Leadership Competencies for Managing Diversity

The new understanding of diversity involves more than increasing the number of different identity groups on the payroll. An important proposal is that the experience of diversity in an organisation results from pervasive styles of management. This article dealt with the specific paradigms of diversitymanagement and leadership style theory used to address the research problem in the empirical study, namely ‘Is diversity management experience related to leadership styles or competencies?’ The models of diversity and inclusion indicators are used to examine the experience of diversitymanagement. The population of this study into the experience of diversity management is two thousand six hundred and sixty nine (2669) respondents. Leadership styles were obtained from four hundred and forty (440) leaders. The Cronbach alpha values were determined in order to indicate internal validity and reliability.diversity management, engaging leadership style, experience, heroic leadership style, management, symbolic interactionism

The Causes of Conflict in Public and Private Sector Organizations in South Africa

The uncertainty that accompanies organizational change heightens prospects for intra organizational conflict. Notwithstanding this, the knowledge base on the sources (or causes) of organizational conflict is underdeveloped – largely as a result of a low incidence of empirical research, and in particular in South Africa. The current study explored the perceived sources of conflict in two South African organizations operating in different economic sectors. An experimental survey focusing on both the causes and the impact of conflict was administered to a sample of 203 employees, representing both companies. Comparative analysis revealed significant differences between the two organizations’ views with regard to the causes and consequences of conflict. The implications of these findings for future research and conflict management are discussed.organizational conflict, conflict management, human resource management, management

Gender and age differences in conflict management within small businesses.

The objective of this exploratory study was to establish, through the application of the Rahim Organisational Inventory (ROC II) instrument, how the gender and age status of owners/managers of small businesses relate to the application of different conflict-handling styles. The sample of 68 participants was taken using a convenience sampling technique to ensure representation from the strata of the 102 small businesses. Analysis of variances was used to determine if differences exist in conflict-handling styles within the gender and age status groups. The results of the statistical analysis done revealed that slight to significant variances were found, which are discussed accordingly

Rail renaissance based on strategic market segmentation principles

South Africa’s annual State of Logistics survey indicates that themajority of dense, long-distance surface freight is transported byroad, placing severe constraints on the country’s freight logisticsinfrastructure and posing a significant exogenous risk to thegrowth aspirations of the country. This risk is attributable to theexcessive demand for road freight transport, which is dependenton imported fuel at highly unstable prices and is more damagingto the environment – leading to uncertain future offset charges. Arail solution can utilise locally generated electricity (currently coalbased,but partially switchable to renewable energy in the future). The critical requirement, however, is to determine exactly how much freight, and specifically which freight, can switch to rail. In order to identify the freight flows that will exploit rail’s economic fundamentals, a market segmentation model was developed. A feasible target market was identified that enables key stakeholders (government, the national railroad and major road service providers) to engage in ensuring that the urgent planned R300 billion infrastructure spending by the public and private sectors is invested in suitable freight logistics infrastructure to support the country’s growth ideals sustainably.Key words: rail renaissance, market segmentation, South Africa, state of logistics, modal shift, freight flow

The development and application of a freight transport flow model for South Africa

Thesis (DPhil (Logistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.South Africa currently experiences the double jeopardy problem of catching up to global economic competitiveness whilst at the same time feeling the pressures of sustainability management spearheaded by a global agenda. Global sustainability is defined as growth that is shared without depleting natural resources or damaging the environment. Academic disciplines are challenged to make a contribution and economics as such should contribute by providing the lead and lag indicators for the planning and measurement of scarce resources usuage. This integrative view includes economic sub-disciplines, such as logistics. This integrative view is an acknowledged part of the economics discipline, except that the macro-economic context of some sub-disciplines, such as logistics, often receives less attention during the course of academic activities. The distribution of resources and outputs in the economy is a logistics controlled cross-cutting factor, but suffers from a lack of macro-economic perspective, and lead and lag orientated measurement. This state of the affairs is a historic backlog of logistics and its specific position within economics. During the primary economic era the world began to configure networks and markets, which became more pronounced and settled with the dawn and settling of the industrial era. Logistics then was a “given” and did not receive much thought even as industrial, market economies developed. Transport was regarded as an administered cost, i.e. inefficiencies in logistics systems were evenly distributed between competitors, not giving any specific entity an advantage. With the advent of global competition and the diminishing returns on other cost saving measures, companies began to collaborate and integrate logistics functions within value chains, but the administered part of transport costs failed to receive the attention it required. In this way, global competitors did begin to experience disadvantages on a national level as whole economies suffered from inefficiencies in logistics and specifically transport systems

CUSTOMIZED FINISHING TECHNIQUES ON ENTRY LEVEL FDM 3D PRINTED ARTEFACTS IN VISUAL ARTS: An explanatory sequential study.

Published ThesisThe aim of this study is to investigate ways to improve the quality of entry-level fused deposition modelling (ELFDM) produced artefacts, to make the technology more accessible to a wider range of prosumer and address the scale limitations of production components. The development of entry-level 3D printed (EL3DP) technology enhances art and design by providing new techniques previously impossible; however limitations such as poor surface finish quality and size limitations are persistently observed. These limitations steer artists and designers away from utilizing this technology due to poor aesthetic value outputs. It was necessary to construct this study from within an explanatory sequential mixed method paradigm as both quantitative and qualitative data were needed to sketch a broad overview and analyse abstract concepts like aesthetic value. Due to the lack of recorded academic information an experimental pilot study was first conducted to identify potential techniques, followed by quantitative (tensile tests and surface profile measurements) and qualitative (in depth interviews and online surveys) phases and lastly all the data was interpreted to cohesively substantiate the hypothesis. The results show that the pre-experimental pilot study identified potential techniques that were investigated in the phases that followed. Clear evidence is shown to support the progression of ELFDM technique development by applying post-production finishing techniques (PPFTs). It also indicates that the aesthetic value of an artefact can be enhanced by applying surface finishing and assembly techniques. This study enables a larger range of entry-level prosumer to utilize cheaper alternatives to Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies which will lessen the gap between high-end and entry-level. Furthermore by affecting the strength and surface texture of ELFDM 3D prints it has a direct influence on the aesthetic value and functionality of EL3DP artefacts

Die invloed van toekomstendense op entrepreneurs en kleinsakeondernemings

John Naisbitt is the author of three academic publications on futurology. In this article a comparison of these publications of the last decade is made with regard to the ten postulates stated in each book. The core of each postulate is abstracted and its relation to the future development of various aspects affecting man and the world in which he functions is indicated The contents of Naisbitt's works is condensed and divided intofo u r main categories covering technology, economics, cultural/social issues, management and organisation. In each of these subdivisions an attempt is made to outline the practical applicability of facets of these main categories. With this approach the particular characteristics (strong and weak points) which may transform present implications into new opportunities can more easily be indicated