Browsing by Author "Ryan, Tom"
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- ItemOpen AccessThe ability of renewable energy assets to attract private investment: factors and considerations that influence an investor's decision to invest into South African assets with a renewable energy exposure(2017) Napier, Sarah Vicki; Ryan, TomThis paper aims at facilitating, through research and increased understanding, the inflow of investments into renewable energy (RE) assets. The private sector represents vast pools of funding that is needed for RE capacity to be unlocked on a sustainable and large scale rate. Through using a grounded theory research design methodology, the drivers and restraints identified were the risks and rewards involved in investing into a RE asset, specifically the macro-economic and microeconomic risk and reward factors involved. Renewable energy assets were found to closely be affected by government policies and the stability thereof. Return attributes to renewable energy were a high cash yielding, long term in nature and inflation indexed payments - all attractive attributes to pension funds, the largest private investment group with regards to assets under management. Through the grounded theory methodology process a causal loop diagram (CLD) was built, representative of the insights of RE as an asset class- gained from the literature. One leveraging factor identified in the CLD to increase investment is government policy stability which will substantially decrease perceived risks to investors and facilitate in increased investments into renewable energy assets.
- ItemOpen AccessAn assessment of the viability of labour intensive township development in the Cape Metropolitan Area(1994) Steunenberg, Hendrik Stephanus; Lister, Gordon; Ryan, TomLabour intensive construction, generally defined by authors as the economically efficient use of labour to produce the quality of product as demanded by the specification (and allowed by the funding available), ensures that significantly more labour is used per unit of expenditure than in conventional construction. Labour intensive municipal infrastructure projects have been implemented in South Africa since 1985, but it is only in recent years that large township development projects in the Cape Metropolitan Area were undertaken with a purposeful exchange of machines for people. This thesis aims to assess the viability of labour intensive construction methods when applied in township development in the Cape Metropolitan Area. Case study methodology was used to design the study and gather and analyse data to reach meaningful conclusions. Six cases where labour intensive construction methods are used to provide municipal services, were investigated. After analysis, the findings were synthesised and recommendations presented. The objectives of the thesis were to investigate the factors; cost, time and quality when labour intensive construction methods are used. Contractual arrangements, possible social benefits and communication were also identified as areas to be investigated. The findings were compared with the industry's norms for conventional construction methods in order to evaluate the viability of labour intensive construction.
- ItemOpen AccessBlending industry varietals : developmental considerations for the South African wine tourism industry(2010) Scott, David; Ryan, TomThere is consensus that wine tourism summarily offers a strong competitive advantage for wine regions, and can generate profitable business for wineries, other wine-related products and for visitor services. And in the four decades since the first manifestation of South African wine tourism was established in the Stellenbosch wine route, there has been general agreement that South African wine tourism has grown significantly in both local and international reputation and recognition. As a result of the widely identified potential of wine tourism, the South African industry has presented a continuing expectation of sustained industrial growth and tangible developmental manifestations and contributions. However, the industry successes since democracy have more recently been shadowed by an increasingly evident developmental frustration and dissatisfaction on the part of stakeholders, academics and observers.There has been considerable discussion and argument over the growing evidence of non-existent or insufficiently developed industry associative networks, the wide spread and overbearing prevalence of a production mind set and the mounting agreement that there are tremendous amounts of further research and investment still required if South African wine tourism is to realize the true value of its assets. This study identifies and clarifies this prevalent practical problem and research concern of slow and disparate development in the South African wine tourism industry in cognizance of the increasingly evident dissatisfaction and unrealized expectation of South African wine tourism industry stakeholders.
- ItemOpen AccessCreating an adaptive asset allocation fund to outperform inflation in the South African financial market(2009) Watson, Grant; Ryan, TomIn this dissertation, I detail the process I went through to create a new asset allocation product, with the intention of beating inflation over the long term, in the South African flnancial market space. This process has been a contributor to the creation of my model for new product development in the financial market space. Simulation is at the core of this process. At the outset, I cover a brief history and contextualise absolute return funds, looking at the difference between an absolute return fund, a balanced fund and a hedge fund. The move from defined benefit to defined contribution pension funds and the impact this has had on consulting actuaries risk appetites is visited. My concern in this regard is that capital preservation is being maximised, at the expense of capital growth, without taking into account the devastating effects of inflation.
- ItemOpen AccessCreating viable black economic empowerment initiatives on the primary producer level in the South African wine industry(2009) Martin, Gerard; Ryan, TomThis research study focuses mainly on the internal environment of land reform in the South African Wine Industry. Therefore it deals specifically with empowerment projects in the South African Wine Industry on producer level. Given the concern as mentioned above the following research question was formulated: How does one increase the leadership and management capabilities of individuals within empowerment projects on the primary producer level in the South African Wine Industry?
- ItemOpen AccessThe development of a systematic inquiry framework and its application in developing new understanding regarding feedback and communication in a manufacturing environment(2000) Bauer, Peter F; Ryan, TomThe context of this report is a manufacturing concern that supplies accessories to the clothing industry. With the opening up of the South African borders and the removal of inherent restrictions it has become an environment that is very competitive and dynamic.
- ItemOpen AccessDevelopment of computer software support for interpretive structural modelling(1995) Lawrie, Peter Richard; Ryan, TomInterpretive Structural Modelling is a computer-driven method for dealing with complexity, by allowing individuals or groups to interpret the inter-relationships between different aspects or elements of a problem. In doing this interpretation, the elements are structured, and from this structuring, a graphical model is produced, allowing the modeller(s) to better understand the problem. The main contribution of this thesis was to develop a computer package for Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), for use at the School of Engineering Management at the University of Cape Town. The package was developed for the IBM PC.
- ItemOpen AccessThe effect of EPAs on the dairy sector in Zambia(2009) Mwananshiku, Pam; Ryan, TomThe study's objective was to analyze the effect of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) on the dairy sector through the use of the grounded theory process. The central thread of reasoning in the entire paper is based on the S-C-Q-A-R-E Situation, Concern, Question, Answer, Rationale and Evaluation] principle. The Situation is that Zambia has chosen to negotiate the EPAs under the group called Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) configuration comprising 16 member countries that belong to COMESA with the exclusion of Egypt, Libya and Tanzania. Out or the six main areas of negotiations, Agriculture has been one or the most contentious clusters because of the high levels of subsidies on the part of the EU and it is also one of the sectors ESA has considered to be a sensitive sector. Because of the high levels of subsidies on various agricultural products on the part of the EL, milk and its products have been placed under the sensitive product list meaning that the region will not reduce tariffs on this as a way of protection.
- ItemOpen AccessAn ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management(1994) Tsangarakis, Nicolaos; Ryan, TomThe objective of my project was to find the reasons why the Quality Improvement Process (QIP) which started enthusiastically in Old Mutual in 1987, has lost momentum. Its initial implementation was characterised by success, but later, certain shortcomings became evident. In brief, the initial success of Crosby's QIP programme was attributable to its organised implementation throughout the organisation. It created a general awareness of key quality principles and gave a common understanding of a uniform language and standards throughout the organisation. However, after some years, senior management realised that this process was too simplistic, and that more was needed. A 'second phase' was implemented. This phase built onto the foundations laid by the QIP and focused on achieving client-orientated improvements in all business processes within the organisation. But this phase gradually lost momentum, as it failed to take into account the fact that lasting and continuous improvement in an organisation requires fundamental changes in almost every facet or part of the organisational whole. These fundamental changes include changes to the organisational structure, its management practices, its work processes and systems , changes in the way that managers view the organisation (that is, their mental models) and not merely a focus on process improvement within the organisation. The hypothesis propounded in this thesis would attempt to prove or disprove a component of the aforementioned, namely that a certain dominant mental model, that is, a belief of how the organisation works, is needed amongst the management of an organisation to bring about genuine improvements. This hypothesis propounds that a high-performing organisation would exhibit a strong correlation between the mental model implied by quality improvement and the organisation's managers' dominant mental model of how their organisation works.
- ItemOpen AccessThe factors influencing SME failure in South Africa(2017) Leboea, Sekhametsi Tshepo; Ryan, TomLike many developing countries, South Africa faces a great development problem relating to the high failure rate that is present among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), this is due to the fact that entrepreneurs are not able to turn their businesses into sustainable venture. SMEs play a significant role is a number of economic development issues that face South Africa as a nation. The SME sector has contributed immensely to job creation, poverty alleviation and assisting in the prosperity of the nation. In addition to the above, SMEs are generally inexpensive to start and have the potential to generate massive economic growth in South Africa. Although the SME sector has many positive attributes, there are persisting challenges that plague South African SMEs. Fatoki and Garwe (2010) state that in the South African context, new SMES do not usually move from the existence stage, which is the first stage of growth, to the subsequent stages such as survival, success, take off and resources maturity. As such, it is believed that many of these SMEs do not survive in their first years of operation and thus, do not provide their benefits to society.
- ItemOpen AccessFeasibility study in implementing shop floor management : a case study of a learning organisation(2001) Tung, James; Ryan, TomMost manufacturing companies in the world have solid benchmarking standards to compete against competitors all over the world. The number of tools that they possess to become World-Class Manufacturing companies is numerous. With the philosophies of Deming, Juran and Crosby on Quality and the invention of the different practical tools from the Japanese, the results should have been positive but the practical results have been poor. The next question that arises is what is so difficult in emulating the successes of these companies? The theories are the same but the implementation is different for each company. Therefore, the solution seems to be able to understand the philosophies so that modifications brought about are still within the limits of the company's core values. The case study that is being explored in this thesis will be a container tank manufacturing, a subsidiary of a bigger company, in their attempt to implement these famous concepts.
- ItemOpen AccessA fusion of charity and commercial investment principles to maximise social investment in South Africa(2017) Nxumalo, Londa Selloane; Ryan, TomSouth Africa faces a raft of social problems, the enormity of which make it impossible for the government to tackle alone. This has necessitated private sector involvement through socially responsible investments (SRI) and charity. Despite the growth of the SRI industry and years of charitable contributions, social investment into the high-impact areas that need it most remains far too low. This study seeks to understand what is holding back social investment, and how to address this. Using grounded theory methodology, the research finds that traditional SRI investors are inappropriate sources of funding and that charitable funds have largely been deployed inefficiently. The proposed solution is for more use to be made of charitable funders, with the disbursement process employing some commercial investment principles in order to facilitate the recycling of capital, resulting in the growth of social investment over time.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Global Nissan way towards motivation and productivity improvement(2000) Harding, Paul; Ryan, TomBibliography: leaves 125-127.
- ItemOpen AccessImproving operations viability and reducing variety using A.D.I.S (Accurate drawing information system): a multiview methodology of design(1997) Montgomery, Peter Roland James; Ryan, TomGabriel S.A. is a South African shockabsorber manufacturing company which has undergone a strategic repositioning to become internationally competitive. This entailed a move away from the traditional hierarchical management structure and production line manufacturer, to a flatter structure with cross-functional Business Units. Each Business Unit is made up of self-contained, Manufacturing cells run by self-directed work teams. The objective of this change is to ensure that Gabriel S.A. becomes a world class manufacturer.. The company has gone a long way down this road in implementing World Class Manufacturing techniques through the Gabriel Total Quality Production System (GTQPS). However, problems still arise within the system, especially with regard to new product/component designs and changed designs reaching the shop floor timeously. This is aggravated by the necessity to penetrate new markets and retain existing ones successfully. The number of quotations to be prepared will increase. As will the subsequent number of required assembly and component drawings and modification to existing products. These, in turn, will involve revisions to current drawings. This is compounded by the fact that in the current business operations, there are already concerns regarding the routine drawing information requirements. This thesis investigates the affect of the drawing information system on the viability of the Manufacturing cells and documents the intervention of a socio-technical drawing information system.
- ItemOpen AccessIncreasing operational performance of a Human Resources Department through improving the managing of the relationships and interactions : a systems approach(2000) Gouws, BJ; Ryan, TomOperational efficiency requires, inter-alia, efficient interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration within a system. This, however, demands a proper management of interrelationships and interactions between the different functions ofthe system. However, the emergence of interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration would appear to be dependent on more than simply the provision of a technical infrastructure. It also requires a fundamental change in the way people think and act. This necessitates the restructuring of relationships. As organisations are primarily constituted through the interaction of people within their operational domains and, as the qualities of these interactions are dependable on the network of relationships, it is essential that the relationship network also be reconstructed.
- ItemOpen AccessIntegrating social and environmental sustainability into the operations of a multinational gold mining company: A case study of AngloGold Ashanti(2012) Hollesen, Paul Michael; Ryan, TomIntegrating social and environmental sustainability into the operations of a multinational mining company is increasingly important to its long term viability. Yet, the boundaries of what constitutes responsible social and environmental sustainability practices are contested with stakeholder governance expectations continuing to evolve, grow, and at times conflict. AngloGold Ashanti needs to navigate the complex terrain between its commitment to maximise returns delivered to shareholders, juxtaposed with those of respecting the environment, and communities being better off for the company having been there. The dissertation includes a meta-synthesis of primary research undertaken over some five years and examines AngloGold Ashanti's social and environmental sustainability integration efforts from the perspective of a head office role, a critical realist ontology and grounded theory epistemology. A mid-range grounded theory and CIMO design proposition argue for interventions that trigger mechanisms fostering mutual meaning between stakeholders regarding social and environmental sustainability and its integration, through a process of continual improvement, into company strategy, management structures (incorporating role clarity and functional capability), systems and processes. Out of which come locally rooted, internationally defensible operational practices with the intended outcomes of internalising costs and externalising benefits arising from exploration and mining, therein seeking to meet stakeholder governance expectations.
- ItemOpen AccessInvestigating the effects of variety on the piston rod manufacturing process at Gabriel SA (Pty) Ltd(1996) Morar, Bharet; Ryan, TomThis thesis investigates the effects of variety on the manufacturing operations system of a automotive component (shock absorber) manufacturer, Gabriel South Africa Pty Ltd. Effective ways to manage this variety are also considered. By variety is meant the total number of possible states that a system can have. The measure of variety can also be considered as the extent of complexity of a system. The variety of product, people (from different cultures, backgrounds, etc.), processes machines and equipment, etc. and a continually changing environment creates a complex situation in which management decisions have to be made. Over the last three years, 1992 to 1994, Gabriel SA Pty Ltd has implemented world class manufacturing initiatives, for example, cellular manufacture, kanban, employee involvement programs, strategic business units, a Total Quality Management System, etc., but the anticipated results of increased production throughput did not occur. A situation has developed where changes had been implemented and there is now a difference between the actual and expected results. This thesis investigates possible causes for this difference. In order to conduct a rigorous and structured inquiry into the problem situation a theoretical research framework was developed. This framework was developed from the ideas of the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (CSP) and that of Chris Argyris. Checkland's, Ackoff's et. al. views on system thinking were also used to form this framework.
- ItemOpen AccessAn Investigation of measures of perfomance in a complex system(2000) Maritz, Christopher; Ryan, TomIncludes bibliographical references.
- ItemOpen AccessLearning from systems failure : a case study application(1998) Thoma, Oliver; Ryan, TomThe thesis as a whole concerns the identification and resolution organisational issues and details research that was undertaken in a manufacturing company producing light access equipment, Castor & Ladder incorporating Forlezer (C&L inc. rorlezer). The content itself is based on 'systems thinking' which endorses a holistic approach to problem solving - as opposed to the traditional reductionist or mechanistic approaches - and it is hoped to demonstrate the value of adopting a Systems Approach in resolving problems of an organisational nature. Particularly, the aim is to incorporate the consideration of underlying issues i.e. 'soft' problems pertinent to organisational dynamics, into a coherent and rigorous problem solving approach. In this regard, the approach taken focuses primarily on generating a holistic perception of the contextual 'problem situation' faced by the organisation. The view held is that in order to achieve effective solutions, a critical requirement is to first gain comprehensive understanding of the situation and its complexity. From a research perspective, the intention is to first enrich the perceived problem situation and then only to develop a concern (or hypothesis) that adequately presents the true issues at hand. Next, the aim is to develop the relevant theory applicable and necessary to the understanding and resolution of the situation, and to subsequently apply this theory to the context. In observing the outcome, the validity of the concern, as well as the theory is verified.
- ItemOpen AccessLearning systemic management practice(2012) Shaw, Corrinne; Ryan, TomSystems thinking has been proposed as an answer to the question of how management practitioners can best equip themselves to tackle the complexity of management practice. As a body of work intended to transcend disciplinary silos, systems thinking pursues the ideal of generating comprehensive descriptions of real situations. It seeks to do this by embracing a variety of systems approaches and ideas to explain patterns and hypothesise causes of observable empirical events. As systems thinking is a diverse field, there are many knowledge areas and perspectives available to programme designers to facilitate teaching and the learning of systems thinking for management practice. The purpose of this study is to examine students' experience of learning events in the context of an interdisciplinary course designed for the development of management practice through systems thinking. Data was collected from three cohorts of students by observing lectures and class-based group work; and conducting interviews using conversational repertory grid techniques. The interview responses were analysed using grounded theory principles. Based on the findings derived from this qualitative analysis, the process of learning of systems thinking is outlined as a practice involving the selection and interpretation of events which evolve from the starting out phase, where students become interested in learning, and then outlines progress through the phases of assimilation and, changes in knowledge, culminating in more complex learning phases described as integration and adaptation. The synthesis of these phenomena as a theory provided an answer to the primary research objective of investigating how students experience learning events designed to develop systemic management practice. Critical realism, following Bhaskar's philosophy, is used to frame explanations to extend the grounded theory analysis, seeking to account for generative mechanisms that enable and constrain student experience with respect to systems thinking development. As a secondary contribution, this informed the identification of possible mechanisms and emergent properties at the level of the course through an analytical separation of the academic and work environments. These included the discourse of the context of application, academic discourse and professional identity. In combination, these findings make a contribution to understanding the learning of systemic management practice. In addition, applications for this research are suggested for educators, managers and organisations. These applications include: 1) a framework to help educators design meaningful experiences for learners; 2) a basis for understanding what constitutes systemic management practice and explaining differential development; 3) establishment of a basis for understanding what is needed for organisations to support the development of systemic management practice.