Magister Commercii - MCom (Business and Finance)

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An empirical study of the development of factory shops in the clothing industry in the Cape Peninsula
(University of the Western Cape, 1991) Visser, Jacobus
Since the beginning of the nineteen-eighties factory shops in the clothing industry in the Cape Peninsula have had an increasing influence on the retail trade. Originally factory shops were mainly used by factories to sell damaged goods at the end of the season. On account of the (particularly) short product life cycle of their merchandise, clothing factories started to use factory shops more and more to sell quality clothes (e.g. overproduction, canceled orders, etc.) of a current season directly to the consumer. This approach brought about conflicts in the distribution channel as the traditional responsibilities and values of each channel member were rearranged. The clothing industry in South Africa in general, and in the Cape Peninsula, in particular, is controlled by 6 retailers. The forward integration by clothing factories (i.e. through establishing their factory outlets), inter alia, challenging the status quo as the leadership of the distribution channel had been questioned. Based on certain theories on distribution channel development and distribution channel entry, this study concentrated on determining the scope of factory shops, as well as on "establishing reasons for their development. Although environmental variables (e.g. inflation, backward vertical integration by retailers, economic conditions, etc.) have had a significant impact on the establishment of factory shops, clothing factories also realized the existence of excellent opportunities for profit maximization under adverse economic conditions. Primarily, it was the small who rose against factory threatened; in addition, independent clothing retailers shops as their existence was the leading position of large retailers came under threat. Several theories on the evolution of distribution channels make provision for the entry of factory shops.
Trends in collective bargaining in 1post-independence Namibian public sector
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Shiimbi, Toivo Ndinelago
The emergence of collective bargaining in the public sector is viewed as a product of economic, political, technological and social dynamics regulating the economic relationship between the government as employer and public sector employees. Although public sector employees have been denied the right to organize themselves and to bargain collectively with their respective governments, especially in many African countries, the profound changes during the recent years has dramatically changed labour relations in the public sector. In many African countries, particularly English speaking countries, the process of collective bargaining between the government and public sector employees has gained prominence as the struggle to reconcile the broad interest of the government and its employees has been waged in order to deal effectively with public employment issues. Namibia is one of the many English speaking African countries which is making tremendous efforts to harmonize the employment relationship between the government and the public servants. But these efforts are being hampered by the structural handicaps emanating from the historical legacy of apartheid and its adjunt- authoritarianism (which has found firm roots in the country even after five years of independence). The aftermath of political upheavals which almost completely destabilised the social fabric of the civil society has created an uneasy relationship between the government and the cluster of public sector employees organizations in the determination of the public sector conditions of employment.
Transformation of the Public Service under Fiscal and Constitutional Constraints: An Analysis of the Relationship between Human Resource Development and Representativeness.
(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Sidloyi, Sizwe C.
The essence of the study is to examine progress in the transformation of public service under fiscal and constitutional contraints. The thesis focuses on the implementation of affirmative action and human resource development programmes. The emphasis is on linking the transformation of the public service with the attainment of RDP goals and objectives. The reform of the public service should create opportunities for the employment of new staff to improve the representativeness of the civil service, whilst at the same time increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of government, and generating significant savings to help reduce the fiscal deficit and release resource for productive investment. Budget constraints require that the administrative reform succeeds in releasing resources. This is necessary so that resources may be channelled towards activities such as affirmative action, human resource development and training.
The role of training in the human resource department of the south african parliament
(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Siswana, Batandwa
Training in the South African public service is a highly needed factor, especially in the process of transformation. In the "rationalisation" of the public service, training cannot be conducted in isolation. At the same time training should be seen as a process not an event. Empowering employees with skills and knowledge is vital because this could ensure that the goals of the organisation are attained. As Andrews (1988) argues, training is a systematic process of altering behaviour, knowledge and motivation of employees in order to increase organisational goal achievement. The study focuses on the South African Parliament's Human Resource Department. Training in this department needs to be examined or evaluated for four main reasons. These are: The non-existence of a training policy, lack of funds, non-existence of trainers and poor evaluation. All these factors need more attention at both organisational and employees level. This study aims to identify the key obstacles for effective training. It also aims to develop an analysis of the problems identified by the researcher. This study will assess whether or not political influence affects the human resources' operational activities.
Affirmative action policies and strategies impacting on management positions in the provincial administration: Western Cape - 1995 to 1999: a critical assessment
(University of the Western Cape, 2000) Rockman, Paul A
The South African society is in a period of transformation that constantly challenges economic, social, and even psychological paradigms. Affirmative Action forms an integral part of the process of redistribution and has, for the longest time, attempted to make inroads into the mainstream of economic life in South Africa. The public service, being a government employer, generates a certain expectation with regards to substantive transformation amongst its ranks. For this reason, this study focuses on the Provincial Administration: Western Cape and the impact that affirmative action policies and strategies have had on management positions between the period 1995 and 1999. Government Affirmative Action policies and legislation have more than placed this issue in the forefront of social change and transformation, yet this investigation leads one to conclude that there is a lack of commitment from the provincial administration in terms of realizing national goals and objectives. This study critically assesses the dynamics at work in the transformation process in the administration and establishes the strengths and weaknesses of particular policies and strategies. Data relating to management positions, and the implementation of affirmative action policies and strategies during this period, suggest that little or nothing has been transformed.
An exploratory investigation into the feasibility of turning the student identification card into a debit card: The case for the University of the Western Cape.
(University of the Western Cape, 2003) Osambo, Okoko
This study investigates the financial, marketing as well as technological feasibility of turning the current University of Western Cape (UWC) Student ID Card into a more featured debit card called the "Hoop Kaarf'. This debit card will offer the functionality of access to secure UWC areas, the purchase and use of photocopying credits, the purchase of printing credits, taking out library books; and identification, as the old student card does. It will also have the added functionality of replacing cash when paying for vending machines, cafés, takeaways, shops, supermarkets and withdrawing money from ATMs, at UWC, within South Africa and outside the country. The study demonstrates that the "Hoop Kaarf' could be a feasible product in the student market as 65% of students (sample interviewed) have accepted to carry and use the proposed all-purpose student debit card to utilise services on campus, as well as accessing retail services on and off-campus. As a hybrid card combining both magnetic stripe technology and smart chip technology, it will be technologically feasible by connecting online and off-line the on-campus and the off-campus point-of-sales to the current UWC computer network and to the computer system of the bank that will underwrite the operations.
The image of South Africa among visiting Chinese tourists: implications for destination positioning and marketing strategy
(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Yu, Bingyan
The image of a destination is built by a variety of influences, only some of which can be directly or indirectly attributed to the actions of destination marketing companies. This study proposes to identify, analyze and evaluate the factors that could impact positively and/or negatively on the image of South Africa as a tourist destination among tourists from China. The existing image of the destination among Chinese tourists to South Africa must be considered when South African Tourism organizations position South Africa as a tourist destination when developing marketing strategies for this target market. The study provides a brief examination of the South Africa tourism industry, with particular reference to the emergence of South Africa as a destination for tourists from China. The study seeks to identify current perceptions of South Africa’s image in this market. It also seek to demonstrate that although there are image selection initiatives in positioning the destination, the industry needs to undertake further consumer studies to identify those images that are most likely to stimulate travel by Chinese tourists to South Africa in general, and the Western Cape in particular.
Destination attributes that attract international tourists to Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Zhou, Lichen
The purpose of this study is twofold. The first purpose is to identify Cape Town’s important destination attributes. Secondly one needs to examine how and to what extent Cape Town’s important destination attributes impact on international tourists’ decision on choosing Cape Town as their destination. A proposed model was formulated and it postulates that international tourists’ perception of Cape Town’s important attributes impacts on their decision making in three ways: (1) directly; (2) it impacts on Cape Town’s overall image, and in turn, influences their decision; (3) it also impacts on the international tourists’ overall satisfaction with their trip to Cape Town, and in turn, influences their own or their peripheral people’s future decision on destination selection. Ten of Cape Town’s important destination attributes were identified based on a triangulation approach prior to the research. A structured questionnaire was used to examine how and to what extent these important attributes impact on international tourists’ decision, along with the aforementioned “three ways’ influences”. Three hundred and fifty (350) international tourists, awaiting their departure in the boarding area of the Cape Town International Airport were selected as the sample. The valid data collected was computed by means of the SPSS to test the hypotheses, which were formulated according to the “three ways’ influences”. The results show that, while each of the ten Cape Town’s attributes was important for the destination-unrestricted international tourists to choose Cape Town as their destination, the ten Cape Town’s attributes were not serious concern in the destination-restricted international tourist’ decision on destination selection
Institutions and local government accountability in Uganda: a case study of Ntungamo district
(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Biira, Catherine Promise
After decades of seeking answers, without much success, to the development challenges facing third world countries, agencies such as the IMF and World Bank have turned increasingly in recent years to issues governance and accountability. In Africa especially, the failure of most development strategies has been attributed to governance issues such as democratic deficits, corruption and lack of political accountability among others. Uganda like several other African countries has been criticised for corruption - a sign that the country has a problem with the functioning of accountability and governance in general. In an attempt to find out whether the local government institutional mechanisms in Uganda embody possible explanations for weaknesses in political accountability, this study hypothesizes that institutional arrangements impact on downward accountability. While concentrating on the anatomy of institutions and the dimensions of accountability to which they relate, as well as on how the formal and informal institutions relate to each other, the study gives an insight into how institutions impact on downward answerability and enforceability at the local level in Uganda. Based on a thorough consideration of both the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of accountability, the study develops relevance criteria upon which an assessment of both formal and informal institutions' relevance for each of the dimensions of accountability is based.
Evaluating employee responses to the lean enterprise system at a manufacturing company in Cape Town, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Yan, Bing Wen
There is usually much reaction amongst employees when a new system is introduced in an organization. These changes are intended to improve performance but sometimes cause considerable controversy amongst the employees and management. This study examines the implementation of LE and it attempts to analyse the reactions of employees in a manufacturing company in South Africa—GKN Sinter Metals (GKN), Cape Town. The LE method is designed to achieve business excellence. Specifically, it targets production excellence in order to identify and remove waste and sustain continuous improvements in the production processes and associated activities. At GKN, the LE method was introduced because of its popularity and success in Japan and elsewhere in the world with improving production processes. The literature states that if LE is implemented, then operational performance will improve. According to the literature review, the implementation of the LE can play a significant role in improving company’s performance. Some of the questions that were asked in the research include the following: What benefits did employees perceive by the introduction of LE? How did employees respond to the implementation of the LE at GKN (in other words, did they welcome it or not)?
Factors Affecting the Development of Non-Traditional Export: A Case Study of the Cut Flower Industry in Malawi
(University of the Western Cape, 2006) Kubwalo, Max
Malawi has a narrow export base comprised mainly of tobacco (65%) tea (8%) and sugar (6%) as the main sources of foreign currency. Cut flowers were identified as one of the export products that could help wean the country’s economy off its high dependency on tobacco leaf exports. The decreasing price of tobacco at the auction floors coupled with new anti smoking legislations worldwide has made alternative crop exports critical. The Malawian cut flower industry has its roots in a horticultural pilot project set up by the government in 1988. Lingadzi Farm was the largest and the first to be set up. Maravi Flowers then followed it. Lingadzi Farm closed in 2000 due to high freight costs and was closely followed by the opening of Zikomo Flowers. However, the Malawian cut flower industry has been unable to develop at the same rate as those other Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Her cut flower exports has dropped to under 0.5 million Euros from a high of 2.5 million Euros in 1996. Zambia and Tanzania, two neighbouring countries, on the other hand started at the same time as Malawi and have grown tremendously reaching 20 and 15 million Euros in exports respectively. Unlike the Kenyan and Zimbabwean industries, the Malawian cut flower industry has been unable to develop an out grower or smallholder scheme to increase volumes. The two cut flower farms continue to operate amid rather difficult circumstances.
A mathematical model for managing equity-linked pensions
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Elmerie, Julie
Pension fund companies manage and invest large amounts of money on behalf of their members. In return for their contributions, members expect a benefit at termination of their contract. Due to the volatile nature of returns that pension funds attain, pension companies started attaching a minimum guaranteed amount to member’s benefits. In this mini-thesis we look at the pioneering work of Brennan and Schwartz [10] for pricing these minimum guarantees. The model they developed prices these minimum guarantees using option pricing theory. We also look at the model proposed by Deelstra et al. [13] which prices minimum guarantees in a stochastic financial setting. We conclude this mini-thesis with new contributions where we look at simple alternative ways of pricing minimum guarantees. We conclude this mini-thesis with an approach, related to the work of Brennan and Schwartz [10], whereby the member’s benefit is maximised for a given minimum guaranteed amount, which comprises of multi-period guarantees. We formulate a method to find the optimal stream of these multi-period guarantees.
The Time-Series Approaches in Forecasting One-Step-Ahead Cash-Flow Data of Mining Companies Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Li, Yang
Previous research pertaining to the financial aspect of the mining industry has focused predominantly on mining products' values and the companies' sensitivity to exchange rates. There has been very little empirical research carries out in the field of the statistical behaviour of mning companies' cash flow data. This paper aimed to study the time-series behaviour of the cash flow data series of JSE listed mining companies.
Environmental criteria analysis can contribute to sustainable local level land use planning – Linyanti/Katima Mulilo rural/Kabbe constituencies, Caprivi Region, Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Hamukwaya, Panduleni Ndiba
The contribution of local knowledge to land use panning and sustainable utilization of natural resources is enormous, yet often overlooked by conventional top-down approaches of regional integrated land use plans. The rich knowledge of local land users contribution to implementation of top-down plans is very important. The study investigates the importance of environmental criteria analysis in sustainable land management through engaging the community at local level, using Salambala Conservancy in Katima Mulilo Rural, Lusese Village in Kabbe and Mayuni Conservancy in Linyanti constituencies, Caprivi region, North East Namibia as case studies. Looking at an array of environmental indicators and land use practices which people use, the study investigates the proportional contribution of complex indigenous land use management strategies of the environment. It further revealed that wherever different groups of people use land and its resources, land use is always planned, consciously or subconsciously. The study uses several methods to capture these issues of interest. Evaluation of environmental sustainability through an appropriate environmental framework is applied as an approach to engage local level land use planning. Pressure State Response Framework (PSR) was found to be useful methodology at local community level for identifying the right indicators for monitoring objectives.
Self-assessment of managerial competencies of nurse managers in south africa – identifying the skills gaps
(University of the Western Cape, 2008) Zechner, Solveig Antonia
Broad access to healthcare services is a key factor of human development in any country. The current health care situation in South Africa can be diagnosed as critical. The hospitals are understaffed, over-occupied and the diseases like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) give health care workers additional challenges. The demand for management skills in the health sector including those for nurse managers is high. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) study of nurses working in maternal health services identified good management as more important than salary, unless the remuneration was dramatically higher. In South Africa, little empirical research exists about the management skills of nurse managers, even though proper management of human resources is vital to achieve better outcomes and access to health care around the world. In South Africa, a greater focus on human resource management in health care and more research is needed to develop new policies that will help to address the skills gap of nurse managers.
International perspectives on the proper role of the independent director: implications for South African boards of directors
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Rispel, Reginald
Today, boards of directors are being examined as never before for their independence, integrity and effectiveness. The belief seems to be that independent directors will strengthen corporate boards by monitoring the actions of management and ensuring that management decisions are made in the best interest of the shareholders. Independent directors are now expected to make a more formal contribution to corporate governance than before. The importance of good governance is emphasized by both the USA and the UK governments’ call for trustees and fund managers to intervene more proactively in the governance of companies, particularly in the light of dramatic examples of corporate failure such as Enron in the US and Parmalat in Italy where shareholder values have evaporated. Companies failed due to accounting scandals and the inability of the board to control a dominant and powerful chief executive officer. It is thus no secret that investors are looking increasingly to the independent directors on boards to be more effective in protecting their interests.
A measure of the investment climate in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2009) Foto, Tongai
Investor confidence is a concept many investors are constantly trying to gauge. In practice however these concepts are usually not easy to measure. This study attempts to capture the total sum of investor perception in South Africa by examining market behaviour. Data from the JSE/FTSE (1995-2009) will be used to determine an Equity Risk Premium. Bond Yield Spreads will also be calculated from data provided by I-NET BRIDGE. An amalgamation of these components will produce the proposed Investment Confidence Index. Similar indices currently on the South African Market are based on subjective surveys and might therefore be biased. The proposed index which is a first in SA will prove invaluable to practitioners in the financial sector
The effect of client affiliation on the performance attributions of fund managers in south africa.
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) Enaw, Enih Ebot
This study seeks to evaluate the performance of unit trust managers based on their client affiliation classification. Worldwide, the number of investors investing in unit trusts is on the rise and increasingly they want to be able to evaluate the performance of the managers managing their funds so as to make better investment decisions. This increase in the asset size and number of unit trusts funds could be attributed but not limited to the low capital required for investment by small investors who before could not afford to invest in portfolios requiring large capital (Prather, Bertin, and Henker, 2004). In addition, the fund managers of these units are believed to have special skills such as market timing and stock selectivity which contribute to the performances they achieve. The evaluation of the performance of unit trust fund managers is a largely unexplored area in South Africa. As a result, the study focuses on South Africa fund managers and has as aim to evaluate the performance of two groups of fund managers (independent and dependent) who were classified based on their client affiliation structure. The client affiliation classification is as a result of the fund manager‟s clientele base. The dependent group are those who formed part of a group structure and offer other wealth management services for which their clients or investors in the unit trust services originate from within the group while the independent group are those whose clients are pulled together from diverse individuals or institutions and does not form part of a group or render other services other than fund management. Two fund types were selected namely; general equity funds and balanced funds. It has also examined the underlying skills the different groups of fund managers possess.
Cooperation and competition: The case of the Western Cape wine cluster
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) Svenson, Lisle
A major challenge facing the South African wine industry has been the economic repositioning of the sector, which since 1994 has moved away from a highly regulated domestic environment. The increasing integration of the local industry into international markets and global value chains has been accompanied by the industry’s deregulation and restructuring. From the production focus on a limited range of low value-added varieties produced for domestic tastes and to meet monopoly quotas, producers have shifted to planting noble cultivars suited to various international tastes. Despite the lack of growth in traditional Western European markets, new world producers like South Africa have successfully competed and secured new market share. The Western Cape wine industry is ranked as the second-largest contributor to the Western Cape economy. The thesis explores the effect of cluster governance and the coordination of strategic collective actions on the Western Cape wine cluster’s competitiveness. The data has been gathered through a combination of documentary analysis and interviews conducted with the leadership and/or management of various industry organisations. A qualitative approach has been adopted in the data analysis and interpretation of the findings, with information gathered via a combination of documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with key representatives of established industry bodies and key role-players in the Western Cape wine cluster.
Generational diversity in a South African corporate: myth or reality? A study investigating the relationship between age and work values
(University of the Western Cape, 2011) McArthur-Grill, Luan
Diversity management in South Africa, post 1994, has increasingly become a focal area when considering strategic human resource issues in the corporate environment. To date “traditional” diversity topics have largely centered around the differences in employees’ race, culture, gender, language and disability status, and scores of academic and management text has been produced in this regard since the birth of democracy in this country, sixteen years ago. Whilst change on the political front has been vanguard, resultant societal change has largely been ignored by corporate South Africa. The era of equal opportunity has led to changes in income levels, consumer buying power and demographics and has paved the way for a new breed of human capital in the workplace. One particular breed, having been raised in the New South Africa, has shared experiences and backgrounds which are completely different to that of their parents and their grandparents. Their common location in history has dramatically shaped their belief systems and their expectations of life in general, with work life being a major facet thereof. These generational differences has resulted in tensions in the workplace where it has become evident that employees of varying ages are finding it difficult to ‘speak the same language’.

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