A framework for corporate governance and organisational performance in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.ENGLISH ABSTRACT Corporate governance is becoming more widely recognized as a critical factor in determining an organization's overall performance. The King Code I-IV was created to provide a corporate governance framework for South African corporations that is easy to understand and follow. The fourth industrial revolution forces change and flexibility, necessitating innovation in order to compete in a fast-changing environment. The purpose of the research was to look at the basic endemic corporate governance practices that make Ithala Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) efficient and come up with a conceptual and legislative framework for them. Microsoft Forms were used to collect the information. The study used a pragmatic mixed methods approach. The descriptive statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. All study components were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and research hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in SmartPLS version 3. The findings of the study confirmed a relationship between board independence and organisational performance. The findings on board diversity were inconclusive. The relationship between board committees and organisational performance was not supported. The relationship between board oversight responsibility and organisational performance was positively confirmed. Finally, the relationship between a CEO's people-centred leadership skills and organisational performance was positively confirmed and supported. The study is limited to IDFC and cannot be generalised. The findings of this study will add to growing existing knowledge that will aid in the understanding of corporate governance's impact on organisational performance. This research will also assist business leaders in implementing King IV and corporate governance as a driver of organisational performance and the fourth industrial revolution. This thesis's theoretical framework, conceptual framework, and results are likely to entice researchers to do further study into identifying the parts of corporate governance that are critical for strong organisational performance. It should also encourage practitioners, executives of state-owned enterprises, and researchers of strategy, business leadership, and corporate governance to participate more deeply in discussions about the fourth industrial revolution and organisational performance. The findings should find significance to public officials and government leaders, given their considerable interest in long-term company success. isiZULU ABSTRACT Ukuphathwa kwebhizinisi sekuqashelwa kabanzi njengento ebalulekile ekunqumeni ukusebenza kwenhlangano kukonke. I-King Code I-IV yadalelwa ukuhlinzeka ngohlaka lokuphatha ngebhizinisi lwezinkampani zaseNingizimu Afrika okulula ukuluqonda nokululandela. Uguquko lwesine lwezimboni luphoqa uguquko kanye nokuvumelana nezimo, okudinga ukusungulwa okusha ukuze kuqhudelane endaweni eshintsha ngokushesha. Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukubheka izinqubo eziyisisekelo zokuphatha izinkampani ezenza Ithala Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) isebenze kahle futhi iqhamuke nohlaka lomqondo kanye nemithetho yazo. Amafomu e-Microsoft asetshenziselwa ukuqoqa ulwazi. Ucwaningo lusebenzise izindlela ezixubile zepragmatic. Izibalo ezichazayo zibalwe kusetshenziswa iPhakheji Yezibalo Yesayensi Yezenhlalakahle (SPSS) inguqulo 27. Zonke izingxenye zocwaningo zacutshungulwa iexploratory factor analysis (EFA), futhi imibono yocwaningo yahlolwa kusetshenziswa i-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) kunguqulo yesi-3 ye-SmartPLS. Okutholwe ocwaningweni kuqinisekise ubudlelwano phakathi kokuzimela kwebhodi nokusebenza kwenhlangano. Okutholwe ekuhlukeni kwebhodi bekungaphelele. Ubudlelwano phakathi kwamakomiti ebhodi nokusebenza kwenhlangano abusekelwanga. Ubudlelwano phakathi kwesibopho sokwengamela ibhodi nokusebenza kwenhlangano buqinisekiswe kahle. Ekugcineni, ubudlelwano phakathi kwamakhono obuholi obugxile kubantu abango-CEO kanye nokusebenza kwenhlangano baqinisekiswa futhi basekelwa. Ucwaningo lukhawulelwe ku-IDFC futhi alukwazi ukwenziwa jikelele. Okutholwe kulolu cwaningo kuzokwengeza olwazini olukhona olukhulayo oluzosiza ekuqondeni umthelela wokuphatha ngokubambisana ekusebenzeni kwenhlangano. Lolu cwaningo luzosiza futhi abaholi bamabhizinisi ekusebenziseni i-King IV kanye nokuphathwa kwebhizinisi njengomshayeli wokusebenza kwenhlangano kanye nenguquko yesine yezimboni. Uhlaka lwale thesis, uhlaka lomqondo, kanye nemiphumela cishe izoheha abacwaningi ukuthi benze ucwaningo olwengeziwe ukuze bahlonze izingxenye zokubusa kwebhizinisi ezibalulekile ekusebenzeni okuqinile kwenhlangano. Kufanele futhi ikhuthaze abasebenzi, abaphathi bezinkampani zikahulumeni, nabacwaningi bamasu, ubuholi bamabhizinisi, kanye nokuphathwa kwebhizinisi ukuthi babambe iqhaza bajule ezingxoxweni mayelana nenguquko yesine yezimboni nokusebenza kwenhlangano. Okutholakele kufanele kube okubaluleke kakhulu ezikhulwini zikahulumeni kanye nabaholi bakahulumeni, uma kubhekwa intshisekelo yabo enkulu empumelelweni yesikhathi eside yenkampani

Small business viability in the manufacturing sector within the eThekwini Municipal area.

Master of Business Administration. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville 2014.Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) play a key role in transition and developing countries. These firms typically account for more than 90% of all firms outside the agricultural sector, constitute a major source of employment and generate significant domestic and export earnings. The aim of the research was to investigate the viability of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in the manufacturing sector in the eThekwini municipal area. This sector is labour intensive and it has a potential to create more jobs than any other sector. The aim of the research was to understand challenges and success areas that SMMEs face in their quest to establish and run sustainable businesses. Public procurement is the process by which government departments or agencies purchase goods and services from the private sector (Lysons & Farrington, 2006). There are 8 factors that were identified and discussed in the literature review with an aim to understand what body of knowledge is understood in this field. A probability sample of 150 people was chosen drawn from an estimated 2150 SMMEs in the manufacturing sector. The questionnaire was designed with a sole purpose of sourcing valuable information from participants. There were 230 people were emailed and two business groups were sent a link in their Facebook Page for participation in the survey. A response rate of 47% was achieved; many dropped out and did not complete the survey. The participants were recruited using the municipal database of SMMEs and through the Chamber of Business in Durban SMMEs database. The main areas were business district areas in and around the city of Durban, these included Tongaat, Phoenix, KwaMashu, Pinetown, Inanda, Umlazi and Amanzimtoti as key points of focus. The findings show that many of the respondents were contributing to the employment in their SMMEs. The majority of SMMEs employed at least 5 people in their businesses and they had at least one graduate in their employment. This was crucial because there is a need for SMMEs to have skilled employees and professionals in order to ensure that they were compliant to legislation. The study also discovered that there is a lot of red tape in the process of establishing the SMMES; this led a number of them not being formally registered. It was also shown that many SMMEs were aware of government institutions that were assisting SMMEs and had at least approached them to get assistance but a number of them did not get assistance. It is recommended that a thorough study looking in detail at the government interventions should be ensued. There is a need for proper coordination of purpose in government to ensure that people access their services. The study recommends that the government should reduce the level of bureaucracy seen in long procurement procedures