Thesis (M. Tech. Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences--(Vaal University of Technology, 2010)). / Organisations are starting to think and operate more strategically and are beginning to realise that their survival depends on information. Information management relates to management activities concerning information. Information and the supporting systems are important business assets for establishing and leveraging information-based resources and competence, which allow organisations to compete and survive in the current competitive economic markets. In order for the information management department to support business optimally, they need to retain existing talented people who have the essential knowledge, expertise and competencies to do the work. Adding to this is the need to make the job environment more attractive to current and future job applicants. In order to do this, the management team of the information management department need to understand why people behave as they do. They must have the ability to control, direct and change behaviour, as well as be able to use the right motivation to make the job environment within the information management department more attractive. The purpose of this study is to examine staff retention in an information management environment. The literature study explores the theoretical framework of staff retention, motivation and job satisfaction. A quantitative research approach was followed and a questionnaire was used to elicit data from 50 employees working in an information management department of a petrochemical organisation. The questionnaire was used to measure employee job satisfaction levels and to identify job satisfaction factors. The findings reveal that communication, good working conditions, job security, opportunities for learning and growth, and recognition are seen in this order as being the most important job satisfaction factors. It is clear that employee expectations for job satisfaction are not met in the areas of recognition and good supervision/leadership. In addition, it is noted that employee expectations for job satisfaction are only partially met in the areas of communication, opportunities for learning and growth, promotional opportunities and compensation/pay. The value of this research is that it makes a useful contribution to the current knowledge of the management team in the information management department. The research information collected through this study can be used to establish the optimal mix of motivating factors in order to ensure that current employees are retained and that a sought-after working environment for new appointments is created.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / The demand for study places in Honours courses in Psychology far exceeds the available places in courses at government-funded universities. Private institutions are increasingly offering such courses to address the need for enrolment and to capitalize on a market niche. Students who are unsuccessful at mainstream universities might apply for courses at private institutions, even those offered at faith-based universities regardless of their personal spiritual beliefs and values. There is a clear gap in the literature exploring the experiences of students enrolled at faith-based private institutions. The study attempted to gain insight into the subjective experiences of students enrolled in a Psychology Honours programme at a faith-based institution in the Western Cape. The proposed study incorporated an exploratory research design and employed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from a purposively selected sample and transcripts were subjected to a content analysis. Data collection and analysis occurred in parallel until reaching the threshold number. Ethics clearance and project registration was obtained from the UWC Senate Research committee and all relevant ethics principles were upheld. The findings indicated that faith based institutions are not homogenous and that students enrolled at faith based institutions are respectively not homogenous. Findings further indicate that alignment does exist between the core values of participants and their discipline choice, and not that participants‘ faith beliefs were necessarily aligned with that of the institution.

ABSTRACT Globalisation and a continuous advancement in technology have necessitated a need for employees to be trained and re-trained. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influence learner participation in the Adult Basic Education and Training programmes offered at the Johannesburg Department of City Power (Reuven). These include factors such as motivation, retention and barriers experienced by adult learners that are pertinent to learner participation. Data for the study was collected from ABET level 3 and 4 learners by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The following emerged as pertinent factors influencing learner participation at City Power: a) personal development, b) language, c) support structures, d) the standby/shift system and e) remuneration.

Thesis advisor: Diana C. Pullin / The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) increased the role of the federal government in the education of America's children, raising the standards of performance for all children in all schools and holding schools accountable for the achievement of all children. Schools, districts, and states are required under the law to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) not only in the aggregate, but for certain subgroups of students, including racial and linguistic minorities, children with disabilities, and students who are economically disadvantaged. Schools that fail to make the requisite AYP risk exposure to a host of sanctions including: being labeled "in need of improvement," replacing principals, and state take-over. This dissertation argues that, in this demanding context, it is possible that NCLB may actually be increasing the achievement gap between racial groups in America rather than reducing it. The use of standardized assessments to measure student progress may be causing detrimental effects on students in racial minority groups. These effects may be further compounded in states like Massachusetts where regulations designed to implement NCLB impose additional mandates, such as requiring students to pass a test for graduation. Through an analysis of school profile data reported by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a review of district documents, and interviews with teachers and administrators at one high school that has been identified as in need of improvement, this dissertation examines the intersection between high stakes testing and retention in light of the system of rewards and sanctions imposed by NCLB, paying particular attention to the disparate impact this phenomenon may be having on students of color in urban schools. This study illuminates the challenges faced by policymakers in their attempts to reduce the achievement gap faced by students in this country as well as the impact such policies have on the practice of teaching and learning. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

The prevalence of pulpal involvement in young permanent teeth ranges between 0.3-36%. The outcome of Endodontic Therapy (ET) has not been widely studied in children and adolescents. Published studies that evaluated Endodontically Treated Teeth (ETT) in children and adolescents had results that varied tremendously. This variation could be due to the wide age range spanning from 6-18 years. Evaluating the predictors of survival, failure, and tooth retention between smaller subgroups within this age range may be relevant. AIM: To identify and assess variables associated with the outcome of ETT in 6-18 year old subjects stratified by age and to compare the results to the general population. METHODS: Retrospective chart review along with clinical follow up of subjects that received ET at BUGSDM between 2007-2015 at age 6-18 years. RESULTS: ET of the young permanent tooth resulted in 85% tooth survival and 91% retention. Patient age and tooth type were significantly related to survival and retention of ETT. CONCLUSIONS: Survival and retention of ETT observed among children and adolescents were similar to observations in adults. ET is more likely to survive when it is performed at an older age (15-18 years), or on an anterior tooth. This suggests that the longer ET is prevented through proper oral hygiene measures and preventive dental care, the better the likelihood of survival and retention of ETT in young patients.

This dissertation examines whether the mode of entry into K-12 public school teaching has any implications on teacher retention. Teacher retention is important because it is an important precursor to teacher quality, which has been shown to positively impact student performance. However, teacher turnover can seriously threaten teacher retention. Additionally, teacher turnover is associated with serious economic and non-economic costs. To this end, it may benefit schools and school districts to pay particular attention to hiring and retaining their teachers, especially the quality ones, for the long haul. Current teacher labor markets literature is deficient in serious analytical frameworks for understanding longitudinal cohort retention comparisons of traditional and nontraditional teachers, as well as analysis of quit behaviors that focus on when a teacher is at the greatest risk of quitting. My research endeavors to bridge this gap. Using a large-scale administrative data set comprising cohorts of traditional and nontraditional teachers from the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), I used discrete-time survival analysis modeling, specifically, the Cox Proportional Hazards (PH) model, to analyze the quit and retention patterns of cohorts of teachers from traditional and nontraditional sources over a six-year period. I found similar retention patterns between the two groups with notable peculiar patterns for the nontraditional group. The data suggests that entry routes into K-12 public school teaching, the year of entry into teaching, individual age, sex, ethnicity, subject taught, and school level can be important predictors of retention.

abstract: International schools and international education initiatives are experiencing tremendous growth as the world’s economy continues to globalize. International schools operating outside of the traditional boundaries of state and national contexts have become havens noted for their diverse and multicultural staff, student bodies and school communities. However, the challenges facing international education have only recently begun to be studied independent from their traditional teaching counterparts. International schools, and any study associated with them, require an individual approach for identifying and solving the challenges unique to their context. “I’m Leaving!” is an action research study which incorporates phenomenological hermeneutics, action research, and a transformational innovation to examine the social structures associated with the decision-making process of the “I’m Leaving!” phenomenon and the administrative action developed in response. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory (TLT), this study combined the latest action research methodological perspectives with hermeneutic tradition and Professional Learning Community (PLC) theory to provide a deep and unflinching view into the real and lived experiences of the one subject often forgot about in educational research: the teacher. The study results confirm previous study findings that teacher feelings and perceptions of the leadership effectiveness, teacher-leader relationships, and teacher professional growth opportunities were all improved after teachers participated in an action research communities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2018

Nurse turnover is a significant problem that has led to a nursing shortage in hospitals, particularly in rural hospitals. The nursing shortage will continue to grow if changes are not implemented to retain qualified nurses. Nurse turnover puts patients at risk for substandard care and increases healthcare-related costs, as organizations try to recoup costs to train and orient new nurses. Retention, turnover, and quality of care are important organizational drivers. One strategy that targets each of these drivers is to have newly hired nurses partake in a preceptorship, where a preceptor facilitates the assimilation and amalgamation of newly hired nurses into their role. Guided by the preceptor conceptual framework, the purpose of this project was to develop and plan a preceptor-training program, which targeted the field sites specific needs. Preceptor and preceptee roles were defined and training modules were created on topics such as communication, adult learning, diversity, time management, assessment, critical thinking, and problem solving. One master binder was created that contained the content required to teach each module of the preceptor-training program. The field site will use this information in conjunction with different delivery methods to implement and evaluate the program. The evaluation plan is to perform formative evaluation after each module is presented and summative evaluation at the conclusion of the allotted training days, using a Likert scale questionnaire. Establishing an instructive program for preceptor training may assist and support preceptors in their role; this program may also affect the preceptee's job satisfaction and ultimately, retention. Safe, efficient, quality care is the cornerstone of the social change implications in practice. Preceptors may feel better about the precepting process and patients may benefit from improved care.

Retention of quality high school assistant principals is a problem in a suburban Georgia school district, where 35% of administrators left their schools in a 3-year period. Researchers indicated that high turnover rates in school leadership influence student achievement and school climate. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of high school assistant principals concerning factors that influence them to stay in their current roles. Herzberg's 2-factor framework was used to explore the perceptions of 10 high school assistant principals regarding their decisions to remain in their administrative positions. The research questions examined how high school assistant principals in a suburban Georgian school district perceived motivating and hygiene factors that influenced them to remain at the school district or leave their job roles. Open coding was used to identify patterns and themes. Findings from the data collected with semi structured interviews revealed (a) 3 themes related to motivating factors that included relationships with students, teachers and leaders, and (b) 2 themes related to hygiene factors regarding external issues outside assistant principals' control but may influence job retention. The resulting project consisted of a white paper that recommended the school district institute the initiation of an assistant principal leadership academy as well as an assistant principal open forum to minimize the negative influence of the 2 identified hygiene factors on assistant principals' job retention. The project contributes to positive social change by providing insights to potentially stabilize the attrition of high school assistant principals and improve student and academic achievement.

Retention of first year college students has been problematic in many U.S. colleges, and different mentoring frameworks have been explored to help resolve the issue. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine how the mentoring program at Brown Community College (BCC; pseudonym) positively increased retention of first year college students. BCC is a community college located in a metropolitan urban area in a southern state. Tinto's model of social integration and academic success was used to undergird the study. Research questions were developed to understand how BCC's mentoring program was supporting first year students' retention and what these students perceived as integral in order to persist throughout their program of study. Another question sought faculty's perceptions of how their mentoring program influenced retention at the college. Data collection included structured face-to-face interviews with a purposeful sample of 10 first year college students and two faculty mentors who provided mentorship at BCC. Content analyses were used to identify and isolate the themes through axial coding. The results showed that mentoring may be the catalyst needed to ensure that students stay in college and increase retention and graduation rates. The findings provide useful data for developing curriculum policies that may improve service delivery opportunities for at-risk students. The findings also showed that having qualified college graduates may increase productivity in the workforce and help the college graduates become more successful citizens. Recommendations are offered to improve the existing mentoring program to enable the students to experience social changes in their pursuit of academic success.