Browsing by Author "Maree, Johann"

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    An assessment of a quick response case study in an apparel textile pipeline in the Western Cape
    (2001) Vlok, Etienne Doyle; Maree, Johann
    The aim of this thesis was to establish whether South African companies implementing Quick Response in an apparel textile pipeline moved towards flexible specialisation and post-Fordism or a neo-Fordist method of production. I also determined whether these companies implemented Quick Response according to the theory or to suit their environment. Manufacturing 6 Fordism or mass production became the most important manufacturing system in the early 20th century. When it was in crisis a new era, post-Fordism, was born. The change in manufacturing in post-Fordism was labelled flexible specialisation. It utilises new technology and flexible ways of organising work to help companies become more competitive. However, some people believed the new era was not new, but rather a modification of Fordism. They called this modified system neoFordism, consisting of both Fordist and post-Fordist features. The clothing and textile industries South Africa's textile and clothing industries are faced with increased competition due to the country's re-entry into the world economy and the subsequent drop in tariffs. One way for textile and clothing companies to compete is by developing a Quick Response approach - a type of flexible specialisation. It could help these companies fight cheaper imports as it cuts lead times and allows companies to use their local proximity to deliver the right products at the right time. Methodology using qualitative research methods I attempted to describe Quick Response in this pipeline by finding out what it is, what its features are, how it is implemented and what its effects are. I combined descriptive and explanatory elements in my study. I used semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to interview workers, middle and upper management of the companies in the pipeline. I also used nonparticipant observation by attending meetings these companies held. Quick Response or not? The system that this pipeline implemented has some of the main trademarks of Quick Response. The companies improved their relationships, shared some information, cut the lead times, and relied on sales figures to determine production. All of this resulted in an increase in sales, Quick Response's ultimate goal. However, this system lacked many features of Quick Response such as worker involvement, full information sharing, Pareto improving measures to ensure no company is worse off than before, and cutting lead times constantly. Despite this I still believe this system could be classified as Quick Response as it was mainly about cutting lead times and this pipeline did that in a small way. Post- or neo-Fordism? Although these companies introduced elements of Quick Response, Fordist production features were still evident. These include manufacturing with long runs, just-in-case or safety stock, power differentials, mistrust, managerial prerogative, and large wage gaps. It is clear that Quick Response as described in the theory is a type of flexible specialisation, which is the change in manufacturing in the post-Fordist era. However, the version used in this pipeline contained many elements of Fordist production combined with post-Fordist methods. So the conclusion is that the companies who implemented Quick Response moved towards a neo-Fordist method of production. Only when they import Quick Response as an integrated package might their methods be described as post-Fordist.
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    Between consolidation, promotion and restoration : trade unions and democracy in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland
    (2007) Ranchod, Rushil; Maree, Johann
    This thesis critically examines the ability of trade unions to consolidate, promote and restore political democracy in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. The process of democratisation is premised on two transitions. First, is the transition from authoritarianism to democratic government, and second, is the transition from this government to the consolidation of democracy. Temporally, the focus of this dissertation is on the period after the first transition to democracy.
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    Calling for better crops: an exploration of social upgrading through two mobile phone-based agriculture extension projects in Uganda
    (2012) Piontak, Rachel; Maree, Johann
    In recent years, mobile phones have become increasingly enmeshed in the daily routines of communities across the globe. This exponential swell of mobile teledensity in developing nations, especially in rural areas, gives evidence to mobile phones as being a contributing factor towards social and economic changes in local livelihoods driven by agriculture. In this study, any economic upgrading is organised under the concept of overall social upgrading. This dissertation investigates such evidence by exploring the social effects from the use of mobile phones through two agricultural extension projects in Uganda.
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    Co-ordination of enterprise skill formation: a sociological and historical narrative of professional, market and state initiatives in South Africa
    (2018) Lundall, Paul Arnold; Maree, Johann
    This thesis analyses the sociological and historical genesis of enterprise skill formation in South Africa and its effective coordination. South Africa’s late nineteenth century development as an emerging economy contributed to the state often taking the lead and being at the forefront of efforts to ensure coordination in enterprise skill formation. But gradually, concerns shaped by issues related to labour supply motivated leaders in firms and enterprises to forge their own imprint on the coordination of enterprise skill formation. The thesis also shows how these concerns with the coordination of enterprise skill formation involved intellectuals and professionals who attempted to intervene on these matters. The thesis proceeds to elaborate the unique institutional architecture which was constructed at various junctures in the history of South Africa’s human resource and skill formation journey. Furthermore the thesis gives an insight into the coordination of enterprise skill formation which occurred in the period of apartheid induced reforms. The evidence however shows that even when regimes change and new political orders are established, it does not end the necessity for continuity in the coordination of enterprise skill formation. As is to be expected, the institutional, regulatory and instrumental content of the coordination of enterprise skill formation is more complex in the contemporary period (circa. 2017) than it was in the 1920s and 1930s. However, the goal striven toward then was for a more streamlined process which could contribute to a change and improvement in the existing practice of enterprise skill formation. Evidence shows that this has been ongoing for over a century. The thesis gives an intricate and detailed insight into the process of building a new coordinated skills development system that was intended to ensure the coordination of enterprise skill formation under a democratic post-apartheid political dispensation. In this period a levy-grant system underwritten by a national skills levy has been a central instrument of direct coordination into enterprise skill formation. The analysis that is provided traces the iterative steps that were treaded by policy makers and policy thinkers from at least the early 1920s as they confronted what may have appeared as an elusive enterprise skill formation process. This analysis is done with a great deal more depth for the period since the early 1990s.
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    Conditions of Employment and Small Business: Coverage, Compliance and Exemptions
    (2007-04) Godfrey, Shane; Maree, Johann; Theron, Jan
    This Policy Brief is based on DPRU Working Paper 06/106, Conditions of Employment and Small Business: Coverage, Compliance and Exemptions by Shane Godfrey, Johann Maree and Jan Theron.
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    Conditions of Employment and Small Business: Coverage, Compliance and Exemptions
    (2006-03) Godfrey, Shane; Maree, Johann; Theron, Jan
    The research examines the different forms of regulation of conditions of employment (i.e. bargaining council agreements, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), and sectoral determinations) and what sort of accommodation they make for small firms.
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    Employee relations in the public service of three Southern African countries : South Africa, Namibia and Botswana
    (2006) Du Toit, Jacqueline; Maree, Johann; Godfrey, Shane
    The aim of this dissertation was to ascertain what type of employee relations system is identifiable in the public services of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, and to determine what type of voice regulation is in place in the determination of terms and conditions of employment.
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    An evaluation of skills development in a sample of metal and engineering firms in Gauteng
    (2009) Ribeiro, Marisa Ferreira; Maree, Johann
    The metal and engineering industry is one of the most significant contributors to South Africa’s manufacturing employment and economic performance. In recent times though debate regarding the industry has centered on reported critical skills shortages, alluding to decreased employment and performance. Studies confirmed that skills shortages at artisan, technical, engineering and management levels existed with artisans representing the most critical skills shortage in the industry. This study evaluates the nature and extent of skills development taking place in a sample of metal and engineering firms located in the industry’s most significant province, Gauteng. Research was conducted through interviews with skills development representatives from a non-randomly selected sample of firms belonging to three categories in the metals beneficiation value chain, namely: raw material processing firms; intermediate product producing firms and finished product producing firms.
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    The impact of computerisation on clerical work in the finance sector : case studies of two large life assurance companies in the Western Cape, 1955-1985
    (1986) Hartman, Nadia; Maree, Johann
    The association of microelectronics and the office and its consequences specifically for life assurance companies is the central focus of this thesis. The original intention was to survey the impact of computerisation on clerical work in the Finance Sector, focusing specifically on banks, building societies and life assurance companies. The Finance Sector was chosen because it is the largest employer of clerical workers after the civil service and was also the most advanced user of computers in commerce. A survey of the literature on computerisation and clerical work revealed that a comparison of job categories prior to and following computerisation was necessary if the full impact of the technology was to be assessed. However, after several months of research it became evident that a comparison of job categories in the pre- and post-computer eras in all parts of the Finance Sector - banks, building societies and assurance companies - would make for an impossibly long exercise in the thesis if all were researched comparably. It was decided to concentrate on two very large life assurance companies in South Africa who were among the first to computerise in the country. Comparability was enhanced by the fact that both company headquarters were in Cape Town and therefore accessible for in-depth and repeated interviewing. This together with the fact that the companies were among the largest employers of clerical labour in the Western Cape made the choice natural and inevitable.
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    Impact of institutional diversity on unions and NGO's efforts to represent and articulate farm workers' grievances: case study of the 2012 Western Cape farm workers strike and protest action
    (2014) Zvoutete, Jackie Tatenda; Maree, Johann;
    Following a disconcerting pattern in South Africa's recent labour history, a violent strike and protests gripped the De Doorns area in the Hex Valley River Valley of Western Cape Province in the late months of 2012 and early 2013. Literature on collective action and mobilisation shows that many of these incidents are triggered by occasions where there is a clash or disagreement of interests between groups. The existence of groups with diverging interests creates the basis of conflict;; this dichotomy is the initial form of diversity. Through debunking and qualitatively analysing the role and responsibilities of the worker representative groups during the strikes, the study reveals that there is a weak representation structure which is worsened due to the diverse interests of the institutions. This ultimately negatively affects the process of attaining a practical solution for the farm workers' issues. The paper explores the layered disparities of the workers within the farms, showing that a group's view is an aggregation of individuals' different opinions and experiences;; this is important to acknowledge in the study of conflict. This dissertation is a presentation of the need for an adoption and inclusion of institutional diversity in the study of labour conflict in South Africa. Racial lines prominently draw diversity within a South African setting but this study proposes that diversity in other forms is crucial in understanding these protest situations and in seeking solutions. The paper makes this suggestion through an observation of the 2012 Western Cape Farm Worker Strike and protest action, by questioning how worker representative groups handled the responsibility of representing and articulating farm worker problems. Although each party may believe they are doing what is best for the farm workers plight, they each have different operational values and they strongly embody their own interests. This varied mix of agenda's and modes of operation leads to a lack of constructive dialogue. This break in effectual communication plays a role in weakening the representational abilities of the unions and organisations and consequently abates the possibilities of attaining the practicable resolutions which are best for the group that the parties claim to represent;; the farm workers. The paper identifies this as a problem and subsequently suggests an immediate evaluation of communication methods from all these parties in order to improve negotiations in the future. This thesis not designed as a solution but functions as a presentation or a sketch of the complex milieu that surround strikes and protest action in order to encourage new ways of thinking about farm disputes and ways to resolve them.
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    Industrial restructuring : challenges and demands imposed by flexible specialisation on manufacturing : A case study of two firms in the Western Cape
    (2001) Bhengu, Sthembiso M; Maree, Johann
    The paper argues that while findings justify a neo-Fordist assertion, firms are making considerable progress in the process of restructuring towards greater flexibility. There is significant progress in relations between management and labour. These changes cannot only be attributed to flexible specialisation, but also to new the political scenario in the country and globally.
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    Mobile phones for development: How have women in the informal sector used their mobile phones to enhance themselves and their business?
    (2014) Chair, Chenai A; Maree, Johann
    The research looked into how women in the informal sector made use of mobile phones to enhance their wellbeing and their businesses. The study was carried out within the discourse of information technology for development where it is argued that information technologies have the potential to improve on people's lives. This research sought to examine the possibility for development and growth through the conceptual framework of social inclusion and inclusive growth. This was used as a lens to analyse the data on mobile phone use by women in the informal sector. Qualitative research was conducted in three townships in Cape Town, through purposive sampling of five female respondents. Two respondents were in the hairdressing industry, two were in the meat selling industry and one respondent owned a shebeen. The women were running micro enterprises in the informal sector, as they had no other means to provide for themselves and their families. Mobile phones were incorporated into the daily running of business. The functions of the mobile phone mainly used were voice, text and Internet access through social media and instant messaging. Four resources were identified as crucial for the promotion of social inclusion and growth that would enhance the economic and social participation of individuals. These were physical, digital, human and social resources. All of the respondents had the physical resource of mobile phones that varied in functions. Digital resources showed information exchange crucial to the businesses and for the women. Human resources were the skills that that the women had that would allow for utilization of mobile phones. The social resources referred to social capital present that enabled use of mobile phones. Social inclusion and Inclusive growth through use of mobile phones was possible in the social context in which the women were based. Whilst costly mobile phone credit was a limitation directly linked to mobile phone use, women faced structural challenges beyond the functions of the mobile phone. Women in this study harnessed the potential of mobile phones;; together with the resources they already had to improve on their business, impacting on the quality of their lives.
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    Networks, [Mis]trust, and Pentecostal Conversion: narratives of divergent pathways among small Black entrepreneurs in Tshwane
    (2012) De Sousa, Julio F; Maree, Johann
    This thesis is an exploration of the cultural meanings, practices, and discourse that impinge upon the workings of social capital and trust among small black entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs need to draw on social networks to get advice and resources to launch and manage a business. The contacts that lead to successful outcomes are their social capital and they are a key component of entrepreneurial networks. Structural economic sociologists tend to emphasise 'structural holes', whereby a social actor who is in a position to bridge two actors with no direct ties to each other can parlay control over information into strategic advantage. Recent sociological literature highlights questions of meaning in networks and brings to the fore concerns with the larger cultural framework within which social networks are embedded. Relational economic sociologists contend that networks can be understood as composed of culturally constituted processes. Studies on the networks of South African entrepreneurs are few and far between, and they seem to suggest that African entrepreneurs don't mobilise social capital as well as their Indian and white counterparts. The research used qualitative approaches, relying on a combination of in-depth open-ended unstructured interviews and prolonged ethnographic immersion which generated rich understandings of entrepreneurs' lived experiences, subjective meanings, and contexts. The findings underscore the cultural contingency of social ties and network structure, suggesting that an entrepreneur's proneness to join particular types of associations and networks, and their ability to generate particular types of social ties and generalised trust has something to do with a range of cultural contingencies. The research devoted special attention to the cultural contingency of religion, bringing to light the entrepreneurial consequences of Pentecostal conversion. These intersect with, and extend far beyond, the networks of small black entrepreneurs, affecting issues at the very heart of entrepreneurship such as risk taking and proactiveness. I borrow the concept of 'cultural holes' to illustrate the contingencies of meaning that shape the networks and the entrepreneurial orientation of small black entrepreneurs and, ultimately, drive their divergent entrepreneurial trajectories. Finally, the study adumbrates a typology of small black entrepreneurs, arguing for the possibility that multiple cultural contingencies may open up alternate understandings of entrepreneurship.
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    Organisational democracy and economic viability in producer cooperatives in the Western Cape Region of South African and in Zimbabwe : case studies and comparative analysis
    (1991) Erasmus, Zimitri; Maree, Johann
    This study is a sociological analysis of participatory-democratic organisations in 'third world' contexts. Firstly, it assesses the degree of participatory democracy in each enterprise studied. Secondly, it explores whether cooperative development is a process. Thirdly, it assesses the applicability of existing theory in the field for organisations in 'third world' contexts. The data used is predominantly qualitative, though quantitative information is utilised. Qualitative data is gathered from in-depth interviews using semi-structured questionnaires, observation and the examination of primary sources. Empirical information is analysed in the light of theoretical constructs reviewed and practical constraints identified by other researchers in the field. The key construct is an 'ideal-type' participatory-democratic organisation. Significant findings include the following: (a) cooperatives in 'third world' contexts are formed and joined primarily for material reasons; (b) specific constraints include a severe lack of basic education among cooperators, relationships of dependency between co-ops and service organisations, and a 'survival' consciousness among cooperative members; (c) the nature of relationships between cooperatives and service organisations have significant implications for co-op development; (d) there is a relationship between organisational structures and viability as an economic unit and (e) members in different positions in the enterprise have different conceptions of cooperation. The study concludes that cooperative development is a process involving different stages characterised by different degrees of participation in decision-making, viability, organisational development and cooperative consciousness.
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    Psychology and religion in the search for personal wholeness
    (2012) Maree, Johann
    These presentations examine the relationship between psychology and religion by exploring the roles they play in helping people grow towards personal wholeness. These lecture slides will be of interest to students who attended this lecture series or other persons who wish to know more about this topic.
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    The regulation of health and safety in South Africa's manufacturing industry
    (1989) Macun, Ian; Maree, Johann; Myers, Jonny
    This thesis will be concerned with trying to develop an understanding of what the difficulties have been in bringing about improvements to the working environment in manufacturing. The role of labour will be of central concern, but an attempt will also be made to analyse the role of the other participants in the regulatory process, namely, the state and employers. The period with which the thesis is concerned is the 1980s. The area is clearly a very broad one and no claims will be made to providing a comprehensive study. Rather, it is hoped that the present study will provide some new data and some original insights into the regulatory process which will provoke further discussion and research in the field of occupational health and safety in South Africa.
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    The role of mediation in industrial conflict resolution
    (1989) Philip, Catharine Mary; Maree, Johann
    This dissertation analyses the role of industrial mediation within the framework of the relationship between the underlying causes of industrial conflict and the resolution of this conflict. The inextricable relationship between economics and politics means that the underlying causes of industrial conflict need to be located within both the socio-political arena and in the contradictions within the labour process. The Independent Mediation Service of South Africa (IMSSA) has played a crucial role in facilitating the institutionalisation of extra statutory or independent industrial mediation in response to the changing nature of industrial relations in the country. IMSSA is rooted in the pluralist approach to industrial relations. Pluralism is rejected in this dissertation for its implicit acceptance of the existing socio-political status quo and for its belief in the legitimacy of the social system as a fair and democratic one. Thus, a critical question in this research is what is the role of mediation if pluralism is rejected as a starting point for analysis? A distinction is drawn between manifest and latent conflict in this dissertation. The primary hypothesis, which is confirmed, is that mediation addresses the manifest, rather than the latent conflict. This challenges the claim of the problem-solving approach of mediation that the process uncovers the underlying conflict. Instead, this research reveals that mediation is dispute-specific and has the potential for solving the immediate conflict, rather than removing the fundamental sources of this conflict. Further, the role of mediation is limited by the very nature of the collective bargaining process which restricts the expression of the latent conflict. It is argued that, although mediation may be accused of palliating the conflict in the sense that it settles the dispute without addressing the structural causes of the conflict, mediation plays a significant role in the collective bargaining process. This is revealed in the role that mediation plays in improving bargaining skills, empowering the weaker party, legitimising the negotiating parties, educating the parties, overcoming mistrust and promoting understanding between adversaries. Thus, mediation has the potential for significantly affecting the working relationship and altering the dynamics of this relationship in terms of enhancing the essential relationship-building dimension of this relationship and facilitating an approach to bargaining in good faith. The effects of mediation therefore extend beyond the immediate conflict settlement. Mediation is not a response to procedural inadequacies and the utilisation of this process does not reflect inadequate negotiation skills. Instead, the increasing number of industrial mediations may be seen to be a reflection of more sophisticated industrial relations which reveal an acknowledgement of the need to compromise as a prerequisite for successful collective bargaining. Research was conducted and hypotheses tested through primary research which involved interviews with leading management representatives and trade unionists in the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage regions and mediators in these two areas as well as in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Interviews were conducted oh an open-ended, but structured basis. The two primary regions were chosen for their representation of different trends in the utilisation of industrial mediation. FOcus in the Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage region centred on why mediation has been utilised relatively less frequently in this region than elsewhere in the country. It was found that, although specific forces have shaped the unique nature of collective bargaining in this region, the attitude towards mediation arose not from more militant or confrontational policies, but from a number of misperceptions and faulty assumptions concerning the process and role of mediation.
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    Small, medium and micro enterprise promotion in the Western Cape clothing industry : the way forward for SMME's promotion in South Africa
    (2000) Matshedisho, Knowledge Rajohane; Maree, Johann
    The object of this dissertation is to describe the extent to which the government has assisted small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME's) in the Western Cape clothing industry. The ultimate aim is to propose a way forward in the light of what the government has done so far in terms of SMME's promotion since 1994 and the recent economic and social developments in South Africa and abroad. The study is targeted at SMME's that are owned by previously disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape metropolitan area. It does not focus on well-established SMME's. The government's SMME's promotion strategy emphasises the need to economically empower previously disadvantaged communities through measures such as SMME's promotion in those communities. It is for this reason that I chose to research this category of SMME's. The observation of this dissertation is that the government has been successful in coming up with the strategy for SMME's promotion and setting up structures for implementation in order to overcome barriers to the growth of SMME's in South Africa. However, there is still work to be done towards the success of these SMME's with primary responsibility falling on local business service centres as grassroots organisations. Bibliography: leaves 168-178.
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    A study of changes and continuities in the organization and regulation of work with an empirical examination of the South African and Lesotho clothing/retail value chain.
    (2013) Godfrey, Shane; Maree, Johann
    The empirical focus of the thesis is the clothing and retail segments of the local and regional value chains in parts of Southern African that comprise different geographical and regulatory zones. Secondary literature on the clothing and retail sectors was examined, but the main research method was interviews with senior managers of retailers, clothing manufacturers, design houses, cut, make and trim (CMT) operations, as well as key informants. The interviews focused on understanding the relationships that link different stages of clothing production with the retail sector.
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    A study of four key aspects within five bargaining councils over the period 1995 to 2010
    (2011) Holtzhausen, M M E; Maree, Johann; Godfrey, Shane
    The research focused on bargaining councils in five industries as statutory institutions for centralised collective bargaining. The purpose was to determine how bargaining councils adapted to the changing environment during the 15-year period from 1995 to 2010, with a particular focus on representivity, the main agreement (wages and conditions of service), benefit funds, dispute resolution and other related developments.