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Project risk culture in a South African state-owned entity
(North-West University (South Africa), 2020) Nemukula, Fhulufhedzani Irene
The concept of risk culture came to the fore after the 2007/08 financial crisis, when it was identified as a leading contributor to instability in the financial industry. The available literature on risk culture tends to focus on the financial sector, with few risk-culture-specific articles published on non???financial institutions such as public organisations; and none could be found on project risk culture in South African state-owned entities (SOEs). The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of project team members of aspects related to project risk management in a South African SOE, using a risk culture indicator (RCI) model to structure the research. The research question for this study was therefore: "How do project team members perceive project risk culture in this SOE?" Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of 15 participants whose roles require project implementation decision-making in the organisation. The results of the study indicated that project team members rely on experience and information from a panel of experts and consultants in order to include project risks when making project-related decisions. Interviewees suggested that the entity's project risk management process should be improved to ensure that the risk-related information documented, as a result of the internal risk management process, is relevant and of quality to assist with project decision-making. Four indicators - risk-based incentives, communication, challenge and risk accountability - did not feature in the participants' responses, and attention to these indicators may also assist with improving the entity's project risk culture. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of the perceived project risk culture within the organisation and exemplifies a novel research approach for other researchers interested in conducting project risk culture studies.
The impact of COVID-19 on remuneration structures of South African JSE-listed transportation companies
(Bussecon International (Published in International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp. 375–384), 2025) Mandie,Adriaanse; de Villiers, Rikus R.; Kilian, Elsabé
This study examines how COVID-19 affected executive remuneration in South African transportation firms on the JSE and changes in intangible employee benefits. Utilizing a mainly quantitative approach, it evaluates post-pandemic remuneration data for structural changes, supplemented by qualitative analysis of corporate disclosures on intangible benefits. Findings show a shift towards variable compensation like bonuses and incentives, with reduced base salaries. Companies have also shown more concern for employee well-being, adopting flexible working arrangements and prioritizing health and safety. The pandemic prompted significant structural and philosophical changes in remuneration practices. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering a sector-specific analysis of how global disruptions can reshape compensation frameworks, thereby informing future corporate governance and human resource strategies.
Relationship among intrinsic rewards, organisational performance, and intentions to stay among academic staff in a selected South African higher education institution
(Taylor & Francis, 2026) Makwela, Clement; Klinck, Kezell
This study examines the relationship among intrinsic rewards, organisational performance and academic staff intentions to stay at a selected South African higher education institution. A quantitative research design and descriptive research approach were adopted. Data were collected from 400 permanent academic staff using a structured questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS and IBM SPSS-AMOS (version 31), applying descriptive statistics, reliability tests, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings reveal that intrinsic rewards have a significant positive influence on both academic staff intentions to stay and organisational performance. In addition, intentions to stay significantly influence organisational performance. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on intrinsic rewards, retention intentions, and organisational performance within the South African higher education context.
Exploring the role of internal risk communication in decision-making within a food and beverages organisation
(North-West University (South Africa), 2026) Mzizi, Phendulwa; Magau, Rudzani; Mulambya, Emmanuel
Risk communication is important for effective risk management; it is a vital component of risk analysis.Risk communication and decision-making are connected, as effective risk communication enables risk informed decisions. This study aims to explore how internal risk communication informs decision-making in a food and beverages organisation in South Africa. The study was conducted within a multinational food and beverages organisation, with offices in South Africa. The study was conducted using an exploratory interview-based qualitative research approach and the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews where 10 employees were selected.The results extracted from interviews are organised into six themes: Internal risk communication; risk communication channels; benefits, risks, challenges, and strategies for effective risk communication.The findings indicated that the participants have an understanding and can define risk communication.Additionally, the results suggested a number of positive themes relating to how internal risk communication informs decision-making.However, the majority of the participants interviewed experienced challenges to how risk communication is transmitted.This study provides useful information on and a review of risk communications that can be used by the employees in the organisation.The research objectives were achieved, the results answered the research questions, and the recommendations were also made specifically for the risk communication challenges identified.The research scope was limited to internal risk ccommunication, and further research should be conducted to source the views of employees on other levels and in other departments.
Risk communication during safety planning: A mining management perspective
(North-West University (South Africa), 2024) Pepu, Kayelihle; Goede, Fred J
Safety risk communication is pivotal in risk management, especially in high-risk operating environments like mining. The literature that was reviewed identified attributes of effective risk communication and these attributes defined the research question. The focus for this study was on mining management perceptions about effective safety risk communication in the organisation selected (Company KMP, a fictious company name). A total of 393 executives, senior managers and middle managers were targeted from four different divisions and 12 departments. A response rate of 48% was achieved. However, some participants did not complete the questionnaire in full, while others responded with "I do not know" and were therefore excluded from data analysis. The final response rate was 33%, yielding 130 useful responses for the latent variable data analysis. To examine the effectiveness of safety risk communication during safety planning (latent variable) among the three levels of management, a Kruskal-Wallis's test, a nonparametric statistical method, was used. The latent variable identified was measured by the 10 purposes of safety risk communication that were revealed in the literature. The outcome of the research showed that there was not enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis, concluding that there was no significant difference between the three levels of management in their perception of safety risk communication. All management levels are aligned in their perceptions about effective safety risk communication in the organisation, but the majority agreed that understanding risk first is a priority followed by risk communication. It is recommended that this study is conducted on the supervisory and operator levels, to compare the perceived effectiveness of safety risk communication on these levels with the three levels of management that participated in this study. Furthermore, studying the reasons for rating risk understanding higher than other behavioural risk work areas will be beneficial for the organisation.