The following dissertation is an exploratory case study of a telecommunications organisation�s call centres. Specifically, it was focused on investigating internal service quality issues that related to the frontline employee role, a clearly underdeveloped area of study in services marketing literature. The study involved firstly identifying the internal services delivered to frontline employees, and then gaining their perceptions of the service quality dimensions most important to them within each workplace situation. This in turn provided an indication of how internal services could be customised and classified to best meet frontline employees� work requirements and therefore increase their job effectiveness. In addition, the case study explored frontline employees� overall perceptions of the quality of delivery of each internal service, which helped provide further insights into their work needs. Frontline employees� perceptions were also sought regarding the importance of each internal service to them, in terms of increasing their ability to generate revenue for the organisation. This provided an indication of how different internal services impacted upon their exchanges with external customers. Twelve internal services and seven internal service quality dimensions were identified through conducting extensive observation and undertaking interviews with frontline employees at one of the call centres. The information obtained helped inform a web-based online survey that was implemented to address the three focal research questions. The online survey was successfully completed by 301 frontline employees. The results showed that while all twelve internal services shared some similarities in their demand characteristics, some groups of internal services were distinctly different to others. As a result of these similarities and differences, the internal services were classified into four categories: trainingintensive internal services; communication-based internal services; real-time-based internal services; and, performance-related internal services. While the four classification categories can provide a solid guide for internal suppliers about how to approach groups of internal services, it was apparent that frontline employees had unique needs in each of the twelve internal services. This emphasised the need for the classification scheme to be used only as a guide, whereby internal suppliers should methodically identify all the quality attributes most important to frontline employees in each individual internal service situation. The results also showed that frontline employees perceived some internal services as more important than others, in terms of increasing their ability to generate revenue for the organisation. As a result, it was suggested that internal services could also be classified according to their �importance� levels, as this could help managers in their allocation of organisational resources. The case study provided a valuable insight into frontline employees� needs, and other internal service quality issues related to their roles. Because the results and conclusions were specific to a particular case, it is essential that this area of research be extended further in future.

Training is essential to the growth and economic well-being of a nation. This need for training pervades all levels of industry, from a national level where a country’s well being is enhanced by training, to each company where productivity is improved, down to the individual whose skills are enhanced and as a result improve their position in the employment marketplace. The Australian Bureau of Statistics report ‘Training and Education Experience –Australia’ (ABS 1993) indicates that training in Australia is undertaken at a significant level with some 86% of employers undertaking some form of training. This is slightly higher in the Finance industry at a little over 89%. On the job training is undertaken by 82% of employers and off the job training is used by 47% of employers. In 80% of the off the job cases these courses were conducted in a conventional manner using an instructor. The remaining 20% of cases were either self paced (14%) or instructor based (6%). These latter cases could involve Computer Based Training (CBT). The report, referred to in the last paragraph, also indicates that a significant aspect of business in Australia is that 95% of businesses have less than 20 staff. This poses significant problems in that the ability to deliver effective training is limited. With businesses as small as these their size does not permit them to carry specialist training personnel so this role falls to the senior staff. These people already have a full workload and their ability to be able to take on training duties is limited. In addition these people were employed for their technical skills, not training. It may be that their ability to fill the role of a trainer is not good and as a result the training may not be very effective. In addition, small business has difficulty in releasing staff for training, The difficulties faced by small business were recognised by the Australian National Training Authority in their 1995 report which indicated that there was a need to develop a ‘training culture’ among small business employers. The authority made a commitment to provide flexible delivery strategies. This includes Computer Based Training (CBT). CBT has existed since the 1970’s. It came on to the scene with a flourish and tended to provide ‘page turning’ programs or ‘drill and practice programs’. In limited areas this form of training became popular but its popularity waned in the 80’s. With the advent of better graphical displays, larger and faster memory, and improved programs in the 1990’s the quality of CBT today is superior to those offered in the 70’s and has greater appeal. Today, still photographs and video clips can be displayed and made interactive. Because of this CBT is making a comeback and starting to have a greater impact. The insurance industry covers a wide range of companies in Australia, these companies vary in size from companies with employees in the thousands to companies with less than five staff. While the needs of the employees of each are similar the ability of these companies to deliver the training varies significantly. Any training can be divided into two parts. Internal or on the job training and external. External training deals with those aspects that concern the industry as a whole whereas internal training affects the individual company. Internal training would deal with matters like company procedures, company products and the like. External training deals with matters such as legislation, products generally, and the like. In the insurance industry the major problem arises with the small companies. Insurance companies would tend to be large in size and able to cover their training costs but the insurance brokers who would make up, numerically, the major number of companies would have a significant number of companies that fall into the 20 staffer less category. In fact many would have a staff of less than 5. While CBT can benefit all companies it is these small companies that could benefit from it the most. This thesis examines: • The place of CBT in training, its cost and effectiveness. • The incidence of CBT in the insurance industry and how the industry determines its effectiveness. • If a program that meets an industry need is able to be produced at a realistic price?

University of Technology, Sydney. / The study critically examines definitions of "informal learning", focussing on the term's application in workplace training contexts. Drawing on Foucault, Heidegger and Habermas, it is argued that we cannot understand ourselves (and thus our informal learning) without challenging the assumptions of modernity and coming to terms with what Lyotard has termed "the postmodern condition". Industry trainers are at the forefront of implementing "designer" corporate cultures which, in the rhetoric of "work-based learning", make enterprises more innovative and competitive. This study challenges that rhetoric, showing that the implicit philosophy of contemporary workplace learning and training is framed by an economistic "human capital theory". The "stories" of industry trainers from several multinational corporations challenge assumptions about what is learnt through competency-based training and about corporate uses of informal learning. It is argued that being at work entails far more than simply performing the tasks one is required to do, which, in turn, effects the links between informal learning and formal education. The final chapters are directed towards expanding and realigning interpretations of "informal learning" away from the narrow and instrumental purposes for which the term has been appropriated. Equity, respect for the dignity of others, and a philosophy of ethics have a place in "workplace learning". Informal learning is shaped by our deepest ethical and moral responses. It does not follow that measurable tasks, what one can be observed doing at work, represent one's learning.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

University of Technology, Sydney. / The study critically examines definitions of "informal learning", focussing on the term's application in workplace training contexts. Drawing on Foucault, Heidegger and Habermas, it is argued that we cannot understand ourselves (and thus our informal learning) without challenging the assumptions of modernity and coming to terms with what Lyotard has termed "the postmodern condition". Industry trainers are at the forefront of implementing "designer" corporate cultures which, in the rhetoric of "work-based learning", make enterprises more innovative and competitive. This study challenges that rhetoric, showing that the implicit philosophy of contemporary workplace learning and training is framed by an economistic "human capital theory". The "stories" of industry trainers from several multinational corporations challenge assumptions about what is learnt through competency-based training and about corporate uses of informal learning. It is argued that being at work entails far more than simply performing the tasks one is required to do, which, in turn, effects the links between informal learning and formal education. The final chapters are directed towards expanding and realigning interpretations of "informal learning" away from the narrow and instrumental purposes for which the term has been appropriated. Equity, respect for the dignity of others, and a philosophy of ethics have a place in "workplace learning". Informal learning is shaped by our deepest ethical and moral responses. It does not follow that measurable tasks, what one can be observed doing at work, represent one's learning.

<p>To collect data for this report a field study was performed at an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa. I carried out volunteer work for eight weeks to find out more about the children’s situations. I wanted to find out what it was like to work at an orphanage for children in need and what the employees were doing to help. The children’s ages ranged from five to eighteen years old and they all lived together, although boys and girls slept in different rooms. </p><p>Before I went to South Africa, I thought that an orphanage was a place for children without parents, who had been abandoned when they where infants. Some of the children at the orphanage come from situations like this, but many of them have family who they need help and protection from. Their own parents cannot take care of them because of different social problems such as sexual abuse, drug abuse or poverty. </p><p>During the field study qualitative research was performed, where the people that I worked with and the children in the orphanage were participating. Observation was also included in my field work. The result of the field study was very interesting. The most important findings from my results were that all of the people I spoke to said that they would like to see some changes at the orphanage. They came up with plenty of different ideas to make the environment better. I interviewed five employees at the orphanage and all of them said that they would like to extend the amount of employees, have better communication among themselves, therapy sessions - and more weekend activities for the children. During this period of the field study I interviewed a lot of children of different ages, but out of the interviews six where used in this report.</p>

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to present a discussion about the organizational conditions that attract and retain Generation Y employees. This is done using an abductive research method. The work and career preferences of Generation Y are clarified using secondary data. The data is then analyzed and tested empirically at WSP Flack+Kurtz in New York City. The results show organizations can meet Generation Y’s wishes by, for example, offer extensive growth opportunities, frequent feedback, and an excellent social environment.</p>

Graduation date: 1996

The purpose of this research was to assess the use of the General Educational Development Tests (GED) as an alternative high school credential in Oregon. A study was conducted of 469 Oregon GED recipients' and 646 private sector employers' perceptions of the GED. Both quantitative and qualitative measurements were used to assess the GED as a credential for education and training, for entering and being successful in the workforce, and as a measure of personal satisfaction. All measures of satisfaction with the GED Tests indicated that Oregon GED recipients perceived no difference between the GED and a high school diploma for further education, training, or employment. Half of the GED recipients responded that they took the Tests for personal reasons. Over 70%, considered the GED equal to a high school diploma for their needs. Over 80% responded that the Tests were worthwhile for employment purposes. Almost two-thirds of the respondents used the GED for further educational activities. Over 94% indicated they would take the Tests again if they had it to do over. Most of the GED recipients surveyed, 85%, indicated the GED was a positive endeavor. Oregon private sector employers perceived differences between GED recipients and high school graduates. Yet, 88%, accepted the GED as an alternative to a high school diploma. However, only 60% of employers felt a GED was equal to a diploma for preparing people to enter the workforce. Three-fourths of the employers felt high school graduates made better employees than non-high school graduates. Less than one-third of employers felt high school graduates made better employees than GED recipients. However, 59%, of employers felt high school graduates did not have the basic skills to enter the workforce. A great majority, 94% of employers, felt both high school and GED programs should include basic instruction for entering the workforce. Although GED and high school diplomas were accepted as credentials for entering the workforce it was evident that employers would like an alternative educational curriculum to aid in the transition from school to work. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed on Feb. 6, 2007). PDF text: iv, 240 p. : ill. UMI publication number: AAT 3216346. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche format.