CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Here we shall be looking at the historical background of the independent variables and place of internship

 1.1.1 Historical background of fleet management.

For many years, American automobile manufacturers and service stations have emphasis the importance of maintenance and repair when owning and operating an automobile. During the early days when automobiles had left the factory the routine maintenance was largely left up to the owner as the auto repair industry, In the late 1800s the first group of cars were invented in Europe. It had taken the inventors a while to come up with a model that would work but eventually they began selling these cars to the upper class when these car owners could not maintain them, it often became hard for car owners to find a mechanic to fix them because they were so new. However some companies took it upon themselves to learn how to maintain and fix cars. Mac Arthur (2016)

Ford vehicles When Henry Ford began creating vehicles in America they weren’t as complex as the ones in Europe however these cars were easier to produce and cheaper to buy, the history of auto mechanics or vehicle maintenance began in 1800S in Europe with the creation of the first car according to the Europeans they perfected the first modern automobile by 1901 these late auto mechanics engineer could designed and built the first successful vehicles.

Many early auto dealers started out of existing garage, business owner of the early dealership discovered that they could create and make not just for sales but for repair as well, in the 1900 and 1930 the American automobile business was built by thinkers and visionaries discovered that repair and maintenance industry was difficult in 1932 vehicle manufacturing reached its lowest point since 1918 the advent of the used car rose to great prominence in automotive community Gray, D. E (2013).

During the great depression many consumers held onto their vehicles for a longer period of time and the lubrication of the vehicles became a matter of great importance to extend its running life. Author and automotive historian ROBERT GENAT said the depression of the early 1930S proved devastating for the marginally financed automakers “. This development of vehicle started in 1672 with the invention of the first steam powered vehicle, which led to the creation of the first steam powered capable to be used by human transportation built by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot in 1769 inventors began to branch out and start to the 19th century, creating the de Rivas engines, one the first internal combustion engines and an early electric motor, Samuel Brown later tested the first industrially applied internal combustion engines in 1826. Development was hindered in the mid-19th century by a backlash against large vehicles yet progress continued on some internal combustion engines that evolved the use of two and four cycle and had to use gasoline as fuel, production vehicles began appearing in 1887 when carl Benz developed a gasoline powered automobile and made several identical copies the recent automobile production is marked by the Ford model created by the Ford motor company in 1908 which became the first automobile to be mass produced on a moving assembly line .An auto mechanic is mostly in North America light vehicle technician in

British English and motor mechanics in Australian English is a mechanic who services automobiles sometimes specializing in one or more automobiles brands, In repairing cars their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly. They often have quote prices lore their customers before commencing work or after partial disassembly for inspection their job may involve the repairs of specific part or replacement of one another before failure occurs to avoid more expensive damage Gray, D. E (2013).

1.1.2 Historical background of Vatican express.

In the year 2000 VATICAN EXPRESS CO, LTD was officially created and opened in Yaoundé under the supervision of Mr. Atanga Andrew at Carrefour BIYEM- ASSI, aimed at transporting cargo, person and mail. This company started its operation with an estimated capital of about 200 million francs with a few buses with a minimum number of 20 workers.

1.1.3 Conceptual background

Vehicle maintenance

It is the practice of keeping your organization vehicles in optimal driving conditions through the combination of planning .diagnosing work real time service and repair schedules organization need to ensure that they do periodic checks and inspection every after two months

Impact

It has a strong effect on someone or something. It can either have a positive or negative impact.

Fleet Management

It is an administrative approach that allows companies to organize and coordinate work vehicles with the aim to improve efficiency, reduce cost and provide compliance with government regulation. It concern the optimization of the components of fleet operations like persons, vessels.µ

Maintenance

They are processes of preserving a condition or situation or the state of being preserved.

Vehicle 

They are machines that transport people and cargo they include; wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles and Lorries.

Fleet

They are numbers of vehicles or aircraft operating together or number of vehicles parked together to be moved on transit.

Performance 

This is the coordination and administration of task to achieve a goal such administration activities include setting the organization strategy and coordinating effort of staff to accomplish these objectives through the application of available resources . Management can also be defined as a seniority structure of staff members within an organization, the Administration of tasks is done by a manager or authority comes from him, the workplace depends on the strength of those in management positions. In addition to directing employees, managers must communicate with more senior professional in their company to ensure the team meets goals and furthers the company’s mission. Although the duties of managers differ based on their industry or workplace, most fulfill some of the basic responsibilities.

Vehicle Fleet

This is a large group of ships, airplanes, trucks among other operated by an organization under the same ownership or it is a large group of automobiles moving and operating together.

1.2 Theoretical Background

Taylors Scientific Management Approach (1909)

Frederick Taylor’s theory is a theory on management that synthesizes and analyzes workflow. Its major purpose is improving, especially labor productivity, economic efficiency. It was an old effort to apply science to the engineering of procedure and management.

Firstly, its name was adopted as “shop management'” and “process management” then took this name. Its other name is Taylorism or scientific process, Although Taylor is a pioneer of this theory, another seven leaders extended Taylor’s effort. The major objectives of Frederick Taylor’s contribution to management are the maximum improvement of workers in an organization at all levels. This improvement focuses on efficiency and effectiveness performance, such development is the revolution in management procedure and employee’s actually performance. Frederick Winslow Taylor mentioned the score principles of management in this Principle of Scientific Management book.

Weber’s Bureaucratic Approach (1919)

Bureaucratic management theory developed by Max Weber, contained two essential elements, including structuring an organization into a hierarchy and having clearly defined rules to help govern an organization and its members, Max Weber (1864- 1920) a German sociologist, described a theory to operate an organization in an effective way which is known as the Bureaucratic management approach or Weberian bureaucracy. Max Weber’s work was oftentimes interpreted as a caricature of modern bureaucracies with all of their shortcomings. But it was more than that Weber’s work was indented for displacing the old organizational structures of an industrialization period. According to Max Weber, the Bureaucratic management approach emphasized the necessity of organizations to operate in a rational way instead of following the “arbitrary whims” or irrational emotions and intentions of owners and managers, Considering the organization as a segment of broader society, Webber based the concept of the formal organization on some of the following principles ;

Structure in the organization, positions should be arranged in a hierarchy, each with a particular established amount of responsibility and authority.

Specialization task should be distinguished on a functional bases and then separated according to specialization each having separate chain of command

Predictability and stability, the organization should operate according to a system of procedures consisting of formal rules and regulations.

Rationality: recruitment and selection of personnel should be impartial

Democracy: responsibility and authority should be recognized by designations and not by persons.

Administrative Theory Henri Fayol (1949)

During the period of the industrial revolution, countries were undergoing massive growth and expansion. During the same period production shifted from homes to industries this created the need for efficient management to combine worker productivity and raw materials in an efficient manner to achieve the goal of the various organization. Scholar therefore came up with various theories to address this problem. Theory was advanced by Henri Fayol was French who had worked in a coal industry for over thirty years. This theory focuses on the organization as a whole, in the book Henri identified five keys functional areas which include; coordinating planning. Organizing and directing. Planning refers to the selection and sequential ordering of tasks to be performed aimed at achieving the goal of an organization; organizing refers to putting the resources of an organization into gainful use; directing is the process of leading and motivating employees so as to influence their behavior to achieve the goals of the organization while controlling involves measuring the performance of the organization , comparing it with the set standard ,identifying the deviations from the proposed plans and taking the necessary corrective actions to ensure that events conform to the plan . This theory attempts to come up with fundamental rules and principles to serve as guidelines for managers these principles are not exhaustive but are aimed at acting as guidelines for managers towards more efficient services, some of the principles are as follows 

Authority and responsibility: these are imperative for an organizational member to accomplish the organizational objectives.

Discipline members of the organization should honor the objectives of the organization they should comply with the rules and regulations of the organization.

Unity of command taking order from one and only one boss.

Unity of direction: members of the organization should all work towards the same organizational goals.

1.1.3 Contextual background

The contextual background tell us the context within which this work is based in the management field, for a company to improve on its vehicle maintenance in fleet management it will required planning , performance , proper checks , safety, repairs so as to reduce the numbers of breakdown in VATICAN EXPRESS LTD, so the researcher will need to pour out the impact of vehicle maintenance in fleet management it will increase company’s performance , satisfied customers and also reduce breakdown and cost,

1.2 Problem Statement

The goal of every organization is to maximize profit by gaining a good market share among the fleet companies increasing Sales reduce cost that is operating cost, reduce risk of vehicles and improve customer satisfaction This fleet companies have to improve on their vehicles maintenance by reducing breakdowns , carryout periodic checks While on internship I discovered a series of problems but the frequent issue was that VATICAN EXPRESS LTD lack periodic maintenance policy for its vehicles which always led to breakdown most often on the highway This situation has led to customer complaints .thus leading to a drop in profit margin of the company It is as a result of the above problems that topic Assess the effects of Fleet Management on organisational performance.

1.3 Research Questions

In an attempt to address the stated problem in accordance with the above outline objectives. the research question is to be divided into two that is General and Specific questions.

1.3.1 General research question

 What is the effect of fleet management on organisational performance?

 1.3.2 Specific research questions 

To what extend can vehicle maintenance affect organisational performance?

To what extend can driver management affect organisational performance?

How can fuel management affect organisational performance? 

1.4 Objectives Of The Study

The objectives of this research work is divided into two the main and specific objective.

1.4.1 Main objective

Assessing the effects of fleet management on organisational performance 

1.4.2 Specific objectives

To assess the effects of vehicle maintenance on organisational performance 

To assess the effects of driver management on organisational performance 

To assess the effects of fuel management on organisational performance