Socio-economics
An Environmental Management Accounting Model for the South African Mining Industry
2008
Doctoral work comparing environmental cost practice at four South African mines and building a model from it, for environmental managers and finance staff in mining companies.
What this report foundConventional cost accounting at the mines studied could not report on physical structure or materials flow, so environmental costs such as water, energy and...
Audit and Diagnostic Assessment of Productivity in Continuous Miner Sections
2003
Mine level study of the human and social influences on continuous miner section output, using interviews, focus groups, observation and work study at participating collieries, for mine managers.
What this report foundSection performance was limited by the will and motivation of the workforce, not by equipment, layout or technical competence, all of which were found sound.
Development of Junior Management and Supervisory Personnel for the Mining Section of the Future
2004
Interviews, questionnaires and on site observation at three South African collieries, with recommended training content and selection criteria for supervisors and junior managers in mining sections.
What this report foundMines already provide substantial training and their junior managers were found motivated and committed, yet development at this level remains problematic.
Guideline for Mine Closure Relinquishment Criteria
2023
Review of closure and relinquishment law in Australia, Canada and South Africa, with four mechanisms for reaching agreement compared. For closure planners and regulators.
What this report foundRelinquishment criteria follow from the agreed post-mining land use. The land use is the goal and the criteria measure whether it has been reached.
National and Sector-Specific Social and Economic Implications of Selecting Capital or Labour Intensive Methods of Coal Production
2002
Scenario modelling of the sector wide and national employment and economic effects of production method choice in underground coal mining, for planners and policy makers.
What this report foundCompares labour intensive mechanised drill and blast underground mining with capital intensive bord and pillar using continuous miners, and adds the option of...
Relationship Between Remuneration, Employee Morale, Stress and the Subsequent Impact on Safety, Productivity and Profitability.
2006
Study of pay and bonus structures on South African coal mines across management, staff and operator grades, for human resources practitioners and mine managers reviewing incentive schemes.
What this report foundBuilds on an earlier productivity audit that identified fluctuating bonuses and incentives as an influence on output, safety and employee stress.
Sustainability Beyond Mining: Transformations in Systems for Secondary Beneficiation
2012
Doctoral work on sustainability thinking in the mining sector, drawing on air quality and waste residue projects inside a multinational miner, for readers concerned with beneficiation of mine waste.
What this report foundSustainability in mining is still framed in neoclassical economic terms, measured by profit, shareholder value and growth, with social and environmental...
Transformation of the Coal Mining Procurement Supply Chain
2004
Review of preferential procurement and small supplier development at South African coal producers, based on interviews with procurement staff, suppliers and accreditation agencies, with recommendations for management.
What this report foundThree modes of intervention were found in coal company procurement: preferential procurement rules, segmentation of goods and services by suitability for...