Browsing by Author "Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso."
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Item Balancing work and family : a challenge for career women.(2015) Reddy, Indrani.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.International Organisations have seen and reaped the benefits of having family friendly organisations. More and more organisations across the world are encouraging family friendly environments to deal with the changing dynamics of the work force of today. Whilst this holds true for international organisations, South Africa lags behind the rest, especially with regards to work life balance for women. Over the year, many South African organisations have taken some steps to change their organisations to accommodate the growing work force of women, however has these changes been effective? The aim of this study is to identify what are the mechanisms that aid women in coping with work and home and is the assistance from the organisation and support structure ample to create a balance between work and family. Non-probability convenience sampling was used and the participants were female staff members of University of KwaZulu Natal and belonged to the University of KwaZulu Natal staff union (UKSU). The sample had a mix of academic and non- academic staff. The data was collected using a web based questionnaire created by the researcher. The study revealed that women tend to depend on their social support structure namely, their spouses, friends, colleagues and paid help. It has been acknowledged that the organisation has introduced benefits to aid in work life balancing, however these are not utilised as much and changes made are not ample enough to promote work life balance. Employees can benefit from family centred organisations in that they have a greater sense of ownership, relations with management is improved, there are less issues from work flowing into home and vis versa and they are better able to focus on life outside work as well as have greater control over their working lives. The organisations can benefit from encouraging family centred environments. Formalising work life policies and making them effective is not sufficient. Supervisors and management need to encourage and apply policies for work life balancing. In turn this will improve productivity, reduce absenteeism, increase staff morale, retain valuable and talented staff, attract a wider range of candidates, becomes recognised as an employer of choice and improves the general health and well-being of women employees.Item The contribution of private equity capital to enterprise development in South Africa.(2010) Nhleko, Charlie Sam.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.Employment, economic growth and self-reliance are the appetites of every country. Small enterprise development is seen as an effective solution towards this goal depending on the availability of resources. Private equity finance is one of the key resources to enterprise development in a country. International case studies have shown that private equity finance can lead to enterprise development in a country. The aim of the study is to determine the contribution of private equity finance to enterprise development in South Africa. In order to get views from other role players in the private equity finance market, questionnaires were distributed to 200 private equity finance players and the response rate was 39%. The sample size comprised 61.5% males and 38.5% females. The majority of the participants were in the age group 25–34 and constituted 53% of the respondents, whilst those aged 35–49 years constituted 35.9%. A smaller number of respondents were in the age group 18–24 and 50 and above, which both comprised 11.5% as an aggregate. The results revealed that there is a positive correlation between enterprise development and private equity capital with 83% of the respondents agreeing and strongly agreeing that the business skills and expertise brought by private equity investors increase business performance. Of the respondents, 74.4% strongly agree and agree with the notion that most Small and Medium Enterprises do need the intervention of private equity investors. It is recommended that the government, through relevant legislation, needs to promote and encourage private equity investment. Some form of private equity investment such as angel investment needs to be formalized, as is available in other countries such as the United States of America and some countries in Europe.Item The effectiveness of leadership programes in promoting skills development.(2009) Mbonambi, Delisile.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.With the introduction in South Africa of the Skills Development Act (1998) and the Skills Development Levies Act (1999), employer organisations are obliged to set aside a portion of their annual payroll for the internal training and development of their workplace. Since 1998, the Learnership model of workplace training has been promoted in South Africa as a creative vehicle for addressing high unemployment rates and a serious skills shortage. This is achieved through fast tracking the acquisition of skills and increasing a learner’s chance of employment. However because learnerships are a recent innovation, the body of applied knowledge is small. The study was conducted to provide a comprehensive insight to the effectiveness of learneship in promoting skills development. The research study was based on the explorative research method to clearly understand the dilemma and challenges facing learnership learners. A well structured questionnaire was found to be the most suitable method to collect data that was essential to the study. A key finding concerns how learnerships are managed: the effective delivery of a learnership programme and of its outcomes requires the involvement of key stakeholders from the outset. The study reveals that the SETAs are not doing what they are supposed to be doing in terms of ensuring support with regards to the implementation of learnerships. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are made to assist SETAs and organisations with regards to learnership objectives that may not easily be achieved if they are only identified through SETA structures. The study concludes with the implications for learnership training and maps the way for future research.Item Embracing green practices : perspectives from the tourism accommodation industry in the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.(2011) Kamwendo, Zanele.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.No abstract available.Item Employees' perspectives on total quality management at Queen Elizabeth ll Hospital and The New Referral Hospital.(2010) Mahao, Palesa Cecilia.; Gani, Abdul Sattar.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.Total Quality Management (TQM) has become the focus of all organisations that strive for excellence in service delivery. The healthcare sector is not an exception though it is exclusively different from other organisations because of the nature of service they provide, and the kind of risk involved in service provision. The aim of this study was to assess employees’ perceptions about TQM at Queen Elizabeth II hospital, and their expectations regarding TQM implementation in the new Private Public Partnership (PPP) National Referral hospital. It also sought to measure the gap that exists between employees’ perceptions and expectations. It focused on three fundamental principles of Total Quality (TQ), namely ‘focus on customers and stakeholders’, ‘participation by everyone and teamwork’, as well as ‘process focus and continuous improvement’. This, quantitative research study, utilised a cross-sectional approach. The self-administered questionnaires were employed to obtain data. A stratified sample of 240 employees was drawn from Q.E.II hospital employees, which represented a population size of approximately 685 employees. Out of the sample size of 240, only 157 questionnaires were completed and returned. The respondents comprised of 38.2% males and 61.8% females. The highest percentage of the respondents (53.5%) was in the clinical category; 33.8% in Administration; 8.3% in ‘other’ health professionals such as pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology. The lowest percentages of 3.8% and 0.6% were in Accountancy and Human Resources categories respectively. The findings of this study revealed that employees have relatively low perceptions about TQM at Q.E.II hospital, while their expectations regarding TQM in the new PPP National referral hospital are extremely high. Process focus and continuous improvement attained a larger overall gap between perceptions and expectations. Although an analysis revealed that focus is needed in all areas that constitute total quality, but evidence suggests that process focus and continuous improvement need special attention. Thus, it is recommended that management creates a quality culture through strong leadership, putting the needs of both employees and patients in the fore-front, ensuring that employees understand hospital processes, and mostly, continuously improving the hospital processes.Item The impact of negative attitude towards safety compliance in Unitrans fuel and chemical.(2012) Sondezi, Mduduzi Mzwandile Olive.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.South Africa is among those countries that have the highest rate of road accidents in the world. Road accidents have a negative impact on a country's development; therefore reduction of road accidents is a priority for the South African government in general, and road transporters in particular. Unitrans Fuel and Chemical (UFC) is one of the major road transporters of dangerous goods in South Africa; this study was undertaken to explore the impact of negative attitudes on safety compliance at UFC by its truck drivers. The focus of the study was informed by the element of human failures, and the role played by such failures in road accidents. In light of driver behaviour being a product of non-tangible elements such as attitudes, feelings and beliefs, the quantitative study undertaken, sets out to explore the impact of negative attitudes on safety compliance. A sample was taken from the UFC's Clairwood depot, and data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. Other non parametric tools were also used to analyse data. The findings are presented in Chapter Four. The researcher used a Likert Scale instrument to measure elements of attitude amongst UFC drivers. The results clearly indicate attitude plays a major role in the lack of safety compliance by drivers. The study also provides recommendations to address issues of driver attitude that are clearly illustrated by the figures in Chapter Four. Recommendations will allow UFC to address areas of negative driver attitude displayed by respondents to the questionnaire. The study recognizes that changing driver behaviour is not an easy task, and commends UFC for the effort applied in addressing this problem.Item Impact of new medicine pricing regulations on independent community pharmacies : a KwaZulu-Natal study.(2009) Thakur-Rajbansi, Shameen.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.Pharmaceuticals are a crucial component of delivering healthcare, hence regulating pharmaceutical markets is a complex issue involving dynamic interplay of multiple actors. The South African healthcare industry is plagued with past problems and new ones created by cumbersome legislation, changing economic conditions and rapid cost escalation. The core objectives of the 2004 medicines pricing legislation were; effective care and use of resources; high quality services and responsiveness; accessibility and affordability of medicines for consumers. This study explores the impact of the new medicine pricing regulations on independent community pharmacies in KwaZulu-Natal, wherein 115 out of a total of 364 independent pharmacies participated. The main aim was to determine the number of pharmacies that closed and the emerging trends in this sector by qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing the legislation, policy implementation and its impact on various stakeholders. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews; a survey questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that, more consultation was needed for a sustainable dispensing fee since between 72 and 83 pharmacies had closed in KZN from 2003 to 2009; due to them being uneconomical. Tools used to illustrate legislative impact were Porter’s value chain, Force-Field analysis and the Fish-Bone diagram. The emerging trends underscored government’s need to provide a democratic environment conducive to small business growth, with the recommendation that policy makers strategically respond to the real world in which health sector reforms must be implemented.Item "The international hotel school's diploma in hospitality management programme : enhancing student employability?".(2011) McDougall, Carolyn.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.The International Hotel School is registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution. This registration entails accreditation by the Council on Higher Education and one of the requirements for accreditation is that "The programme has taken steps to enhance the employability of students and to alleviate shortages of expertise in relevant fields, in cases where these are the desired outcomes of the programme." The purpose of this study was to assess, from a graduate perspective, whether or not the Diploma in Hospitality Management programme offered by the school met the requirement of the Council on Higher Education. Skills sought by employers were identified through a review of literature on the topic of 'employability'. These skills were used to compile a research questionnaire sent electronically to the identified sample group. A study was conducted among students who had completed the diploma programme during the years 2008 to 2010. Using a five-point Likert Scale respondents were asked to rate their perception of skills developed through their participation in the diploma programme. In addition to assessing the employability skills, respondents were asked to rate the usefulness to them in their employment of the subjects comprising the diploma programme. Here a four point Rating Scale was used in the questionnaire. Results of the study have identified areas of weakness within the programme's design and recommendations will be made to the school Academic Board as to suggested actions to be taken in addressing these weaknesses. The programme's syllabi should be reviewed and the curricula content adapted to consider the areas of concern highlighted through this study. The study identified that the programme goes some way to meeting the requirements of both the Department of Higher education and Training and employers within the hospitality industry.Item Investigating the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.(2010) Zuma, Senamile.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.Women as the previously disadvantaged species have been encouraged to open businesses all over the world. Some businesses that are owned by woman succeed some fail. It is evident that the rate at which the women respond to this call is positive judging by the number of businesses that are owned by women in the country. The ventures that are owned by woman some are new some are old but all of these woman entrepreneurs do encounter challenges, it is a fact. The fact that there is a success or failure means that these women encounter a number of challenges within and outside their business. The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship. A sample of 10 women entrepreneurs participated in the study. These women were chosen systematically using probability approach whereby a list of women entrepreneurs was obtained from the Durban Chamber of Commerce. Interviews were conducted as the instrument for collecting data. Data was analysed using tables and graphs. The results yielded by this study showed that indeed women do encounter some challenges in their entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore, it was discovered from the study that the majority of challenges emanate from a lack of education and a lack of skills and development. It is important for our government to intervene by formulating programmes that will address the exact needs of women entrepreneurs and it is essential that there be follow up on the service providers so as to track the satisfaction of women in entrepreneurship and whether the programmes are achieving what they set out to achieve. Finally this study provides the recommendations based on this study which are meant to address the challenges facing women in entrepreneurship.Item Management of sport towards satisfaction of student needs.(2003) Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.; Thomson, Elza.The broad objective of strategic management is to enable an organisation to assess its strategic position, so it is able to provide its customers with a product or service they will value. This study attempts to use this broad objective to examine the Sports Administration Department at the University of Natal, Durban to identify issues that will assist it to reach a wider number of students. The Sports Administration has, over the last ten years, seen a reduction in sports participation. This occurred at a time when the number of students at the University had grown substantially. This resulted in a need to examine the complex dynamics taking place in the Sports Administration's operating environment, for it to be in a position to address the needs of the students it is established to serve. This study indicates that strategic management principles, which apply to a business organisation, can be applied to the setting of the Sports Administration to identify the needs and wants of its customers, to address the concerns of management and to make recommendations that will assist the Department to provide an improved service to students.Item Managerial competencies in the restaurant business : managers and employees perspectives.(2008) Singh, Vanessa.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.A lack of managerial skills has been cited by many as the cause of small business failure in South Africa. Internal factors are said to be responsible for many of these small business failures. With human capital being undeniably a valuable resource, it has the potential to provide one of the most sustainable competitive advantages in the market place. It is therefore crucial that managers, who are responsible for directing and shaping the organisation possess and constantly improve their competencies because these are crucial factors for success of managers and the business. This study explores multi-rater feedback to gain insight into managerial competencies for the purpose of contributing to managerial development. Comparison of employee and manager self-evaluations can identify gaps or areas requiring improvement as they provide different perspectives on the same phenomena. The degree of consensus/agreement amongst the ratings provides valuable information and assists in identifying possible areas for development. Feedback is critical for self-perception accuracy and self-other agreement and impacts on training and development. This study comprised of 25 managers and 75 employees from the restaurant business and compared their views on managerial competencies. Results showed positive agreement between manager and employee ratings and showed no gender differences in the ratings regarding managerial competencies. Both managers and employees, through the process of upward appraisals, indicated positive feedback towards managerial development in the future. This is encouraging and creates an opportunity for further research and exploration of how this can best be achieved using unconventional approaches.Item The potential for cost savings by extensively using generics for chronic conditions in South Africa.(2006) Nicolosi, Elizabeth.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.; Gray, Andrew Lofts.Economic factors are a major constraint to quality health care in Africa. One of the aims of the Department of Health in South Africa is to increase availability and affordability of medicine. One way of reducing the cost of drugs is by introducing legislation to control the price of drugs and by the promotion of generics (interchangeable multisource medicines which are cheaper copies of the original brand name drug). Protocols for the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) for the 27 conditions on the Chronic Disease List as published in the Government Gazette in 2003, were legally binding from 1 January 2004 and these conditions must be covered by all medical schemes. Medication prescribed for these conditions may have one or more generic substitutes and Government has allowed certain measures to be introduced by the medical schemes in order to contain costs. This study investigates the potential savings if generics are extensively used for these chronic conditions. A census was conducted on the 25 chronic diseases for which algorithms are available. The empirical quantitative data collected was calculated to quantify potential costs savings in respect of each algorithm. The major findings show that there are large cost differentials between originator drugs and their generic equivalents (97% in the case of prednisone) and smaller cost differentials between generics themselves (54.6% in the case of formoterol). This study also shows that there is a correlation between the number of generic equivalents an originator drug has and the percentage cost differential. A total of 67.5% of all cost differentials between originator and generics are greater than the Department of Health's proposed 40% benchmark pricing. The results support the recommendations that government needs to implement various measures to encourage increased use of generics in this country and to look at realistic benchmark price controls.Item Stakeholders' perception of disciplinary processes in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education.(2010) Dube, Dumisani Nimrod.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.There is now widespread acceptance in the organisations that human resources are an important source of competitive advantage, or an important component of the value chain. In the public service sector, the delivery of services to the populace depends on the competence, motivation and discipline of the employees. All of this points to the importance of properly dealing with HR issues in organisations. This empirical study gathered the views of Ward Managers of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Education. 40% of Ward Managers participated in this survey, and the responses were analysed utilising the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicate that the majority of respondents perceived the department’s disciplinary process to be unfair both substantively and procedurally. The majority of respondents felt that there were inconsistencies in the decisions to discipline employees; that the sanctions were inconsistent and that the disciplinary hearings took too long to finalise. Finally, this study recommended further research on the subject, especially utilising different methodologies such as in depth case studies and unstructured interviews in order to gain insights into the reasons why Ward Managers hold the views that they hold or to refine some of the concepts in order to understand what exactly they understand by concepts such as ‘unfairness’.Item Strategic foreign direct investment in the automotive leather industry of South Africa.(2006) Nortjé, Francois.; Manion, Gillian Lesley Colenso.The objective of strategic management is to enable an organisation to assess its strategic position. This study is concerned with identifying the strategic position of Branaa South Africa, and to determine the most suitable expansion strategy in order for the company to increase the current level of monetary benefits offered to Original Equipment Manufacturers under the Motor Industry Development Program. An in-depth literature review is conducted and the relevant business management tools are identified. These tools are used to analyse the position of the company and to evaluate how the current benefits offered, compare to those of competitors. An analysis is carried out regarding the influence and value of the Motor Industry Development Program benefits. A costing model is then applied to determine how competitive Branaa South Africa is in the automotive leather seat market. The study determines how the benefits offered under the current Motor Industry Development Program structure could be increased in the South African Automotive market, and concludes with proposals on how to achieve new targets. This study aims to prove that the strategic direction that Branaa South Africa is envisaging is correct. The company should continue to gain a competitive advantage under the current strategic goals which are reviewed annually. Through the effective use of strategic management principles, and applying these to Branaa South Africa, the company would retain its competitive advantage in the South African Automotive market.