An Application of Just-in-time as a Strategy for Competitive Advantage: The Case of a Non-alcoholic Company in South Africa

Author(s):  
S.C. Mukwakungu ◽  
E.M. Bakama ◽  
M.M. Bolipombo ◽  
C. Mbohwa
Author(s):  
Unine Van den Berg ◽  
Jean-Pierre Labuschagne ◽  
Hugo Van den Berg

Companies in South Africa should realise the important influence of greening their suppliers and of innovation to achieve environmental goals and competitive advantages. In order to prove this, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 75 companies from 11 industries in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality region, South Africa. A confirmatory factor analysis was done, followed by bivariate correlations to determine the strength of association between the latent constructs. Correlations between greening the supplier, innovation, environmental performance and competitive advantages were done. The research found that a green innovative process had a significant effect on environmental performance. Green managerial innovation further had a significant correlation with competitive advantage. The primary result of the study indicated that all the constructs positively related to each other, meaning that greening suppliers, by means of green innovation, leads to an enhanced environmental performance and to competitive advantages.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Van der Merwe ◽  
Philippus Cloete ◽  
Herman Van Schalkwyk

This article investigates the competitiveness of the South African wheat industry and compares it to its major trade partners. Since 1997, the wheat-to-bread value chain has been characterised by concentration of ownership and regulation. This led to concerns that the local wheat market is losing international competitiveness. The competitive status of the wheat industry, and its sub-sectors, is determined through the estimation of the relative trade advantage (RTA). The results revealed declining competitiveness of local wheat producers. Compared to the major global wheat producers, such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany and the USA, South Africa’s unprocessed wheat industry is uncompetitive. At the same time, South Africa has a competitive advantage in semi-processed wheat, especially wheat flour. The institutional environment enables the importation of raw wheat at lower prices and exports processed wheat flour competitively to the rest of Africa.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-335
Author(s):  
Joseph Kolawole Abon ◽  

Football, as the most popular sport amongst other sports, is a household name in the world and South Africa particularly. This study examines the use of marketing in improving competitive advantage among potential and professional football clubs in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Several sponsorship opportunities that could serve as an impetus to disseminate various club projects are noted to be undermined. Arguably, some of the clubs’ activities are seasonal, and the applicability of marketing by football clubs in the KZN province could not be tactically emphasized. Therefore, the amount of marketing activities in clubs’ seasonal operations is unidentified which poses a challenge in achieving club objectives. This paper argues that it is of importance for the club marketing managers to consider features of each specific season and corporate marketing activities for the development of appropriate marketing actions that could serve as competitive advantages. This study adopts a mixed-method research approach, and a convenient sampling technique with responses from 80 questionnaires were retrieved. Five (5) coaches, 5 club owners, 5 managers, 5 supporters, and 5 players from five football clubs each located in KwaZulu-Natal province were interviewed to extract their understanding of the use of marketing to gain competitive advantage. Findings from the study state that using marketing correctly could improve the chances of potential professional football clubs’ popularity and increase financial gains. Most respondents emphasized that when clubs use a proper marketing strategy with appropriate use of marketing mix, it could position the clubs in the hearts of their supporters and public.


Author(s):  
Beverley Waugh ◽  
Rose Luke

As organisations find themselves in an increasingly dynamic and competitive world they are seeking new strategies to ensure their competitive advantage and profitability. Logistics presents an area in which these organisations can improve customer service and reduce costs, and strategies in support thereof such as the outsourcing of logistics activities, should be considered. However, it is critical that logistics outsourcing is done diligently to avoid potential problems for the organisation and to achieve the best possible benefits. In South Africa little research has been done regarding current outsourcing practices of local manufacturers. In this article literature on international logistics outsourcing as well as research on some of the logistics outsourcing practices of South African manufacturers is discussed. The findings of a questionnaire survey of South African manufacturers provided information on their logistics outsourcing practices and problems. Prominent issues seem to include inadequate managerial involvement in the logistics outsourcing process, as well as insufficient time spent on many of the important aspects of the outsourcing agreement, the transitioning of resources and ongoing management of the outsourced relationship. It is concluded that a thorough outsourcing process should be followed in order to achieve the benefits of logistics outsourcing.


2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
L. Le Roux ◽  
H. Oosthuizen

In a business environment of continuous change and in light of a defined need to fast track skills improvement and development in South Africa and Africa, training strategies and practices are under increasing pressure to develop a more productive and skilled workforce. Demands on training and the practices it employs increasingly focus on the alignment with strategic imperatives of organisations and the country.This research presented an instructional design (ID) model positioned in intersection between the positioning-based and resource-based theories and used a multi-disciplinary approach to extend the literature on ID models with the aim to offer measurable improvements in job-specific knowledge and productive behaviour as proxies for sustainable competitive advantage. The research confirmed the contribution of the ID model in this regard and described and substantiated the pivotal link between training and ID models and the application thereof in practice to aid organisations and, by extension, countries, in the achievement and sustainability of competitive advantage. This, the first of two articles, presents not only the theoretical and practical context of the research, but also the development of a revised and advanced ID model. In the second article the ID model will be subjected to empirical investigation and evaluated through the application thereof in a case organisation and a grounded conclusion provided.This is the first in a series of two articles.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikechukwu O. Ezeuduji ◽  
Prisca M. Lete ◽  
Maisa Correia ◽  
Anna-Marie Taylor

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 432-437
Author(s):  
Wayne B. Tifflin

Business Tourism is considered an important aspect of a Destination’s Competitiveness. However having a competitive advantage does not guarantee success (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003). Destination success requires a well formulated competitiveness strategy which is effectively implemented (Seymour, 2009:2). Business tourism and its elements (meeting, conference, and convention centres) need to be managed effectively to provide a destination with a competitive edge. Thus it is important to determine the effectiveness and suitability of conference centres and destinations from the perspective of the delegate. This paper examines the responses of delegate of 49 Conferences in relation to the facilities at the International Convention Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and the city of Durban as a conference destination. Whilst the broader concept of Business Tourism may encompass more than conferences as a business activity, this paper will show the need for “Conference Tourism” as significant component to Business Tourism. KwaZulu-Natal’s meetings and conferences are one of the most important attractions and activities of domestic and international tourists. This is clearly illustrated in the following tables:


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pravina D. Oodith ◽  
Sanjana Brijball Parumasur

This paper analysed the viability of Prahalad’s Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) proposition within the South Africa context as a mechanism to eradicate/minimize poverty by ensuring a joint collaborative effort by government, NGOs, large domestic firms, multinational corporations (MNCs) as well as the poverty stricken citizens themselves. It conceptualized the BOP proposition and, having reviewed statistics on the extent of poverty globally and in South African in particular, confirmed that the BOP is a lucrative market in the South African context. From the paper, it is evident that the BOP proposition, if effectively implemented, has the potential to reduce poverty in South Africa and increase the profits of MNCs. It then reviewed Prahalad’s twelve Principles of Innovation and strategically divided these into six differentiation and six low-cost strategies. The paper concludes by articulating creative strategies (based on Prahalad’s 12 principles of innovation) for active participation and competitive advantage at the bottom of the pyramid, which are vividly presented in a model for strategic partners especially multinational corporations (MNCs) to adopt when expanding their scale of operations to incorporate the BOP market.


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