Midlands State University

P. Bag 9055 Gweru

Tel (263) 54 260432
Fax (263) 54 260442

Faculty of Commerce
Department of Business Management

RESEARCH PROJECT

RESEARCH TOPIC
An evaluation of the challenges faced in managing plantation security
systems of a timber producing company. Case of the Wattle Company
Limited.

SUBMITTED BY

Chapanda Kudakwashe Gracious

Registration Number: R0645087

In partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in

Business Management

2010
Midlands State University
P. Bag 9055 Gweru
Tel (263) 54 260432
Fax (263) 54 260442

Faculty of Commerce
Department of Business Management

The undersigned certify that they have supervised, read and recommended to the
Midlands State University the acceptance of this research project entitled: “An evaluation
of the challenges faced on managing plantation security systems of a timber producing
company. Case of the Wattle Company Limited” prepared and submitted by Chapanda
Kudakwashe Gracious, student number R0645087, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements of the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Degree in Business Management.

…………………………….. ………………………………….
Supervisor Date

……………………………. ………………………………….
Chairperson Date

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RELEASE FORM

Name of Student: Chapanda Kudakwashe Gracious

Dissertation title: An evaluation of the challenges faced in managing plantation

security systems of a timber producing company. Case of the
Wattle Company Limited.

Degree Program: Bachelor of Commerce Business Management Honours Degree

Year: 2010
Permission is hereby granted to the Midlands State University
library to produce single copies of this dissertation and to lend or
sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purpose
only. The author reserves other publication rights and neither the
dissertation nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or
otherwise reproduced without the author’s written permission.

Signed: ………………………………….

Permanent address: 82 Quinington Road

Borrowdale
Harare
Zimbabwe

Date ………………………………….

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 DEDICATIONS

To my family (Chapanda family) was my source of inspiration and hard work. I will
always love and cherish you.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly to the lord Jesus Christ and my God Almighty in whose wonderful arms I am so
comforted and protected. I will forever worship and honour you. I could never and can
never do without your external blessings for thus far you have led me.

This project is a product of concerted efforts by various people of immense respect whose
contribution the writer cannot go without mentioning. The writer hereby relays his
heartfelt honour and gratitude to the project supervisor Mrs. Chivivi for all the
constructive criticism, guidance, assistance, enormous encouragement and direction.

To all the Wattle Company staff especially Mr. Masvore and Mr. Dube who contributed
greatly to the outcome of this research project. I am grateful to the help and support I got
from the corporate world and anonymous individuals for responding to my questionnaires
and those who spared their time and resources helping with relevant information, I feel
humbled by your interest.

Finally my warm and profound appreciation goes to my mother (Mrs. Chapanda) and Mr.
Kufa for all the financial and moral support during the course of the project.

I thank you all.

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 ABSTRACT

The companies in the timber industry faced a decline in timber production since 2006 as
a result of challenges faced in managing plantation security systems. The research aims to
evaluate the challenges that are being faced and come up with strategies that can be used
to overcome those challenges. The research focused on the security department of the
Wattle Company and is of great importance to all companies in the timber industry.

The research looked at the plantation security system and the way it must operate. The
security system has inputs, transformation process and outputs. The challenges that are
faced by the company are political, economic, social, legal and physical environmental
challenges. Some of the strategies that can be used to overcome these challenges include
community involvement, government intervention, participation of neighbouring
companies, implementation of better forest laws and buying new equipment and
machinery. Major threats on plantation security are fire, animals, poachers, weather and
pests. The plantations in the Sumatra and Kalimantan provinces of Indonesia were used
as benchmarks. Descriptive research design was used and the research relied on both
primary and secondary data. Interviews and questionnaires were used as data collection
techniques. For this research judgmental and stratified random sampling techniques were
used to find the right sample size. The total population for the research was fifty four
respondents and the sample size was twenty respondents. Data was presented using tables
and graphs. Inductive and deductive techniques were used to analyse the data.

Response rate of the research was eighty five percent. Political and social challenges
were found to be the major challenges facing the company. Government intervention,
community involvement and implementation of better forest laws were the most
important strategies. The employees, machinery and equipment are considered as the
major inputs for the security system. The company’s major threats are fire and animals.
The company is recommended to allow participation of the community and neighbouring
companies in the security system. Government intervention is also important.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval form ii
Release form iii
Dedications iv
Acknowledgements v
Abstract vi
Definition of terms ix
List of tables x
List of figures xi

Chapter one – Introduction

1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 3
1.3 Objectives 4
1.4 Research questions 4
1.5 Importance of the study 4
1.6 Assumptions 5
1.7 Delimitations 5
1.8 Limitations 5
1.9 Chapter summary 5

Chapter two – Literature review

2.0 Introduction 6
2.1 Defining timber 6
2.2 Plantation security system 7
2.3 Threats on plantations 11
2.4 Challenges on managing security systems 13
2.5 Strategies to overcome the challenges 23
2.6 Empirical evidence 26

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2.7 Chapter summary 27
Chapter three – Research methodology
3.0 Introduction 28
3.1 Research design 28
3.2 Sampling 29
3.3 Sources of data 32
3.4 Data collection techniques 33
3.5 Reliability of techniques 36
3.6 Data presentation and analysis 36
3.7 Chapter summary 38

Chapter four – Data presentation, analysis and discussion of findings

4.0 Introduction 39
4.1 Response rate 39
4.2 Age and gender 40
4.3 Education level 40
4.4 Challenges on managing security systems 41
4.5 Strategies to overcome the challenges 43
4.6 The plantation security system 45
4.7 Threats on plantations 59
4.8 Chapter summary 51

Chapter five – Summary, conclusions and recommendations

5.0 Introduction 52
5.1 Summary of findings 52
5.2 Conclusions and recommendations 54
5.3 Recommendations 55
5.4 Plan of action 58
5.5 Further research 59
5.6 Chapter summary 59
References 60
Appendix 1 – Research questionnaire 61

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Appendix 2 – Interview guide 63
DEFINITION OF TERMS

A fire break is a bulldozer-made discontinuity in a bed of fuel and is used to segregate,

stop and control the spread of fire; or to provide a control line from which to suppress a
fire. fire breaks differ from fuel breaks in that they have a complete lack of combustibles
down to mineral soils.

A lookout tower provides housing and protection for a person whose duty is to search
for wildfires. The fire lookout tower is a small building usually located on the summit of
a mountain, or other high vantage point in order to maximise the viewing distance and
range. From this vantage point one can see any trace of smoke that may develop,
determine the location and call fire suppression personnel to the fire.

Fuelbreak is a generally wide strip of land on which the native vegetation has been
permanently modified so that fires that burn into them can be more readily controlled.
Some fuelbreaks contains fire lines (for example roads , land lines) which can be quickly
widened with hand tools or by burning out. The breaks will not in themselves stop a fire
from entering a protected area but they do provide a site from which to more easily stop
an advancing fire .

Security system is a device or multiple devices designed, installed and operated to

monitor, detect or communicate about activity or activities that may pose a security threat
in a location or locations, on a vessel or a facility.

Volunteer firefighter is an irregular, legally enrolled firefighter under the fire

management organisation regulations who devotes time to community fire service for
monetary compensation.

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.2 Plantation security system 8

Table 3.2 Research sample 30
Table 3.4.1 Interviews conducted 33
Table 3.4.2 Distribution of questionnaires 35
Table 4.1 Response rate 39

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig 4.3 Education level 41

Fig 4.4 Challenges on managing security systems 41
Fig 4.5 Strategies to overcome the challenges 44
Fig 4.6 Inputs of the security system 46
Fig 4.6 Activities in the security systems 48
Fig 4.7 Threats on plantations 50

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