http://hdl.handle.net/10539/9084 Collection of MBA and MM Theses 2013-05-25T23:47:38Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12243 COMMUNICATING STRATEGY IN SOUTH AFRICA USING STORYTELLING Felix, Wilhelmus Martinus The purpose of the research was to explore the power of storytelling as a tool or medium in communicating strategy to a company’s employees. This study explored and researched why storytellers and strategists were making companies aware of this powerful form of communication, and why they thought storytelling could be used for effective communication of strategy. Consequently this study was a storytellers’ and strategists’ view of what they considered the key factors for stories to be effective in communicating strategy. Five storytellers and five strategists were interviewed; all 10 interviews were transcribed and summarised. The results have been recorded in bullet form, and summarised with key findings, patterns and trends. These findings have been supported with selected direct quotes from the interviewees. From the review of literature and interviews with ten interviewees (storytellers and strategists) the following emerged:- • Many different forms of stories were used; the choice was based on the user’s preference. In addition, a certain type of story was selected to best meet the needs of a particular organisation at a particular time. • Stories were best delivered orally and in person, and storytellers used a variety of techniques to enhance the effect of the story. • The ‘world’ and culture of an organisation had to be researched and understood before a story was selected. This was essential to ensuring that the story was relevant and meaningful. It seemed the use of storytelling was popular and generally effective in communicating a corporate message, whatever the nature of this message may have been. The general impression was that this method of communicating strategy was becoming increasingly in demand in organisations. In addition, areas of possible further research were identified. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12242 TECHNICAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR EVALUATION IN THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING COMMISSION, GHANA AYIKU, STEPHEN AMPEM-DARKO Evaluation of projects and programmes in most developing countries has consistently been a challenge from various factors such as capacity, and institutional constraints. Ghana is no exception to these challenges for developing technical capacity for evaluation in the public sector. In this study, technical capacity refers to human capacity of individuals within organisations involved in executing Monitoring and Evaluation functions. The study sought to establish the challenges for building and developing technical capacity for evaluation in the public sector. In addition, it sought to recommend interventions to improve technical capacity building challenges in the public sector. A qualitative research approach was used with the National Development Planning Commission as a case study. The study focused on directorates and technical assistants who are members of the senior management service. The study established that although developing technical capacity has an important role to play in developing the nation, its implementation is hindered by several challenges that were identified as the main challenges in the implementation of developing and building technical capacity, these include: Inadequate resources and managerial authority; political interference; inadequate leadership; inadequate training and development; systems and processes challenges; organisational culture and a weak implementation strategy. The study recommends interventions to improve the developing and building technical capacity. These include: the development of a comprehensive technical evaluation capacity development strategy that takes cognisance of the identified challenges and the provision of adequate political and administrative leadership. MM thesis - P&DM 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12241 Corporate Preference Criteria for Transactional Banking Services in South Africa Murdoch, Jefferson Understanding the preference criteria of potential corporate clients when choosing transactional banking services is essential for corporate banks. In knowing what is significantly important to clients and equally knowing what is unimportant, allows corporate banks to market themselves more strategically to potential clients. This research determines the relative importance of preference criteria for transactional banking services by corporate organisations in South Africa. Furthermore, it establishes whether any significant differences exist in preference criteria between two levels of management within corporate organisations, being strategic and operational-level financial managers. Finally this research determines whether there are significant differences in preference criteria for bank selection across various industry sectors in South Africa. A questionnaire based survey of 208 corporate respondents at two levels of management and across various industry sectors in South Africa was used. Thirteen preference criteria for selecting a corporate transactional bank were individually rated by respondents using a ten-point Likert scale of importance. The findings indicate that the bank’s technological capability in providing secure electronic banking with all the required functionality is the most important and significant preference criterion for corporates when choosing a transactional bank in South Africa. The second most important and significant criterion is the financial health of the bank in terms of assets and/or external credit ratings. The third most important and significant criterion for bank selection is the experience that the bank has in providing transactional banking services. This research further confirms that no differences exist in the ratings of preference criteria for transactional banking services between strategic and operational-level financial managers of corporates or across industry sectors in South Africa. These findings differ from other research findings, demonstrating the need for more frequent corporate surveys considering that bank selection preferences may change over time and may differ depending on the specific services being sought. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12240 Factors affecting consumer adoption of mobile payments in South Africa Randeree, Riaz Mahomed Mobile phone ownership and mobile phone use is prolific in South Africa which enjoys more than 100% mobile penetration. Whilst mobile payments, the cashless-payments for goods and services using mobile devices, have been successful in similar economies, the rate of adoption in South Africa is low. South Africa has a large unbanked population and mobile payments have been seen as getting the unbanked access to the financial world. This study identifies and assesses the factors affecting the adoption of mobile payments by consumers in South Africa. For this qualitative study, industry experts were interviewed to answer the five research questions. Data was also collected from a focus group of ordinary consumers. What was found was that the specific needs of consumers for mobile payments are the ease of use and the need to have a wide distribution network of merchants that accept mobile payments. The cost of a mobile payment transaction was considered reasonable and fair. Other findings include the need to educate consumers to bring about a change in their behaviour to get these consumers to adopt mobile payments as a payment culture. Mobile payments will gain greater acceptance if there is a wide network of merchants that accept this form of payment. The best way to incentivise merchants is to highlight to them the risks of carrying cash and the immediate benefit of having a cash outflow from the business, on cash withdrawal transactions. It is also advisable to get community, religious and tribal leaders to act as agents for the mobile payment products and to recommend the products to their communities to increase mobile payment adoption. MNOs, banks and 3rd party providers need to understand the specific needs of consumers and they should build products that suit customers‟ needs. Through consumer education, mobile payment adoption can be increased as consumers gain trust and confidence that the technology works. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12239 The impact of Mobile Number Portability on customer switching behaviour in the South African mobile telecommunications industry Ayo-Oladejo, Rachael Lola Previous studies examining a range of sectors within the service industry have confirmed the negative effect of customer switching behaviour on the profitability of a company. The increased demand for the ever-evolving products and services offered by mobile network providers has resulted in extensive switching behaviour among mobile phone customers. Switching between mobile phone operators, however, has a number of associated inconveniences for customers, especially in terms of losing their cellular numbers. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is an added feature on telecommunications networks that allows network subscribers the freedom to retain their existing cellular numbers when they switch to a different network provider, and it has been proposed that MNP increases churn and switching activity within the mobile telecommunications sector. Mobile Number Portability was implemented in South Africa in November 2006. This study identifies the critical factors that influence a customer‟s decision to switch network providers within the South African mobile telecommunications industry, and assesses the impact that the implementation of Mobile Number Portability has had on customer switching behaviour. Data was collected first by means of a qualitative open-ended question interview with 5 individuals. Their responses were content analysed to extract the major themes that emerged from the interviews regarding their decision to switch and how the decision was impacted by MNP. A survey was then carried out to identify the factors that determine if a customer would switch network providers. A total of 594 people responded to the survey, out of which 182 had previously switched network providers. These 182 respondents formed the sample, and a Common Factor Analysis was carried out on their responses. The findings revealed 3 significant criteria that determine if a customer switches network providers – Network service quality and availability; Customer iii service experience, and Mobile Number Portability. The resulting conclusion of this study is that MNP has had an impact on customer switching behaviour. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12238 Impact of product design and innovation on competitive advantage in the South African aftermarket wheel industry Ebrahim, Muzammil This study found that there is interesting potential in the South African aftermarket wheels industry, despite its distinctiveness from international markets such as the United States of America. This research has shown that product design and innovation are two of the key factors, largely because through these elements of strategy firms can achieve differentiation from their competitors. Another key finding is that product design and innovation are used to directly affect the product characteristics of aftermarket wheels and their perceived value to the customer, in particular individuality, recognition and status. Improving effectiveness along these lines therefore leads to creation and sustainability of competitive advantage for companies in this industry. Research has shown that for luxury products and niche markets, such as aftermarket wheels, these factors are particularly important, and these findings are confirmed in the South African study. The empirical research was conducted at a case site, Racing Hart Concepts, with supplementary data gathering among key stakeholders, such as customers, competitors and suppliers. In summary, the research conducted suggests that fulfilling the esteem needs for status and individuality of the customer, providing an aesthetically appealing product, at a competitive price and within the highest quality standards are important. At least two of these aspects, aesthetic appeal and excellent quality can be achieved largely through effective wheel design and innovation activities. The impact of wheel design and innovation activities however extends beyond just the final product; it also has implications on achieving brand trust and loyalty, positive consumer perceptions of the product and the ability to overcome some of the key challenges facing companies in this industry in South Africa. The study addressed the implications of these findings for firms operating in this niche market in South Africa and identified areas for future research. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12237 MBA research and the strategic challenges of practising managers in South Africa MANYEMA, SHAW Managers of South African listed companies are faced with a variety of strategic challenges that they require to find solutions for to ensure the continued existence of their operations. Fortunately, South Africa has several business schools that are capable of conducting research which should provide solutions to some of these strategic challenges. In addition, South Africa has legislated research as an integral part of masters’ degrees and this should ensure a continuous flow of new ideas that should benefit local companies. However, despite the existence of several business schools in South Africa, practising managers seem not to be getting research output from MBA graduates that is relevant to the challenges they are facing. In particular, managers contend that MBA research output has been influenced by the scientific research approach, which elevates academic rigour at the expense of practical relevance. The purpose of this research was to identify the strategic challenges faced by managers of South African listed companies in 2008 and determine the extent to which MBA research subject areas in 2008 matched the strategic challenges faced by these companies. Using a qualitative approach, content analysis was performed on 140 annual reports of JSE listed companies for 2008, and on the 2008 research reports produced by Wits Business School, University of Stellenbosch Business School, University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science. The challenges identified from the annual reports were compared to the research subject areas from the MBA students’ reports from the 4 business schools. The findings of this study were that there were mismatches in 2008 between the challenges that managers faced and the MBA research subject areas. More work need to be done to align the research output of MBA students with the needs of managers. Increased collaboration between faculty, students and managers is required to ensure that students engage in relevant and practical research for the benefit of all stakeholders. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12236 THE EFFECTS OF INVESTOR CONFIDENCE ON THE JSE SECURITIES EXCHANGE van der Westhuizen, Cliff It is widely accepted that behavioural finance plays a role in the way that financial markets are perceived by the investing public. Various behavioural biases have been identified, but it still remains difficult to quantify the actual effect of investor behaviour on the stock market. South Africa is regarded as an emerging economy and market, and therefore world events are accepted as strong indicators of how the South African economy and markets will fluctuate. Many so called leading indicators exist, that are regularly used to predict future stock returns on the South African JSE Securities Exchange (JSE). One reliable indicator that could accurately predict future returns and make many fund managers obsolete, has not yet been found. The purpose of this study was not to identify the best leading indicator for the JSE, but to rather isolate one of the latest indicators established by the Institute of Behavioral Finance. The Sanlam Investment Management Investor Confidence Index (ICI) measures investor confidence by indicating the levels of expected change on the JSE. The ICI indicates expected percentage changes in the level of the JSE - one, three, six and twelve months into the future. The assumption has been that the effects of investor behaviour and the principles of behavioural finance would manifest in the results of the ICI. The results of the ICI are based on the expectations of financial planners and institutions that advise the investing public. Should a significant correlation exist between the ICI and the returns on the JSE, then the results from the ICI may be used as an additional leading indicator to predict future stock returns, based on expectations from the investing public. A low correlation will not necessarily imply that expectations are misaligned; it may be subjective expectations that tend to have a low forecasting power. This study found a small, but significant, correlation between the actual returns one month into the future and the results from the ICI through regression analyses. The one month confidence level can thus be used as an additional predictor of future returns on the JSE. It may prove useful when momentum strategies are employed. The one year indicator from the ICI also showed iii significant correlation. It will be possible to use the results from the ICI as additional input when considering tactical asset allocation changes in the short term. The predicted changes in general showed a tendency from the respondents to underestimate the magnitude of the actual changes on the JSE. In general, when an upward movement was expected, an upward movement did take place. However, the movement on the JSE was normally higher than expected. The same happened with downward movements. An explanation for these conservative expectations can be found in the underlying principles of behavioural finance. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12235 AN EVALUATION OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE POLOKWANE PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL MKANSI, AGREED PFUMELANI Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development is responsible for the provision of public health services in the Limpopo Province according to the Constitution of RSA, Act 108 of 1996, in making provision for the rights of access to services, including Health and Social Development. For the mandate to be effectively realized there is a need for financial strength as the annual budget awarded to the Province is insufficient and the influx of non-South African citizens is on the rise. These are some of the challenges which impact on service delivery that the Department is faced with. The Department’s insufficient budget influenced it to look at alternative ways in which to render one of their mandates - renal treatment through public private partnerships (PPPs). Previously, the department registered projects but failed to pursue it due to affordability reasons. PPPs have been regulated through the PFMA; Treasury Regulations 16; Standardised Public Private Partnership Provisions and many other Acts and regulations depending on the type of PPPs and sector in which it exists. The research evaluated the success of risk transferred from government to private sector as experienced by Polokwane Provincial Hospital Renal Dialysis Unit, with the aim of using it as a best practice example. A case study on the Renal Dialysis Unit was applied to draw the evaluation, comparing PPPs to traditional procurement. The results revealed a number of disadvantages with traditional procurement practice, budget and poor planning being only a few of the problems. It was revealed through this research that if a feasibility study is conducted and the three litmus tests adhered to i.e. value for money, affordability and risk transfer, the chances were better for the success of the PPP. The research revealed that major risks were transferred to the private partner including design, build, finance, operation and maintenance. The research concluded after interviews, questionnaires, documentary analysis and literature reviews, that it is possible to achieve quality public health through the application of a PPP. There are a number of factors which contribute towards a successful PPP programme such as monitoring and a pre-determined payment structure, ensuring that risk would be transferred to the partner best positioned to carry it. A PPP programme can be used as a best practice example. MM thesis - P&DM 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12234 Benefits and Challenges of Service Oriented Architecture for IT Systems in South Africa Allan, Brendan Gerrard This research considers the value of Service Orientated Architecture (SOA) initiatives, which have high initial costs, but potential long-term benefits, in a climate of tightening IT budgets. The research investigates the benefits and challenges of SOA and how an understanding of SOA informs these benefits and challenges. An interpretivist approach to the research was adopted and a qualitative paradigm for gathering information was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with IT professionals who had experience of SOA. The key findings were:  The benefits of SOA are pertinent to organisations affected by the global economic downturn.  The challenges include organisational- and change-management issues and require the involvement of all role players in a business and not just IT personnel.  An in-depth understanding of SOA and careful planning are critical to anyone embarking on an SOA initiative. While the upfront costs are potentially high, organisations can manage these costs by implementing a SOA solution incrementally, not buying the entire software stack upfront, and planning and implementing in such a way as to encourage reuse. These cost-mitigation measures ensure that the initial costs of SOA are outweighed by multiple long-term benefits. MBA thesis - WBS 2012-12-04T00:00:00Z