Volume 6 Issue 1

This study explores the alignment of managers' competencies with their job functions in the South African Post Office. Before alignment was explored, managers' competencies were determined through self-assessments by managers and peer- assessments by subordinates. Fifty-five managers across four levels of management and 74 direct subordinates participated in the survey. Forty-four job profiles of managers were utilised to determine the job competencies of managers at SAPO. Twenty competencies were identified as job competencies against which the competencies of managers are aligned. Not only are the competencies of managers aligned to their job functions and competencies, but their job competencies are also aligned to researched competency models for management. This quantitative research study contains valuable information regarding the competencies of managers at SAPO and could contribute positively to leadership development, not only at SAPO, but also to other similar state-owned enterprises. Based on the results of the research recommendations are made for leadership development, performance management and an on-boarding programme for new managers at SAPO.

The study examines the antecedents of opportunity in greater detail. A literature review highlights 9 antecedents of opportunity, and it was further investigated how these factors impact opportunity recognition. Some of the leading antecedents of opportunity were: solving problems, goals and aspirations, artistic creativity, adoption and networking. None of the antecedents by themselves are sufficient for innovation, as each has a caveat that may also hinder innovation. Also, it is evident that a number of the antecedents may offer unique solutions and benefits, including the acceleration of the identification of ideas and opportunities. In certain contexts, one antecedent may be more applicable or beneficial than another. Each antecedent potentially offers and allows expert areas of innovation, with innovators becoming very experienced in a particular antecedent as an area of innovation. Consequently, the innovator may continually gravitate towards a certain antecedent. A number of themes common to the antecedents suggest that there may be a number of principal factors underlying the antecedents studied. Underlying all the antecedents may be the need to cross boundaries of the acceptable, or rather boundaries of the possible. Innovation may equally be defined as crossing the boundaries of what is possible, whilst still yielding outcomes that are desirable. The primary factors expected to underlie the antecedents are: 1) perspective, 2) knowledge, and 3) first person experience (sensing, interpreting). There may be a link between the expertise of the innovator, and antecedent use. Antecedents considered by innovators may shape and define the type and nature of innovation taking place in a sovereign.

This research aims to identify several influential factors on export performance of superior coconut commodity in North Sulawesi Province, especially when it relates to the pricing strategy, firm characteristics, and export strategy during 2016-2017. The research is included into a descriptive and explanatory research that exerts quantitative approaches. The data are collected via questionnaire which was sent to nineteen export companies of superior coconut commodity in North Sulawesi. To analyze the data, this research uses the regression technique of data panel engaging Random Effect Model (REM) approach. The results of research show that: 1) The pricing strategy positively and significantly influences the export performance; 2) The firm characteristics positively and significantly influence the export performance; 3) The export strategy positively and significantly influences the export performance. From the identified variables in the research, the firm characteristics have a significant role in improving the export performance of the firm.

Most companies, either large or small, now employ more impermanent temporary employees, than full-time (permanent) employees. Impermanent temporary employees usually bear the same workload as regular employees or even more. However, in terms of salaries or other facilities, it is completely different for temporary employees, so they tend to feel less comfortable at work. One of the problems that arise from the inconvenience is the lack of commitment of temporary employees to the organization. This study aims to discover the effect of job insecurity on organizational commitment of impermanent temporary employees from Anggrek and Cempaka units in PT Royal Korindah. Purbalingga. Variables used in this research are: ‘job insecurity' as the independent variable and ‘organizational commitment' as the dependent variable. This study involves 82 temporary impermanent employees of the units examined. The results of data analysis indicate that there is a effect of job insecurity toward organizational commitment of the temporary employees of Anggrek and Cempaka units in PT Royal Korindah Purbalingga. The results also showed that job insecurity affected to 38.5% of the organizational commitment, whereas other factors influenced organizational commitment in a proportion of 61.5%.

Most of the leading countries in the world production of the aerospace sector, over time, have triangulated their production, by installing plants in other countries, to reduce costs. The United States concentrates most of the world production of aircraft. Consequently, Mexico has joined this dynamic production process through the operation of almost four hundred companies in this industrial sector. The states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Querétaro and Sonora, lead the production of this sector in Mexico. The objective of this work is to determine if the companies in the aerospace sector of the state of Sonora are competitive in a regional context with respect to the growth of the entire sector in the country. The degree of competitiveness was calculated using the Competitive Advantage Index in two levels: the aerospace sector at the national level and at the state level. The results of this research confirm that the competitiveness of companies in the aerospace sector in Sonora is high and that their competitiveness is determined mainly by the technological development of their products, quality of service, guarantees offered, price, and the operation and production costs.

In order to stimulate both developing economies and developed economies around the globe policy makers have, over the years, focused their attention to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). These business entities are often regarded as the lifeblood of economies around the globe however SMMEs are reported to have high failure rates. For example, in a South African dispensation, the failure rate of SMMEs is considered to be among the worst in the world as approximately 75% fail within a period of 42 months after opening. Through research in the early-2000s, the cause of the excessive South African SMMEs failure rate has been pinned on a plethora of micro-economic factors and macro-economic factors. Over the years the list of economic factors which adversely influence the sustainability of South African SMMEs have not changed drastically, which may well probably explain the high failure rate of these business entities in more recent times. Thus, for this paper, empirical research was conducted to ascertain the extent to which 24 economic factors adversely influence the sustainability of South African SMMEs. Quantitative data were obtained from 116 members of management of South African SMMEs and stemming from the results, it was found that these economic factors still have a reasonable adverse influence on the sustainability of these business entities.

The aim of the present study was to investigate job satisfaction as a moderator of the relationship between leadership behaviour and trainee work engagement. The study was conducted in an artisan training academy located in the East of Johannesburg. Data was collected from the entire population of 150 employed trainees in the academy using: (i) a self-designed demographical data questionnaire; (ii) the Harris and Ogbonna (2001) 13-item leadership behaviour questionnaire (iii) the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES) developed by Schaufeli et al. (2002), and (iv) the single global rating for job satisfaction developed in 1990 by Allen and Meyer. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted in a census study of 150 trainees. Results showed that work engagement is significantly affected by leadership behaviour, and job satisfaction mediated and moderated the leadership behaviour – work engagement relationship.

A large proportion of South African Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) make use of customised internal control initiatives and customised risk management practices to mitigate and/or manage risks, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the attainment of objectives in the foreseeable future. According to research studies however, the aforementioned internal control initiatives and risk management practices are deemed to be inadequate and/or ineffective. This is especially the case as these business entities are predominantly focused on preventing generic risks in relation to the safeguarding of assets and independent checks, while ignoring key risks which may be detrimental to the attainment of their objectives. Since approximately 70% of South African SMMEs fail after being in existence less than four years it is highly probable that these business entities are not paying enough attention to mitigate and/or manage key risks (potential loss events) and controlling actual loss events. Hence, this exploratory study places emphasis on theoretically investigating loss control and sound loss control strategies evident in South African SMMEs.