The effects of implementing organizational change management in Mega-Construction projects: a case study of Medupi Power Station
- Authors: Diko, Nombulelo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Construction projects , Power station , Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58340 , vital:58996
- Description: The construction industry is impacted by megatrends in four domains: markets and customers, sustainability and resilience, society and workforce, and politics and regulation. The industry needs to identify and implement optimal responses to these megatrends – concerning both the opportunities they offer and the challenges they pose. Due to today's ever-changing business environment, organizational change and changes in structure are becoming more prevalent. For Construction Organizations to remain competitive they need to conduct market research regularly to assess changes that need to be adopted, whether from internal or external forces. South Africa’s construction industry is currently experiencing many changes due to advancements in technology and improved means of project execution which improve organizations' productivity and profit margins. This research study analyzed the effects of change management on organizations in the construction industry. It identified and assessed factors influencing change management, challenges faced during the implementation of changes and solutions, and recommendations to overcome the challenges. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this research study. The rationale for adopting this was that qualitative research provided the researcher with a deeper insight into the effects of change management in the construction industry. The main factors identified which affect change management are finance and the style of management. It was reported from the research findings that a lack of staff training on the change initiatives also negatively affected the implementation of change processes. Concerning the value of change implementation, most respondents confirmed that efficient and effective change would lead to growth and increased profit margins. This research also found that clear vision and effective engagement systems are vital in ensuring that effective change implementation is achieved. Also, the business change management plan must be communicated and shared with relevant stakeholders for them to align with the main objectives and deliverables. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Factors contributing to unsafe practices in Eskom power division projects
- Authors: Dingilizwe, Nondumiso
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59226 , vital:60314
- Description: Health and safety is accepted as an integral element of the built environment. As construction within the electricity and power supply industry is inevitable, alongside other regulatory systems aimed at ensuring sustainable power supply, health and safety measures, policies, training, management, and incidences become important indicators for the delivery of power supply. This research study explores the health and safety management challenges that are experienced by the construction division of Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility with its head offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research explores and identifies factors that affect workers’ on-site behaviour regarding the compliance and adherence to health and safety statutory practices. Using a qualitative research method, and thematic data analysis, the research findings draw on salient emerging themes that allude to the inadequate and insufficient documentation of Eskom procedures, and the failure to make use of recorded past incidents in establishing improved pro-active health and safety management practice and management thereof, are but some of the illuminated factors that emerge from the study findings. For a power utility of its scale and the volume of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, the compliance to internationally recognised health and safety standards within an appropriate legal framework, are factors that may hinder the successful implementation of its core function. Notwithstanding the fact that the electricity sector of industry, in terms of overall current health, safety and performance, is generally considered to be a lower risk than other industries within the South African economy. Yet this study, in taking cognisance of all four sectors of the energy and power value chain (generation, transmission, distribution and retail), attempts to address the unanswered questions if why and how Eskom, despite its health and safety policies and general compliance to statutory workplace health and safety framework, continues to experience a high level of workplace fatalities in the delivery of its projects. Against a backdrop of reported and documented incidences of time, this research found that the usage of reports to benchmark and re-calibrate policy and preventative procedure is carried out periodically, but in an unstructured manner. The risk this presents is evident in the potential failure to identify proper risk analysis, appropriate health and safety vi performance indicators, and a slow migration to the new ISO 45001 quality standard. Study findings also suggest a lack of training programmes for contractors and employees within Eskom construction projects, as a primary contributing hindrance factor to attaining an improved health and safety management system. Finally, the study also considered new hazards and risks that have, and may still, arise from the uptake and expansion of new technologies, cleaner energy, as well as future trends that would collectively influence health and safety standards along the electricity value chain. The research findings suggest for a more focused goal-setting and the building of competencies to recognise and mitigate risks, especially new risks, and to engage more participatory approaches to setting standards that can be effectively managed and which can contribute to injury reduction through behavioural change. What remains to be explored, will be the changing nature of doing business as the year 2020 witnesses a new confounding pandemic, the Coronavirus (covid-19). Its impact on health and safety in the workplace, and on the entire construction value chain, cost of construction, project management and timeframes, is yet to be determined and factored into the business processes of a large scale public entity such as Eskom. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03