Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today's economy demands that organisations' continually change the way they do business. The agility and efficiency with which organisations can implement change are vital in ensuring their continued competitiveness. Unfortunately, people's fear of the unknown results in a natural propensity to resist change. This presents significant challenges that management must overcome in order to implement desired changes to improve organisational efficiencies and overall stakeholder value. This study investigates the importance of employee commitment in implementing workplace change through a review of related literature and the analyses of primary data collected. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all employees within Media24 IT. The findings indicate a strong relationship between commitment and change. Especially one type of commitment displays significant importance with respect to workplace change, i.e. commitment that deals with an employee's emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organisation. Additionally, certain drivers of commitment are investigated and conclusions presented. However, it is recommended that further research might be necessary. This is mainly due to the fact that the primary data collected could be seen as merely a reflection of the situation within a single organisation at a certain period in time. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vandag se ekonomie vereis dat organisasies vooortdurend die wyse waarop hulle besigheid doen, moet verander. Die tempo en doeltreffendheid waarmee organisasies verandering kan implementeer, is van deurslaggewende belang vir hul voortgesette kompeterendheid. Ongelukkig veroorsaak mense se vrees vir die onbekende 'n natuurlike geneigdheid om verandering teen te staan. Dit bied aan bestuur aansienlike uitdagings wanneer gewenste veranderings om organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en belanghebberwaarde te verbeter, geimplemenleer moet word. Hierdie werkstuk ondersoek die belangrikheid van werknemers se toegewydheid ten opsigte van die implementering van verandering by die werkplek deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en die analise van primere data wat ingesamel is. Die data is deur middel van 'n vraelys wat aan al Media24 IT se personeellede gestuur is, ingesamel. Die bevindings dui 'n sterk verwantskap tussen toegewydheid en verandering aan. Veral een tipe toegewydheid wat handel oor 'n werknemer se emosionele verbintenis tot die organisasie, asook identifikasie met en betrokkenheid by die organisasie, toon 'n sterk invloed op verandering in die werkplek. Addisioneel word sekere drywers van toegewydheid ondersoek en afleidings gemaak. Daar word egter aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing moontlik nodig mag wees. Dit is hoofsaaklik weens die feit dat die primere data wat ingesamel is, gesien kan word as 'n blote weerspieeling van die situasie binne 'n enkele organisasie op 'n gegewe tydstip.

The main aim of this thesis is defining employee loyalty in its entirety and describing the concept of employee loyalty based on a qualitative research. The concept has been proposed by using theoretical knowledge, semi-structured interviews and qualitative method of thematic analysis with a partial process of grounded theory. The concept corresponds to the main research questions, and therefore formulates a theoretical definition of employee loyalty, loyalty aspects, and implications and possibilities of influencing loyalty within organizational processes. The results obtained illustrate the relationship between the job satisfaction and employee loyalty. The job satisfaction affects building and maintenance of a loyal employee relationship with the organization, but it could be also the consequence of such loyal relationship. The aspects of employee loyalty can include: personal skills, satisfaction, reciprocity of investments in the relationship, interpersonal trust, sharing of similar values and beliefs, experience, positive attitudes and desires, moral background, clear expectations and mapping of potential changes on both sides, knowledge of mutual goals, willingness to put common goals above individual ones, own responsibility towards common goals, mutual faith in the relationship, form of...

Having high employee loyalty is something which most organisation strive to obtain. Not only because of the morals of it, but also because of the fact that high levels of employee loyalty have been proven in many studies to increase operational performance. However, the literature on the concept provides many different definitions on it, and also suggest many different factors that affect how loyal an employee feels towards their organisations. The studies conducted previously on the topic has mainly been quantitative studies researching the connection between levels of loyalty and performance, and at specific companies or industries. As soon to be newly graduated students, the authors of this study also found the lack of comparison between people with different working experience interesting. Due to these reasons, the purpose of this study was to dig deeper into the concept of employee loyalty, how it is defined and which factors that affect the level of loyalty an employee feels towards an organisation. The sub-purposes of this study involve comparing one group of people with 1-3 years of working experience to another group with more than 15 years of working experience. The research question that was developed to be answered in this thesis is as follows: How does the view upon employee loyalty and the factors affecting it differ between people whom have been working for more than 15 years versus 1-3 years?  In order to answer the research questions and fulfil the purpose, a comparative qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews. In line with some previous studies, the Social Identity theory and the Social Exchange theory were used in order to explain the factors affecting employee loyalty. The first focuses upon the level of identification the respondents feel towards different components of the organisation, while the other focuses on factors of exchange between the organisation and its employees. These theories, and theories connected to what employee loyalty is, was used in order to develop a conceptual model which served as a foundation for the data collection, empirical findings, and the analysis.  The empirical findings of this thesis showed that while some definitions of employee loyalty and the factors which are affecting it are similar between the groups, there were also some differences. Employee loyalty was defined by most as someone whom has a behaviour and attitude which is positive, does what is expected from them and whom represents the company in a good manner. The difference between the groups regarding employee loyalty were that the group with more experience seem to have higher demand to classify someone as a loyal employee than the group with less experience has. Moreover, the most evident difference of what affects employee loyalty was that the factor competence development was by far most important for the groups with less experience, while a responsive organisation was what the group with more experience found important in order to keep employees loyal.  Conclusions drawn from this study is that “softer” factors like the relationship’s employees have between each other, the organisational culture, and sense of opportunity for personal growth seem to be far more important for employees than physical benefits. Furthermore, there seem to be some differences regarding employee loyalty between groups with different levels of working experience which is why this thesis recommends organisations to be responsive to its employees’ needs and adapt their management to all employees.

In this study, three theoretical frameworks (i.e., justice framework, job security framework and trust framework) and the constructs of affective commitment and loyalty to supervisor are combined in two competing models in order to study the antecedents and the consequences of organizational commitment in the context of Chinese joint ventures. The two models include distributive justice, procedural justice, job security and trust in organization as the antecedents of affective commitment; interactional justice and guanxi with an immediate supervisor as the antecedents of loyalty to supervisor; employees' turnover intention as the outcome variable of affective commitment; and employees' performance as the outcome variable of loyalty to supervisor. / Joint ventures have become a major form of foreign investment in China since it adopted its open-door economic policy, but little is known about the factors that affect job attitudes of local employees in Chinese joint ventures. Empirical studies of affective commitment and loyalty, to supervisor in Chinese joint ventures have received relatively little research attention. This dissertation fills the gap by investigating factors affecting joint venture employees' affective commitment and loyalty to supervisor in Mainland China. / The results showed that the mediation model was better supported than the direct effect model. The findings also showed that trust in organization on affective commitment mediates the relationship between perceived distributive justice, perceived procedural justice, perceived job security and affective commitment at the organizational level; trust in supervisor on loyalty to supervisor mediates the relationship between perceived interactional justice and loyalty to supervisor at the supervisory level. Practically, the findings of the antecedents and consequences of Chinese joint ventures employees' affective commitment and loyalty to supervisor have considerable implications in managing people in joint ventures. Based on the analysis, implications for future studies of joint venture employees' organizational commitment in Mainland China are also derived. / Wong Yui-tim. / "July 2000." / Adviser: Ngo Hang-yue. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 61-08, Section: A, page: 3258. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-163). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-180).

This thesis aims to explore the effects of tight budgetary control on employee behavior focusing on employee loyalty, employee satisfaction, job related tension and tendency towards data manipulation in public sectors. The study explores the subject on the population of three countries which includes Sweden, Jordan and Pakistan. In Pakistan and Jordan, no previous study has ever been performed which tried to explore effects of tight budgetary control in employee behavior. Method: Keeping the above fact in view, method derived for this study was the combination of qualitative and quantitative approach. Questionnaires were formulated and sent to employees of the sampled companies receiving 740 responses. For qualitative method, 5 employees were interviewed from entire three countries. Finding: the study revealed that all three countries are experiencing tight budgetary control whereas Jordan and Pakistan are experiencing it on higher level and Sweden is experiencing it in lower level as compared to Pakistan and Jordan. As far employee behavior is concerned, both the method proved that loyalty was negatively related to tight budgetary control for Pakistan and Sweden whereas positively related in case of Jordan. Satisfaction is also negatively related to tight budgetary control for Sweden and Pakistan while positively related for Jordan. Job related tension and tendency towards data manipulation are positively related to tight budgetary control for all three countries. Research type: Master’s thesis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

1 Abstract: This paper brings a specific look into the world of marketing agencies working in market research through the job satisfaction and employee loyalty constructs. In the theoretical framework is presented conceptual and definitional problem of job satisfaction, which is consequently supplied by other theories like work engagement, work commitment or employee loyalty. Author's goal is to describe these theoretical concepts as interdependent, but simultaneously able to work separately and with support of other factors, which lead to their increasing or decreasing. In the empirical part of the framework are information used in praxis through the concrete marketing agency working in market research. Work environment is presented like dynamical example of modern company with explanation how works these aspects of job satisfaction and loyalty right there. Empirical research is realized with help of well-known methodological instruments used for measurement of these constructs to analyse and describe work environment of this company with a goal to identify the level of different aspects of job satisfaction and employee loyalty. Keywords: Job satisfaction, employee loyalty, work motivation, marketing agency

Only in about 35 percent of mergers do companies meet their pre-merger goals. One cause of these failures is attributed to the unstable work environment created by a pending merger. Previous research has focused on post-merger attitudes of employees. The purpose of the current study was to explore communication processes in announcing a merger. Scenarios were used to simulate merger announcements.