Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The modern world of business has accepted the fact that true organisational competitive ability lies hidden in the depths of individual human beings and their commitment to deliver super standard outputs. The secret to outperforming competitors has become increasingly dependent on the levels of performance delivered by an organisation’s employees, and an age old burning question has yet again risen to the fore: What are the factors that influence employee work performance? This study presents the background to this question by clearly defining the problem and the relevant definitions of concepts and terms generally used in the arena of employee work performance. An overview of employee work performance is introduced by applying a suitable model to explain job performance where after the measurement of employee work performance is investigated. Consideration is given to the different types of performance measurement, the people responsible for measuring employee work performance as well as the reasons for measuring performance. Upon clearly establishing a proper frame of reference with regard to employee work performance, the factors influencing performance are discussed under the topics of motivation and rewards. Motivation and its influence on employee work performance is approached from a top down perspective considering in the first place the different groupings or categorisation of motivational theories, where after those motivational theories under consideration are discussed in more detail. Rewards, as a factor influencing employee work performance, is considered to be applied in the form of remunerative compensation and relational rewards, while constantly applying the concept of total rewards and it’s ability to influence employee work performance as a more recent approach to reward management. Remunerative compensation is first considered as applied by three theories of motivation upon which follows a more detailed discussion on the details of remunerative compensation rewards. Relational rewards are considered in different categories or groups with special emphasis on their role as applied to the total rewards approach. The study concludes by summarising the findings with regard to employee performance, employee motivation and rewards, and finally presents a discussion on different trends pertaining to reward management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die moderne besigheidswêreld het reeds aanvaar dat die ware vermoë van ‘n maatskappy om te kompeteer in die diepte van individuele mense en hul toewyding tot bo-gemiddelde uitsette rus. ‘n Maatskappy se vermoë om suksesvol te kompeteer word meer-en-meer afhanklik van die vlakke van prestasie van die maatskappy se werknemers, en die oer-oue vraag kom daagliks weer na vore: Watter faktore beϊnvloed ‘n werknemer se werksprestasie? Die studie lewer die agtergrond tot hierdie vraag deur die probleem duidelik te identifiseer asook die relevante definisies van algemeen gebruikte konsepte en terme wat betrekking het op werknemer werksprestasie. ‘n Oorsig van werknemer werksprestasie word voorgestel deur die toepassing van ‘n gepaste model om werksprestasie te verduidelik waarna die meting van werksprestasie ondersoek word. Verskillende tipes prestasie-meting, die mense wat verantwoordelik is vir die meting van werknemer werksprestasie asook die redes vir die meting van werksprestasie word oorweeg. Nadat ‘n duidelike verwysingsraamwerk met betrekking tot werknemer werksprestasie daargestel is, word die faktore wat werksprestasie beϊnvloed onder die hoofde van motivering en vergoeding bespreek. Die invloed van motivering op werknemer werksprestasie word benader vanuit ‘n oorhoofse perspektief deur eers die verskillende groeperings en kategorieë van motiveringsteorieë te oorweeg, waarna die spesifieke motiveringsteorieë wat betrekking het op hierdie studie in meer detail bespreek word. Vergoeding, as ‘n faktor wat werknemer werksprestasie beϊnvloed, word beskou in die vorm van geldelike vergoeding asook verhoudings-vergoeding, terwyl die konsep van totale of algehele vergoeding en die invloed wat dit op werknemer werksprestasie het, deurentyd toegepas word as ‘n meer moderne benadering tot vergoedingsbestuur. Geldelike vergoeding word eerstens beskou uit die standpunt waar drie motiveringsteorieë respektiewelik daarop toegepas word, waarna ‘n meer gedetaileerde bepreking aangaande geldelike vergoeding volg. Verhoudingsvergoeding word beskou soos toegepas in verskillende groepe of kategorieë met spesiale fokus op die rol wat gespeel word in die totale of algehele vergoedingsbenadering. Die studie volstrek deur die bevindinge met betrekking tot werknemer werksprestasie, werknemers motivering en vergoeding op te som, waarna met ‘n finale bespreking van verskillende toekomspatrone met betrekking tot vergoedingsbestuur afgesluit word.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The aim of this research study was to explore the experience of managers, and specifically engineers at a steel manufacturing company, of a brain-based coaching model. Coaching’s origins can be traced back to a variety of fields including psychology, change management, training and adult learning. Many people argue that coaching is ‘heart based’ as opposed to being more analytical and scientific. This caused some confusion with the researcher. However, during his studies towards a Master’s degree in Philosophy (MPhil) in Management Coaching, he was introduced to neuroscience and the role it has played in the emergence of a new field called brainbased coaching. The fact that one could scientifically explain why the brain needs coaching and that coaching can help the brain improve its functioning, appealed so much to the researcher that he wanted to expand his knowledge of the subject. Selecting a sample group that was made up only of engineers who had participated in a training programme with the focus on brain-based coaching, provided the perfect platform from where to study the phenomenon and to discover how the engineers, who are academically trained, are analytical and who, by their very nature, prefer scientific evidence-based research, perceive a brain-based coaching model. It was also important to try and establish what they believed the benefits and possible applications are of the model and whether they think it can be used to improve performance and lift motivation and engagement. The results were positive, but it revealed more; it explained how the experience created awareness and led to a change in behaviour and thinking – not just at work, but also in their personal lives. These findings provide more knowledge about the potential that a brain-based approach has for managers and leaders as a development tool. It also gives some comfort that we do not have to continue doing and thinking about things the way we have always done; we have a choice and this approach gives us an insight into how to exercise that choice.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of and to identify those people management practices used by global South African companies to improve competitive advantage, and which enables them to compete effectively internationally. People management practices refer to any human resource management initiative or process designed to improve the effectiveness of a company's human capital. Such practices typically flow from the organisation's overall business strategy. and are interpreted and developed into HR policies, processes and systems by HR professionals. However it is the manner in which such policies and processes are applied by management, which transforms them into people management practices. A detailed literature review was used to develop an understanding of the current influences impacting on the human resource management field and also to identify those people management practices considered to be 'best practice'. The people management practices of five companies, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange or with their origins in South Africa, were then studied and compared. These companies represent a wide variety of sectors and industries, including mining, financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing and industrial services. The final results were then compared against and used to verify the 'best practice' template identified earlier during the literature review. Finally, the study also provides a brief summary and understanding of how the HR function in particular, facilitates and supports the implementation of these people practices within the companies surveyed.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Japanese Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

Increasingly, organisations are realising that they have to establish an equitable balance between the employee&rsquo / s contribution to the organisation and the organisation&rsquo / s contribution to the employee. Establishing this balance is one of the main reasons to reward and recognise employees. Organisations that follow a strategic approach to creating this balance focus on the three main components of a reward system, which includes, compensation, benefits and recognition (Deeprose, 1994). Studies that have been conducted on the topic indicates that the most common problem in organisations today is that they miss the important component of recognition, which is the low-cost, high-return ingredient to a well-balanced reward system. A key focus of recognition is to make employees feel appreciated and valued (Sarvadi, 2005). Research has proven that employees who get recognised tend to have higher self-esteem, more confidence, more willingness to take on new challenges and more eagerness to be innovative (Mason, 2001). The aim of this study is to investigate whether rewards and recognition has an impact on employee motivation. A biographical and Work Motivation Questionnaire was administered to respondents (De Beer, 1987). The sample group (N= 184) consists of male and female employees on post-grade levels 5 to 12. The results of the research indicated that there is a positive relationship between rewards, recognition and motivation. The results also revealed that women, and employees from non-white racial backgrounds experienced lower levels of rewards, recognition and motivation. Future research on the latter issues could yield interesting insights into the different factors that motivate employees. Notwithstanding the insights derived from the current research, results need to be interpreted with caution since a convenience sample was used, thereby restricting the generalisability to the wider population.

Motivation is considered to be the desired positive willingness that prompts a person to action. The factors that influence or lead to this positive willingness, are considered to be motivation factors, and include specific needs, wants, drives or impulses (Hersey &amp / Blanchard, 1988).<br /> <br /> People are motivated by different things, both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. For some, it is power and money that motivate them while for others, it is flexibility or a social workplace. According to Herzberg&rsquo / s theory, intrinsic factors are motivators or satisfiers and can be described as a person's relationship with what she or he does, many related to the tasks being performed (Buitendach &amp / De Witte, 2005 / Mehta, Anderson &amp / Dubinsky, 2000). Extrinsic factors, also known as hygiene factors or dissatisfiers, have to do with a person's relationship to the context or environment in which she or he performs a job (Buitendach &amp / De Witte, 2005 / Mehta et al., 2000). Some individuals are highly motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. This is supported in a study amongst medical students (Beswick, 2002). In another study by Shim, Gehrt and Goldsberry (1999), it was found that students entering a career in retail viewed intrinsic aspects as the most important predictor of a retail career, followed by lifestyle flexibility aspects and then extrinsic aspects. Furthermore, research within a service organisation has indicated that various biographical factors have an influence on work motivation (Bezuidenhout, 2001). However, limited research has been conducted to determine whether biographical factors have an influence on work motivation within the retail industry.<br /> <br /> The aim of the study was to investigate the motivation of retail managers in a retail organisation in the Western Cape. Furthermore, it investigates whether the motivation levels of retail managers are influenced by their biographical variables. The Work Satisfaction and Motivation Questionnaire developed by De Beer (1987) and a self-developed biographical questionnaire was administered to elicit work content, promotion, supervision, reward and recognition in relation to work motivation. The questionnaires were distributed to the target population (n=236) of retail managers which were inclusive of store managers, store assistant managers and department managers. Convenience sampling was used to draw a sample (n=109) of male and female retail managers. Statistical analyses involved both descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Multiple Regression Analysis, Pearson&rsquo / s Correlation Co-efficient and Scheffe&rsquo / s test). The results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between the investigated dimensions of work motivation and satisfaction. It was found that the investigated dimensions of motivation only account for 49.5% of the variance in total motivation experienced by retail managers. Furthermore, significant differences were found between the biographical variables and responses to the questionnaire. It is suggested, for future research that a proportionate stratified random sample be drawn which will allow the findings of the study to be reliably generalised to the population. Furthermore, it is also recommended that future research consider dimensions of motivation, such as, achievement, responsibility, security, autonomy, feedback and morale, which are not investigated in this study.

<p>The South African social, political and economic landscape has been characterized by profound changes during the past several years. Many organizations and their management are faced with inter alia, downsizing decisions, affirmative action policies to be implemented and a overabundance of other factors which could sway motivation and morale, attitudes and views of employees. The general research aim was to measure work motivation amongst employees in a government department in the Provincial Government Western Cape. Research has shown that motivated and satisfied employees are more productive and there is an improvement in service delivery.</p>

D.Com. (Marketing Management) / The size of South Africa's banking industry grew from R398 billion in 1995 to R471 billion in 1996 while banking transactions totalled R58 634 billion during 1996. Like most other service companies, the banking industry also experiences customer turnover. During the period March 1995 to February 1996 customer switch, which refers to the closing of an account at one institution and the opening of a new account at another institution, by clients of all banks amounted to 4,9 percent. Mutual interaction between a service provider and a client is a very important determinant of customer satisfaction with a service. It is therefore important for the company to focus on the retention of customers because it is more profitable to retain a customer rather than recruiting new customers. Customer switching can damage the future stream of income of a company. The loss of a customer therefore, is not only one transaction, the company looses a life long stream of income. Customer satisfaction therefore influences the primary source of future income of most companies directly. Quality service is of utmost importance for the success and survival of companies in today's competitive environment. To be successful it is necessary for each department within the company to operate effectively and to be client orientated. Companies believe that they will be more profitable if a marketing orientation is established within the company. Employees must therefore, understand their role in the total service chain. A client's perception of a service becomes reality when he/she experiences the service during a service encounter where interaction between the customer and the company takes place with the employee as intermediary.

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xxvi, 221 leaves / The research problem investigates to what extent the introduction of change has affected employee motivation and job satisfaction with reference to organizational productivity. / M