Graduate School of Business and Leadership

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Challenges towards succession planning that pharmacists are facing in public hospitals in the greater Durban area KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2016) Saib, Muzaffar.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
Succession planning is crucial for an organisation’s survival. Succession planning involves identifying, mentoring and retaining talented individuals for future key positions. The healthcare sector is faced with the challenge of retaining pharmacists. The high staff turnover in the public sector leads to increase in recruitment and training costs, poor healthcare services and adversely affects the implementation of innovative programmes such as the National Health Insurance. The study investigated the challenges that pharmacists are facing towards succession planning in the public hospital sector in the greater-Durban area, KwaZulu-Natal. The study utilised quantitative approach to collect data. An electronic survey was utilised to gather data in this study. Data was analysed to (1) identify the challenges that affect implementation of succession planning; (2) to establish the employee selection criteria; (3) to evaluate the impact of succession planning in pharmacy departments. The finding of the study indicated that majority of the pharmacists are not aware of succession planning programs in the public hospital sector. Furthermore, the results indicated that the institutions did not invest in training and mentoring of pharmacists. Majority of pharmacists in this study express a positive desire to be a part of succession planning programs expressing a positive attitude towards the program. The results indicate that retention will be enhanced. Furthermore, the impact of succession planning will enhance motivation, increase job satisfaction, develop and retain talented employees. The intangible characteristics of succession planning programs may deter investments. However, the positive impact on institutional productivity and sustainability are certainly worthwhile. Recommendations for the Department of Health were suggested including future research.
The effect of risk management on new product development - a case study of the retail banking environment.
(2016) Kleyn, Wilhelm Frans Christoffel.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
The financial services industry in South Africa is considered to be mature, and the relative monopoly that the big five local banks have makes it difficult for new entrants to gain access to Retail Banking operations. Despite this, the existing banks have adopted aggressive customer acquisition drives which are supported by competitive pricing strategies and innovative product offerings to influence and steer customer choice in selecting their primary bank. Introducing new products to the market provides Retail Banks with a sustainable competitive advantage and solid growths, but when these new products fail to launch successfully or provide the required return-on-investment, financial losses and revenue leakage occur and this exposes the organisation to reputational risk. International competition, macro-factors, rapidly changing technology as well as macro factors and increased customer expectations have further added to the complexity of New Product Development (NPD). This Retail Banking environment is also subject to strict governance and regulatory requirements that drive the need for effective risk management practices across all activities. For purposes of this study, 101 participants from FNB Consumer (which is the Retail Banking arm of First National Bank, a division of the FirstRand Group Limited) were selected in order to understand the effect risk management has on New Product Development in a Retail Banking environment. The study concludes that a relationship does exist between NPD and risk management, and that risk management ultimately supports the achievement of NPD objectives. The study raises concerns around the time and effort spent on NPD, the flexibility of risk management practices, as well as the differences in perceptions the respondents have on NPD - based on their roles as part of the NPD process. These concerns have a direct impact on the effect risk management has on NPD and, as such, recommendations have been made.
The effectiveness of a male grooming solution to improve male shopper behaviour towards the purchase of personal care products.
(2019) Amrithlal, Prathana.; Mutambara, Emmanuel.; Sibanda, Rosemary.
The cosmetic industry over the years has proven to be one of the fastest growing and most profitable industries globally. In the male cosmetic industry, male grooming and metrosexual trends have rapidly expanded across global communities, and in recent years have become a leading trend amongst South African men who are looking after their health as well as their physical appearance. The advent of the metrosexual trend has captured enormous attention for men to be more alert and mindful of their self-image, how to enhance their external appearance and how to uphold their own handsomeness no matter what challenges they may be facing. These emerging trends subsequently shaped the way businesses and companies expanded product lines and developed strategies to influence the shopping behaviour of men. Therefore, this study - to influence and improve male shopper behaviour towards the purchase of personal care products, investigated the effectiveness of a male grooming solution. This was a quasiexperimental study conducted among male shoppers at the Pavillion Shopping Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire between pre- and post-installation of the male grooming zone. Results indicated that pre installation of the male zone, shampoo, face care and body lotion were the highest consumed products while post installation results indicated that deodorant had the highest consumption rate followed by body lotion; while the face care and the perfume/cologne/aftershave segment were purchased at the same rate. It was also found that the intervention of the male grooming zone, post installation, had a perceived positive impact on self-image, self-esteem, lifestyle and celebrity association. The study revealed that emotional value, epistemic value and social value of the male shoppers were also perceived to have improved significantly post the installation of the male grooming zone. More than three quarters of male shoppers indicated that they preferred the new shopping environment. The outlook of male shoppers towards shopping for personal care products was also favourable and the amount of money spent on personal care products almost doubled. The study recommends that male grooming merchandise solutions be conceptualized and implemented for the improvement of male shopper behaviour towards the purchase of personal care products.
The impact of a developmental performance appraisal communication system and transformational leadership to employee proactive behaviour.
(2017) Meyiwa, Nhlanhla Braveman.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
Purpose: To determine how to engage employee proactive behaviour (PB) that will achieve goals using a developmental performance appraisal (DPA) communication system and transformational leadership (TL). Thereafter, develop an effective goal communication system based on the integration of DPA, TL and PB to archive organizational goals. Design/Methodology: Results from cross sectional survey of 120 employees showed that there was a significant relationship between perceptions of DPA communication and TL with PB. Findings: DPA communication and TL had a significant correlation with PB. Value: The study will add to the body of PB knowledge by investigating the importance of integrating PB with TL and DPA toward effective PB engagement of employees in organizations. It will also benefit the studied organization by equipping it with an effective DPA and TL communication system toward engaging employee PB.
The impact that project cost and project time overrun has on the financial performance of the operating unit: a case study of the Eskom KwaZulu-Natal Operating Unit.
(2017) Khumalo, Londiwe.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
High costs and poor time management is a common challenge faced by many organisations when executing projects. This result in project cost and project time overrun and in the end the organisation suffers great financial loss. Many organisations are focused on ensuring their projects are executed and completed within the allocated budget and set timelines. This study is aimed at establishing the factors that contribute to project cost and time overrun at Eskom KZN Operating Unit. Furthermore this study will look at the impact of project costs and time overrun on the financial performance of the Operating Unit. This process will assist the Unit by making recommendations on processes to be followed in order for projects to be completed within budget and on time. The research analysed the factors contributing to project cost and time overrun, provided an insight into the reasons behind it and explored possible ways to reduce it. The data was obtained through a questionnaire that was emailed to a population of 140, all of whom are employees at Eskom KZN Operating Unit. According to 77.9% of the respondents, design changes during the execution phase were the largest contributing factor to project cost and time overrun in the Operating Unit. The results indicated that a project manager must have knowledge and skills on decision making, planning, communication, time management and project execution for a project to succeed. It is recommended that a project schedule is created from the time a project is raised and maintained till the project is closed. The project manager must ensure that each activity in the project is identified with its costing and duration.
An investigation of the role of public service monitoring and evaluation in promoting good governance in the Department of Public Works, Kwazulu-Natal.
(2017) Phungula, Carrol Makhosazana.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
This study investigated the role of public service monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in promoting good governance in the Department of Public Works in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government. The objectives of the study were to: gain an understanding of M&E in the Department of Public Works (DPW), analyse its effectiveness and impact in promoting good governance in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), investigate the department’s current organisational policies and their shortfalls with respect to M&E, and make recommendations on how it can be used to promote good governance. Exploratory research was conducted to elicit important information from participants on the research phenomenon. A sequential mixed methods approach was used to conduct the investigation. The total study population was 500 and a sample of 217 participants were selected, using simple random and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires and personal interviews were the main instruments used for the data collection. The research instruments were pretested and few alterations were made before the data collection actually took place. Data quality control was addressed through validity, reliability, trustworthiness and credibility. The data collected from both the quantitative and qualitative studies were analysed and presented separately with the quantitative results first which was later followed by the qualitative results. The key findings from the quantitative study were that, 90.9% of the respondents agreed that M&E requires the appointment of competent personnel, 83.7% agreed that M&E requires good policies, 86.9% agreed to the idea that the nature of M&E requires effective communication on the policies that are designed and implemented, and 82.3% agreed that the nature of M&E requires total commitment from personnel in charge. The results of the qualitative study reaffirmed these findings. Further findings revealed that, of the respondents, 75.1% agreed that the M&E system in the DPW was effective in ensuring accountability, 68% agreed to the view that the M&E process in the department was effective enough to promote transparency, and 60.1% agreed that the M&E system in the department was very effective in managing the performance of staff. The overall findings indicated that there was a positive relationship between M&E and good governance. The study recommended that the department should: provide training for personnel involved in the M&E process, look for sources of funding and provide resources to support M&E, develop an M&E technology system to collect information easily and systematically, and develop and implement appropriate strategies to support the M&E process.
Public sector procurement as a tool of radical economic transformation with regards to black Africans: a case study of KwaZulu-Natal province.
(2017) Dladla, Linda.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
This research set out to examine the challenges in public sector procurement processes that hinder the effectiveness of radical economic transformation and the strategies being implemented to enhance the effectiveness of public procurement processes to enhance radical economic transformation in KwaZulu-Natal province. The study was particularly motivated by the need to examine the effectiveness of the current public procurement legal and regulatory framework in terms of enhancing radical economic transformation and to make recommendations on strategies that can be adopted to enhance the effectiveness of public procurement processes to enforce radical economic transformation. The realisation of these objectives was made possible through adopting a qualitative phenomenological research methodology and an analytical explanatory descriptive research design. This gave direction as to how data was to be collected and analysed. The chosen research methodology and research design using semi-structured interviews which was employed as a data collection tool together with the interview guide which comprised open ended questions that allowed respondents the opportunity to explain themselves in detail. Data was analysed through thematic analysis and the findings were presented using NVIVO style diagrams; which is a qualitative data analysis software. Findings show that the achievement of radical economic transformation through the public procurement policy framework in KwaZulu-Natal province is being hindered. This hindrance includes financial constraints, incapacity by black owned firms to handle large projects, inability to attract skilled labour and loss of lucrative tenders through deep-seated racial stereotyping and corruption in the award of tenders. The findings further revealed that although there were strategies (like strong internal controls), the current legal framework was largely ineffective. This is largely due to factors such as political override in tender awarding, the persistent problem of fronting and general lack of compliance with the regulatory framework. As a result, the study recommended the naming and shaming of politicians working against the spirit of radical economic transformation. The implications of these findings are that the senior management in charge of procurement in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government need to explore other ways of achieving radical economic transformation, rather than relying solely on the legislative framework.
The relevance and application of biodiversity off-sets initiatives by commercial mining enterprises in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Keswa, Sifiso.; Amrithlal, Prathana.
Biodiversity off-sets initiatives are widely utilised and recognised international as in KwaZulu-Natal to compensate for environmental degradation and harm in the development economic beneficial projects. Whilst it's true that South Africa applied also in KwaZulu-Natal have legislated related prescripts and expects compliance as directed by Environment Authorisation as a result Environmental Impact Assessment processes. The extent to which KZN's commercial mining enterprises have been receptive to and applies biodiversity off-set initiatives so as to meet the Global Reporting Initiative expectations while complying with legislative directive is unknown. The data was collected using an electronic system from 11 respondents associated with biodiversity off-sets initiative value chain as descriptive exploratory study. The quantitative methods approach was employing that informed basic statistical analysis and graphic presentation of results. The KZN commercial mining enterprise are receptive to biodiversity offsets initiatives and the application thereof. The impedances in the application of biodiversity initiatives is reflected by the study results attributed to absence of explicit implementation documentation and human capital appropriate expertise. A collective and consultative biodiversity off-sets initiatives policy development process must be initiated to inform an appropriate implementation approach.

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