The purpose of the research was to recommend a model for strategic human resource management through an effective staff performance appraisal system in Botswana public libraries. Performance appraisal is not a new concept; however the evolution of performance appraisal tools and techniques has been slow compared to that of other management fields. This discrepancy is now being realised; organisations are starting to acknowledge the importance of comprehensive, regular appraisal of staff as part of an effective human resource management policy. Human resources are a scarce and valuable tool in any organisation and it is mainly through performance appraisal that they can be developed and maintained, to ensure organisational success. The theory underlying strategic human resource management and performance management has been studied. Empirical research through a questionnaire was carried out in 23 public libraries. From these it was possible to develop a model entitled "A recommended strategic human resource management model". From empirical investigation the main critical qualities for efficient public library services were revealed as enthusiasm; positive attitude; innovative thinking; capability and commitment; critical competencies as expertise; team-building; and leadership; critical external factors as external environment; global competition; shrinking budget; changing library customers and employees' needs and information technology; strategic management issues organisational culture; transformational leadership; employee recognition and reward systems; performance measurement system; productivity improvement; and customer orientation; critical staff issues as sense of purpose and achievement; feeling of self-worth; job-security; recognition; status; career development; and salary; motivational factors as effective communication; job satisfaction; delegation of authority; clear job description; performance feedback; conducive working environment; human resource strategy issues as motivation building among staff;continuous education and development; generating competitive advantage through human resources; and alignment of human resource strategy with strategic management plan. The study recommends a strategic human resource management model for libraries along with: conducive working environment; adequate IT infrastructure to store, organise and retrieve information; staff training for excellent customer service; objective, reward based staff appraisal; performance feedback; performance appraisal should be aligned with staff selection, library mission, staff motivation and promotion in order to use it strategically; and human resource strategy should be developed immediately. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Thesis / The Companies Bill B61-2008 proposes to introduce appraisal rights into South African law. Appraisal entitles a shareholder to demand payment from the corporate issuer of his shares at a fair cash value in certain instances where major transactions which would change the company's direction have been proposed. It allows a cash exit rather than being coerced into supporting the majority's decision. Arriving at a fair share value is a challenge to appraisal. Presently, under the Personal action, a shareholder who opines that the company's act or omission is unfairly prejudicial or that its affairs are conducted in an unfairly prejudicial manner, may apply to court for an appropriate order. It enables the minority to challenge the majority's decision. Both remedies will be available to dissenting shareholders under the new dispensation and a shareholder must decide which remedy best suits his purposes. Appraisal should be seen as a last resort. / Law / LL.M. (Corporate Law)

Text in Afrikaans / Performance management and performance appraisal plays a crucial role in developing human resources. In the social work profession the social work supervisor is the person responsible to appraise the performance of the social worker because of the excellent position to observe the job performance directly and consistently. The purpose of this study is to investigate how social work supervisors perform their supervisory functions and apply performance appraisal. The researcher used qualitative research for an exploratory and descriptive study. In-depth interviews were use as data collection method. The sample group was social work supervisors in the employment of the Western Cape Department of Social Development. Performance appraisal can be use to encourage professional growth and development of social workers. Performance appraisal is a supervisory duty and thus a component of administrative, educational and supportive supervision. It seems however that supervisors experience problems with performing supervision and to apply performance appraisal. / Thesis (M.A. (Maatskaplike Werk))

This study explores participatory development methods which may be engaged with a smaller community interest group to create an environment conducive to free and effective participation towards empowering more participants in rural communities. The study was conducted in Makhuduthamaga Municipal area in Sekhukhune District of Limpopo Province. The data was collected through participants observation during application of Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques , community groups, documents reviews, and groups and individual interviews. The study looked into participation procedures and pattern during Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques, groups' institutionalisation and internal participation environment. The study also conducted comparative analysis between community interest groups and organisational linkage structures, in order to establish how free and conducive the groups' internal environments are between the cases. The study found that: interest groups are more common, accessible and empowering in rural communities than organisational linkage structures. People participate and attain self-esteem and selfreliance, making them participate and develop a sense of responsibility and ownership. The findings will therefore inform development agents in government departments and NGOs about the elements to consider in the implementation of development programmes, and to make appropriate choice of partic ipatory models for effective partic ipation and empowerment. The stud y's theoretical contribution is in sustenance participation theory, which argues that for people to effectively participate in their development, they should be made to participate by being given responsibilities which may motivate them to participate in finding solutions, own the outcomes, and participate toward sustaining them. / Development Studies / D.Phil. (Development Studies)

Within the context of technological development, the needs and preferences of the 21st century student (Generation Y), the changing higher education environment, the increasing use of technology in teaching and learning, and the significant role of online learning facilitators in e-learning, the e-readiness of academic employees became imperative. Thus, considering the importance of academic employees' e-readiness, the primary objective of the study aims to determine the role of key human factors in their e-readiness, with specific focus on personal work profile patterns, preferred learning style and pace and style of technology adoption. The research problem therefore is how to determine the role of these key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. In this respect the study argues that the e-readiness assessment of academic employees must be included in the human resource performance appraisal process. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework for assessing the ereadiness of academic employees during their performance appraisals, as well as determining and assessing the role of key human factors in their e-readiness in order to draft an e-profile which will provide guidance in terms of structuring unique training and development approaches for each e-profile. Once accademic employees' e-readiness has been assessed during their performance appraisals, they can be plotted on the framework. The outcome of their e-readiness assessments will reveal their e-profiles, which will portray insight into the presence or absence of particular ereadiness indicators, outlined in an e-readiness construct. Subsequently, a personal development plan can be drafted, making provision for uniquely structured training and development interventions, best suited for each accademic employees' e-profile. The most suitable motivating factors for each employee will also be considered during the drafting of the personal development plan. The empirical research by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a focus group discussion revealed two prominent e-profiles indicating various levels of ereadiness, namely an early adopter-pragmatist-compliance e-profile and an early majority-theorist-steadiness e-profile. The findings made it evident that the traits portrayed by a person belonging to a certain technology adoption category show similarities to traits portrayed by particular learning styles and personal work profile patterns. Certain profiles could be identified, based on trends and similarities pertaining to interpersonal traits. The findings further revealed that with an increase in age and teaching experience of respondents (which also imply an increase in age), the willingness to be assessed on e-readiness declined. It was also determined that the human resource performance management policies and practices at the North-West University (NWU) (which is used as case study), do not make provision for the inclusion of e-readiness in performance appraisals of academic employees. Further it became evident that training and development interventions should not only focus on the technical skill of e-learning, but follow a broader teaching and learning approach, also including the philosophy of e-learning and the use and adaptation of teaching and learning strategies to obtain optimal learner learning. The findings of the study thus supported the need for a framework, providing guidance in this regard. Presently, neither the literature of human resource performance appraisal nor the literature of e-readiness or e-learning makes provision for assessing the e-readiness of academic employees. The study thus contributes to the scholarly discourse and knowledge in the field of public human resource management, as sub-field of Public Administration, by developing a theoretical framework (that currently does not exist), consisting of three matrixes for this purpose to determine the role of the key human factors in the e-readiness of academic employees. / Public Administration / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration)

This study was a situation analysis of the socio-economic conditions of orphans and vulnerable children in Dessie Town. Specifically the study assessed the educational attainment, economic status, social isolation, adjustment, discrimination and psycho-social status of OVCs, the characteristics of the care-givers of OVCs and the support systems for OVCs. Therefore, 270 OVCs, 130 guardians and 4 OVCs service-providing organisations were selected as respondents. A survey research design was used. The study found that OVCs and their households faced problems such as school dropout, low educational performance; economic and food insecurity, lack of adequate clothing; social isolation and emotional hardships due to separation of siblings; discrimination, and neglect. Children’s housing conditions, toilet facilities, and access to clean water and health facilities were poor. The majority of guardians were unemployed and unable to fulfil the needs of the OVCs in their care. It is recommended that support systems for OVCs be strengthened. / Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)

This study entails a critical investigation into the issue and trends that shaped Black perspectives on education in South Africa in the period between 1652 and 1993. A theoretical-philosophical exposition is presented to establish the fundamental characteristics of education and therefore characteristics valid for every human being under any circumstances at any time. These characteristics were used to eventually appraise the issues and trends underlying the shaping of Black perspectives on education in South Africa. This study has revealed that the shaping of Black perspectives on education in South Africa goes hand in hand with the growing realization among Blacks that education is not merely a political issue but also deeply imbedded in the interconnectedness and/or differences between social realities such as the church, the school itself, teachers' associations, the news media et cetera. This should be accounted for by every citizen in a responsible way. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (History of Education)

This study entails a critical investigation into the issue and trends that shaped Black perspectives on education in South Africa in the period between 1652 and 1993. A theoretical-philosophical exposition is presented to establish the fundamental characteristics of education and therefore characteristics valid for every human being under any circumstances at any time. These characteristics were used to eventually appraise the issues and trends underlying the shaping of Black perspectives on education in South Africa. This study has revealed that the shaping of Black perspectives on education in South Africa goes hand in hand with the growing realization among Blacks that education is not merely a political issue but also deeply imbedded in the interconnectedness and/or differences between social realities such as the church, the school itself, teachers' associations, the news media et cetera. This should be accounted for by every citizen in a responsible way. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (History of Education)

Curriculum 2005 together with its learning areas has been introduced in South Africa in 1998. All learning areas, except Technology Learning Area, are not new. Technology is growing so rapidly that it gives so many challenges to people. These challenges include making technology part of our curriculum, formulating and adapting technological solutions to problems people may experience. We have to ask ourselves what technology or Technology Education means. Therefore, this study provides the meaning and the rationale for Technology Education in our curriculum. This study also attempts to shed light on the form of training educators should attend for Technology Education. Although there are different methods of training, for example PRESET and INSET, this study concentrates on various forms of INSET. INSET is chosen because it is a means through which the present need for Technology Education educators can be solved. The percentage of educators involved in part-time study will increase in relation to the number in full-time education. The closing down of some of colleges of education in South Africa reduces the use of PRESET and increases INSET as a means of educator training. The advantages of using INSET instead of PRESET are provided in this study. The National Teacher Audit of 1995 has shown that the quality of INSET in South Africa is poor. In addition, it seems the present ad hoc way of running INSET will not cope with challenges of training educators for Curriculum 2005 and Technology Education. Normally, INSET is the prime strategy for addressing problems in PRESET. Unfortunately, INSET has to train educators for Technology Education (Technology Learning Area) which was never touched by PRESET before. For this reason, this study provides an INSET model, guidelines and recommendations to make the suggested model of INSET work successfully. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)

The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by Development Support Groups (DSGs) in implementing the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in the secondary schools of Circuit 03 of Libode district of Eastern Cape Province. The scope of research was restricted to three secondary schools in circuit 03. The research methodology was qualitative in which multiple case study strategy was employed. The sampling strategy was purposive sampling and it included principals, educators serving in DSG and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to get information from principals. Questionnaires with open ended questions were used to obtain information from educators serving in DSGs and educators who have been evaluated in the previous years. The findings of this study were that; the DSGs did not receive training that specifically explained their role. Timing is a problem in evaluation of educators as it is performed in the fourth term when educators are busy preparing for final examinations and planning for the next coming year. The infrastructure condition cripples the performance of DSGs. The interpretation of evaluation instruments for educators poses a challenge to DSGs. The awarding of scores by DSGs tends to be more subjective. DSGs mainly have to use their discretion in awarding scores. Analysis of information received from participants indicated that the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS could be improved with intensive training of DSGs on IQMS. Summative evaluation of educators has to be conducted in the third term as many activities take place in the fourth term. Learner performance has also to be a deciding factor in awarding educator scores. Subject advisors should form part of DSGs. This research is likely to benefit school principals, policy makers, educators and IQMS coordinators as it provides clarity on the role of DSGs in implementing IQMS. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)