy is becoming increasingly less innovative. The RSA‟s government leaders should have used the strengths of the country to minimise or rectify the weaknesses of the extremely high levels of inequality in income and the lack of formal job opportunities. Instead, these leaders identified their supporters, satisfied their short-term consumption demands, distributed jobs to the party faithful and provided social welfare to the poor. Additionally, the majority of school leavers are not pursuing tertiary studies but, with limited or little education, they still have to form part of the potential labour force of the future. The youth employment rate for 15 to 24 year-olds, in the RSA, is as low as 12.5 percent. Again, this highlights the importance of finding alternative ways to increase the population‟s participation in the economy, probably through some form of entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model with the main objective being to identify the factors (variables) that will promote growth, sustainability and good governance in Christian-owned Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) within the RSA. Business is commonly viewed as a secular pursuit and religious people, particularly in Western societies, have a narrow view of the conceptual and practical application of their faith and spirituality in their businesses. As a result, the potential of businesses to influence communities, particularly with regard to issues such as social iniquities and cultural reform, good governance, responsible business behaviour, social capital, spiritual intelligence (SQ) and Christian entrepreneurship orientation appear to be, at worst, more or less irrelevant and, at best, greatly under-valued and under-utilised. The intersection of these constructs provides an understanding of how an entrepreneur‟s heightened consciousness in terms of his/her personal values and beliefs can affect his or her business activities and crucial characteristics of the entrepreneurial process, such as the recognition of opportunities, the creation of new ventures, as well as the operation and growth of these business ventures. This study uncovered a number of themes that shed light on how Christian SMME owner-managers rationalise the everyday dealings of their business lives as an expression of their faith. This study is an expression of a complex phenomenon that is extremely relevant in the present day and sharpens the focus on the important role that religious faith has to play in the field of business outcomes. Many Christian entrepreneurs express a motivational need to give back to their communities, customers and other stakeholders of the business venture. Christian entrepreneurs value intrinsic factors like purpose, passionate work and personal calling above wealth, fame, power, money, and recognition. A combination of Christian character traits forms the backbone of a Christian‟s internal power and purpose. God created people to glorify Him and this purpose is achieved through the fulfilling of a personal calling. A calling is often accompanied by a conviction of divine influence and the vocation in which one customarily engages. The call to the Christian entrepreneur is to be the salt and light in an environment (Mathew 5:13) like RSA, that is not conducive to entrepreneurial behaviour, where unemployment is very high, infrastructure is buckling under the pressures of bad management and corruption is rife.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Critical success factors to improve direct labour productivity
- Authors: Brown, Conrad Andrew
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Automobile supplies industry -- Labor productivity -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8846 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020101
- Description: An increase in the global competitiveness has forced manufacturing organisations to re-look their facility from a labour productivity standpoint. Leveraging a manufacturing operation into a competitive avantage must at all times support the organisation’s objective. It is therefore critical that the operation reviews its strategy so that it fulfils the ever changing needs in the market. Purpose – The main objective of this research is to identify the critical success factors to improve direct labour efficiency within Johnson Controls Automotive South Africa (Pty) Ltd (JCI). Design/methodology/approach – A combination of a comprehensive literature review and visits to the Uitenhage plant and head office were employed in the study. JCI practices were observed to highlight the level of direct labour productivity. This was followed by interviewing relevant and key personel who had an involvement in achieving direct labour productivity in the plant. A questionnaire-based research approach was adopted for this purpose and a total of 83 valid survey responses were received from staff in the Uitenhage plant, together with head office staff who directly supported the plant. The questionnaire was designed to identify and test perceptions of employees, regarding the factors of production, identified as sub variables. The research aim was to determine the most practical and effective strategies to improve direct labour productivity. Results were analysed and interpreted after which recommendations were formulated. Findings – Several critical success factors identified as sub variables were tested to understand their impact on direct labour productivity. Empirical results showed that organisational culture, leadership culture, employee engagement, communication and skills, development and training, had a significant effect on direct labour productivity. Respective ratings of these elements were discussed with the focus of improving this going forward. Research limitations/implications – Continued scepticim within JCI about the benefits of direct labour productivity to their business is one of the fundamental limitations this research faces. Originality/value – The novelty of the research project stems from the realization of key factors contributing to the improvement of direct labour productivity within the JCI enviroment. The results would provide JCI with indicators and guidelines for a successful implementation of direct labour productivity initiatives in the Uitenhage plant.
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- Date Issued: 2015
The impact of company vision and values on the success of an automotive company in Nelson Mandela Bay (The case of Borbet South Africa)
- Authors: Van Vuuren, Brenton
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Success in business -- South Africa , Labor productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Profit -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Quality of products -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8657 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1331 , Success in business -- South Africa , Labor productivity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Profit -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Quality of products -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Purpose – The primary aim of the study was to establish to what extent company vision impacted on productivity, profitability, morale and the quality of product at Borbet SA. Borbet SA is an aluminium wheel manufacturer situated in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The secondary aim of the study was to establish whether the vision would be reached by applying the company values in action at Borbet SA. Methodology – Seventy-seven respondents employed at Borbet SA completed a Likert Scale Questionnaire to measure their knowledge and application of the company vision and values. The research study made use of a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The research study was qualitative as the topic was subjective to perception of the participants. However, the data was to be analyzed quantitatively through statistical practices. Findings – Overall, the participants were 99 percent aware of the vision statement at Borbet SA. Therefore, Borbet SA had succeeded in making company vision a part of their business strategy. The successful implementation of a vision and values at Borbet SA have improved productivity, profitability, morale and quality of product at the company. The study’s main findings were that employees between the ages of 18 – 29 years were especially optimistic of the company vision and values. Employees working at Borbet SA for between 4 – 5 years and working at Borbet for between 0 – 3 years tended to be more unenthusiastic about company vision and values. Middle management, including supervisors and team leaders, were also pessimistic about certain aspects concerning the vision of the company. Research limitations – One of the limitations of the research were that only 77 of the workforce completed the voluntary questionnaire. The questionnaire was in English and this was not the first language of the majority of the employees at Borbet SA. This could have prevented them from completing the questionnaire because they might not have felt confident in responding in ii English. Educational levels could also have influenced the response to the questionnaire seeing that not all employees had the same educational levels and, thus, this could have been intimidating. Recommendations – The main recommendation was that a mentoring programme be implemented in which younger and older employees could motivate each other and build morale. The management of Borbet SA was recommended to have team building sessions with middle management, supervisors and team leaders to build morale and optimism in these groups. Employees working for 4 – 5 years needed to be evaluated and motivated as some of them could have felt stagnant in their job positions.
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- Date Issued: 2010
The impact of employee engagement on the business success of Johnson controls Uitenhage
- Authors: Muller, Roger Joseph
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Employee motivation -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8681 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1137 , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences, outcomes and degree of employee engagement, as it relates to business success of Johnson Controls. The research was conducted by questionnaire using a sample of 120 employees of Johnson Controls Uitenhage Plant. The sample represents 45 percent of the total population of 267 employees. The study discusses certain key influences of engagement - the degree to which employees are engaged and the resultant outcomes of employee engagement. The result of the study proves that communication, leadership behaviours, policies, practices, recognition and rewards are real factors influencing engagement. The study also validated that productivity, safety, customer satisfaction, employee retention and quality are outcomes of engagement. A strong relationship was found to exist between employee engagement and business success. The study also found that a strong relationship exist between leadership behaviours, policies and procedures, and recognition and rewards. Communication was found to have no relationship with employee engagement.
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- Date Issued: 2009
An investigation into how marketers cope with an environment of high complexity and turbulence, with special reference to the South African environment
- Authors: Mason, Roger Bruce
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Marketing -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa , Industrial management -- South Africa , Organizational change -- South Africa , Chaotic behavior in systems , Complexity (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003873 , Marketing -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa , Industrial management -- South Africa , Organizational change -- South Africa , Chaotic behavior in systems , Complexity (Philosophy)
- Description: This study investigated relationships between marketing success, the level of external environmental complexity and turbulence, and marketing mix tactics. The literature suggested that more successful companies in simple and stable environments use stabilising marketing tactics, while more successful companies in complex and turbulent environments use destabilising tactics, regardless of industry habits, management preferences or market sector. A marketing mix model for the different environments was developed using a chaos and complexity theory perspective. The study was exploratory, using a qualitative, case study technique. Data was collected via depth interviews and document analysis from four companies in the information technology (IT) and packaging industries. These industries were identified as, respectively, the most complex and turbulent, and the simplest and most stable, South African environments. Two companies from each industry were chosen to reflect more successful and less successful companies. The more successful company in the complex/turbulent environment was found to use destabilising tactics, as did the more successful company in the simple/stable environment. Therefore, contrary to expectations, it appears that destabilising tactics contribute more to success than stabilising tactics do, regardless of the environment. It was also found, contrary to expectations, that stabilising tactics were used by both the less successful companies. The research concluded that destabilising tactics are related to more success and stabilising tactics to less success. The lack of clear differentiation between the two industries may be because the whole South African environment is complex and turbulent, because the packaging industry is not sufficiently simple and stable to differentiate it from the IT industry or because packaging industry managers perceive their industry to be complex and turbulent and act accordingly. Despite these uncertainties, the research showed the marketing mix model to be reasonably accurate for the complex/turbulent environment, and therefore of potential value to South African companies. To overcome the equivocal findings, further research is recommended in different industries, in countries with different levels of complexity and turbulence and into specific marketing mix tactics. Research into managers’ perceptions of environmental complexity and turbulence and into co-evolution of marketing tactics and external environments would also be of value.
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- Date Issued: 2004