4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item Perspectives of employees on the effectiveness of performance management at a selected chemical plant in the Free State province, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Gare, Tshepo; Gobind, JenikaPurpose – Concerns about the effectiveness of performance management have led researchers to explore several ways of measuring it. Despite extensive research, there is a gap in understanding how employees perceive performance management systems, particularly in the chemical industry in the Free State province, South Africa. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of performance management at a selected chemical plant from employees’ perspectives, focusing on critical factors such as accuracy, fairness, and management transparency. Design/method/approach – A qualitative research method was employed. Interviews were conducted with employees from various occupational backgrounds to gather in-depth insights into their views on the performance management process. Findings – The study found that employees perceived the performance management system as generally effective but highlighted areas needing improvement, particularly in terms of transparency and fairness. Employees valued accuracy in performance assessments but expressed concerns about potential biases and lack of clear communication from management. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to a single chemical plant in the Free State province, which may not be representative of the entire chemical industry. However, the findings provide a foundation for future research in other chemical plants and similar industrial settings. Contribution – This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on employees’ perceptions of performance management in the chemical industry in South Africa. It highlights the importance of management transparency and fairness in enhancing the effectiveness of performance management systems.Item Evaluating the Effectiveness of Green Drop Audit Criterion in Relation to Its Link to Enforcement Protocol in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-08) Tshongweni, Olwethu Lenox; Tutu, Hlanganani; Richards, Heidi L.The Green and Blue Drop programs are incentive-based regulatory systems based on the Department of Water and Sanitation's (DWS) realization that rewarding positive behaviour is more efficient and effective than penalizing undesirable behaviour. The Green Drop was developed for the Wastewater Quality Management Regulation certification program. In contrast, the Blue Drop was developed for the certification program for the Drinking Water Quality Management Regulation (Burgess, 2021). Most municipalities have accepted them and have raised awareness about the need for better efficiency in the wastewater sector. The Sand River, in Polokwane wastewater treatment works (WWTWs), was chosen as the research area for this study. This particular river was selected based on the premise of continuous non-compliance of the wastewater treatment plant and the resulting pressure it puts on the Sand River by compromising its quality, with the DWS not having a successful way of regulating and enforcing the water user to abide by the rules of the license that has been issued. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Green Drop Program audits and assessments about their link to the regulatory system within the DWS. Additionally, a risk assessment and cumulative risk rating are used to assess wastewater discharge into the Sand River in the Limpopo Province. Based on the observation made during the study, it appears that within the DWS organizational arrangements, the lack of coordination among the sectors (compliance monitoring, water quality management, the green drop program, and enforcement), lack of accountability, and the regulatory requirement of cooperation within DWS sectors have hindered implementation. Some of the non-compliance factors may be due to the misuse of funds meant for infrastructure development and difficulties relating to capacity, procurement, and management of the WWTWs. Moreover, DWS's absence of interactive data management systems and business processes contributes to non-compliance. The Polokwane WWTW, directly linked to the Sand River, is overloaded and needs to comply with the Water Use Licence (WUL) conditions. For example, the 21 August 2022, this facility was found to be non-compliant by 69.01%, collectively with administration and technical conditions of the WUL issued to the facility (DWS, 2022c). In addition, this investigation discovered that the Polokwane facility, which has been operating outside of regulations for the past four years, therefore, as calculated in equation 7 could be responsible for 72.3% of the hazards to people's health, the quality of the river's water, and the aquatic ecosystem life in the Sand River in a single month. As much as some municipalities do not perform according to the desired standards, there have been a few noticeable, well-performing ones reported in the green drop report released in 2022. These include Langebaan WWTW (90%), Riebeek Valley WWTW (97%), Gansevallei WWTW (84%), and Wellington WWTW (95%), and this illustrates that the Green Drop Certification is achievable if the municipalities follow and adhere to the Water Use Authorization (WUA) issued them (DWS, 2022b). The DWS must integrate the internal structures or link sectors responsible for monitoring and regulating municipal water service facilities and incentivize performing facilities to improve their performance. Additionally, facilities with minor compliance issues, such as water quality, must be referred to the Water Quality Management (WQM) unit for further investigation and recommendations. However, those non-compliances of authorized wastewater treatment facilities that require regulatory attention must be referred to the compliance monitoring sector through the system for compliance monitoring. Lastly, those facilities that are not authorized must be directed to enforcement for further action. Therefore, using the Integrated Regulatory Information System (IRIS) as the umbrella body for both database and work-based information has an imperative role that can curb some of the issues faced by the DWS. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) should guide all interactions between these systems.Item Effectiveness of cause-related marketing strategies within the fast-moving customer goods (FMCG) industry in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Moeti, LouwellaIt has become incumbent upon businesses to make a difference in society and their communities. To fill this requirement, many businesses associate themselves with a cause that makes a difference in society, resulting in cause-related marketing (CRM). This study sought to investigate the effectiveness of CRM strategies within the South African fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. More specifically, the study sought to examine the attributes that lead to the successful implementation of CRM in the South African FMCG sector, to determine the factors which lead to favourable responses towards CRM in the South African FMCG sector and to develop a framework for successful implementation of CRM in the South African FMCG sector. The research was conducted through a quantitative approach, where data collection was done through a web-based survey. The target sample size was 300 consumers aged 21 to 45, after which 150 responses were deemed useful. The sampling method adopted by the study were the convenience and snowballing sampling where every available subject was asked to complete the survey. The study established a strong and definite correlation between the type of product and customer support, duration of a partnership and customer support, donation amount and customer support, and the product's price and customer support. The study's findings offer knowledge and insights into the factors that drive effective CRM strategies within the South African FMCG sector. Based on the findings, it is recommended that companies be strategic on the type of product used in CRM initiatives; keep product price at a minimum; double the donation amount and support the same cause for longer.