The Sasol Engineering and Leadership Academy

Contrary to the way it is often portrayed, the average organization or company is far from being a cold, calculating machine. It is actually a highly emotive place where interaction with people is a fundamental part of its ability to perform satisfactorily. The company, through its employers, expects employees, including new graduates, to have the ability to cope adequately with this emotive environment. The graduate is frequently unable to meet this expectation because he/she has not been developed to do so. Technical knowledge is his only asset. This deficiency manifests itself in leadership shortcomings, both intrapersonal and interpersonal. Further analysis reveals a deficiency in three elements of leadership – self-awareness, oral communication, and an ability to work cooperatively in teams. To address these three elements of leadership, Sasol Coal, a subsidiary of the big petrochemical company in South Africa, sponsored a leadership programme at the University of Pretoria for their final-year bursary students in the faculty of Engineering. This programme, the Sasol Engineering and Leadership Academy (SELA), consisted of a number of interventions designed to address the three areas of self-awareness, oral communication, and cooperative behaviour in teams. These interventions varied from an intrapersonal nature to interpersonal aspects. Psychometric assessments were followed by experiential modules dealing with the three constructs. SELA was evaluated at the end of the year. The results showed a positive shift in the main constructs of self-awareness, communications, and cooperation. This was measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations for improving the programme were proposed.http://www.saimm.co.za/journal-papersam201

Effect of scope readiness on capital projects in mining : a Namibian case study

Although project scope definition is regarded as a key element in successful project management, research on the subject is sparse. This paper investigates the relationship between project scope readiness and project performance in the Namibian mining industry. A survey was done on ten projects from seven Namibian mining companies, using the project definition readiness index (PDRI) tool as a scope definition indicator, while cost and schedule performance were used as performance indicators. Support was found for the proposition that readiness of project scope definition improves schedule performance, but the relationship between the PDRI score and cost performance was less conclusive.Alhoewel die bestek-beskrywing van ’n projek algemeen beskou word as ’n sleutelelement in die suksesvolle bestuur van ’n projek, is baie min navorsing hieroor gedoen. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die verwantskap tussen die gereedheid van bestek-beskrywings en die sukses van projekte in die Namibiese mynbou-industrie. ’n Opname is gedoen op tien projekte in sewe Namibiese mynbou maatskappye. Die Projek Definisie Gereedheid Indeks (PDRI) instrument is gebruik as aanwyser van die gereedheid van die bestekdefinisie, terwyl kosteprestasie en skedule-prestasie as aanduiding van projeksukses gebruik is. Ondersteuning is gevind vir die stelling dat die gereedheid van ’n projek se bestekomskrywing skedule-prestasie bevorder, maar die verwantskap tussen PDRI telling en kosteprestasie was minder oortuigend.http://sajie.journals.ac.zaam2019Industrial and Systems Engineerin