The Evolution of Research Collaboration in South African Gold Mining: 1886-1933 PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Maastricht, op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, Prof. mr. G.P.M.F. Mols, volgens het besluit van het College van Decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op donderdag 29 juni 2006 om 16.00 uur door Thomas Edwin Pogue Promotores: Prof. dr. R. Cowan Prof. dr. N. Nattrass (University of Cape Town) Co-promotor: Prof. dr. D. Kaplan (University of Cape Town) Beoordelingscommissie: Prof. dr. C. de Neubourg (voorzitter) Prof. dr. E. Homburg Prof. dr. F. Wilson (University of Cape Town) Copyright © Thomas E. Pogue, Johannesburg 2006 Production: Datawyse / Universitaire Pers Maastricht TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF MAPS.....................................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES.............................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................................................................................v CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. ................................ 1 1.2 ANALYTICAL APPROACHES...................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Industrial District................................................................................................................. 4 1.2.2 Collective Action................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.3 Distributed Innovation....................................................................................................... 5 1.3 CASE STUDIES ................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3.1 Case One: The Cyanide Method of Gold Extraction................................................ 6 1.3.2 Case Two: Changing Stoping Practices........................................................................ 7 1.4 IMPLICATIONS.................................................................................................................................. 8 PART ONE ANALYTICAL APPROACHES CHAPTER TWO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT 2.1 THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT ANALYTICAL TRADITION......................................... 10 2.2 AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT MODEL FOR ANALYSIS................................................... 12 2.2.1 Structure.................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.2 Causal Conditions................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.3 Effects...................................................................................................................................... 17 2.3 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER THREE COLLECTIVE ACTION 3.1 THE COLLECTIVE ACTION ANALYTICAL TRADITION............................................ 22 3.2 A COLLECTIVE ACTION MODEL FOR ANALYSIS......................................................... 23 3.2.1 Structure.................................................................................................................................. 24 3.2.2 Causal Conditions................................................................................................................ 28 3.2.3 Effects...................................................................................................................................... 34 3.3 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER FOUR DISTRIBUTED INNOVATION 4.1 THE DISTRIBUTED INNOVATION ANALYTICAL TRADITION............................ 38 4.2 A DISTRIBUTED INNOVATION MODEL FOR ANALYSIS.......................................... 40 4.2.1 Structure.................................................................................................................................. 40 4.2.2 Causal Conditions................................................................................................................ 45 4.2.3 Effects...................................................................................................................................... 48 4.3 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER FIVE A REVIEW OF APPROACHES TO COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH 5.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 51 5.2 THE APPROACHES.......................................................................................................................... 54 5.2.1 Industrial District Approach............................................................................................. 54 5.2.2 Collective Action Approach............................................................................................... 57 5.2.3 Distributed Innovation Approach................................................................................... 59 5.3 A COMPARATIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................... 62 i PART TWO THE CYANIDE METHOD OF GOLD EXTRACTION: 1892-1902 CHAPTER SIX DEVELOPMENT OF CYANIDE TECHNOLOGY 6.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 66 6.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANTECEDENTS OF WITWATERSRAND MINING.............. 66 6.2.1 Frontier Development......................................................................................................... 66 6.2.2 Political Economic Inheritance....................................................................................... 68 6.2.3 Southern African Mining 1846-1885................................................................................ 70 6.2.4 Overview of the Gold Mining Production Process..................................................... 78 6.3 CYANIDE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT 6.3.1 Previous Practices................................................................................................................ 80 6.3.2 Technological Challenge.................................................................................................. 81 6.3.3 Solutions.................................................................................................................................. 82 6.3.4 Subsequent Technological Evolution............................................................................ 85 6.4 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................... 85 CHAPTER SEVEN RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN CYANIDE TECHNOLOGIES 7.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 86 7.2 STRUCTURAL FACTORS............................................................................................................... 86 7.2.1 The Technologies................................................................................................................ 86 7.2.2 The Product Market............................................................................................................ 87 7.2.3 The Social Structure of Production................................................................................ 88 7.2.4 The Organizational Structure of Industry................................................................... 95 7.2.5 The System of Innovation.................................................................................................. 98 7.2.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 104 7.3 CAUSES AND EFFECTS IN THE IDUSTRIAL DISTRICT APPROACH................... 105 7.3.1 Causal Conditions in theIndustrial District Approach............................................. 105 7.3.2 Effects in theIndustrial District Approach................................................................... 106 7.4 CAUSES AND EFFECTS IN THE COLLECTIVE ACTION APPROACH................. 108 7.5 CAUSES AND EFFECTS IN THE DISTRIBUTED INNOVATION APPROACH.. 109 7.6 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................... 110 PART THREE CHANGING STOPING PRACTICES: 1903-1933 CHAPTER EIGHT CHANGING WORK, EQUIPMENT, AND HEALTH IN STOPING 8.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................