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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Competitive advantage

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    MODELLING "THE ART OF WAR" FOR
    (2011-06-09) RAWJEE, AL-NOOR
    The use of military philosophy, including doctrine, strategies and practices in business has become commonplace, with the earliest of all such treatises, namely Sun Tzu's The Art of War, being used by modern businessmen as a basis to gain competitive advantage over their rivals. In an effort to gain insight into the use of military philosophy in business, this study focussed on an analysis of The Art of War in order to determine the historical influences of the period in which the author lived and their influence on the modern use of the treatise. It examined the text in order to determine if Sun Tzu's approach to war was holistic and if it a framework existed within that could be modelled, or if his treatise was simply a compendium of knowledge that should be used aphoristically. The study explored the similarities and differences between business and war in an effort to discern the limitations on the application of military philosophy, including doctrine, strategies, frameworks and practices in business. Finally, subject to the limitations derived from the study on similarities and differences between business and war, the study addressed the issue of adapting war models for use in business. The findings of the research supported the three stated propositions, suggesting that: - The Art of War is based on a holistic strategic framework developed by Sun Tzu that can be modelled. - War and business, although similar, are not identical. The differences could be addressed in terms of adjustments and limitations in the adaptation of military doctrine, philosophy, strategies and practices for business; and - The framework for war can be developed into a model for business application using modern literature and deductive reasoning as a foundation for the model's development, whilst ensuring the differences between the two are accounted for by way of adjustments to the adaptation.
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    Adaptive Organisational Culture as a Source of
    (2011-05-13) Maharaj, Devina
    Understanding organisational culture and its role in creating long term economic performance has become a major area of research in recent times. Leading researchers in the field have found that organisational culture characteristics that facilitate learning and adaptability can significantly enhance economic performance (Schein 1990; Peter and Waterman 1982; Dension 1990; Kotter and Heskett 1992). Identifying distinctive characteristics and core culture traits can therefore assist managers in assessing the role that organisational culture plays in either facilitating or inhibiting the implementation of strategies and goals. The study aims to explore the role of adaptive organisational culture in creating a sustainable competitive advantage within a single South African organisation. The study was guided by three research questions which included 1) describing the culture characteristics of the organisation; 2) assessing if the culture characteristics of organisation were representative of an adaptive culture; 3) examining if the organisational culture served as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Due to the nuanced nature of organisational culture the case study design was deemed appropriate as it provided valuable in-depth understanding of context and processes within a single organisation. The investigation employed the method of multiple data collection and included collection of data from documentary sources, direct observation, physical artifacts and semi-structured interviews (Yin 1984; Eisenhardt 1989). Based on historical data, the culture was assessed and found to be representative of an adaptive culture. It was also concluded that the adaptive culture of the organisation had served as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The findings revealed that the ability of the organisation’s culture to remain adaptive and serve as a source of sustained competitive advantage depended on the active management of that culture during periods of intense growth and/or in times of immense change. Key recommendations for continued culture strength included proper integration of newcomers into the organisation, continued active management of the culture and establishing role models and heroes in addition to the founding members of the organisation.
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    Customer Perceptions of Value Disciplines in
    (2011-04-13) Govender, Jerome Neil
    The purpose of this research was to determine to what extent construction customers’ views of the value disciplines (Treacy & Wiersema, 1993, 1995a, 1995b) could be used by construction companies to develop a broader platform for competitive advantage, other than lowest price. To achieve this, the research determined the most important value discipline to customers and the most important attributes per value discipline. Furthermore, construction consultants are important influencers in the selection of construction firms. Therefore the research also determined to what extent consultants’ views of the value disciplines were consistent with the views of customers. The research found that customers rated the value discipline of Customer Intimacy the highest as opposed to consultants who rated Operational Excellence the highest. The three most highly ranked attributes of all value disciplines were quality, understanding customer needs, and the reputation of the contractor’s project team