Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Masters of arts by coursework and research report in social anthropology University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg / As capitalism speeds up and spreads out whilst entering a new phase of internationalization, individuals are left with uncertainty with regards to what ‘place’ means and how they should relate to it. Within the corporate sphere, this must ring true for many office workers – especially those who have migrated to new cities or countries. Scholarly work on time-space compression has prompted anthropologists (and social theorists) to re-think ‘place’ not solely in terms of capital, but also in relation to race or gender. By looking at an Indian-owned international mining corporation, which has entered Africa – specifically in Tete, Mozambique – with, in their view, the aim of functioning as a ‘local company’, I wish to interrogate corporate self-conceptualisation by asking the question: “What does it mean to be an Indian corporation in Africa?” I explore their Colony – made up of the corporate administrative office and adjacent housing compound – by looking at how this space is constructed in relation to the outside space of the country in which it is located, as well as through an unpacking of this construction with regards to workplace relations in the corporate office and in the lives of office workers both within and outside of the office. We can no longer look at a single place without considering the complex mix of the global that makes it up, that indeed collapses into it. We are challenged to see place as a point of intersection; to not merely look at the visible networks of global capital, but also to recognise and give importance to those invisible flows of people and networks that link them, especially in relation to south-south partnerships and interactions. When looking at the office space, we must acknowledge that the office space is more than simply a daily meeting place – it is not static, and it has no boundaries (other than its four walls). Rather, it is more complex than a single identity and yet, at the same time, is unique in the complexities that unify it. / GR2017

Half Price Books, Records, Magazines, Inc. (HPB), fills a unique niche by selling a variety of new, used and rare merchandise primarily in their chain of 116 stores in sixteen states and online. The company has noticed increased mobile device use among customers in their stores while sales have declined in recent years. To remain viable HPB is attempting to adapt to market forces in a timely manner while remaining continually interested in growth and innovation. A major part of adapting, growing, and innovating is the adoption and astute utilization of technology in-store and a more complete understanding of their customers’ activities and preferences. The goal is to make Half Price Books a more technologically savvy destination for shopping, community events, and entertainment. One purpose of this study is to give the company a better idea of how customers use technology in searching for merchandise including information searches generated in-store from mobile devices and how customers use the internet to find merchandise prior to and following their experiences in HPB’s stores. Another important purpose is to also determine what kinds of events such as book signings, poetry readings and other special events customers would like to see at Half Price Books, since the company has indicated a strong desire to provide fun and memorable experiences as well as products. The major research aims of this study are (1) To explore how customers use technology in searching for books in relation to two Half Price Books locations in Arlington, Texas and (2) To determine what customers want in terms of in-store events at these same locations.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, September 2008.

"The role of human resource management (HRM), or simply human resource (HR), practitioners has changed dramatically, especially in the last 10 years. As a result of this change in role, as detailed in the literature review, HRM practitioners require appropriate competencies to maintain effectiveness and enhance the value of their contribution to their organisation..." --p. 1. / Master of Business

"The role of human resource management (HRM), or simply human resource (HR), practitioners has changed dramatically, especially in the last 10 years. As a result of this change in role, as detailed in the literature review, HRM practitioners require appropriate competencies to maintain effectiveness and enhance the value of their contribution to their organisation..." --p. 1. / Master of Business

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 184-187). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis contributes to research that informs the studies of organizational management and organizational anthropology. It examines the internal hierarchy and organizational practices of a Tech Company and describes how findings contributed to policy recommendations aimed towards supporting a “guild” model for organizational success. The data collecting and research were undertaken while working as an employee of the Tech Program and subsequent analysis continued past the end of that phase of work. Methods included semi-structured interviews which captured the sentiments and understandings of employees within the organization, and a questionnaire which revealed sentiments and experiences from former employees. These were buttressed with participant observation engaged through a participatory action research methodology. Findings add to the work directed towards understanding the effect of Founder’s Syndrome within organizations. Additionally, this thesis contributes to a growing body of research centered on best practices for fostering positive organizational growth by creating lines of communication from front-line employees to management level employers.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, March 2017. / This research is an investigation of how kinship is mobilised for commercial purposes by business persons and with what kinds of effects on forms of kinship and obligation. Ntabankulu urban, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa has specifically been targeted for this purpose. Through in-depth interviews targeting ‘Black’ South African business owners, the research establishes the identities of the business persons whilst further exploring how they draw from non-capitalist forms of organisation such as kinship in dealing with various challenges associated with the dictates of capitalist enterprise. Important is the point that the black business persons involved in this study have emerged from what can be deemed as ‘liminal’ precarious socio-economic backgrounds and proved to be active agents who could successfully draw from practices based on non-capitalist forms of organisation such as kinship to deal with obligation-related challenges encountered within an inherently capitalist context. This study constitutes a break from conventional economics that has previously viewed customary elements such as kinship as detrimental to business. This break is represented by noting the resilience of non-capitalist forms of organisation, particularly within the business context. Besides that, the relationship between culture and the market has been repositioned to create a close relational situation in contrast to previous claims of the two being incompatible. The study explores the ideas of kinship and related practices, reciprocal cooperation and conflict as well as modernity’s influences within the context of efforts aimed at balancing kinship with business obligations. In addition, the study investigates how the inevitable coexistence of customary and business practices leads to newly invented forms of organisation that have seen ethnic communities notably reinventing themselves into business entities. It follows that South African corporations, just as is the case the world over, are increasingly embracing customary values such as kinship in efforts to explore alternative markets and structures of consumption. The study also assesses the complexities involved in balancing kin and business obligations especially in relation to the multiplicity of kin and business obligations that in instances tend to be contradictory. / XL2018

Organizations rely on their training departments to deliver adequate training for effective use of knowledge on the job to new and tenured employees. The transfer of learned knowledge and skills yields many positive outcomes for the employees, the trainers, and the organization as a whole. Such outcomes include improved productivity and efficiency, increased morale, work enjoyment, improved customer service, and improved shareholder satisfaction. In order to achieve these outcomes, training departments must employ skilled training personnel knowledgeable about curriculum design and creative with training delivery and learning environments. These requirements implementation will depends heavily on the experience level of training professionals. Training professionals need to understand their own learning styles and how to appropriately utilize strategies to target the various learning styles that exist in the classroom. Instructors must constantly monitor the learning environment and be able to make immediate changes to meet the needs of the participants when necessary. Participants themselves play an integral role in the effective transfer of learning from the classroom to the job. Learners’ backgrounds, life experiences, and motivation to learn are important considerations for designing a positive learning experience. When training programs cater to learners’ preferred learning styles with an appropriate learning environment in mind, the instructor, the learner, and the organization reap numerous benefits. More specifically, when learners’ learning styles are supported by their instructors’ teaching styles, the overall learning experience becomes optimized to the benefit of all stakeholders.