The management of human resources in successful companies - An African context

This publication is extracted from a study conducted to identify the management attributes that have made Zimbabwean excellent companies successful. Excellence was measured in terms of financial and macroeconomic criteria over a seven year period. Seven best performing companies were selected according to the criteria from seven industrial categories. Managers and employees were interviewed for the study. Data from the interviews were content analysed. The findings showed that these companies have a participative style of management, communicate with all levels of employees, promote from within, train their employees and reward good work. These results could point a way to successful management by non-excellent companies in Zimbabwe and in other countries with a socio-economic situation similar to Zimbabwe's.

Opsomming Hierdie artikel is 'n uittreksel van 'n groter studie wat uitgevoer is om vas te stel waiter bestuurseienskappe uitnemende Zimbabwiese ondememings suksesvol maak. Uitnemendheid is in terme van finansiele en makro- ekonomiese kriteria oor 'n periode van sewe jaar bepaal. Die sewe beste ondememings is geselekteer na aanleiding van die kriteria vir sewe verskillende bedryfskategoriee. Bestuurders en werknemers is vir die studie ondervra. Die data van die onderhoude is by wyse van 'n inhoudsontleding ontleed. Die resultate dui daarop dat die ondememings 'n besondere styl van bestuur het, kommunikasie met werknemers op alle vlakke plaasvind, bevordering van binne plaasvind, werknemers opgelei word en goeie werk beloon word. Hierdie bevindinge kan rigtinggewend wees vir minder suksesvolle ondememings in Zimbabwe en ook in ander lande met soortgelyke sosio-ekonomiese situasies as die van Zimbabwe