This dissertation investigates the relationship between work performance and the sense of coherence, using the salutogenesis approach and the influence of employees' biographical variables on work performance. The sense of coherence construct is discussed and conceptualised in terms of its comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Similarly, work performance is discussed and conceptualised in terms of its dimensions and dynamics. The integration of the literature study characteristics such as the cognitive, affective, conative and interpersonal characteristics were discussed. The research was conducted among 80 employees at a banking institution. The quality of life questionnaire and performance appraisal ratings were used. The relationship between biographical variables such as age, marital status, gender, qualifications, tenure, functional department and work performance were investigated. The results confirmed the empirical investigation that there was not a significant relationship between work performance and SOC. However, a significant relationship was found between job category and work performance, and between age and work performance. Finally, recommendations made for future research included using a bigger sample size in order to improve the generalisation of the findings to other organisational environments, and to further determine the relationship between other aspects of work performance (not just the KPAs) such as the human attributes of work performance and SOC. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Traditional healers are one among professionals that are viewed as the most significant people in African Society. They are accorded the highest esteem because of the role they play in saving people’s lives and promoting cultural aspects such as ukuhlonipha amasiko in isiZulu. It should be remembered that this word ukuhlonipha which means to respect, is used across cultures to maintain peace within family and society. It all depends on which culture promotes it more than others. It is sociolinguistic truism that ukuhlonipha is essentially linked to the ubuntu philosophy of African people. However, traditional healers more than other people follow ukuhlonipha culture in numerous ways, especially when they meet, being consulted and during traditional ceremonies. They serve and promote what in IsiZulu is known as ukuhlonipha, which to the uninitiated and sometimes even to the scholars of this philosophy is a mystery. It is for this reason and others that people view them as the soul of society. This study looks at relevant sociolinguistic theories especially the politeness theory to analyze most of the hlonipha features shown by traditional healers, apprentice and people during consultation. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

This study is on standard isiXhosa in a multilingual classroom and includes an interpretation of both urban and rurual learners’ literary texts. An attempt is made to examine a selection of isiXhosa texts in order to interprete the state of affairs of the isiXhosa language in the 21st century. Organization of the study This dissertation was organized in the following manner: Chapter one includes an introduction to the study, its aims and objectives as well as the research methodology. Since the isiXhosa language is the focal point of the study, it is discussed in some depth. In chapter two, the researcher concentrates on the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) "Imibono yethu". Imibono yethu is an anthology of learners' writings. The learners were invited to enter a competition by using various genres, e.g. short stories, poems, one-act dramas, rap songs, kwaito, essays, and melodic poems. The researcher wanted the learners to use whatever genre inspires them, to put it colloquially, "what turns them on!" Any aspect of the urban lifestyle could be explored within the theme of each entry and fell under the following headings: • Standard language. • Standard isiXhosa. Chapter three investigates non-standard language varieties with special reference to isiXhosa and the language policy of South Africa. In this chapter, a comparison was drawn between non-standard language and standard language. vi In chapter four, the researcher discusses the overall findings of the competition, comparing the results emanating from the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Chapter five deals with achievement of the objectives and highlights of the research. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

The objective of this study was to determine (1) if there is a difference between Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y employees’ perceptions of organisational culture and if so, (2) to determine if generational sub-cultures are formed within an organisation as a result of these different perceptions. A quantitative research design was chosen, and employees (n = 455) in a large South African information and communication technologies (ICT) sector company, selected through proportionate, random, stratified sampling, completed the South African Culture Instrument (SACI). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, and the results of this study indicate that generational sub-cultures can be identified in the organisation, based on significantly different perceptions of five of the seven dimensions of organisational culture examined. This study therefore contributes to the body of knowledge on organisational culture and the formation of sub-cultures at a generational level and can be used to enhance organisational talent and management strategies. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This descriptive study investigates the link between religion, (institutional and private) identity (ethnic and personal) and the community (Portuguese and South African) in the context of religious and cultural pluralism. It analyses sixteen Portuguese women in Durban - nine Roman Catholics, five Protestants and two agnostic and it is executed within the framework of the theory of conditionalism or 'radical relationality', as expounded by J.S. Kruger. The religious practice, experience and identity of the participants are explored, and their social integration as well as famiIy and marital relationships (with special reference to submissiveness) are examined in the light of Catholic Feminist theology. The influence of their experiences on their religion and vice-versa, as well as the fluidity of their identities are analysed. The. results of the study highlight the paradoxical role of religion, as well as a decline in ethnic identity and Catholicism. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M. Th. (Religious Studies)

Hierdie proefskrif is 'n verkennende ondersoek na kykers se interpretasie van die seep-opera Egoli - Piek van Goud. Die basiese vertrekpunt van die studie is die teks-leserontmoeting waar gelyke status aan die boodskap ('n teks) en die ontvanger ('n kyker) gegee word. Uit so 'n ontmoeting ontstaan kykers se interpretasies. Die tweeledige ondersoek plaas die proefskrif binne die teoretiese en metodologiese raamwerk van resepsiestudie om die komplekse interaksie tussen 'n teks en die ontvanger te ondersoek. Die twee komponente word binne spesifieke historiese en kulturele kontekste geplaas, te wete die veranderende politieke en ideologiese klimaat in Suid-Afrika asook die sosio-kulturele en politieke kontekste van die deelnemers. Die deelnemers van hierdie studie is groepe bruin-, swart- en witvroue. Groeponderhoude (fokusgroepe) is met ses groepe vroue tydens hul etensuur by die werkplek gevoer. Die onderhoude is rondom die volgende temas gestruktureer: romanse, identifikasie, parasosiale interaksie, sosiale interaksie, intertekstualiteit en Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van Suid-Afrikaanse werklikhede. Kykers se interpretasie van die temas is ontleed aan die hand van referensiele, onderhandelde en kritiese interpretasierame. Daar is gevind dat die verskillende kultuurgroepe in 'n groat mate dieselfde interpretasierame gebruik in hul interpretasie van die verskillende temas. Die opvallendste verskil tussen die groepe is die wyse waarop die deelnemers die tema Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van die SuidAfrikaanse werklikhede vertolk: as gevolg van verskillende sosio-kulturele en politieke omstandighede in Suid-Afrika het die deelnemers waarskynlik interpretasierame ontwikkel wat aan daardie omstandighede gekoppel kan word. In die studie is aangetoon dat die hermeneutiek en resepsieteorie nuttige verklarings gee van die elemente in die seep-operateks wat kykersbetrokkenheid stimuleer en die proses van interpretasie. Die proses verloop soos volg: deelnemers het bepaalde verwagtings oor 'n program; hulle moet die uitgebeelde werklikheid(e) herken en die boodskappe dan toe-eien. Hierna word boodskappe 'n kultuur binnegedra deur middel van sosiale diskoers. Die teoretiese onderbou het voorts aan die lig gebring dat deelnemers se interaksie met en interpretasie van Egoli 'n vorm van spel is. Empiriese bewyse is gevind dat die deelnemers op speelse wyse • oor karakters 'skinder'; • spekuleer oor romantiese assosiasie; • met karakters identifiseer; en • parasosiale verhoudings met karakters aanknoop. / Text in Afrikaans / This thesis is an exploratory study of viewers' interpretation of the soap opera Egoli - Place of Gold. The basic point of departure is the text-viewer encounter where equal status is given to the message (text) and the recipient (viewer). Viewers' interpretations develop from this encounter. This dichotomous investigation places the thesis within the theoretical and methodological framework of reception study where the complex interaction between a text and the recipient is examined. The two components are placed within specific historical and cultural contexts, namely the changing political and ideological climate in South Africa, as well as the socio-cultural and political contexts of the participants. The groups participating in this study consisted of coloured, black and white women. Six group interviews (focus groups) were held with these women during their lunch-hour at the workplace. The interviews were structured around the following themes: romance, identification, parasocial interaction, social interaction,intertextuality and Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities. Viewers' interpretations of these themes were analysed according to referential, negotiated and critical interpretative frames. It was largely found that the various cultural groups use the same interpretative frames to interpret the various themes. The exception was the way participants interpreted Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities: because of different socio-cultural and political circumstances in South Africa the participants may have developed interpretation frames that could be linked to these circumstances. Hermeneutics and reception theory provide useful explanations of these elements in a soap opera text that stimulate viewers' involvement and the process of interpretation. This process proceeds as follows: participants have specific expectations regarding a programme; they must recognise the realities depicted and then appropriate the messages. Thereafter messages are incorporated into a culture by means of social discourse. A further important theoretical finding was that the participants' interaction with and interpretation of Egoli takes the form of play. It was empirically determined in this study that participants playfully • speculate about romantic association; • engage in gossip about characters; • identify with characters; and • develop parasocial relationships with characters. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

The last Supper Jesus had with his disciples on the night before he died on the cross is the foundation of a major liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church called 'the Eucharist'. One of the major designations of the Eucharist is that it is a sacrifice. The starting point of this work is that the sacrificial character of the Eucharist is not as meaningful and relevant for Xhosa people as it should be. The way forward is to study the Eucharistic and Xhosa sacrifices, compare them and suggest ways of rendering the Eucharistic sacrifice meaningful and relevant to Xhosa the people. Although not conclusive, the New Testament gives a strong foundation for the sacrificial understanding of the Eucharist. The Eucharist, as interpreted through the Last Supper accounts, covers all the conventional intentions of sacrifice, i.e. propitiation, communion, thanksgiving and mutual responsibility. The Fathers of the Church affirm the sacrificial character of the Eucharist with varying emphases, but taken together, their understanding shows development of thought and complementarity of themes. In the Middle Ages the most pronounced intention of the . Eucharistic sacrifice is propitiation and post Tridentine theological reflection is informed by this mentality. According to modem and contemporary thought, Christ's death on the cross, which is sacrarnentally represented in the Eucharist, is not an act performed on our behalf to appease an angry God but God's act of love towards us. The emphasis is on self-offering to God as exemplified by Christ. The Xhosa people still have regard for sacrificial rituals, but modernity has modified and sometimes changed their understanding and practice of sacrifice. The principle of God's universal salvific will and the doctrine of incarnation provide theological grounds for inculturating the Eucharist. Thus the inclusion of ancestors and use of cultural symbols in the celebration of the Eucharist may render it meaningful to Xhosa people. Relating the Eucharist to Xhosa culture will revitalise the communion element in Eucharistic sacrifice, which element has been lost sight of through the centuries. Eucharistic sacrifice in its turn will help Xhosa Catholics to have a deepened understanding of sacrifice that extends beyond performance of rituals to include self-giving. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th.(Systematic Theology)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether organisational restructuring of business units within a South African Fast Moving Consumer Goods company had any effect on the organisational climate of the organisation. An organisational climate survey was used before and after the restructuring over a two-year period. Five manufacturing plants formed part of the study; with four plants undergoing the restructuring (experimental group) and one plant being the control group, where no organisational restructuring took place within the two-year period under review. The total population consisted of 3700 employees. The samples for 2010 and 2011 were drawn from the population of the five manufacturing plants’. The sample of employees that took part in the survey from the five manufacturing plants was, in 2010, 778 versus a headcount of 1802, yielding a response rate of 21.02%, and in 2011, 904 versus a headcount of 1736, yielding a response rate of 24.43%. The research results show that organisational restructuring did have a significant impact on organisational climate; with a drop in the organisational climate from 2010 prior to the organisational restructuring, to 2011 after the organisational restructuring at four of the manufacturing plants (experimental group). Interestingly, the control group (the 5th manufacturing plant) also showed a significant drop in its organisational climate scores from 2010 to 2011; without organisational restructuring taking place. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This paper deals with an analysis of the discursive accounts of Eastern Cape white commercial farmers on the subject of Democracy. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of Social Constructionism and Discourse Analysis – which view individuals’ accounts of their realities as produced and informed by their particular social and historical context – the paper seeks to provide an analysis of the content of, and rhetorical strategies within the participants’ accounts and explanations. Such accounts of the social, historical and political circumstances in which Eastern Cape commercial farmers find themselves are thought to provide valuable insights into the manner in which the process of democratisation has been received by members of the agricultural sector. Data collection was conducted via brief, audio taped, semi-structured interviews. The participants were all white men and women, living in a commercial farming region of the Eastern Cape Province. Responses to the interviews were subjected to the Discourse Analytical procedure advanced by Ian Parker. Analyses reveal that participants are critical of the notion of democracy; utilize specific rhetorical and argumentation strategies; make use of notions and techniques of ‘Othering’; and subscribe to a colonial / patriarchal ideology which attempts to idealize pre-democratic South Africa. These findings illustrate what is in many ways still an ongoing political and ideological struggle in the rural regions of the country.

M.A. / This study aims to determine the role of technology-enhanced learning within the South African Police Service as a medium to bring about effective communication, training and education, and subsequently transformation and realignment of corporate culture. Accordingly, it explores the influence of technology in the modern organisation as well indications of how organisations can conform to the information age. The relation of technology to the South African Police Service is consequently examined with due consideration of the communication and training methods in use. The functioning and compilation of technology-enhanced learning present an understanding of how it relates to the study. Furthermore, based on the evidence of persisting cultures and behaviours, and a perception of ineffectiveness and insufficient training of police personnel, the study determines how such a medium would facilitate transformation in the South African Police Service. The transformation process concentrates mainly on the technical, political and cultural systems of transformation in organisations. The process of awakening, present and future states in the South African Police Service and the setting and attainment of a vision through re-architecturing are discussed. The study argues that related technology-enhanced learning abilities, such as boundarylessness, feedback, participation and networking are essential aspects for transformation. The study also provides the basis for determining the use of technology-enhanced learning as an effective medium in promoting a learning organisation in terms of learning cycles. Related barriers to organisation learning included the aspect of attitudes. The relevance of collectivity as a building block to organisation learning is emphasised. In order to support the effective implementation of such a medium an exposition is given of the management of technology-enhanced learning, including aspects such as innovative-decision processes, implementation, risk assessment and theoretical and technical applications. Mass media theories are studied as part of the teacher/communicator applications for the effective and efficient utilisation of such a medium by both the sender and receiver. Among the concepts covered in the study are needs gratification and the formulation of the content of messages. No communications medium can continue to exist in an organisation without the viewer, client or personnel having a need for it. This led the researcher to undertake a quantitative study of the internal environment of the organisation regarding the use of the current television network POL TV, which serves as a measuring instrument to the adoption and application of technologyenhanced learning, and the levels of training. The conclusion to the study is that the amalgamation and transition processes of the South African Police Service has not yet managed to transform the inherent behaviours of groups of individuals in the organisation. In addition, there is a dire need for the development of personnel skills. The study finds technology-enhanced learning to be a dynamic communications, training and education technology that would facilitate the resolution of many uncertainties amongst personnel and redefine attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. Most importantly, the study concludes that, by means of its interactive, integrated, collective, connective, and boundaryless capability, technology-enhanced learning would bring all structures and people of the organisation together in the collective attainment of organisational vision, mission, goals and objectives. Ultimately, it is argued, the resulting impact of technology-enhanced learning would facilitate the transformation of the South African Police Service and its inherent corporate culture, and enhance service delivery to the community through democratic policing.