Although it is generally accepted that lean manufacturing improves operational performance, many organisations are struggling to adapt to the lean philosophy. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a more effective strategy for implementing the lean manufacturing improvement philosophy. The study sets out both to integrate wellresearched findings and theories related to generic organisational culture with more recent research and experience related to lean culture, and to examine the role that culture plays in the effective implementation of lean manufacturing principles and techniques. The ultimate aim of this exercise is to develop a theoretical lean culture causal framework.

SMMEs can make a critical and positive economic contribution to South Africa, and small-to medium-sized furniture manufacturers (SM/FMs) have the potential to contribute to economic growth, job creation, and GDP. However, the furniture industry has not stayed abreast of technological advances. To survive in an environment of increasing competition and imports, competitive strategies must be devised. One such strategy is for technology adoption and implementation that can provide solutions for the furniture industry to improve speed, quality, variety, flexibility, and productivity, resulting in improved competitiveness. However, the adoption of technology means that its acquisition and application must be managed strategically, as the use of technology involves far more than simply taking it into account during the business-planning process.This paper investigates the impact of business strategy and selected technology-related variables on the competitiveness of SM/FM. OPSOMMINGSMMEs het die potensiaal om 'n kritiese en positiewe bydrae te maak tot Suid-Afrika se ekonomiese groei en SM/FMs, tot die skepping van werksgeleenthede, en tot die BNP. SM/FMs het egter nie op die hoogte gebly met tegnologiese ontwikkelings en die aanwending daarvan nie. Om in 'n omgewing van toenemende mededingendheid en invoere te wedywer moet effektiewe strategieë ontwikkel word. Een strategie wat moontlik sal lei tot verhoogde mededingendheid is die aanwending van tegnologie wat oplossings kan bied in terme van spoed, kwaliteit, verskeidenheid, aanpasbaarheid, en produktiwiteit. Die aanwending van tegnologie moet egter op 'n strategiese manier bestuur word, want dit behels veel meer as bloot om tegnologie in ag te neem gedurende die strategiese beplanningsproses.Hierdie artikel ondersoek die invloed van besigheidstrategieë en sekere tegnologieverwante veranderlikes op die mededingendheid van SM/FMs.

Self-efficacy relates to positive outcomes for women studying and working in traditionally male-dominated fields such as engineering, science, and technology. Many women engineering students (WES) experience fear and insecurity about how they will be treated and perceived in this traditionally male-dominated field, either as a WES or as a working engineer. This study provides support for the development of co-curricular interventions to improve the self-efficacy of WES at a South African tertiary institution. The research design for this study is based on a phenomenological approach that uses a process of critical analysis of evaluation and feedback documents relating to the various co-curricular interventions and their perceived influence on selected WES's self-efficacy. Finally, as there has been no other South African research on WES and the sources of self-efficacy, this research is unique in the South African context. OPSOMMINGDaar is 'n verband tussen selfdoeltreffendheid en positiewe resultate vir vroue wat studeer en werk in tradisionele mansgedomineerde dissiplines, soos ingenieurswese. Daar is egter baie vroulike ingenieurswese studente wat vrese en onsekerhede ervaar oor hoe hulle behandel en waargeneem sal word in 'n tradisionele, mansgedomineerde dissipline, hetsy as student of as werkende ingenieur. Hierdie navorsingstudie bied ondersteuning vir die ontwikkeling van mede-kurrikulêre ingrypings om die selfdoeltreffendheid van vroue studente in ingenieurswese aan 'n Suid-Afrikaanse tersiêre instelling te verbeter. Die navorsing in hierdie studie is gebaseer op 'n fenomenologiese benadering, en gebruik 'n proses van kritiese ontleding van evaluering en terugvoer dokumente van verskillende mede-kurrikulêre ingrypings, en die invloed daarvan op geselekteerde vroue ingenieurstudente se selfdoeltreffendheid. Ten slotte, aangesien geen ander SuidAfrikaanse navorsing oor selfdoeltreffendheid en vroulike ingenieurswese studente gevind kon word nie, is hierdie studie uniek in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most institutions of higher education in South Africa, following an international trend, embarked on a mission to save the academic project by resorting to emergency online teaching and learning (EOLTL). The pandemic resulted in mature, part-time, working students being even further marginalised by removing them from university life and the accompanying support services geared to facilitate social, academic and mental well-being.  We assumed that the cohort of mature, part-time students (MPTS) would encounter technological and personal challenges that could limit their academic progress. Against this backdrop, the dual aim of this study explored the impact of EOLTL on MPTS during the COVID-19 pandemic; and the redesign or readjustment of the curriculum to accommodate and support this cohort of students. A previous, pre-pandemic study, revealed that this group of students experienced significant challenges with balancing work-and-home life in addition to the stress of studying part-time. Subsequently, a questionnaire was designed and piloted with a group of senior students from this cohort to explore the impact of EOLTL. As an ongoing study, this research will report on the findings from the pilot study and compare them to the results of the data obtained from the pre-pandemic study. A significant finding of the study indicated that the majority of the students from this cohort coped well with EOLTL and indicated a preference for a more hybrid approach for the future and the remainder of their studies.  These findings now challenge universities to find ways to adapt, capitalise on and apply the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic to benefit MPTS.  Based on lessons learnt and experiences during the pandemic, this research has the potential to provide insight into how higher education institutions could improve the provision of support, as well as the learning and teaching experiences of this unique student cohort of mature employed students studying part-time (and others), to ensure retention and academic success.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition among educators, researchers, government and industry of the imperative to educate women engineering students in life and leadership skills that complement their engineering competence. It is believed that this combination will contribute greatly to the attraction and retention of women in the engineering field. The School of Engineering at a South African comprehensive university based in Port Elizabeth, offers formal qualifications in electrical, industrial, civil and mechanical engineering in addition to a degree in mechatronics. To ensure that the School of Engineering provides a comprehensive curriculum, the university offers various informal courses, maintains close links with industry, and service departments assist with co-curricular activities and student developmental activities. One of the initiatives housed in the School of Engineering is WELA (Women in Engineering Leadership Association) which is one of five projects initiated and managed by the University and the merSETA (manufacturing, engineering and related services sector education and training authority) chair in engineering development. WELA commenced in 2011 with the goal of focusing on the academic, professional and personal development of women in engineering. Further to these goals, the WELA leadership development programmme was designed based on the university values, graduate skills required by industry, input from women engineers, women engineering students and other national and international leadership development programmes. The objectives of this paper are to provide a theoretical basis for the design of a leadership development programmme; to provide insight into the process of developing a leadership development programmme specifically for women engineering students at a South African university in the African context; and to propose an evaluation process for the programme. The findings will be used to provide guidelines for the engineering leadership development programmme design specifically for higher education in Southern Africa.