The final work of master degree analyzes consultancy competence and work strategy of a mentor. Most often, the mentor’s work is confined to evaluation and control, and one of the main functions of his/her work – the function of consultancy – is not performed well enough. Regarding the need of junior pedagogues’ and trainee students’ to be consulted and aiming that both junior pedagogues and trainee students gain relevant elements of pedagogical work in educational institutions, it is very important to analyze the peculiarities of consultancy content and process of a mentor. The following defensive propositions have been raised: The consultancy process of a mentor corresponds with the process requirements, however, there are many problems connected with planning a suitable environment for consulting, making a contact with a nursling, modeling the content of consulting and feedback and evaluation of a mentor’s consultancy. The research data showed the lack of mentors’ experience in consulting and thus proved the defensive propositions.

Šiaučiūnienė S. Vocational Consulting and Guidance in Contemporary Vocational Training Context: Master’s Paper in Andragogic/ research mentor prof. habil. dr. M. Barkauskaitė; Vilnius Pedagogical University, Faculty of Pedagogy-Psychology, Department of Educology. – Vilnius, 2005. – 96 p. The subject of this Master’s Paper in Andragogic is talking-point. As Lithuania is integrating into the European social and economical space, vocational consulting had become an underlying field which helps people to realize vocational perfection’s solutions. This Paper was aiming to study the evolution of vocational training system in the last ten years establishing the importance of vocational consulting and guidance for the planning of professional career. The object of research was pedagogical process in vocational training. The goals of this Paper were to: 1. Analyze the variety of theories on vocational guidance in sight of pedagogical psychology. 2. Establish the requirements for the vocational guidance and consulting. 3. Evaluate Lithuanian reforming vocational training system and its alterations in the dimension of vocational consulting and career planning. 4. Study the impact of vocational teachers on the further planning process of professional career. 5. Explore relations between choice of profession and vocational consulting in the conditions of contemporary labour market’s demands. It was hypothesized: analyze of regional state demonstrates that it is possible to bargain for... [to full text]

Sutrikus darbo rinkos pusiausvyrai, susiformavo grupės žmonių, nesugebėjusių prisitaikyti prie sparčiai besikečiančių darbo rinkos reikalavimų. Didžiausi pokyčiai įvyko Lietuvos kaime, kur, nykstant kolūkiams, įsivyravo smulkūs ūkininkų ūkiai, kuriuose pastebimas nepilnas ūkio narių užimtumas, neefektyvus darbas, mažas darbo našumas. Nekūrę savo ūkio, neradę ar neieškoję darbo kitur, kaime vis daugiau žmonių tapo bedarbiais. Didėjantis bedarbių skaičius kaime, pakoregavo ir darbo biržos veiklą, kadangi reikėjo sukurti prieinamą kaimo žmogui konsultavimo paslaugų tinklą. Taip darbo biržos darbuotojai susidūrė su specifine bedarbių grupe, kaimo gyventojais, kurie, turėdami savo mažus ūkius ir iš principo galintys pragyventi iš jų ar trumpai dirbant pas ūkininkus, nerodo didelio suinteresuotumo ir motyvacijos susirasti pastovų darbą. Darbo biržai, konsultuojant tokius bedarbius, iškyla būtinybė numatyti ir suformuluoti efektyvias bedarbių konsultavimo formas bei priemones, atrasti galimybę padaryti konsultavimo paslaugas labiau prieinamas, plėsti jų tinklą. Besikreipiantys į darbo biržą kaimo gyventojai yra specifinė grupė ne tik todėl, kad turėdami savo ūkį visada turi erdvę savęs realizavimui, bet dažnai būna ir nepakankamo išsilavinimo ar turi nepaklausią profesiją. Kaimo gyventojų finansinė padėtis dažnai riboja jiems galimybę persikvalifikuoti laisvai renkantis mokymo įstaigą. Ilgalaikių bedarbių, nedirbančių metus ir ilgiau, kaime yra apie trečdalis. Kaime didžiausią... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / After the balance of the work market went to pieces, a group of people who did not manage to adapt to the changing requirements of the work market was formed. The biggest changes hit the countryside of Lithuania where tiny individual farms were introduced after the collapse of collective farms. These farms feature incomplete employment of its members as well as ineffective work and low productivity. Some of the villagers who did not found their own farms, did not find or did not try to search for a job elsewhere, so that is why more and more people became jobless in the countryside. A rising number of the unemployed people in the countryside had an influence upon the activities of the Labor Exchange Office, because the net of the consulting services that would be available to every villager had to be founded. The specialists from the Labor Exchange Office faced a specific group of the unemployed people – the villagers – in this way. These unemployed people do not demonstrate a particular interest in finding a full-time job, because are either working at their own tiny farms and can survive in such way or find temporary work at the other villagers’ farms. While consulting this kind of the clients, it is essential for the Labor Exchange Office’s employees to foresee and formulate effective means and forms of consulting this group of the unemployed people as well as to find ways to make consulting services more available, to develop their net. Villagers who come to the Labor... [to full text]

DPA Specialist Consulting Engineers is a relatively small firm specialising in materials technology in the specialist civil engineering consulting and contracting industry. The organization has experienced many positive and negative changes over its history, and is currently in a precarious position, faced with numerous environmental opportunities and threats, while exhibiting significant strengths but also critical weaknesses. The firm does not have a formally crafted strategic plan from which to base its managerial decision making. It is widely held that strategic planning is critical for the success of a competitive business in today's turbulent environment. In this study, pertinent theories pertaining to strategy development and evaluation are explored, and relevant models are adapted for the purpose of analysing and evaluating the organization and its circumstances. The facts provided in the case study pertaining to the organization are then analysed through the developed body of theory and the models presented. The theoretical models utilized provide the criteria by which it is possible to determine the areas in which the organization is performing well or poorly. At the same time, strategic options are developed and are evaluated in the context of the case study, and recommendations are provided with respect to the appropriate courses of action. It is shown that a competitive strategy of focused differentiation will be appropriate for the organisation. An assessment of available grand strategies reveals that the organization will be best served by an initial turnaround strategy, followed by a strategy of concentrated growth and innovation. It is also shown that a strategy of concentric diversification, in terms of the spin-off of the contracting business is appropriate under the circumstances. However, it is also evident that unless the recommendations pertaining to the turnaround strategy are followed, the firm's critical weaknesses and environmental threats will severely threaten the sustained survival and success of the organization. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Lean is one of the recent years most popular methods for organizations to use in order to increase efficiency, productivity and quality. Despite Lean's increased popularity, Lean is still difficult to define and can be explained and described in different ways. Previous studies have also shown that Lean is difficult to implement and challenging to maintain successfully. Knowledge of Lean is viewed as a necessity in the implementation of Lean, which leads to that organizations often chooses to bring in this knowledge through external consultants or other experts in order to implement Lean in their organization. Thus, it is interesting to examine the consultants view on Lean and the implementation process of Lean. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the consultants' assumptions about Lean and how the implementation of Lean should be performed in organizations, and what those assumptions are based on. This study is based on three semi-structured interviews with different consulting firms in Sweden. The findings in this study impose that the consultants have a philosophical and strategical view on Lean with some elements of social control. The assumption on that Lean is characterized by a holistic and continuously never ending process. The managers’ ability to create dedication, enthusiasm and motivation among the employees is important during the implementation. Therefore it’s also important for the managers to believe in the Lean concept in order for the implementation of Lean to become successful. Findings in this study show that a coaching aspect is also imposed to be important when working with Lean and implementing of Lean in organizations. Based on these results the paper impose further research on the impact of coaching in conjunction with Lean and implementation of the concept, both with and without the present of consultants.

Consulting Engineers worldwide, and in South Africa, render a professional service to clients consisting of project feasibility studies, planning reports, design, documentation and construction monitoring for infrastructure projects. In rendering this service, consulting engineers are subject to certain project risks that can have a huge influence on their company’s success and hence their profitability. Quality Management is an instrument through which the risks associated with consulting engineering can be mitigated to a certain degree, if a Quality Management System (QMS) is successfully introduced and continuously managed. The QMS must conform to the requirements of a recognized system like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and in this particular case ISO 9001, which is a model for quality assurance systems in design, development, production, installation and servicing. The quality system requirements of ISO 9001 are aimed at preventing nonconformity at all phases of the product life cycle from design and/or development to servicing. The study was carried out by obtaining a convenience sample of qualitative questionnaires among professional civil engineers in consulting management positions, testing their experience of a QMS. This study has indicated that a QMS can only be successful in a company if the users have a positive attitude towards the system, and if they believe in the benefits thereof. It is therefore required that the system be launched and maintained in a user-friendly manner, with the emphasis on real risk-reducing aspects. As one of the requirements of ISO 9001 is continuous improvement of the system, recommendations are made in this study towards improving the QMS of the particular company. The influence of a QMS on the frequency and extent of Professional Indemnity cases against a company was investigated and reported on by studying 20 case studies of projects that have experienced difficulties, and have resulted in lawsuits against the consulting engineer. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The comprehension of how job satisfaction impacts on an employee’s intention to quit is critical to an organisation. Consulting engineering firms who do not retain their skill sets will not survive. Knowledge of the relationship between job satisfaction and intentions to quit will allow managers to manipulate the variables that increase job satisfaction, which in turn can minimise an organsation’s employee turnover rate. A theoretical analysis was done. As an empirical analysis, a targeted cross-sectional survey by means of a standardised questionnaire was sent to 3 000 (three thousand) engineers, technicians and technologists registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Multiple regression analysis was done and Spearman Correlation Coefficients were used to indicate the relationships between variables. Achievement was the factor that was most significantly related to job satisfaction and intention to quit. The strong negative relationship between job satisfaction and intention to quit was confirmed, the effect of which would be that the more job satisfaction increases, the more intention to quit decreases. Management techniques that consist of supervisory consideration, participative decision making, performance feedback and communication are therefore advocated. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Consulting Engineers worldwide, and in South Africa, render a professional service to clients consisting of project feasibility studies, planning reports, design, documentation and construction monitoring for infrastructure projects. In rendering this service, consulting engineers are subject to certain project risks that can have a huge influence on their company’s success and hence their profitability. Quality Management is an instrument through which the risks associated with consulting engineering can be mitigated to a certain degree, if a Quality Management System (QMS) is successfully introduced and continuously managed. The QMS must conform to the requirements of a recognized system like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and in this particular case ISO 9001, which is a model for quality assurance systems in design, development, production, installation and servicing. The quality system requirements of ISO 9001 are aimed at preventing nonconformity at all phases of the product life cycle from design and/or development to servicing. The study was carried out by obtaining a convenience sample of qualitative questionnaires among professional civil engineers in consulting management positions, testing their experience of a QMS. This study has indicated that a QMS can only be successful in a company if the users have a positive attitude towards the system, and if they believe in the benefits thereof. It is therefore required that the system be launched and maintained in a user-friendly manner, with the emphasis on real risk-reducing aspects. As one of the requirements of ISO 9001 is continuous improvement of the system, recommendations are made in this study towards improving the QMS of the particular company. The influence of a QMS on the frequency and extent of Professional Indemnity cases against a company was investigated and reported on by studying 20 case studies of projects that have experienced difficulties, and have resulted in lawsuits against the consulting engineer. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The comprehension of how job satisfaction impacts on an employee’s intention to quit is critical to an organisation. Consulting engineering firms who do not retain their skill sets will not survive. Knowledge of the relationship between job satisfaction and intentions to quit will allow managers to manipulate the variables that increase job satisfaction, which in turn can minimise an organsation’s employee turnover rate. A theoretical analysis was done. As an empirical analysis, a targeted cross-sectional survey by means of a standardised questionnaire was sent to 3 000 (three thousand) engineers, technicians and technologists registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). Multiple regression analysis was done and Spearman Correlation Coefficients were used to indicate the relationships between variables. Achievement was the factor that was most significantly related to job satisfaction and intention to quit. The strong negative relationship between job satisfaction and intention to quit was confirmed, the effect of which would be that the more job satisfaction increases, the more intention to quit decreases. Management techniques that consist of supervisory consideration, participative decision making, performance feedback and communication are therefore advocated. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Employee engagement has taken over the corporate world. Whether it is the media, consulting firms, business leaders or human resources, everyone is talking about it. Despite the buzz in the corporate world and millions of dollars pumped into the industry, employee engagement has remained relatively unchanged and our comprehension of it is hazy. Examining the concept of employee engagement from conceptualization to present day helps provide a solid understanding of its foundation and where major evolutionary failings occurred. Prompted by Gallup’s takeover of the concept – from packaging, selling, measuring and intervening – the essence of employee engagement has been lost in overdrive and is now focused on statistics rather than people. The purpose of this paper is to identify the major flaws in the current state of employee engagement using its past as a basis of restoring viability to the concept.