Recruiting well-qualified nurses into managerial positions is problematic because of the challenges associated with the role, the nursing shortage and the attraction of other opportunities within nursing. Leadership behavior is known to influence staff nurse retention and ultimately patient care outcomes, which makes it critical that we better understand what factors influence Nurse Managers decisions to leave or stay in management positions. The results of a systematic literature review suggest that Nurse Manager retention is a multifactoral issue. A primary analysis of data from Nurse Managers was conducted as the second part of this study. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, empowerment and the ability to ensure quality patient care were identified to be influential retention factors. These findings should enable administrators to develop strategies in the areas of leadership development and creation of healthy work environments that will increase job satisfaction and ultimately retention. Further research to develop sound theoretical models of Nurse Manager retention is required.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Background Due to an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals both in Australia and internationally, the recruitment and retention of rural doctors has been extensively researched. Mostly the research used quantitative methods to focus on factors associated with rural medical workforce recruitment and retention issues, and until now, limited work has investigated inter-relationships between these factors. Although a few qualitative studies have used thematic analysis to develop models to better understand these issues, none have specifically considered the attitudes of medical students, and female rural doctors. This Thesis responds to this need by using qualitative research methods to develop a model which incorporates feminisation of the medical workforce and generational change in the 21st century. Data were collected from Australian medical students and female rural general practitioners (GPs) as study participants. Aims The broad aims were to develop a model for understanding recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Australia, incorporating concepts of place, gender, and professional identity. Research Questions How are Australian medical students' and female general practitioners' perceptions of entering and remaining in a rural health career influenced by the constructs of place, gender and professional identity? Does this perception change as doctors progress through their careers from students to practising general practitioners? Methods A case series of three qualitative studies were used to develop a model for understanding rural GP recruitment and retention. Data, collected using focus groups and interviews, were analysed thematically by domains describing participants’ lives, and the interaction between the domains was explored to better understand influences on location choice. Results The ����Landscape of fulfilment��� model which is integral to this research, incorporates the domains of self, place, work, significant others, recreation, and significant others’ work as the domains of life which influence location choice. Most participants sought balance within their lives, and maximum fulfilment in all domains, but at times they faced conflict between domains. Individuals’ gender, professional, and place identities were related to how they viewed the domains and how the domains interacted. Conclusion This model provides a way of understanding the complex interaction between aspects of life which affect a doctor’s location choice. There is important potential to use the model to inform the development of rural medical recruitment and retention strategies, and as a basis for further rural health workforce research. The model has already been used by General Practice Education and Training (GPET) in developing post graduate general practice training research, and also by the Sustainable Practice Working Group of the Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in developing strategies for sustainable rural general practice.

The expectation that employees of large organisations will work extended working hours (EWH) is a phenomenon of discourse at the societal and organisational levels. This occurs in spite of the detrimental effects that working long hours can have on employees’ mental and physical health and the well-being of their families. This thesis investigates why employees comply with this expectation by focussing on managers and professionals because they are the categories of Australian employees who work the longest hours. Texts derived from a focus group and extended interviews of 30 managers and professionals are analysed and interpreted using a computer-assisted text analysis program, linguistic analysis, and discourse linguistic interpretation. Of particular emphasis is the deontic modality that research participants use to express their obligation to expectation and their attitudes about other organisational imperatives. Also crucial to this research is the agency of the participants in terms of their capacity to make and follow their own decisions. This investigation is informed by critical post-structuralist theory of Foucaultian origin involving a pragmatic distinction between analysis for meaning potential at the text level and context for meaning at the discourse level. This empirical research found that participants commonly feel cognitive dissonance from the contradiction that EWH and work-life balance (WLB) co-exist in their same organisational discourse. This paradox complicates their responses to expectation whether the participants comply or resist. Participants’ agency is therefore judged on their level of reflexivity to these organisational challenges. The professional cohort was found to be more reflexive and thus agentically stronger because their work paths are clearer. They know what work is required and, even though their working hours may be long, they see them purely as the means to achieving prescribed ends. Public sector managers’ work is also extensive but they do not have clear boundaries and thus find the boundaries between work and nonwork non-existent or blurred. Financial service managers are more agentic than public sector managers but less than the professionals. The women in this research relate to work time and life balance differently and less easily than men, particularly those who break for motherhood and / or work part-time. The theory built in this thesis can inform organisations of the ubiquitous presence of the expectation of EWH and the dangers it provides for employees and organisations. It also provides practice guidance to organisations as to how EWH may be common but do not necessarily benefit organisations or their employees. This thesis finds that it is more sensible to support employees’ agency by acknowledging their diversity and giving them choice in determining for how long they should work. This would allow employees to identify and experience obligation to their organisation and their part in negotiated knowledge production.

The expectation that employees of large organisations will work extended working hours (EWH) is a phenomenon of discourse at the societal and organisational levels. This occurs in spite of the detrimental effects that working long hours can have on employees’ mental and physical health and the well-being of their families. This thesis investigates why employees comply with this expectation by focussing on managers and professionals because they are the categories of Australian employees who work the longest hours. Texts derived from a focus group and extended interviews of 30 managers and professionals are analysed and interpreted using a computer-assisted text analysis program, linguistic analysis, and discourse linguistic interpretation. Of particular emphasis is the deontic modality that research participants use to express their obligation to expectation and their attitudes about other organisational imperatives. Also crucial to this research is the agency of the participants in terms of their capacity to make and follow their own decisions. This investigation is informed by critical post-structuralist theory of Foucaultian origin involving a pragmatic distinction between analysis for meaning potential at the text level and context for meaning at the discourse level. This empirical research found that participants commonly feel cognitive dissonance from the contradiction that EWH and work-life balance (WLB) co-exist in their same organisational discourse. This paradox complicates their responses to expectation whether the participants comply or resist. Participants’ agency is therefore judged on their level of reflexivity to these organisational challenges. The professional cohort was found to be more reflexive and thus agentically stronger because their work paths are clearer. They know what work is required and, even though their working hours may be long, they see them purely as the means to achieving prescribed ends. Public sector managers’ work is also extensive but they do not have clear boundaries and thus find the boundaries between work and nonwork non-existent or blurred. Financial service managers are more agentic than public sector managers but less than the professionals. The women in this research relate to work time and life balance differently and less easily than men, particularly those who break for motherhood and / or work part-time. The theory built in this thesis can inform organisations of the ubiquitous presence of the expectation of EWH and the dangers it provides for employees and organisations. It also provides practice guidance to organisations as to how EWH may be common but do not necessarily benefit organisations or their employees. This thesis finds that it is more sensible to support employees’ agency by acknowledging their diversity and giving them choice in determining for how long they should work. This would allow employees to identify and experience obligation to their organisation and their part in negotiated knowledge production.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Background Due to an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals both in Australia and internationally, the recruitment and retention of rural doctors has been extensively researched. Mostly the research used quantitative methods to focus on factors associated with rural medical workforce recruitment and retention issues, and until now, limited work has investigated inter-relationships between these factors. Although a few qualitative studies have used thematic analysis to develop models to better understand these issues, none have specifically considered the attitudes of medical students, and female rural doctors. This Thesis responds to this need by using qualitative research methods to develop a model which incorporates feminisation of the medical workforce and generational change in the 21st century. Data were collected from Australian medical students and female rural general practitioners (GPs) as study participants. Aims The broad aims were to develop a model for understanding recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Australia, incorporating concepts of place, gender, and professional identity. Research Questions How are Australian medical students' and female general practitioners' perceptions of entering and remaining in a rural health career influenced by the constructs of place, gender and professional identity? Does this perception change as doctors progress through their careers from students to practising general practitioners? Methods A case series of three qualitative studies were used to develop a model for understanding rural GP recruitment and retention. Data, collected using focus groups and interviews, were analysed thematically by domains describing participants’ lives, and the interaction between the domains was explored to better understand influences on location choice. Results The ����Landscape of fulfilment��� model which is integral to this research, incorporates the domains of self, place, work, significant others, recreation, and significant others’ work as the domains of life which influence location choice. Most participants sought balance within their lives, and maximum fulfilment in all domains, but at times they faced conflict between domains. Individuals’ gender, professional, and place identities were related to how they viewed the domains and how the domains interacted. Conclusion This model provides a way of understanding the complex interaction between aspects of life which affect a doctor’s location choice. There is important potential to use the model to inform the development of rural medical recruitment and retention strategies, and as a basis for further rural health workforce research. The model has already been used by General Practice Education and Training (GPET) in developing post graduate general practice training research, and also by the Sustainable Practice Working Group of the Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in developing strategies for sustainable rural general practice.

Thesis (M.N.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Nursing, Nursing. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on April 28, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wellness is the desired optimum level of existence an individual can experience and is conceptualized to be the balance among six dimensions, namely physical, emotional, social, vocational, spiritual and intellectual. An imbalance may be created through various factors that could affect the individual adversely and disturb the balance or wellness aspiring for. This study was prompted by the significant influence of unhealthy behaviours on the South African population and its concomitant effects on the workplace. The wellness of the individual is gaining new interest in times where human beings are plagued by increased levels of stress, disease as well as constant and unpredictable change. Wellness programmes are at the forefront of restoring the balance of the working population and the strive towards excellence presents advantages to both the employer and employee. There appears to be an increase in the emergence of wellness interventions since its initial origin in the mining industry of South Africa. There is, however, a lack of research conducted on these programmes to support the development and future improvement and expansion of this vital intervention. This study aimed to investigate the extent of wellness programmes in South African organisations as well as the sophisticated conceptualization of these programmes within this context. The study further extended to the formulation of a model presenting the system of wellness as well as its practical application. In order to investigate and explore these factors, a research questionnaire was developed and presented to a sample of 58 respondents for completion. The results indicate that there are various sophisticated methods applied in the structure and maintenance of wellness programmes in those organisations with such programmes implemented. A tendency towards appreciating the concept of wellness was further identified among respondents. It was however, also ascertained that specific guidance and information about the field of wellness programmes could be advantageous to the future development and frequency of such interventions in the South African business framework. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "Wellness" is die begeerde optimum vlak van bestaan wat 'n individu kan ervaar en word voorgehou as die balans tussen ses dimensies naamlik die fisieke, emosionele, sosiale, beroepsgerig, sowel as geestesingesteldheid en intellektualiteit. 'n Wanbelans kan geskep word deur verskillende faktore wat die individu nadelig kan raak en die balans versteur of die "wellness" waarna hy streefbenadeel. Hierdie studie is aangespoor deur die belangrike invloed van ongesonde gedrag op die Suid Afrikaanse bevolking en gepaardgaande invloed by die werkplek. Die "wellness" van die individu wek nuwe belangstelling in tye waar mense se lewens al meer versuur word deur verhoogde stresvlakke, siektes sowel as voortdurende en onvoorspelbare verandering. "Wellness" programme is aan die voorpunt om die balans van die werkende bevolking te herstel en die strewe na perfeksie verteenwoordig 'n tweeledige voordeel vir sowel die wergewer as die wernemer. Dit kom voor asof daar 'n vermeerdering is in die toetrede tot die "wellness" programme se bestaansvlak sedert die aansprong daarvan sy beslag gekry het in die mynwese van Suid Afrika. Daar is egter 'n gebrek aan navorsing wat gedoen is aangaande hierdie programme om die ontwikkeling daarvan te ondersteun asook die toekomstige verbetering en uitbreiding van hierdie lewensbelangrike intervensie in die individu se lewe. Met hierdie studiestuk is daar beoog om die omvang van "wellness" programme in Suid Afrikaanse organisasies te ondersoek sowel as die gesofistikeerde begrip van hierdie programme in konteks te plaas. Die studie is verder verbreed tot die ontwikkeling van 'n model wat die stelsel van "wellness" en sy praktiese toepassing uitbeeld. Om hierdie faktore te ondersoek is 'n navorsingsvraelys ontwikkel en voorgelê aan 58 respondente vir voltooiing. Die resultate dui aan dat daar verskeie gesofistikeerde metodes aangewend word in die samestelling en onderhoud van "wellness" programme in daardie organisasies wat wel sulke programme ingestel het. 'n Tendens is waargeneem dat die konsep van "wellness" meer en meer na waarde geskat word soos aangedui deur die resultate behaal. Diesnieteenstaande is daar ook vasgestel dat spesifieke leiding en inligting omtrent hierdie veld van "welIness" voordeling kan wees vir die toekomstige ontwikkeling en behaling van sulke intervensies in die Suid Afrikaanse besigheidskonteks.

This diploma thesis inspects the position of women in company boards. The gender equality in workplace has been a widely discussed topic during the last several years; nevertheless, the attention paid to women in leading positions remains significantly low, especially in the Czech Republic. The primary objective of this thesis is to identify and evaluate the position of women on company boards, and furthermore, to propose recommendations to ameliorate the discovered deficiencies. The theoretical part is based on the knowledge acquired from the scientific literature. The evaluation of the existing position of women in company boards is deducted from the qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with ten women from top management. These women are challenged by three fundamental barriers: work-life balance, lack of confidence and stereotypes. Due to the extensive scope of this topic, the recommendations shall be applied to three basic levels of authority: state, companies and individuals. The priority shall be put on the capacity of childcare facilities, the family-friendly oriented company policies and the personal development through mentoring and coaching.

The purpose of this study was to explore working single mothers’ work-life balance in order to better understand how employers can assist them. Role theory, role conflict theory, and spillover theory were utilized to examine how working single mothers experience work-life balance and how they perceive it. In this study, the researcher sought to discover, analyze, and report work-life balance experiences of working single mothers through extended narrative accounts, which answer the following research questions: 1. In what ways do working single mothers strive to attain work-life balance? 2. What challenges do working single mothers encounter that affect their ability to obtain work-life balance? 3. How do working single mothers believe their employers’ policies, practices, and attitudes impact their ability to balance work and family responsibilities? Narrative inquiry was the best research approach for this study because it allowed the individuals to narrate their own stories. The methods of collecting data for this study consisted of a basic demographic questionnaire and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data analysis revealed four main themes and several subthemes highlighting the strategies, challenges, and employers’ contributions to the work-life balance of working single mothers.

Denna studie syftar till att beskriva och förstå hur personalchefer upplever ett gränslöst arbete och hur det påverkar deras välmående, samt hur de hanterar gränsdragningen mellan arbete och privatliv. Detta har undersökts med hjälp av en kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod.Resultatet visar att personalchefernas arbete kännetecknas av gränslöshet, till följd av att tillgänglighet och flexibilitet i arbetet suddat ut gränserna mellan arbete och privatliv. Gränslösheten är tidvis utmanande eftersom den resulterat i att personalcheferna utför arbetsrelaterade uppgifter även efter arbetstid. Samtidigt betraktas den som en viktig förutsättning för både välmående och upplevelsen av balans mellan sfärerna. Att ha möjlighet att arbeta när som helst och var som helst har bidragit tillen känsla av kontroll som uppskattas av många, samtidigt som det också skapat en känsla att det finns mer att göra och nya mål att uppnå. Personalcheferna har olika strategier för att hantera arbetets otydliga gränser, där vissa visat sig vara mer effektiva än andra. Trots att konsekvenserna av att inte kunna stänga av arbetet är negativa, tycks fördelarna som kommer av att styra sin egen tid väga tyngre och ingen av personalcheferna önskar gå tillbaka till en tid utan möjlighet till flexibilitet och uppkoppling.