Masters Degrees (Human Resource Management)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/19592

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 68

Acceptance of LinkedIn for human resources management: a case study in the construction sector in Nigeria.
(2020) Omigade, Mariah Oluwaseun.; Ajayi, Nurudeen Abimbola.
Many organisations have accepted social media as an important platform for keeping up with global technological developmental trends. LinkedIn emerged as a social media platform that is used by human resources (HR) professionals across the world. It is renowned for its ability to facilitate communication between HR professionals. The main aim of the study is to understand the perceptions of HR employees in the construction sector on the acceptance of LinkedIn software in performing HR functions of the organisation in Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to understand its acceptance based on the perceived usefulness, and ease-of-use as described by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The study also explored the challenges associated with the acceptance of LinkedIn in performing HR functions in a construction company. An exploratory research approach was adopted using the qualitative method to get in-depth knowledge of the identified phenomenon. A case study approach was adopted for the study, and a construction company in Lagos, Nigeria, was selected. Primary data was collected from HR officers. Semistructured interviews were conducted by the researcher where ten (N=10) HR department officers of the construction firm in Lagos Nigeria, were interviewed. The empirical results indicate that LinkedIn is not widely accepted in facilitating HR functions in the HR department. The results also show that the perceptions of the HR employees on the acceptance of LinkedIn are based on how it assists them in performing HR functions. The results also indicated that the use of LinkedIn is not only limited by security concerns, but by the lack of information, financial resources, required skills, and management buy-in. Furthermore, the results also show that the acceptance and use of LinkedIn for HR functions requires adequate buy-in from the executives of the organisation. HR employees must also be appropriately trained on the use of LinkedIn to perform HR functions and to mitigate LinkedIn security-related challenges.
An analysis of the perceptions of expatriate academics on the factors affecting their work performance.
(2009) Henha, Pauline Ngo.; Vayej, Jameela.
This study examines the perceived influence of the following factors on the performance of expatriate academics: biographical profile, social and cultural adjustment, homesickness, language, organizational socialization, and satisfaction with the policies and practices of the organization with regard to salary, rewards and promotion. The study was conducted on a sample of 85 expatriate academics employees of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). The research data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire where all answers were requested using a five point likert scale (from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree‟) except for the section on the biographical profile of the participants. In other words, the research data captured the perceptions of the respondents measured on the above-mentioned scale. This means for example that every expatriate academic in the study made a self-assessment of his or her work performance. The research sample was constructed using a snowball sampling method. The results obtained from the inferential statistical analysis indicate that language is the only predictor of work performance. The frequencies and means analysis revealed that respondents are not quite satisfied with their salary and rewards. Correlation analysis also revealed the following relationships between the research variables: a correlation was found between social and cultural adjustment and homesickness; a correlation was found between social and cultural adjustment and organizational socialization; and correlation was found between satisfaction with the policies and practices of the organization with organizational socialization. The findings of this research can be useful to universities for improvement of the performance of their expatriate academics through the following research recommendations: conducting language training; providing market-related salaries to expatriate employees; and granting holiday allowances and stress management programmes to expatriate academics so as to alleviate their homesickness.
Assessing emotional labour practices amongst lecturers in private higher education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Maharaj, Vidna.; Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.
The purpose of this study is to assess emotional labour practices amongst lecturers in private higher education institutes. This study focuses on private higher education institutes in Kwa Zulu natal, specifically lecturers that are exposed to an environment which is emotionally demanding .Private higher education institutions are the main interest in which academics may experience emotional labour. For this reason the various private higher education institutions is the focus of this study. Literature on emotional labour was discussed. This terms plays an important role in higher education institutions, where lecturers are seen to be providing more of a service in this profession rather than just playing the role of an academic. Both the private higher education sector and emotional labour is discussed extensively and reviewed in relation to one another. Thereafter emotional regulation processes and concepts, coping mechanisms and management support is discussed as part of the literature. The research methodology applied was qualitative research. Qualitative research allows the researcher to make sense of people experiences and interacting with them, thereafter making use of qualitative research techniques to collect and analyse information (Blanche, Durrheim &Painter, 2006). A case study was used. This case study focused on the academic staff at private higher education colleges. Given that the research undertaken in this study is qualitative; a case study is also the most appropriate research design considering the contextual, iterative and phenomenological nature of the study. This study used in- depth interviews as a data collection instrument. Interviews are used to elicit imperative information during research, interviewing is more natural form of interacting with people rather than making them fill out a questionnaire, this is the reason as to why interviews fit well with the interpretive approach to research (Blanche et al., 2006) .In- depth interview allows the interviewer to extract maximum information needed from participants.The findings were that academics need to constantly regulate emotions in order to function effectively at work. There is a high degree of emotion suppression in individuals that work in private higher education institutions. Most individuals feel that there are no support structures to able them to cope better within this service related work environment. Stress and exhaustion was evident within this environment. For future studies, the researcher recommends a support structure for lecturers within private institutes and additional management support towards employee mental wellbeing including emotional support programmes.
Assessing talent management and organisational trust as precursors to job embeddedness.
(2021) Latib, Alia.; Brijball Parumasur, Sanjana.
Owing to the increase of globalisation, technology and the volatile work environment that organisations currently face, the element of job embeddedness and its effect on labour turnover necessitates an operational and vigorous approach (Hashim, Ishak & Hilmi, 2017). Research shows that job embedded ness increases work performance and organisational commitment (Chan, Ho, Sambasivan & Ng, 2019; Shen & Jiang, 2019). However, there is limited research concerning the effect of Human Resources (HR) functions (talent management) and organisational trust, on job embeddedness; instead, it is viewed as a mechanism used to reduce labour turnover as a result of the costs associated with it. Previous studies have failed to determine the impact of talent management and organisational trust on job embeddedness, especially in the South African economy. This study was conducted in a large parastatal organisation that provides bulk potable water in KwaZulu-Natal and used a simple random sampling technique to draw a sample of 196 employees whilst ensuring representivity. Data was collected using electronic questionnaire surveys, and the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) were statistically assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha respectively. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results demonstrate that talent management and organisational trust are critical precursors to job embeddedness and, organisations are encouraged to apply vigorous and conscious approaches to talent management and organisational trust in an effort to increase job embeddedness thereby reducing organisational turnover. This study provides guidelines, recommendations and a model for the implementation of strategies for enhancing job embeddedness in the workplace. This model will assist the organisation to increase job embeddedness through consistent approaches to talent management using fair and objective processes, equal opportunities for all employees, ensuring transparency and continuously creating and sustaining a climate of trust.
Assessing the relationship between employee engagement and organisational commitment in a banking environment in Ghana.
(2018) Ashley, Nicholas.; Brijball Parumasur, Sanjana.
The study assesses the relationship between employee engagement and organisational commitment in a banking environment in Ghana. This study investigates the levels of engagement and commitment, their relationships and the influence of the biographic variables (age, gender, tenure and marital status) on these key dimensions. Employee engagement includes vigour, absorption as well as dedication and organisational commitment includes affective, normative and continuance commitment. Both engagement and commitment of employees play an essential part in the financial industry as their performance is dependent on its employees who are instrumental in contributing to the decision-making of the company and in delivering services to clients. The study employed a mixed method design where both quantitative and qualitative data was collected from the participants. The study was undertaken on a sample of 133 individuals, drawn using the simple random sampling technique from three branches of a reputable banking industry situated in Kumasi, a suburb of Ghana. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the questionnaire were assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha respectively. Qualitative data was analysed using content and thematic analyses and quantitative data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. There were moderate levels of employee engagement as well as organisational commitment. This study indicates that there are significant relationships among the sub-dimensions of employee engagement (vigour, absorption, dedication) and commitment (affective commitment, continuance commitment, normative commitment) respectively. Furthermore, employee engagement and its sub-dimensions (vigour, absorption and dedication) account for nearly one-third of the variance in organisational commitment. Therefore, employee engagement impacts on organisational commitment. Significant differences, based on the biographical profiles of employees, relating to employee engagement and organisational commitment, were noted. Based on the results of the study, recommendations are graphically presented, which when implemented have the potential to enhance levels of employee engagement and commitment.
Assessing training and development trends in the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology from 2003 to 2020.
(2021) Singh, Preven.; Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.
In South Africa there is limited research available on the patterns of knowledge production with respect to training and development. This study focuses on assessing and identifying seventeen years of training and development trends in the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and South African Journal of Industrial Psychology for the years 2003-2020. Key empirical trends, theoretical trends, implications for practice and to establish the implications of these trends for future training practice and theory will be identified. A total of 2639 articles from both journals pertaining to various aspects were examined but a total of 88 articles, that dealt with training and development were selected for the study. It was discovered that, the most utilised research approach in both journals were quantitative in nature. It also lead to reveal that the University of South Africa in both journals have published the most articles, relating to training and development over the last seventeen years, in both journals. It can also be noted the sector that was researched the most frequent was the educational sector across both journals and that Melinde Coetzee (SAJHRM) and Ronel Du Preez (SAJIP) both published 4 articles in the respective journals but Melinde Coetzee has also published 2 training and development articles in the SAJIP as well. The most utilised theory or model were the Model of total rewards in the SAJHRM and Phenomenology & Regression in the SAJIP. It was also discovered that in 2019 the SAJHRM published 11 training and development articles, the highest amount over the 17 years and the SAJIP published 6 in 2010. The themes and recommendations for managers did overlap across both journals as well and there appeared to be common patterns in both journals and some themes like skill shortages seem to in line with international trends and countries experiences the same issues. The following chapter answers the proposed research questions and sheds light on recommendations for the future of training and development in South Africa.
An assessment of culture shock experienced by international employees at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2020) Khuzwayo, Sibongile Rose.; Pelser, Hendrik Johannes.
The study was conducted to investigate the culture shock experienced by international employees when adjusting to the work environment of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The qualitative study used in-depth interviews to collect data. A thematic analysis pointed to the following as key learning points from the study: • The importance of providing accommodation to expatriates. • Ensuring consistency in the application of policies. • The importance of an induction programme. • The importance of family involvement when employing expatriates. In light of this study, it is therefore recommended that the University of KwaZulu- Natal (UKZN) consider the following programmes to assist foreign employees to adjust easily to the new environment: • UKZN to provide a central office to assist expatriates. • The central office will act as caretaker of all expatriates, ensuring that they are taken care of prior arrival, on arrival and throughout their stay within the institution. • The central office to act as an agent between the expatriates and prospective landlords. • The central office to work closely with the Human resources department in facilitating ensuring the family involvement.
The assessment of organizational commitment of academic staff at University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN).
(2018) Ntuli, Cebile.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
Organisational commitment refers to as the degree which an employee finds synergy in the goals and values of an organisation and is willing to exert great effort to stay within the organisation. This study aimed to assess organizational commitment among academic staff in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study adopted the quantitative research design. The questionnaire survey that consists of organizational commitment items, namely affective commitment, normative commitment and continuance commitment has been utilized to collect data from the academic staff. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), was adopted to statistically analyze and interpret the data collected from the respondents. The Organisational Commitment Model or the theoretical framework, which is the threecomponent of organizational commitment model by Allen and Meyer (1990) was used, as it is appropriate for this study. This study identified the imperative factors which influences an employee’s commitment, the organizational commitment antecedents, as well as the factors that elevate organizational commitment among employees. There were fifty academic staff from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who participated in the study. From the analysis it was reported that from the three forms of organisational commitment, affective commitment was found to be the most significant type of organisational commitment that drives the academic staff of College of Law and Management at UKZN.” Individuals that reflected an affective orientation towards the organisation and have psychological bond between the employee and the organisation, hence; the employee identifies with the organisational values and increases job involvement of the employee in the organisation. Few participants depicted low normative commitment. This indicated that the workforce will not retain their organisational membership because of the sense of obligation hence, can seek better employment opportunities if the employer does not meet their expectation and needs. Study findings revealed a low continuance commitment level among the academic staff. These employees perceived greater employment alternatives hence, will not commit to the organisation because of the scarcity of employment however; due to the passion and the benefit accrued whilst working in the organisation.
The assessment of the implementation of talent management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Mbatani, Mandisa.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the leading higher education institution with a reputation of academic and research excellence. The Human Resource division is one of the fundamental divisions in the university structure, which seeks to attract, recruit and ensure that a high calibre staff members are trained, developed and retained to enhance skills, performance, as well as job satisfaction. For the University of KwaZulu-Natal to achieve its goal of becoming the “employer of choice” for staff, talent management becomes one of the integral strategies to the university’s endeavours. It is evident that there are underlying weaknesses that hinders effective implementation of the existing integrated talent management policy. This research aimed to assess the implementation of the talent management process in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study objectives were to: understand how talent implementation is identified at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, to understand how talent is assessed at the university, to understand how talent is developed and to understand ways in which talent is retained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Due to the complexity of this, a case study approach was used for this study for the researcher to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the study as a case study approach allows for various perspectives, feelings and reality of participants of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A purposive sampling method was used to allow the Researcher to justify or generalize on the selected sample either analytically, theoretically or logically. In-depth, semi- structured interviews were carried out with 8 respondents at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, namely, the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance comprising of: 5 academics and 3 professional services staff members. The collected data was then analyzed in themes. Arears of improvement were identified for the university’s integrated talent management process. The findings indicated that it is important to recognize that talent management is more than a chain of human resource processes and programmes but should be driven by business strategy and also provide necessary support to drive business results. Therefore necessary strategies should be applied to obtain feedback from employees on the implementation of the talent management system. Furthermore talent management practices should be clear for all employees and management commitment is necessary in the development and retention of talent.
An assessment of the skills development monitoring and evaluation strategies at the selected organisations of SANParks in the northern region.
(2019) Mudau, Langanani Audrey.; Bernard, Rowena Bronwen.
This study seeks to investigate the assessment of the skills development monitoring and evaluation strategies at the selected organisations of Sanparks in the Northern Region and to determine whether organisations are providing their staff with the necessary tools to enhance their skills and that workplaces in general are used as an inherent place for learning. In addition, the study seeks to investigate the influence of demographic factors (length of service at Sanparks, highest level of education attained) on skills development and to determine the strength of a set of variables (level in the organisation, age, length of service at Sanparks, and highest level of education attained) in assessment of the skills development monitoring and evaluation strategy. For this study, a cluster research was used because of its effectiveness in allowing a researcher to understand the intricacies of the research subject being undertaken. A sample of 400 employees was randomly selected from four different national parks in the Northern Region and 351 questionnaires were returned. Using self-administered questionnaires which were physically distributed by the researcher, a survey was conducted, data was analysed statistically through the use of SPSS version 23 where descriptive, and correlation and regression analyses were run. Results indicate that there is a positive relationship that exists between different themes. A positive, significant relationship exists between employees of the four parks, Golden gate, Kruger National park, Mapungubwe, and Marakele (r=30; P< 0.05). No significant relationship exists between the selected demographic factors. The length of time employed as Sanparks did play a role in terms of how respondents viewed monitoring skills being a part of the process. The study was conducted in four national parks in the Northern Region therefore limiting the generalizability of the research results to entire organisations at large. The study adopts a quantitative research design using a close ended questionnaire therefore restricting participants in giving their insights and feelings about the assessment of skills development. From the research findings, it can be concluded that monitoring and evaluation in organisations is very important and cannot be taken for granted. Training is a critical strategy that can be employed to increase employee performance as each and every individual has needs that drive them to behave in a certain way.
Attracting and retaining academic research staff: a case study of an institution of higher learning.
(2019) Kunene, Nonhlanhla.; Bozas, Alexander Robert.
The attraction and retention of staff remains one of the major concerns that face organisations world wide including Higher Education Institutions. This study assesses the challenges experienced by one such institution in attracting and retaining academic staff and focuses on the effectiveness of the strategies employed to address the challenges. In South Africa most of the Higher Education Institutions distinguish themselves through their research thrusts and compete for human capital that can assist in achieving the research agenda and offer the institution a competitive advantage over others. Although most of the research in talent management has been conducted in organisations other than higher education institutions, the challenges are the same with the added challenges in higher education of limited resources and growing student numbers. The study was conducted across one institution with defined categories of academic researchers as well as senior management group. Primary data was collected using self administered questionnaires for the researcher respondents and interviews with the management respondents. Secondary data was collected through documentary analysis of the relevant institution’s records. Data was analysed using SPSS and different tests were used including Kruskal Wallis test, Chi Squared test, Cronbach Alpha tests and Fischer’s Exact test. The results of this study showed that although talent management systems exist in the institution, there were still some attraction and retention challenges that the institution experiences and that some of the strategies such as recruitment, promotion, performance management and talent management were not as effective. However, there were good development programmes that had been employed to develop and support academics in the research agenda. The study recommends that the institution revisit its recruitment strategies, promotion criteria and performance management in order to attract and retain staff of high calibre. . The image of the institution and its organisational culture also require attention. It is further recommended that 360° assessment be embedded to all levels of leadership in the institution. Keywords: Attraction, Retention, Higher Education Institutions, Talent Management.
Bibliometric and content analysis of the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology from 2006 to 2016.
(2019) Pillay, Rylla.; Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.
In South Africa there is limited research available on the patterns of knowledge production. Given the discriminatory past of South Africa, there is a special scarcity of research concerning the racial and gender profiles of academic authors. This study aims to analyse the bibliometric, demographic and thematic trends of scholarly literature within management studies. Particularly within the fields of human resource management and industrial psychology. Articles published in the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology between 2006 and 2016 were analysed. The scope of this research is concentrated around the author’s biographical information as well as the research types, approaches, themes, software packages and types of intersectionality used to produce each article. Gathered data was analysed using a mixed methods approach. Inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and a thematic analysis was applied to generate qualitative themes. From both journals, a combination of 585 articles were examined and a total of 928 authors were identified. The results revealed that predominantly White male lecturers produced research articles. It was further discovered that authors who published the most frequently were based at historically White universities, however, overall there was a fair international representation of authors. In terms of research methods, over 60% of articles were quantitative with questionnaires being used to collect data. Many authors chose the software package SPSS to analyse raw data. Popular trends included work-family balance, employee wellbeing, emotional intelligence and organisational health and safety, amongst others. The purpose of this research is to assist universities and policymakers to reassess their research output patterns. Currently, the trends reflect traditional research methods with little variation. Furthermore, the biographical details reveal that black female authors have not been very active in publishing articles over the 10-year period. Going forward it is hoped that this research will help facilitate change in the current status quo and that the research environment becomes a diverse and equal platform for the publishing of scholarly literature.
Bibliometric and content analysis of the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology from 2006 to 2016.
(2019) Pillay, Rylla.; Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.
In South Africa there is limited research available on the patterns of knowledge production. Given the discriminatory past of South Africa, there is a special scarcity of research concerning the racial and gender profiles of academic authors. This study aims to analyse the bibliometric, demographic and thematic trends of scholarly literature within management studies. Particularly within the fields of human resource management and industrial psychology. Articles published in the South African Journal of Human Resource Management and the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology between 2006 and 2016 were analysed. The scope of this research is concentrated around the author’s biographical information as well as the research types, approaches, themes, software packages and types of intersectionality used to produce each article. Gathered data was analysed using a mixed methods approach. Inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data and a thematic analysis was applied to generate qualitative themes. From both journals, a combination of 585 articles were examined and a total of 928 authors were identified. The results revealed that predominantly White male lecturers produced research articles. It was further discovered that authors who published the most frequently were based at historically White universities, however, overall there was a fair international representation of authors. In terms of research methods, over 60% of articles were quantitative with questionnaires being used to collect data. Many authors chose the software package SPSS to analyse raw data. Popular trends included work-family balance, employee wellbeing, emotional intelligence and organisational health and safety, amongst others. The purpose of this research is to assist universities and policymakers to reassess their research output patterns. Currently, the trends reflect traditional research methods with little variation. Furthermore, the biographical details reveal that black female authors have not been very active in publishing articles over the 10-year period. Going forward it is hoped that this research will help facilitate change in the current status quo and that the research environment becomes a diverse and equal platform for the publishing of scholarly literature
The challenges of lecturers in a private tertiary education: dynamics of happiness vs work engagement in workplace.
(2018) Chetty, Rebecca Tiffany.; Ramasamy-Gurayah, Jayrusha.
Private education promises to deliver quality specialised education to students who opt to either take the private approach to education, or who are given a second chance to study towards a tertiary education after being turned away from public institutions. There seems to be however a decrease in the level of work engagement among academics in private education which could be linked to the level of dissatisfaction and unhappiness they experience in the workplace. This study aims to investigate the influence of happiness of lecturers on their level of work performance at private tertiary institutions within the South African context. In order to conduct this study, the researcher focused on two branches of a private tertiary institution called the Future Leaders Academy (FLA). The hypothesis of the study is: “The levels of happiness amongst lecturers at the Future Leaders Academy is directly proportional to the level of academic performance in the workplace”. The theoretical framework for the proposed study favours The Social Cognitive Theory of Self- regulation (SRT) which was developed by Albert Bandura in 1991 and the Job Characteristics model (JCM) which was established by Hackman and Oldham in 1976. . In the present study, the research methodology is based on quantitative design (instrument scores). The study has provided much insight on private tertiary education in South Africa and the behavior of academics. The researcher has proven that a significant relationship between happiness and the levels of work engagement amongst academics does exist.
Effective ways of measuring employee performance: a study of Msunduzi Local Municipality.
(2020) Molefe, Nqobile Phindile.; Phiri, Maxwell Agabu.
Many factors can contribute to poor performance in the workplace, and they have negative implications in the growth and development of the organization. The leading aim of organizations is to make profits. Hence, having an organization that does not perform well is not acceptable. These dynamics are mostly caused by poor performance. Performance in the workplace is an important variable and it can be measured in line with the standards and objectives of the given company. Poor organizational performance needs to be managed effectively, as it threatens the endeavour of the organization. This study seeks to investigate effective ways to measure performance obtained from a sample of 50 (Fifty) employees from Msunduzi Local Municipality. It focused on factors that contributed to employee performance in a Local Municipal organization. The purpose of this study is to uncover issues affecting performance, simultaneously it will propose solutions to these issues. It has used a quantitative approach to research, a method that enables the researcher to sum up the results from a small sample group to a larger population. Quantitative research offers the researcher the necessary skills to make a calculated decision on the actions to be taken. A simple random sampling method was used as a method of collecting data from the respondent. Data was stored and sorted in a statistical software used for statistical data analysis, namely, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Spss). The results showed a significant difference in the perceptions of male and female employees regarding all the effective ways to measure performance, respectively, at the 1% level of significance. When it comes to training and development, males were more satisfied while females were less satisfied. However, in terms of allocation of resources, salaries and wages, environmental issues, and attitude, females were more satisfied whereas males were less satisfied. For future reference, the researcher has recommended that the organization should offer more workshops to help educate and train the workers to be more productive and efficient. Moreover, implement new strategies that will be more accessible to the public in terms of proper and quality communication, improve on service delivery, and be transparent to staff members as well as to members of the public in which the municipality serves.
The effectiveness of the fibre processing and manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) in addressing skills shortages.
(2015) Ngcobo, Ngibongiseni Patrick.; Govender, Krishna Kistan.
Abstract available in PDF file.
The effects of the psychological contract on organisational commitment amongst nurses.
(2018) Singh, Yoneeta.; Brijball Parumasur, Sanjana.
Globally, nurses play a core role within healthcare sectors. However, the public healthcare sector of South Africa is less to be desired. The nursing profession of South Africa is currently experiencing severe shortages, along with other numerous challenges. The shortage of nursing professionals has left nurses within the system over worked, working beyond their scope of practice and being exploited within the workplace. This has increasingly caused nurses to seek employment in other sectors or relocate overseas. Consequently, the crisis has a direct influence on the maintenance or breach of the psychological contract, which has an effect on the level of organisational commitment of the nursing staff. This study intends to outline the effects of the psychological contract on organisation commitment, amongst nurses in the public healthcare sector. In understanding the psychological contract, employers will be able to identify how and when psychological contract violations take place, and the intensity of its repercussions. Given South Africa’s nursing crisis, the organisational commitment of nurses has become a major issue for the nursing profession. It is of the utmost importance for hospitals to retain excellent nursing staff in order to improve the performance of the hospital and overall patient satisfaction. Nurses play a pivotal role in the preservation of good healthcare. Apart from the critical medical duties they perform, they also play an active role in hospital administration/ward management. This study takes a quantitative approach and a survey research design is adopted. The sample was drawn using a simple random sampling technique and 234 questionnaires were distributed. The sample size is 201 with an 85.9% response rate. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to assess the effects of the psychological contract on organisational commitment amongst nurses in the hospital. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire (validity, reliability) are statistically assessed using Factor Analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha respectively. The results generated reflect the effects of the psychological contract on organisational commitment amongst nurses in the hospital. The nursing staff believe that they are fulfilling their obligations to their employer to a great extent, however their employer is failing to fulfil their obligations to them. Specific areas for improvement are evident and recommendations made in this regard. The results, areas for improvement and recommendations are graphically represented.
The Efficacy of the skills development act in the manufacturing and retail sectors - Pietermaritzburg areas.
(2006) Singh, Amritha.; Hunter, Clive Robert.
This study is concerned with the efficacy of the Skills Development Act in promoting skills development and training in South Africa. Skills development and training was examined in the context of the 30 manufacturing companies and 20 retail companies based in Pietermaritzburg. Firstly, the literature study provided a foundation on which to base the idea that skills development and training is vital in order for a country to achieve economic success. Secondly, efforts of other countries in promoting skills development and training were examined. Thirdly, skills development and training was examined in the South African context. The literature study lent support to the idea that there is a need for skills development in South Africa, considering factors such as HIV/AIDS, the shortage of scarce skills and labour demand trends in the South African labour market and the South African economy. The field study involved the use of questionnaires to gather data from the respondents. The results of the field study were group into pre-defined variables. The variables were then correlated and hypothesis testing was conducted to test the relationship between the variables. The main conclusions of the study are based on the hypothesis testing and the results of the field study and are detailed below. 1. The perceived effectiveness of the Skills Development Act was found to be a positive correlate of the effectiveness of training, the application of effective training procedures, the percentage of employers conducting formal training and the percentage of training costs recovered from the SETAs. 2. Training was perceived to be effective in terms of employee learning, employee performance and organizational performance. 3. There was an even split between companies that applied effective training procedures and those that did not. 4. Compliance with the Act was a pre-requisite for selection of the sample, however full participation in the Act was found to be lacking in general. This means that the majority of companies in the sample did not submit Workplace Skills Plans and Implementation of Training reports. 5. Compliance with the Skills Development Act was found to be a correlate of the application of effective training procedures, assistance received from the SETAs, the perceived effectiveness of training and the perceived effectiveness of the Skills Development Act. 6. It was generally perceived that the assistance received from the SETAs was poor. 7. On-the-job training was found to be prevalent in all companies; however formal training was more prevalent in companies that have a large number of employees. The average rate of formal training was calculated as 29.64%. 8. The number of employees was found to be a correlate of the percentage of formal training conducted, the percentage of training costs recovered from the SETAs, the perceived effectiveness of training and the application of effective training procedures.
An empirical study of the reward preferences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academics.
(2017) Makhanya, Sharon Nosipho.; Maharaj, Ashika.
The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of the rewards offered by UKZN to attract, retain and motivate academic employees. The Reward Preference Questionnaire (RPQ) adopted from Nienaber, Bussin and Henn (2011), and modified by Snelgar, Renard and Venter (2013) was used to collect the data for this study. A total of 140 questionnaires were administered to Westville, Howard College and Medical School campuses with 111 questionnaires completed and returned. Descriptive statistics were utilised to analyse the responses and presented in the form of tables and graphs. Principal component analysis was used to extract factors. Four factors were extracted and named; ie., base pay, benefits, performance recognition and career management and quality work environment.The study found that UKZN academics are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied by base pay, benefits, and performance recognition and career management. However, the study found that the academics at UKZN are highly dissatisfied by quality work environment. The study also found that age, level of education, job level and conditions of service influence reward preferences. In addition, the study found that the respondents view rewards offered by the institution to be unfairly and inconsistently implemented. The respondents indicated that they were unhappy with the way performance management was rated; differences in conditions of service; confusing rewards; unfair implementation of academic promotions and unfair, inconsistent implementation of sabbatical leave. This study recommends that the institution should create reward systems that are based on the academic’s preferences by focusing on benefits, base pay, quality work environment, performance recognition and career management as they were indicated as the reward categories that attract, retain and motivate academics. This study’s findings contribute to knowledge by investigating the most valued rewards categories and the contribution of rewards to attraction, motivation and retention of academic staff. This study will also be beneficial to policy makers, Human Resources Departments and to Higher Education institutions. Furthermore, this study provides evidence to assist the employer in developing suitable and improved rewards packages to enhance the attraction, motivation and retention of academics of high calibre.
Employer branding and attraction of new employees: a case study of Ethekwini technical vocational education training college.
(2018) Musengi, Denis.; Atiku, Sulaiman Olusegun.
Employer branding implies differentiation of a company’s traits as potential employer from those of its rivals. The employment brand shows the unique aspects of a company’s employment offering. This study explored the influence of employer branding in attracting new employees. The study investigated the influence of employer branding, employer brand associations, image and self-concept in attracting new employees. The study was underpinned by a case study research design which required an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon. The qualitative methodology through in-depth interviews was employed. Twenty exit level students from the N6 Business Studies and Engineering were selected to participate in the study using non-probability sampling technique. Purposive sampling was used to select the sample. Data was analysed through the use of thematic analysis. Results of the study indicated that employer branding has an influence on attracting new employees. The study results showed that the brand associations that influence attraction are salary, benefits, working conditions, culture, growth opportunities and coaching and mentoring. The results of this study also indicated that employer image is central to the attraction of new employees. Self-concept was also revealed as a factor which influenced attraction. The study recommends employers to benchmark their employment offerings with best employers in their respective industries, employers to give top management support to employer branding programs and to fulfill employment offerings among other recommendations.

Browse

Browsing Masters Degrees (Human Resource Management) by Title