Julius Tapera | Lupane State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Julius Tapera

This paper presents strategic management as an important business management concept. It defines ... more This paper presents strategic management as an important business management concept. It defines strategy and explains the key concepts in strategic management; strategic vision, objectives, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, evaluation and initiating corrective action. The research also focuses on the corporate governance aspect of strategic management; role of the board of directors in crafting and executing strategy. The different levels of pitching strategy are also discussed in this paper; corporate, business, functional and operational. All these concepts are examined with a view to highlight their importance in the effective and efficient management of business organizations. In an operating environment that is dynamic and highly competitive, business organizations need to appreciate the importance of crafting and effectively executing strategies that can help them create sustainable competitive advantage.

This is an E-Book on cultural transfer and its importance on organizational performance in the fi... more This is an E-Book on cultural transfer and its importance on organizational performance in the financial services sector.

The Zimbabwean Insurance Industry has continued to see an increase in the number of players enter... more The Zimbabwean Insurance Industry has continued to see an increase in the number of players entering the market on one hand and a shrinking market at the back of an underperforming economy on the other hand. This has resulted in both old and new players in the insurance industry scrambling for the few clients who still see value in taking up life assurance policies especially after the losses that they suffered when the Zimbabwean economy adopted the multicurrency system. This challenge has been coupled with the influx of many new insurance companies that have joined the industry since the introduction of the multicurrency system. Competition in the industry has therefore been inadvertently on the increase over the years. It is against this background that the researchers sought to investigate into the various strategies that different players within the insurance industry have implemented in creating competitive advantage to attain improved organizational performance and sustainable growth. The objectives of this research were; to identify the different strategies that have been formulated and implemented by various organizations in the insurance industry in creating competitive advantage within the insurance industry; to measure the effectiveness of these strategies in creating competitive advantage; to identify the various challenges in the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies designed to create competitive advantage; an, to identify and recommend possible solutions to challenges faced in strategy implementation as organizations endeavour to continuously create competitive advantage. A cross sectional survey methodology was used to gather data from a sample of organizations within the insurance industry and two instruments were largely used for data gathering; the questionnaire and the depth interview guide. Results were analyzed and the following conclusions were drawn; organizations in the insurance industry largely use differentiation and low cost strategies, their products are intensely distributed using multiple agents and brokers, personal selling and advertising are also used as the main promotional strategies, and the use of human capital to create competitive advantage is becoming more extensively used by most organizations in the industry. It was on the basis of these conclusions that the researchers made the following recommendations; organizations in the insurance industry to regularly carry out comprehensive market researches to identify customers’ ever-changing needs in a dynamic environment, efforts have to be made to satisfy these identified customer needs if insurers are to effectively create competitive advantage, there is need to increase the level of giving customers value for money through enhanced product features and benefits, insurers can aggressively use ICTS to extensively promote their products to their various target markets, the use of physical evidence to create competitive advantage can be further explored and there is need for redefining organizational systems so that they become more robust in facilitating efficient service delivery. These recommendations are envisaged to significantly benefit players in the insurance industry, if they are to continuously create competitive advantage for superior performance and sustainable organizational growth.

Insurance companies in Zimbabwe are currently operating in a highly competitive environment and t... more Insurance companies in Zimbabwe are currently operating in a highly competitive environment and they continuously explore various strategies to create competitive advantage and sustainable growth. The formulation and implementation of such strategies has not been without its own challenges. In a previous research, the authors of this paper focused on the various strategies that insurance companies can pursue to create competitive advantage. Competition in the industry has therefore been inadvertently on the increase over the years. It was during this research that the researchers realized the importance of focusing not only on the strategies but on the factors that can affect either the success or failure of strategy formulation and implementation. The objectives of this research were therefore; to identify and analyze the impact of various factors in the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies designed to create competitive advantage, and to identify and recommend possible solutions to challenges faced in strategy implementation as organizations endeavour to continuously create competitive advantage. A cross sectional survey methodology was used to gather data from a sample of organizations within the insurance industry and two instruments were largely used for data gathering; the questionnaire and the depth interview guide. Results were analyzed and the following conclusions were drawn; organizations in the insurance industry largely use differentiation and low cost strategies, their products are intensely distributed using multiple agents and brokers, personal selling and advertising are also used as the main promotional strategies, and the use of human capital to create competitive advantage is becoming more extensively used by most organizations in the industry. It was on the basis of these conclusions that the researchers made the following recommendations; organizations in the insurance industry to regularly carry out comprehensive market researches to identify customers’ ever-changing needs in a dynamic environment, efforts have to be made to satisfy these identified customer needs if insurers are to effectively create competitive advantage, there is need to increase the level of giving customers value for money through enhanced product features and benefits, insurers can aggressively use ICTS to extensively promote their products to their various target markets, the use of physical evidence to create competitive advantage can be further explored and there is need for redefining organizational systems so that they become more robust in facilitating efficient service delivery. These recommendations are envisaged to significantly benefit players in the insurance industry, if they are to continuously create competitive advantage for superior performance and sustainable organizational growth.

Current researches indicate that most economies comprises of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) w... more Current researches indicate that most economies comprises of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which ranges from 30-85%, (Mwarari M M 2009). This situation calls for a paradigm shift in terms of how SMEs should be viewed at a national level. The government of Zimbabwe through its various ministries and departments that focus on SMES to collaborate with other institutions such as Universities and financial institutions to develop models that support the sustainable growth of SMEs in Zimbabwe. This would enhance the SMEs contribution to the livelihoods of the general Zimbabwean populace. Over time, these SMEs need to grow from SMEs to large corporate and multinational corporations so that their contribution to economic growth and development is also significant. In 2012, SMEs contributed about 60% of the GDP and employed about 5.8 million which implies that about 70% of the Zimbabwean population is deriving its livelihood from the SMEs (Government of Zimbabwe, 2014). Of the 70% of the population employed by SMEs less than 40% contribute towards the fiscus and this situation can be improved if the SMEs are to be promoted to grow into big companies. It is against this background that the physical number of SMEs in relation to their contribution to GDP is worrisome and thus the need to come up with the policies that can foster growth of SMEs so that they can meaningfully contribute towards the economy and the sustainable livelihood of the society in general.

ABSTRACT This research seeks to evaluate the level of appetite for foreign direct investments or ... more ABSTRACT
This research seeks to evaluate the level of appetite for foreign direct investments or other forms of financial interventions among Zimbabwean (local) companies to revive industry operations, to evaluate the level of preparedness and willingness of local business owners to give up shareholding in lieu of working capital and capital expenditure investment by foreign investors, to evaluate the appreciation of the positive effects of creating synergies with foreign companies which have the requisite financial capacity for economic revival and sustainable growth, to explore the potential benefits to companies and the economy at large of the synergies that can be forged with foreign investors, and to identify possible interventions for attracting FDI as a measure to recapitalize the ailing local industry. Literature on foreign direct investment, the benefits of foreign direct investments and trends on foreign direct investment inflows into the Zimbabwean economy is reviewed with a view to forming a basis against which the research findings are analyzed. The researchers carried out a cross sectional survey that focused on the manufacturing, motoring, engineering, energy, hospitality and tourism companies in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with a view to evaluating their appreciation of the concept of bringing in foreign investors who have the requisite capital they need for economic revival. The research findings were analyzed and conclusions were drawn, which formed the basis for making recommendations to both government and industry on policy direction for improving the attractiveness of the Zimbabwean economy for foreign direct investment. While respondents agreed that they have need for capital injection for working capital and capital expenditure, the bulk of them (70%) did not show willingness to give up shareholding in exchange for capital injection through foreign direct investment. Instead, they recommended other policy measures and changes to be implemented by government, which they envisaged to change their fortunes in economic turnaround. Some of these recommendations have been implemented before without yielding much positive results. Based on the trends in other developing countries, where foreign direct investment has yielded positive results towards sustainable economic growth as evidenced by the literature, the researchers recommend that the government through its various ministries and the business association educate the business community on the benefits of foreign direct investment to their organizations and to the economy in general. It is also the researchers’ recommendation that the government considers reviewing economic policies so that the economic environment is more conducive for foreign investors to bring in the capital required in Zimbabwe for sustainable economic growth and development.

This paper examines branding as a marketing concept and how organizations can explore it for crea... more This paper examines branding as a marketing concept and how organizations can explore it for creating competitive advantage. It defines branding and explores the various aspects that organizations can pay attention to, in marketing either their products or services, in making their brands distinct. Product features and benefits, company logos, corporate wear, unique ambience and exquisite office furniture are some among the key aspects that various organizations can exploit to create cutting edge brands that would distinguish their organizations, products and services from the rest of the players in their respective industries. Branding objectives, elements of branding, types of brands, branding strategies and principles of brand strategy are the key concepts covered in this paper. The use of social media in exposing your brand is also discussed in this paper.