This study set out to examine the phenomenon of employee motivation in the North West Department of Education. The study argues that the performance of employees to achieve organisational goals is influenced by the level of employee motivation. The study identified that employees are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors have a positive or negative influence on the motivation of employees. The factors identified include the work environment, the performance management and development system, job design, employee involvement, organisational culture and commitment and human relations. A literature study was undertaken to provide a framework through which the importance of the study is highlighted. The literature study reviewed motivation theories that explain the effect of motivation on the behaviour of employees. The mixed research method of collecting and analysing the data, including the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, was used during the research process. The findings of the study show that the motivation levels of employees are varied in relation to factors that influence the motivation of employees. There is therefore evidence in the study that employees are motivated by different needs and therefore a more encompassing approach is required. The study also found that managers in the Department of Education did not put concerted efforts towards the motivation of employees, nor did they put effective programmes in place with regard to the same. In order to achieve the primary research objective, the study recommends that an integrated and comprehensive motivation strategy, that will influence the motivation of employees, be developed. The motivation strategy is perceived to address a number of challenges employees experience in the performance of their work. Recommendations for the implementation of the motivation strategy are presented in order to ensure an increase in the motivation of employees for effective and efficient employee performance. The study identifies areas for further research, which, if implemented, will increase the managers‟ knowledge of recognition schemes to enhance the performance levels of employees. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / The purpose of the research is to identify key factors influencing employee retention in the South African national government departments as a guide towards developing effective employee retention strategies. The research was conducted in three phases. For the determination of employee turnover rates and benchmarks, 33 national departments were classified into three homogenous subgroups with respect to their number of employees (Phase one). Thereafter the employee turnover rates for each department and benchmarks for each subgroup were determined (Phase two). These employee turnover statistics were analysed for all 33 national departments in the three subgroups and used as guidelines for the selection of cases for the multiple case (Phase three). Four departments were selected from each subgroup for the case study where selection was based on a department‟s turnover rate relative to the benchmark rate. These departments participated in a cross sectional survey. The data from the survey was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The analysis confirmed a significant relationship between employee turnover rates and responses for the combined subgroups of selected small, medium and large departments. Significant relationships were also observed for the subgroups of small and large departments. Employee turnover has a significant impact on business performance primarily due to the fact that it takes too long to fill vacant posts together with uncompetitive salary scales and the lack of skilled candidates. Further, the lack of human resourcing strategies, recruitment difficulties, problems related to monitoring and measuring of employee turnover and employee retention difficulties were important issues that influence employee retention. Future research on knowledge and systems for managing employee turnover is recommended.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Human Resources Management, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The research investigation focused on performance appraisal policy and its impact on employee performance in Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria. The aim of the study was to ascertain the extent to which the performance appraisal policy at Guaranty Bank contributed to employee performance. Arising out of the performance appraisal reviews, an important finding revealed that the training which employees received resulted in improved job performance. The performance appraisal reviews also showed that when feedback reports were effectively used they consequently improved employee performance. The research design was quantitative in nature and a closed ended structured questionnaire was used to gather the primary data. The survey method was used for all the employees of Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria. The questionnaire was administered to all 150 target respondents using the personal method and a high response rate of 100% was obtained. The data gathered were analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the statistical tests. The initial analysis involved the use of descriptive statistical tools. The main findings revealed that employee participation in the performance appraisal was generally high and this increased job satisfaction and enhanced employee performance. The results also revealed that manager-subordinate interaction was very cordial and this boosted employee performance. Moreover, the majority of respondents preferred performance appraisal to be used regularly for career pathing in the organization. The study recommends a set of guidelines which could be used in improving the current performance appraisal policy and further boost employee performance. The study concludes with directions for future research.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are under constant pressure to perform and meet shareholders' demands and expectations, Whether it is a global, national, regional or entrepreneurial enterprise, the management team need to ensure that the operations are run effectively and efficiently. People or human resource related risks are being recognised more often as having a potentially high impact on meeting company objectives. Leaders have realised that human resources remain one of the most important assets, if not the most important, of the company. Employees on the other hand have realised that companies are willing to reward them according to value added, and are often using this to their advantage. Employers need to be aware of the risks associated with their workforce and manage it in order to mitigate the risks and limit the consequences. Various types of people risks have been identified by academics and professionals, often classified into different categories. People risks which are not managed effectively may pose a moral, social, legal and/or environmental burden on the business, shareholders as well as leadership. This study involves a literature study as well as a survey to determine the impact which these risks may have on different types of businesses, and their ability to meet organisational objectives. The literature study focuses on 30 different people related risks, categorised into physical risks as well as non-physical risks. Each risk has been explored in the study, reflecting different opinions as well as potential consequences if not managed effectively. The survey conducted amongst risk management practitioners and consultants reflects personal opinions regarding the level of impact which a risk may have on meeting organisational objectives. Each respondent had the opportunity to rank a risk as having either a high, medium or low impact on meeting objectives. The survey concluded that certain non-physical risks featured very prominently as being high risks, while the physical risks were regarded as medium to low risk. HIV/AIDS and occupational injuries were the only two physical risks which featured in the top ten risks according to the survey results. Conclusions drawn from the survey conducted as well as previous research are that three of the top five risks are similar. There is also the possibility that organisational leaders and professional advisors may not always be aware of the people risks associated with business. The potential for further surveys and research is vast, and potential for organisations to become more effective and efficient largely depend on the ability to identify, assess, evaluate and manage risks according to risk management principles. A basic risk management process is explained in the recommendations section, together with a variety of mitigating strategies and suggestions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies is deesdae onder voortdurende druk om te presteer en aan aandeelhouers se eise en verwagtinge te voldoen. Dit maak nie saak of dit 'n globale, nasionale, streek- of entrepreneursaak is nie, die bestuurspan moet verseker dat die bedrywighede effektief en doeltreffend bestuur word. Menslikehulpbron-verwante risiko's word al meer geag 'n potensieel hoë impak te hê op maatskappye se vermeë om doelwitte te bereik. Leiers het besef dat menslike hulpbronne een van die belangrikste bates van die maatskappy bly, indien nie die belangrikste nie. Werknemers het weer besef dat maatskappye bereid is om hulle te vergoed ooreenkomstig waarde toegevoeg, en gebruik dit dikwels tot hul voordeel. Werkgewers behoort bewus te wees van die risiko's verbonde aan hul arbeidsmag en dit so te bestuur dat die risiko's verminder en die gevolge beperk word. Verskillende tipes menslike risiko's is al deur akademici en professionele persone geïdentifiseer en hulle word dikwels in verskillende kategorieë geklassifiseer. Menslike risiko's wat nie effektief bestuur word nie, kan morele, sosiale, wetlike en/of omgewingstremmings plaas op die besigheid, aandeelhouers sowel as die bestuur. Die studie behels 'n omvattende literatuurstudie sowel as 'n opname om die moontlike impak te bepaal van hierdie risiko's op verskillende tipes besighede en hul vermoë om sakedoelwitte te bereik. Die literatuurstudie fokus op 30 verskillende menslike risiko's wat as fisiese en nie-fisiese risiko's gekategoriseer word. Elke risiko is in die studie ontleed, en verskillende sienings en potensiële gevolge indien die risiko nie bestuur word nie, word verduidelik. Die opname wat onder risikobestuurpraktisyns en -konsultante gedoen is, weerspiëel persoonlike menings aangaande die graad van die impak wat 'n risiko op die bereiking van organisasiedoelwitte kan hê. Elke respondent het die geleentheid gehad om die risiko's te evalueer en aan te dui of dit 'n hoë, medium of lae impak het op die bereiking van doelwitte. Die opname het bevind dat sommige nie-fisiese fisiko's baie prominent uitgestaan het as hoë risiko's, terwyl die fisiese risiko's meestal as medium tot lae risiko's beskou is. MIV/VIGS en beroepsbeserings is die enigste twee fisiese risiko's wat onder die top tien risiko's verskyn het volgens die resultate van die opname. Gevolgtrekkings uit die opname sowel as vorige navorsing dui aan dat drie van die top vyf risiko's soortgelyk is. Die moontlikheid bestaan ook dat besigheidsleiers en professionele adviseurs nie altyd vertroud is met menslike risiko's ten opsigte van die besigheid nie. Die potensiaal vir toekomstige opnames en navorsing is enorm, en die potensiaal van organisasies om meer effektief en doeltreffend te word, hang grootliks af van die vermoë om risiko's volgens risikobestuurbeginsels te identifiseer, te bereken, te evalueer en te bestuur. 'n Basiese risikobestuursproses word in die afdeling met aanbevelings verduidelik, tesame met 'n verskeidenheid van voorkomingstrategieë en -voorstelle.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is firstly to determine what the main causes are for employee turnover and turnover intention. Secondly, the study is to investigate the consequences for organisations that are unable to retain or attract talented employees. The data was collected through exit interviews and through personal interviews from the organisation. The sample was taken from a diverse group of individuals consisting of people from all departments in the organisation. In total six departments were considered. The data was categorised into five areas, namely remuneration and benefits, work-life balance, organisational culture, job satisfaction and career development. The data will be presented graphically and then analysed. The literature review was conducted on the categories as categorised from the exit and personal interview data. This was done to compare the literature findings to the data analysis results as established from the exit and personal interview data. The findings suggested that organisational culture was the biggest contributor to employee turnover or turnover intention, followed by career development and job satisfaction. While remuneration and benefits are of some significance, it does not appear to be major contributors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is eerstens om die hoofoorsake van werknemer bedankings, sowel as die voorneme van werknemers om organisasies te verlaat, te bepaal. Tweedens, om ondersoek in te stel na die moontlike gevolge vir organisasies wat nie in staat is om werknemers te behou of nuwe talent te lok nie. Inligting vir die studie is deur middel van diensverlatings- en persoonlike onderhoude van die organisasie verkry. 'n Verskeidenheid individue uit ses verskillende departemente het aan die studie deel-geneem. Die inligting is in vyf katagorieë verdeel, naamlik vergoeding en voordele, balans tussen werk en persoonlike lewe, organisasiekultuur, werksbevredeging en loopbaanverbetering. Die data word grafies voorgestel en geanaliseer. Die literatuurstudie is saamgestel in dieselfde vyf katagorieë as die waarin inligting verkry is deur die verskillende onderhoude. Dit is gedoen ten einde die literatuurstudie-bevindings met die data- analise te vergelyk wat deur middel van diensverlatings- en persoonlike onderhoude verkry is. Die studie dui aan dat organisasiekultuur die grootste bydraende faktor is by werknemerbedankings, sowel as by werknemers wat beoog om die organisasies te verlaat. Bykomende bevindings dui op loopbaanverbetering en werksbevrediging. Terwyl vergoeding en voordele 'n faktor is, wys die studie dat dit nie 'n belangrike bydraende faktor is nie.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research is firstly to theoretically describe the concept of talent management and determine the role thereof in the recruitment and retention of a high performance workforce. Secondly the experience of organisations and Recruitment Practitioners in the Cape Peninsula towards talent management is described through the utilisation of phenomenological research principles. The theoretical concepts determined are compared to the actual status quo that presently exists in the marketplace to determine the gaps that resides. The literature investigation concentrated on the central aspects pertaining to this study namely a clear definition of talent management principals, recruitment trends that currently influences the world of work. talent retention practises and the development of an integrated talent management system. The phenomenological investigation was conducted through interviews with selected Human Resource professionals and Recruitment Practitioners in the Cape Peninsula. Carefully constructed open-ended questionnaires were utilised in the interviews. Four themes emerged from the investigation centring on the general principles of talent management, the understanding versus application of talent management, organisational recruitment, retentions practises and the role of the Recruitment Practitioner. From the study it is clear that talent management principles are still not entrenched in organisation especially regarding the retention of their workforce as well as the establishment of an integrated approach towards talent management. An emerging realisation of the importance of talent management existed among the respondents interviewed, however true application is still within a development phase. The role of Recruitment Practitioners and their relationship towards organisations in the recruitment and selection of talent is also scrutinised. It becomes evident that Recruitment Practitioners operate within a highly competitive and volatile market necessitating certain survival techniques that is in contrast to the principals pertaining to proper talent management practises. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om eerstens die aspekte random talent bestuur teoreties te beskryf en sodoende die rol daarvan in terme van die werwing en behoud van 'n uitstaande arbeidsmag te bepaal. Die tweede aspek van die studie wentel rondom 'n fenomenologiese ondersoek wat die ervaring van organisasies en werwings agente in die Kaapse Skiereiland in terme van talent bestuur beskryf. Die teoretiese beginsels wat bepaal is word dan vergelyk met die werklike stand van sake en die gapings word ge"identifiseer. Die literatuurondersoek fokus op die sentrale aspekte van die studie naamlik 'n duidelike definisie van talent bestuur, werwings tendense wat huidig in die mark voorkom, talent behoud in organisasies en die ontwikkeling van 'n geintegreerde talent bestuur sisteem. In die fenomenologiese ondersoek is gebruik gemaak van onderhoude met gekose personeel beamptes as ook werwings agente in die Kaapse Skiereiland. Spesiaal ontwikkelde vraelyste is gebruik vir die onderhoude. Uit die ondersoek ontvou vier temas wat sentreer om, 'n vergelyking van die begrip en die werklike toepassing van talent bestuur, werwings beginsels in organisasies, talent behoud praktyke en die rol van werwings agente. Dit blyk duidelik dat talent bestuur praktyke nog steeds nie geintegreer is in organisasies nie spesifiek in terme van talent behoud en die ontwikkeling van 'n geintegreerde talent bestuur benadering. Respondente het wel die belangrikheid van talent bestuur besef, maar die toepassing hiervan is steeds in 'n ontwikkelings fase. Die studie het ook 'n noukeurige ondersoek gedoen in terme van die rol wat werwings agente speel in terme van die werwing van hoë kwaliteit werknemers in organisasies. Dit blyk duidelik dat werwings agente onder baie wispelturige toestande in 'n hoogs kompeterende mark werk. Dit het sekere faktore tot gevolg wat kontrasteer met die praktyke van talent bestuur.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee engagement research is an emerging field of study and several models suggest that leadership is crucial in the development of work engagement. However, a gap remains in understanding what leadership behaviours could influence engagement. High levels of employee engagement, which refers to employees’ investment of physical, cognitive and emotional energy in their work, provide significant organisational benefit in almost every conceivable organisational metric. The objective of this research was to explore the impact of transformational leadership on work engagement in a mining company in South Africa from an employee point of view. This exploratory and explanatory study used a cross-sectional design focussing on middle management employees at a Paterson D-Lower level. All employees worked in a mid-sized mining company in South Africa. An online self-reporting survey was used to measure the following constructs and their respective dimensions: work engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption), transformational leadership (individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation) and transactional leadership (contingent reward and management by exception – active). The research questionnaire was adopted from The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The study indicated that transformational leadership does impact work engagement. The survey achieved a 21 per cent total response rate with a 17 per cent response rate of completed questionnaires. Work engagement showed a statistical significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.454, p < 0.05), but no significant correlation with gender, business unit, qualification or time reporting to the same supervisor. There is partial support for the impact of time in a specific job on work engagement, especially for employees who have been in the same job for less than five years. The study found that transformational leadership correlated positively with work engagement (r = 0.33, p = 0.115) as well as with vigour, dedication and absorption. Inspirational motivation showed the highest significant correlation with work engagement (r = 0.474, p = 0.019), while intellectual stimulation (r = 0.152, p > 0.2) did not seem to correlate significantly with work engagement. Individualised consideration (r = 0.296) and idealised influence (r = 0.282) seemed to correlate positively with work engagement (p < 0.2). The study found that vigour and dedication correlated positively with individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Absorption differed from vigour and dedication by correlating strongly with management by exemption – active and weakly with all other dimensions, except inspirational motivation. Inspirational motivation showed the highest correlation of all the leadership dimensions with vigour (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), dedication (r = 0.437, p < 0.05) and absorption (r = 0.404, p < 0.1). Transformational leadership’s dimensions combined explain more of the variance in vigour, dedication and absorption than transactional leadership. The impact of transformational leadership on work engagement seemed to be more complex than originally suspected, and individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation should all be present for the transformational leader to impact on engagement. More research is needed to explore the complex interaction between transformational leadership and work engagement, considering possible mediating factors like work environment, personal resources and job resources.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concepts of performance management and coaching are of key importance to businesses globally. Various studies have been conducted on the link between the concept of performance management and coaching within business organisations, specifically where coaching seeks to align the activities and objectives of individuals to business objectives and goals. The purpose of this study was to further explore this relationship between these two processes and in so doing, explore the application of coaching skills as introduced for the first-line team supervisor leadership process. The study involved the direct participation of first-line team supervisors. A qualitative research design was used to answer the research question in order to explore the processes, patterns of behaviour and themes that emerged out of the coaching skills application process. The research findings gave an indication that the coaching process could play a critical role in the development of first-line team members as well as the first-line team supervisors’ leadership skills. The results indicated a rewarding process in both instances. It was evident that the modern first-line supervisor would want to be equipped with skills for understanding and managing the behavioural patterns of the people they lead, i.e. over and above the technical expertise required to perform in their jobs. The study further gave rise to a new dimension of approaching the team performance conversations where the first-line supervisors used the GROW model in conducting individual performance discussions. The GROW model improved understanding and acceptance of the process amongst the people reporting into their roles. The broader finding is that coaching can enable more collaborative teamwork and this may lead to improved conversations on performance and goal clarification for first-line production teams; specifically in clarifying goals, providing feedback, listening actively and following up on tasks to be carried out. Results and conclusions may be limited by the fact that the study was conducted in a single industry. Additional studies from a variety of industries with large numbers of participants would be helpful to fully understand the ways in which performance coaching skills and first-line team leadership development programmes can best be developed and deployed in organisational settings.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration