Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Business Administration, Business Studies Unit, Durban University of Technology, 2008. / South Africa is fast becoming the powerhouse of the African continent, due to its great technological advances in manufacturing, its rich diverse culture, sound business developments and stable economic policies that have seen the country shed the chains of apartheid that had plagued it for more than half a century. The need has become even greater in current economic times, for businesses to find new and innovative ways to improve production and their bottom line. Major corporations are investing heavily in upgrading the skills of their workforce in order to have a more productive workforce. Government legislation has now made it necessary, that all companies acknowledge the previously disadvantaged race groups and make sure that their workforce is fully represented as per the demographics of the country. The term affirmative action is being used more regularly in South African businesses and employees who do not comply with current legislation that seek to redress past disparities, are slapped with hefty fines. This study investigated the preferred as well as the existing culture and employee commitment levels at a South African company. The research reviewed the various types of culture, how culture is created and ways in which culture can be sustained or changed. Ways to cultivate employee commitment and retain skilled employees are also closely explored in this research study. The key results of the research findings revealed that there is a strong achievement culture prevalent at the company, with a good mix of the other culture types like, role culture, power culture and support culture. The employees at Riverview Paper Mill also strongly prefer an achievement and support type, culture. Employee commitment is very low and employees stay with the company out of necessity. Recommendations to improving the culture and commitment levels are also presented in this study.

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the field of strategy by way of its historical trajectory and to consider the major branches that constitute this broad, but fragmented discipline. It is an interdisciplinary endeavour that draws specifically on systems theories and complexity theory as a way to enrich the field. The strategy field tends to be philosophically unreflexive. As a result it is dominated by an objectivist ontology, which underpins strategic choice. One of the aims of this thesis is to explore the implications for strategy, if instead, an interpretive stance, based on an ontology of social constructionism, is adopted. The literature has not fully explored and developed different ontologies in the context of strategy and hence has left a major gap in theorising about strategy. This thesis attempts to address that gap and therefore one of the contributions of the study will be a tentative theory of strategic enactment. This research attempts to answer the following key questions: 1. What are the major theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that frame the field of strategy? 2. How well do these frameworks and models contribute to strategy under conditions of high ambiguity and uncertainty? 3. What contributions may be made by applying complexity theory to the field of strategy? 4. What are the implications of adopting an interpretive approach to strategy? 5. What are the implications of strategic enactment on strategic leadership? Given that these research questions are of a philosophical and theoretical nature, the research methodology and approach is one based on theoretical exploration. It is therefore not an empirical study, but a conceptual one embracing both breadth and depth. It is broad in that it covers multiple literature sets which include bodies of knowledge in organisational theory, leadership, strategy, systems thinking and complexity theory. It is deep in its interrogation of core conceptual constructs that are pertinent to the strategy frame of reference and in its comprehensive coverage of the major topics that circumscribe the field. While it relies on an extensive coverage of existing texts it is not a hermeneutic study from a methodological point of view. It does not purport to interpret and to elicit the meaning of texts. The term interpretive in the title instead refers to the ontological notion of sensemaking and interpretation that is central to strategic enactment. Interpretive in this sense is not an interpretation of texts in a hermeneutic fashion, but interpretive in relation to enacting reality. Despite being a theoretical study it still draws on deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning. The study makes several contributions. It re-conceptualises strategy in a way that lends itself to be generalisable across all sectors, approaches strategy formulation and implementation as a single intertwined process, interrogates, combines and integrates strategy-related and other concepts in way that has not been done before, provides a theoretical basis for scenario planning and demonstrates how it may considered as a soft systems approach, presents a practical methodology for undertaking scenario planning, critiques existing CAS-based theorising about strategy, leadership and organisation and draws out the potential of complexity theory for strategy and leadership. The final contribution of this study is a tentative theory of strategic enactment that highlights key constructs such as identity and agency that have been underemphasised in the strategy literature. Such a theory offers alternative explanations from that of strategic choice, and is able to deal with the phenomenon of emergence in organisational settings. It is unique in that it integrates complex adaptive systems with an interpretive approach to organisational strategy. The following may be identified as key findings of this study: • Strategy is still a pre-paradigmatic field and hence its theoretical underpinnings are of necessity eclectic. • While strategic choice is the dominant approach, many of its tenets are contested, especially when organisations are considered as complex adaptive systems. • Deliberate strategy is not possible as all forms of strategy are ultimately emergent. • Agency is an important construct in strategy. Agency does not reside in the key power brokers alone, but extends to all organisational actors and their structural networks of relations. Agency is also invested in non-human actors in the form of artifacts. • Agency is limited to micro-level actions and does not embrace macros states of the system. • Identity is an important construct in strategy. The identity of agents is shaped in their interactions with other agents. Who they are impact on what they can and cannot do, and also impact who they construct themselves to be. In this sense there is a strong link between agency and identity. • Identity is also shaped in situated activity in practice and therefore strategy-as-practice is important. • Strategic enactment presents alternate explanations for the utility of strategy tools and strategic plans from strategic choice. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which political deployees employed participatory management in state owned companies in the Republic of Burundi. The identified state owned company was REGIDESO, a water and electricity supply utility in Burundi. The study examined the extent to which REGIDESO employees participate in the decision-making within their organization bodies and to find out whether employees were willing to participate in their organization if they were given an opportunity to do so. Obstacles to employee participation in decision-making within REGIDESO were researched. The premise from which this study was undertaken was that participative management is touted as the best style for managing in contemporary organizations and has often been promoted as the quick cure for poor morale, low performance and productivity. To answer these questions, a structured questionnaire to test REGIDESO employee participation in decision-making was administered to a sample of 62 employees. Only 60 questionnaires were filled and returned. The survey findings revealed that the extent to which REGIDESO employees participate in decision-making was too low because the majority of the respondents said they did not have access to participation and said that senior managers were the ones who make decisions in the company. On willingness to participate, more than 95% of respondents were willing to participate in decision-making processes. Educational qualifications played a big role on the extent of willingness to participate where higher educated employees showed more eagerness. The main barriers to participation identified were that employees did not get feedback when they submitted their suggestions to superiors. The fact that managers in REGIDESO wanted full control of the organization and do not want to support employee involvement was also seen by workers as an obstacle to participation. The third obstacle mentioned by employees was that the organizational structure of the company did not allow employee participation. From the foregoing findings, some recommendations were made that would benefit both management and workers of REGIDESO. The law makers of Burundi were also given some advice. It also seemed necessary that researchers should examine other variables such as financial participation, labour turnover and absenteeism. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

No description available.

The general objective of this study was to explore and investigate employee participation within an engineering support services company. Attention was therefore given to the opinions and perceptions of employees and managers regarding employee participation as well as the relationship between employee participation and employees’ union membership. To conduct this study a qualitative and quantitative research design was adopted. In order to examine employees and managers’ opinions and perceptions, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants. Six employee participation themes were identified as well as various sub-themes. Self-developed group administrative questionnaires were also utilised to determine the relationship between employee participation and union membership. The study found that employees and managers attach positive opinions and perceptions towards employee participation therefore leading to positive participation outcomes. In exploring the relationship between employee participation and union membership it was found that 87.1% of the employees in the company did not belong to a union. It was also found that there is a statistical significance relationship between employees’ race and their tendency to join a union (0.068). Employees also indicated that they will join a union if co-management and self-management (as forms of employee participation) is not present in their organisation; with a statistical significance of 0.016 and 0.068. Information presented in this study can be used to develop effective employee participation strategies as well as assist in implementing these strategies. / Thesis (MCom (Labour Relations Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The general objective of this study was to explore and investigate employee participation within an engineering support services company. Attention was therefore given to the opinions and perceptions of employees and managers regarding employee participation as well as the relationship between employee participation and employees’ union membership. To conduct this study a qualitative and quantitative research design was adopted. In order to examine employees and managers’ opinions and perceptions, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants. Six employee participation themes were identified as well as various sub-themes. Self-developed group administrative questionnaires were also utilised to determine the relationship between employee participation and union membership. The study found that employees and managers attach positive opinions and perceptions towards employee participation therefore leading to positive participation outcomes. In exploring the relationship between employee participation and union membership it was found that 87.1% of the employees in the company did not belong to a union. It was also found that there is a statistical significance relationship between employees’ race and their tendency to join a union (0.068). Employees also indicated that they will join a union if co-management and self-management (as forms of employee participation) is not present in their organisation; with a statistical significance of 0.016 and 0.068. Information presented in this study can be used to develop effective employee participation strategies as well as assist in implementing these strategies. / Thesis (MCom (Labour Relations Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This thesis investigates the effect of profit sharing and employee share ownership schemes on employee job attitudes and behaviours by taking into account the critical role of participation in decision making. The data were obtained from a large British retail organization operating profit sharing (PS) and save-as-you-earn (SAYE) schemes. This is a quantitative study in which the data were gathered through a questionnaire. The unit of analysis is the individuals who responded to the survey, and the study is cross-sectional. To analyse the data a variety of statistical techniques, namely frequency, Pearson correlation, partial correlation, t-test, chi-square (X2), reliability, multiple regression, hierarchical regression, and path analyses, were conducted using SPSS. The sample comprised 1,000 employees subdivided into groups of managerial and non-managerial employees, and participants in schemes and non-participants in schemes. The administration of the questionnaire resulted in 450 returns (430 usable), an overall response rate of 45%. This study addresses four main research questions: (1)What are the effects of profit sharing and employee share ownership schemes (financial participation) on the job attitudes of individual employees in a large organization? (2) What are the effects of participation in decision making on employee job attitudes in a large organization? (3) What are the relative effects of financial participation in comparison to the effects of individual participation in decisions? (4) Does the combination of financial participation and participation in decision making produce more favourable effects on employee job attitudes than does participation in decision making on its own? The aim of this study was to construct a more advanced model of profit sharing and employee share ownership schemes by reviewing the theoretical and empirical literature and testing two theoretical frameworks, those developed by Long (1978) and Florkowski (1989). After reviewing the employee participation literature and testing Long's and Florkowski's models, it was found that both financial participation and participation in decision making have separate effects on employee job attitudes and behaviours, even if financial participation has a small (not statistically significant) impact on some attitudes and behaviours. Since financial participation shows a negligible effect on some job attitudes, and participation in decision making has a stronger effect on job attitudes than has financial participation, the new model is constructed on the assumption that both (a) the combination of financial participation and participation in decision making and (b) participation in decision making produce favourable effects on employee job attitudes, such as integration, involvement, commitment, satisfaction, motivation, perceived pay equity, and perceived performance-reward contingencies. The test of the new model shows that both (a) the combination of fmancial participation and participation in decision making and (b) participation in decision making produce favourable effects on employee job attitudes and behaviours, but the combination of financial participation and participation in decision making does not produce more favourable effects on employee job attitudes than does participation in decision making on its own. It should be noted that it is not known in this research whether financial participation changed employees' actual influence in decision making, as the study did not collect any data on this question. Therefore, there is the possibility that if the same study were conducted in organizations with financial participation schemes which increase employees' influence in decision making, the effect of the combination of financial participation and participation in decision making might be found to be stronger than that reported in this dissertation.

While there is significant evidence to suggest that the alignment of Human Resources (HR) and Information Technology (IT) has a positive impact on firm performance, there is little discussion on how to achieve alignment. Literature in both the HR and IT disciplines provides confirmation of the need to identify and address the people management issues in order to realise the expected returns from IT investments. This research will contribute to these discussions with insights into how an organisation with alignment between IT and HR might appear, who should be responsible for the alignment, and how enabling and inhibiting factors impact the alignment process.

Robert B. McKersie. / "January 1984." / Bibliogrphy: p. 25.

Sustaining competitiveness requires organisations to continuously reinvent themselves, consider both external influences as well as internal risk that may affect the company as a market leader. Organisations that have acknowledged that a relationship between engaged employees and business success exists, would seek ways to foster and facilitate the engagement of their workers through their leadership. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether a relationship exists between values-based leadership and employee engagement. The aim was to contribute to the quality of leadership values, behaviour and influence at Coca-Cola Beverages South Arica by gaining a deeper understanding of leadership and employee engagement. The theoretical study explored the definitions, key concepts, benefits and outcomes of both values based leadership and employee engagement. It provided a detailed literature review of the role of leadership in creating a values based organisation, what values-based leadership encompasses and its relationship with employee engagement. The theoretical overview highlighted that leadership is an influential factor in employee engagement and the extent to which employees feel valued and connected to the organisation’s goals. The theoretical overview further confirmed that leadership values, behaviour and influence are interrelated and exert an influence on employee engagement, thereby strengthening the fact that there is a relationship between values-based leadership and employee engagement. A structured web-based survey, with a questionnaire, was used to corroborate the theoretical findings and to assess employees’ perceptions of the prevalence of values–based leadership and employee engagement. A sample of 269 respondents was selected to participate in the empirical study and 167 responded to the survey, which yielded a 62% per cent response rate. The key findings of the study indicate that strong correlations exist between leadership values, behaviours and influence and that these concepts were interrelated. Furthermore, the study confirmed that values–based leadership was an important factor in employee engagement and specifically in terms of the physical, emotional and social components of engagement and less so in terms of the cognitive component. Values-based leadership and engagement were identified as critical factors in ensuring that organisations are well equipped to deal with the current volatile economic environment and to consider ways to maintain and accelerate their profitability and competitiveness in order to remain a sustainable business. It is strong values that underpin the performance of highly successful and sustainable organisations; coupled with effective leadership as a key driving force.