Business Cases from South African Companies is an engaging collection of case studies dealing with real-life businesses.

Written by business owners, the stories are unique and inspiring to students, practitioners and would-be entrepreneurs.

Owners, entrepreneurs and corporates (from SMMEs to larger companies) share their frustrations, successes, and challenges on starting and running successful businesses.

There are a number of strategy books, international and local, available in the South African market. Why another one? What makes this book different?

The third edition of the book features a number of new chapters, focusing on strategy implementation and change management, resource allocation and responsible leadership. It also includes a more detailed coverage of managing strategic risk.

Features:

Principles of General Management: A Responsible Approach for Southern Africa responds to the need for a resource that provides students entering the field of management for the first time with fresh insights into responsible management.

In particular, it is a resource that helps them to become responsible managers and leaders, to be change agents, and to act as the human foundation for responsible businesses.

It is currently the first and only book written by South Africans for the South African and broader African market and that at the same time integrates the pillars of responsible management into the principal managerial functions.

Management Principles: a contemporary edition for Africa deals with the cornerstone principles of general management that have endured over many decades. The eighth edition of this comprehensive book on general management principles delves into the fundamentals of planning, organising, leading, controlling, and showcasing how these four management functions have stood the test of time amidst the challenges posed by, among others, the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

From navigating artificial intelligence, data analytics, blockchain technology and other technological changes to sustainability issues, inclusive workplaces, and geo-political wars, this reader-friendly book exposes the student of management theory to real-life management issues. Backed by academic research, literature reviews and South African and African case studies, this book offers a practical roadmap for both management students and seasoned professionals who have to solve management problems and make sound management decisions. Written in an accessible style, it systematically covers all relevant management principles, providing a logical framework for understanding and implementation of these principles in a volatile business environment.

In this fully-updated eighth edition, the authors have endeavoured to expose the reader to the relevant topics that managers of modern organisations must be familiar with.

Furthermore, the book accommodates different learning styles by providing the following features:

• Real-world business examples
• Figures and diagrams
• Concise summaries of important concepts
• Case scenarios
• Self-assessment questions.

Management Principles: a contemporary edition for Africa is written from a South African and African perspective. The uniqueness of this continent justifies a management approach that reflects Africa’s realities while being sensitive to the fact that Africa is part of the ever-growing borderless world.

The transformation of ideas into economic opportunities is the crux of entrepreneurship. History shows that pragmatic people who are entrepreneurial, creative and innovative, able to exploit opportunities and willing to take risks, have significantly advanced economic progress. For example, the USA gets more than half of its economic growth from industries that barely existed a decade ago. This is directly attributable to innovative entrepreneurs and their start-up businesses.

Entrepreneurs can produce new solutions to old problems, and they always challenge the status quo. Entrepreneurs are risk-takers who pursue opportunities that others may fail to recognise or may even view as problems or threats. Entrepreneurs are closely associated with change, creativity, knowledge, innovation and flexibility, which are all factors that are increasingly important sources of competitiveness in an increasingly globalised world economy. Therefore, fostering entrepreneurship means promoting the competitiveness of businesses.

At a macro-level private sector development and entrepreneurship development are essential ingredients for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty. While sound macroeconomic policies and providing market access are crucial, emerging markets need to nurture and develop entrepreneurs able to take advantage of the opportunities created by globalisation.

At a national level, entrepreneurs can play a vital role in the economic development of the country and the social upliftment of its people. As with the rest of the private sector, entrepreneurial development is a powerful engine of economic growth and wealth creation, and crucial for improving the quality, number and variety of employment opportunities for the poor. Economically, entrepreneurship invigorates markets. The formation of new business leads to job creation and has a multiplying effect on the economy. Socially, entrepreneurship empowers citizens, generates innovation and changes mindsets. These changes have the potential to integrate developing countries successfully into the global economy.

Being a successful entrepreneur in the 2020s involves more than enthusiasm and a good eye for a new opportunity. A thorough understanding of the essential business functions, as explained in this edition of Business Management for Entrepreneurs, is a prerequisite for entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next growth stage.

Business Management for Entrepreneurs guides the entrepreneur through the eight business functions: general management, finance, marketing, operations management, purchasing and the supply chain, human resources, information management and public relations. These management and managerial skills are essential to successfully managing a business which employs more people than when it was initially established.

This edition has been updated to highlight the economic factors and technologies that influence business functions relevant to entrepreneurs. Business Management for Entrepreneurs is an invaluable resource for students studying Entrepreneurship, all young entrepreneurs planning to start their own business, and entrepreneurs who have their own business but want to learn more about managing the business functions as the business grows.

Marketing Management takes a fresh look at topics such as the architecture of marketing, integrated marketing communication and the identification of target markets. Core topics such as product and services, wholesaling and retailing, distribution, global marketing and pricing strategies are, of course, also dealt with. It includes all-new chapters on customer interface management, branding decisions, digital marketing communications, customer value and retention, and measuring and managing the return on marketing investment.

Marketing Management has been widely prescribed for more than 20 years. This edition – containing the most recent and relevant research – is sure to remain the market leader, particularly within the South African context.

Key Features:

• Well-researched case studies
• Numerous examples to explain marketing theory, many of which are taken from South African companies
• Extended marketing mix is discussed where relevant and not as a separate topic
• Focus on customer satisfaction as well as on accessing and using information in decision making
• Support material for adopting institutions

This tenth edition of Hockly’s Insolvency Law has been renamed Hockly’s Law of Insolvency, Winding-up and Business Rescue to reflect the changes to the three main fields that it discusses.

Features distinguishing this tenth edition include these:

• Developments over the last ten years since the previous edition are summarized, including the statutory changes and the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal and leading decisions of the High Court.
• In particular, business rescue is now discussed in three chapters, and the company’s compromise with its creditors is discussed in its own separate chapter.
• The introduction encourages readers to consider the need for reforming insolvency law in the 21st century, to read the law with a critical and creative eye, and to ponder the policy choices to be made.
• Chapter 7 on uncompleted contracts has been rearranged, opening with a pigeonholing approach to analysing contracts, followed by a statement of the supporting common law and a discussion of a series of specific contracts analysed according to which of the contractants is now in sequestration or liquidation.
• The text is even more accessible, with extra explanation for readers with limited library access, and the book is available as an e-book.
• Learners with a strong visual sense are shown examples of diagrams and timelines to help analyse complicated sets of facts and apply complicated provisions to them. It is recommended that they should identify the debtor in red in their diagrams.

Business Management by Portfolio is a business philosophy practiced by organisations which successfully create environments that attract only the best, brightest and most creative professionals. This is an environment which fosters trust, collaboration and unified commitment. It provides ample opportunity for individual and collective self-actualization and the unleashing of talent where it matters most.

Business Management by Portfolio addresses issues such as effective strategy implementation, optimal resource utilisation, business quality by design and, perhaps most importantly, customer satisfaction.

This fourth edition of Career Counselling and Guidance in the Workplace: A manual for Career Development Practitioners provides a perspective on career counselling and guidance approaches and practices relevant to career development support in the 21st-Century workplace. The text has been designed for postgraduate students, as well as career development practitioners, human resource practitioners, psychologists, psychometrists, and registered counsellors who are involved in providing career development services to individuals and employers.

Additional real-life case studies that reflect the diverse population groups of South Africa have been added to illustrate how the theory is applied in career counselling practice. This edition further incorporates the role and competencies of career development practitioners as outlined in the new national frameworks.

This fourth edition of Strategic Marketing has been revised and updated to include the latest trends and examples in business. This edition provides a concise and thorough look at the strategic business issues todays managers must cope with.

The focus is on how organisations need to adapt and cope with the demands from the global and local business environment, and in the process better understand their responsibilities their own organisations needs and their own products and other offerings.

Over the years and with all the new developments in the world and technological advances, the four key questions all organisations must answer still remain as follows:

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want to be?
• How will we get there?
• Did we get there?

These questions sound easy and straight forward but it is not as simple as it sounds. It requires a thorough understanding of the organisation and all the elements in the business environment that can and will impact on the business. This edition addresses these questions in an easy to understand and practical manner and covers a range of topics including an analysis of the external business environment, a detailed analysis of customers and competitors, market analysis, analysing the internal environment. There after the focus moves to marketing strategy and metrics which is applicable to organisations and the importance thereof, and added to this is the management of customer experiences and market strategies, and a global view of strategic marketing from the organisation’s perspective.

The Law of Business Structures provides a comprehensive but simplified treatment of the different types of business structures in South African law. Partnerships, business trusts, close corporations and companies, whether large or small, whether profit-making or non-profit-making, are discussed. This includes modern corporate governance best practices and even an updated analysis of insider trading and market manipulation. The proposed new Companies Amendment Bill of 2021, which was published when this new edition was nearing completion, is also discussed wherever relevant.

In the nine years since the publication of the first edition of The Law of Business Structures, there has been extensive judicial development of many provisions of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. This second edition has been updated to include a discussion and analysis of the leading cases on the subject. Much of the material on this subject, particularly company law, has been updated. The prime, original aim of keeping complex theoretical analysis and debate to a minimum has been retained.

A highlight of this book is that legal doctrines and principles are expounded in a lucid and coherent way and stated, wherever possible, in simple terms.

The Corporate Governance Handbook best practices is not intended to replace good corporate legislation but to supplement legislation such as the Companies Act. The Companies Act is statutory law whereas corporate governance best practices including govern

This book aims to give insight into managing people in organisations.

It emphasises the value of people and does not treat them as merely another organisational resource. It recognises that people are central to the organisation’s success but also appreciates that the dignity and rights of employees should be respected and their well-being promoted.

Furthermore, the management of people is positioned as a partnership between:

• line managers, who are directly responsible for managing the people reporting to them
• the top management team, who set the direction for the organisation and the tone for how to behave
• the HRM department and practitioners, who care for employees, advise line managers and manage the systems that support people management

Workplace incidents and accidents affect businesses long after the incidents occur. The interruption of busi­ness activities and running equipment results in financial loss. Injuries suffered by people damage a business’s image and competitive edge, and demotivate employees.

By approaching safety risks in a measured, responsible manner, safety professionals and business owners can mitigate the occurrence of incidents and prevent them from happening in the workplace.

With businesses competing globally more than ever before, and with the increased use of social media for marketing, companies are realising that they need to do more to add value to their products and services, and to enhance and manage the customer experience. In order to meet the expectations of today’s demanding and changing consumer, marketers and students of marketing alike need to be aware of the latest trends in marketing methods and technologies and how to use them to attract and keep customers.

With a user-friendly layout highlighting definitions, examples, case studies and websites, this fourth edition of Marketing Management: A South African Perspective gives undergraduate students a comprehensive understanding of marketing — at a practical and academic level. Contributions from leaders in the field of marketing in South Africa and from academics at leading universities, locally and internationally, will ensure that this edition becomes as highly regarded as its predecessors.

The text emphasises four themes to support evidence-based management decision making: 1. Setting the statistical landscape in a management context 2. Interpretative decision making based on patterns revealed by exploratory data analyses 3. Statistical decision making guided by the test-based findings of inferential analyses 4. Predictive decision making using statistical modelling evidence. The thread that links them is the role of data analytics as a management decision-support tool. This fifth edition builds on the strengths of the fourth edition by: - Highlighting newer trends in statistical applications in management practice - Strengthening the Excel-based generation of statistical evidence using a custom-built software product, called X-Static - Enhancing the graphic visualisation of statistical evidence. Target market: - Undergraduate students of Management at universities (BCom, BAcc, etc) - Management diploma students working towards professional qualifications at institutions such as the IMM, CSSA, CIMA, IAC, etc. - Postgraduate students (MBA and PGDip) of Management at business schools.

Change is the distinguishing characteristic of the business environment across the world and it affects how contemporary organisations operate. While organisations need to do more with less, they also have to satisfy the needs of their customers who, with more exposure to local and global markets, have higher expectations relating to the cost, quality, speed and innovation of the services and products they purchase from these organisations.

In response to the changes in their business environment, organisations are becoming flatter, networked, global, more flexible and diverse and managers have to acquire the skills to face the challenges associated with these features.

The contemporary management principles offered in this publication integrates discussions on vital managerial competencies and skills with information on traditional and essential managerial concepts that have been effective in the past and are still relevant.

In our interconnected world, mastering global branding is essential for success. International Brand Management is your comprehensive guide, covering key aspects of international branding to help you navigate the complex global marketplace.

Beginning with brand identity and positioning, the book emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity, market research, and strategic alignment in crafting a compelling brand narrative that resonates across diverse cultures. From there, it explores brand architecture, demonstrating how to manage complex brand portfolios while maintaining coherence and synergy.

Brand equity and its value chain are examined, providing insights into measuring brand equity and evaluating the impact of branding investments on financial performance and consumer perceptions. The text also covers brand communication strategies, showcasing how effective communication can amplify brand resonance and foster meaningful engagement with global audiences

Modern day organisations are more dependent on communication to achieve success than ever before. Rapid development and greater complexity of communication technologies, and the growing importance and popularity of social media, means that organisations can no longer rely on traditional methods alone to engage in effective business communication. Social media and new communication forms, however, come with their own challenges and pitfalls. Organisations need to carefully and strategically consider the use of these new media as part of their effective communication plan. Effective Business Communication 5th edition builds on traditional communication forms with up-to-date theory. It discusses new communication trends and the changing nature of communication in businesses. This edition illustrates the effective use of various new media sources and their application in the workplace, the challenges of using these media and the appropriate ways in which they can be incorporated into effective business communication practices within the organisation. Effective Business Communication 5th edition provides widespread principles for communicating in the organisational context. The book has support material containing questions, case studies and activities. This edition therefore provides students, lecturers and business communicators with a comprehensive and practical reference guide to communication in the workplace.

Focus on Operational Management: A generic approach provides a general overview of management principles and the general management activities encountered by the operational and first-time manager in the workplace today. These principles are important for the sustainability of an organisation.

The following topics are discussed:

• The new workplace environment
• The changing role of the operational and first-time manager
• Operational planning, operational decision-making and problem-solving, organising operational resources, operational control, and leadership
• Employment relations in the workplace
• Organisational culture, diversity management, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, organisational politics and change management in the workplace

The updated third edition of A Guide to Project Management has been extensively updated to reflect changes in the processes and procedures of project management, global trends and international standards, and the expansion of the Project Management Body of Knowledge.

It also includes a new chapter on Project Management and Development Studies. There are extensive self-assessment questions, group activities, exercises, and guidelines for the completion of a summative assignment/portfolio of evidence based on SAQA Unit Standards and chapter outcomes.

In today’s competitive retail environment, where new products are being introduced daily, how do you attract customer attention to your new product, and how do you manage its success? But equally important is the price. Just what is the science of pricing?

Product and Price Management recognises that a product manager needs to maximise the value of a product, oversee all aspects of a product line in order to deliver superior customer satisfaction, and coordinate production with an understanding of the market’s and customers’ needs, while simultaneously providing a long-term competitive advantage for the company. It also focuses on the basics of pricing and conveys the choices and strategies surrounding price in a concise and practical manner. South African examples help illustrate the discussions, and the topics have been updated to reflect the current realities of the markets.

Labour Relations in Practice deals with the core labour and employment relations matters regularly encountered by labour relations and human resource officers, managers, union representatives, bargaining council functionaries and those in advisory services. Now in its fourth edition, it contains, inter alia, actual cases heard by the CCMA as well as the Labour Court legislation update to the end of 2022.

The topics covered include the following:

• The employment relation - a brief introduction
• The roles, rights and obligations of the various stakeholders in organisations
• The role of the State in the labour relationship and the legislation by which it attempts to regulate this relationship
• The role of collectives, such as trade unions and employer organisations, and the rights granted to them
• Legal requirements for fair recruitment practices
• Employment contracts
• The various Acts that affect labour practices, including affirmative action and skills development
• Conducting negotiations and dealing with employee grievances and discipline at the workplace, dispute settlement and fair dismissal practice
• The way forward in the employment relationship
• The text contains numerous practical examples, illustrative problems, actual court cases and scenarios

The legislative requirements and codes of good practice are explained in simple, accessible language. Examples of relevant policies are provided, and each chapter ends with a useful summary of the main learning points.