Transformation Charters in Contemporary South Africa: The Case of the ABSA Group Limited

Over the past decade, strategy and international business scholars have increasingly turned their attention to assessing how alterations in institutional arrangements in former centrally planned economies influence enterprise‐level strategies. Little is known about the strategic responses of organizations operating in countries going through institutional transformation related to social issues. Since the first democratic elections in 1994, the South African government has focused on addressing the inequalities of the past through what is known as Black Economic Empowerment (empowerment of historically disadvantaged black people). In this paper, we investigate the approach used by the Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA) Group Limited, one of the top four banks and an important player in the South African financial services sector, in formulating and implementing strategy to ensure successful and sustainable organizational transformation. A key component of ABSA's Black Economic Empowerment strategy is incorporation of transformation as a business imperative and not merely as a compliance requirement.     

Reforming the South African health care system

South Africa's success in reforming its health care delivery system will depend very largely on its success in reforming its shattered political and economic structure. In this article, the author describes the social, political, and economic factors that dominate the South African scene and suggests the alternative courses that are available to bring the country out of its apartheid past. Both South Africa and its internal and external critics will have to approach the task with patient understanding and flexibility to achieve lasting and satisfactory results.     

The Rise in Union Wage Premiums in South Africa

The earnings premium received by African, urban, male union members in South Africa, as compared to other regular, urban male employees, is explored using two national sample surveys conducted in 1985 and 1993. The historical setting of this change is of particular interest, in the light of the transformation from the apartheid regime. Union membership grew very rapidly during this interval, as earlier prohibitions on African unions were lifted. Subsequently, the high rates of unemployment and segmentation of the labor force have been issues of central concern to the new government, elected in 1994. In this context, the paper extends prior methodology, by systematically comparing possible approaches to estimation, in addition to contributing fresh empirical results. Four approaches to estimation are adopted, allowing for: a single earnings regime with union dummy variable; the possibility of different earnings regimes among union members as compared to non‐members; endogenous switching between such regimes; sample selection arising from lack of employment and from division between regular and informal work. A series of tests on nested specifications indicate the importance of recognizing endogenous switching between differing pay structures in the covered and uncovered sectors. However (as with previous research on the South African labor market), no sample selection is detected with respect to employment status. The results suggest that collective bargaining resulted in wage compression among the expanding union membership while significantly widening the gap between members and non‐members. The latter widening gap cannot be attributed to the changing composition of union membership as reflected in observed characteristics of employees.     

De Beers,Anglo American and Optima Magazine

We consider in this article how the largest corporations in Apartheid South Africa used an in‐house magazine to manipulate their shareholders' perceptions of the current political scenario. We argue that in that era, business felt compelled to respond to the portrayal of events in South Africa presented by the international media. Furthermore, we examine the motivation of business for doing so and why that motivation does not exist in post‐apartheid South Africa.     

Business values in the Republic of South Africa and the United States: A tale of two countries

This paper reports on a study of the values of two samples of South African managers over a ten year period. It then compares those values to a group of U.S. entrepreneurs, using the same instrument, the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values, for both groups. The comparison with the early sample of South African managers noted similarities between the value systems of the two groups. The comparison with the most recent group of managers indicates a shift in the values of the South African managers. There appeared to be little difference between the values of the latter group of managers on the basis of age. This was similar to the findings in the U.S. sample as well as the earlier South African sample. There were differences in the strength of the values, but less of a difference in the pattern of values exhibited based on industry backgrounds. The reasons for these shifts are discussed, including the potential impact on the education process in South Africa.     

International HRM in South African multinational companies

With the paucity of published research on human resource management (HRM) policy and practice in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), the rationale for this article is to evaluate the nature of HRM practices, their development, application and diffusion in South African MNCs. It provides an exploratory analysis in a systematic literature review referring to qualitative case study research and research survey literature to better understand HRM strategies and practices developed and diffused by growing emerging market MNCs from South Africa.The findings underline significant challenges of human resource development and controversies regarding host country issues alongside a degree of ‘sophistication’ in the HRM practices of firms analysed. An aim of the article is to identify areas for further research on business and HRM models of Emerging Market MNCs (EMMNCs) in the African context and develop a set of seven research propositions.     

An Evaluation of the Capacity-building Effects of Participatory GIS (PGIS) for Public Participation in Land Use Planning

Spatial participatory methods called ‘participatory GIS’ (PGIS) are intended to improve public participation for land use planning. An internet PGIS was implemented in Perlis, Malaysia, to examine the public capacity-building effects of PGIS. Two delivery modes (facilitated and self-administered) were evaluated. We found that PGIS significantly enhanced perceived public knowledge about place and land use planning while increasing spatial technology skills, regardless of implementation mode. The results indicate that PGIS can increase public capacity for participating in land use planning, an important finding for developing countries with historically low levels of public participation and low public awareness and knowledge of planning.     

Risk management in a developing country context: improving decisions about point-of-use water treatment among the rural poor in Africa

More than 1 billion people, the vast majority of which live in the developing world, lack basic access to clean water for domestic use. For this reason, finding and promoting effective and sustainable solutions for the provision of reliable clean water in developing nations has become a focus of several public health and international development efforts. Even though several means of providing centrally located sources of clean water in developing communities exist, the severity and widespread nature of the water problem has led most development agencies and sanitation experts to strongly advocate the use of point-of-use treatment systems alongside whatever source of water people regularly use. In doing so, however, development practitioners have been careful to point out that any interventions or infrastructure regarding water safety and human health must also adhere to one of the central principles of international development: to facilitate more democratic and participatory models of decision making and governance. To this end, the research reported here focused on the development of a deliberative risk management framework for involving affected stakeholders in decisions about POU water treatment systems. This research, which was grounded in previous studies of structured decision making, took place in two rural villages in the East African nation of Tanzania.     

Economic metaphors and working knowledge: enter the 'cogito-economic' subject

This paper probes the effects upon people of defining knowledge primarily in economic terms. It asserts that the language of commerce increasingly appropriates 'knowledge' by defining it in such terms. Theoretically, the analysis draws on the work of Jacques Derrida to explore the effects of metaphors in human resource management and development environments. The paper explores the ways that metaphors can become powerful signifiers of knowledge at work. As critical technologies of representation, the metaphors that have emerged out of recent theorizations of knowledge at work have contributed to a powerful discourse that defines people as 'knowledge workers'. It is argued here that dominant views of 'what constitutes a knowledge worker' imply that subjects are both 'knowledge workers' (cogito) and 'human resources' (economic) - thus the title 'cogito-economic subjects'. By defining people in this way, it is argued that there are potential dangers of metaphors becoming reified with knowledge becoming describable only in economic terms, and people describable only in cogito-economic terms.     

Improving Participation in Green Infrastructure Planning

Green infrastructure is a strategic planning concept that is able to address environmental, social and even economic problems by supplying a variety of benefits for society. Especially in times of public financial crises and spatial transformation, it is important to ensure that those services are high quality to guarantee that they will provide the intended benefits by integrating stakeholders’ knowledge and experience into green infrastructure planning. Active stakeholder participation leads to legitimate and informed future planning that accounts for society’s needs. This paper investigates participation approaches of six green infrastructure investments in Belgium, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. The major aim is to explore how and when participation should take place to optimize participation in green infrastructure planning. This is achieved by surveying the stakeholders involved and conducting stakeholder discussions to identify their views on the participation approaches employed and their integration into the planning process. We found that stakeholders were generally satisfied with how they were involved but desired a broader and more tailored mix of approaches. Furthermore, we found several Arnstein gaps, which lead us to conclude by suggesting recommendations that are helpful for successful participation in green infrastructure planning.     

Corporate planning in South African companies

This paper is based on the research understaken by the author for his dostorate thesis. It describes the research methodology, data analysis and results of a survey of strategic planning as practised by South African companies, based over 500 questionnaires. The influence of the various interest groups revealed in the analysis is compared and discussed.     

A computer-based modelling system for electric utility planning

This paper examines the development of a computer based modelling system for electricity planning within the South African Electricity Supply Commission. The system is a specialized computer based planning system, which enables the extensive analysis of a wide variety of problems to be undertaken.

This paper explains the methodology and progress of analysis through the system and describes in detail how the planners can progress from forecasting of demand and supply parameters to the proposals for a necessary expansion of generation, transmission and distribution facilities. Finally, the paper explains the analysis required to verify the proposed projects feasibility from the point of view of corporate financing.     

Multicriteria decision support in local energy planning: An evaluation of alternative scenarios for the Sustainable Energy Action Plan

One of the major challenges for the implementation of local energy planning is the successful development of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) by the local authorities (especially within the framework of their participation to the Covenant of Mayors’ initiative). This aspect constitutes a decision making problem, since the local authorities have to identify the best fields of actions and opportunities for reaching their long-term CO₂ reduction target. However, the already available methods and tools do not offer an integrated framework for the SEAPs’ development and especially the selection of sustainable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Rational Use of Energy (RUE) technologies. In this context, the aim of this paper is to present a participatory supportive framework for the implementation of local energy planning. At the first level, the proposed approach incorporates the development of alternative Scenarios of Actions (using knowledge-based process, participatory approach and aspiration level). At the second level, a direct and transparent multicriteria decision support is introduced, in order to evaluate the feasible Scenarios. It includes the application of a multicriteria ordinal regression approach and an extreme ranking analysis method for the estimation of the best and worst possible ranking position of each Scenario. The results from the pilot appraisal of the methodological approach to a “real” problem are presented and discussed. The adopted approach contributes to the selection of the most appropriate combination of RES/RUE actions, supporting in this way the local authorities to the development of their SEAP.     

Citizens' Anti-highway Revolt in Post-Pinochet Chile: Catalyzing Innovation in Transport Planning

During the last third of the 20th century, citizens throughout North America and Europe organized protests against urban highway projects, influencing urban transport planning in ways that shape its evolution to this day. With the globalization of car-centred urban planning models, some similar movements have emerged in developing countries. What, if anything, can they tell us about citizens' role in innovation to achieve more socially just, good and livable cities? Using a multidisciplinary approach grounded in planning theory and a local adaptation of participatory action research methods, this study explores lessons from an anti-highway movement in Santiago, Chile (1997). This study contributes citizens' perspective on crucial issues within the philosophy and history of city planning, examining shifts in governance that can significantly influence the potential for change in planning and city systems, even under adverse conditions. Is improving participation just a matter of ‘getting the process right’? This experience indicates that it requires re-formulating frameworks to encompass democratization, fostering multi-scalar, self-generating civil society organizations, and focusing on the role of organized citizens, rather than individuals, as they act on policy ecologies. The evidence from this Santiago case supports Portugali's argument that planning is both a profession, exercised by especially trained ‘experts’, and a skill exercised by citizens working from their everyday expertise. This example explores the mechanisms through which, even in a relatively hostile environment, self-generated citizen organizations may play a significant role in contesting business-as-usual debates and achieving innovative policies favouring greater equality and sustainability.     

Designing communication support systems for strategic planning

While as a distinct and intermittent managerial activity planning is slowly dying, in a systematic and continuous context it is rapidly growing! More and more organizations are beginning to realize that planning entails ongoing learning and adaptation of people rather than one-shot, pseudo-scientific analysis of abstract problems. To facilitate this fundamental transformation in organizational thinking, new electronic management support systems are being created. These systems will facilitate collaborative problem exploration through improved managerial communication. In effect, they will actively assist managers to understand and manage the relationships between the strategic planning process and the other corporate processes such as budgeting, capital investment, performance evaluation and employee compensation.     

Cashbuild of South Africa: Company response to Black employee demands

This is an international case dealing with human resource management in the peculiar social context of South Africa. Cashbuild is a South African building supplies company started in 1978. The focus of the case is the organizational transformation which resulted when the company became responsive to the demands and expectations of Black employees. The Managing Director of Cashbuild noted the similarity in Japanese culture and Zulu culture in stressing group cohesion. Under his leadership, Cashbuild's employees designed a company philosophy which empowered workers by giving them control of four out of five portfolios operative in each branch. The major elements of the change process are discussed. Questions are raised concerning the use of participative management in a society where there is a high element of uncertainty and repression.     

Livability of Urban Public Spaces in Northern Swedish Cities: The Case of Umeå

This study explores how winter conditions are taken into accountin urban planning in the city of Umeå in northern Sweden. Snowand harsh winter conditions are to some extent considered in urban planning in most northern towns in Sweden. Besides that, snow and ice could also be elements in the city attracting people and contribute to the design of public spaces. Current plans and interviews with planners were complemented with participatory observations. The results show that public spaces designed for both winter and summer seasons are preferred.     

Corporate Responses to HIV/AIDS: Experience and Leadership from South Africa

HIV/AIDS harms the viability and competitiveness of African businesses. As a consequence, companies increasingly subscribe to the view that taking a proactive role to combat HIV/AIDS is not simply a question of compassion and good corporate citizenship. Rather, these firms see assertive action against HIV as critical to their long‐term profitability, and some have concluded that it is cost effective even in the short term. The article discusses how South African companies are taking action against HIV in ways that set new benchmarks, enhance the effectiveness of international AIDS advocacy efforts, and spur businesses across Africa and beyond to strengthen their corporate responses to HIV/AIDS.     

The design of computer based planning and modeling systems

Today there are nearly 2000 corporations in North America and Europe either using, developing, or experimenting with some form of corporate planning model. With the emergence of this new and rather substantial interest in the methodology of corporate planning modeling, there appears to be a definite need for a conceptual framework which can be used to design and implement computer based planning and modeling systems.In this paper the authors describe a collection of elements which they believe to be of critical importance in designing a corporate planning model. Their objective is to develop a set of criteria for not only designing a planning and modeling system, but a set of criteria which can also be used to facilitate the evaluation and comparison of alternative planning and modeling systems.There are over 50 planning and modeling software packages on the market today. These include systems such as BUDPLAN, COMOS and SIMPLAN. This paper attempts to provide the reader with a convenient checklist of possible features to consider in either designing one's own system or selecting an appropriate software package.