by Tam Wing Wah, Michael. / Bibliography: leaves 35-37 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / Constructive dismissal comes into the equation when an employer behaves in such a manner that eventually and ultimately leads to the employee, being the receiving party, in the employment relationship, to terminate the employment contract. This termination must be the direct result of the conduct of the employer that irreparably frustrated the relationship and made it impossible for the employee to remain in the service of the employer in question. The law of constructive dismissal requires a balance between the competing interests of employees and employers. The employee is the one who makes the claim and determines whether to accept the changes made to his position or to resign and seek damages for wrongful dismissal. A factor which creates further uncertainty is that the employee also controls when to make the claim. Although the employee has greater control over constructive dismissal claims, an employer can take steps to limit the risk of an employee making a claim of constructive dismissal.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study stems from an urgent need to understand which factors contribute to talented employees’ intention to quit, and what organisations can do to ensure the retention of such talent. Difficulties regarding the retention of talented employees have become a worldwide challenge. The retention of talented individuals has become a primary source of gaining a competitive advantage. The increased focus on talent management practices has become a wide spread phenomenon worldwide, including South Africa. History, cultural heritage, politics and the economic environment are but only a few factors that collectively now shape the nature and complexity of the South African labour market. A context, notorious and respected for its diversity and the struggles that have sprouted from it, poses formidable challenges for organisations competing in the global market. A multitude of factors, controllable and uncontrollable, contribute to increased levels of employee turnover in all sectors and organisations in South Africa. Organisations and top management can position themselves, by implementing action plans and organisational structures, to identify and coordinate such controllable factors. Strategies and processes can be implemented to address the increasing challenges regarding the retention of valuable talent. The implementation of structural talent management programmes have proven to address and overcome retention challenges. The crucial role of line management in implementing and fostering a culture of talent retention has also been proven. The foundation of a talent management competency model, for the purpose of addressing and solving this issue, has been laid down. Additional research has been done in order to reevaluate and elaborate on the existing knowledge of such a competency model. This study aims to once again re-evaluate the originally proposed model as well as any extensions that may have been developed by other researchers. The primary objective of the current study consequently was to expand on the existing model as proposed by Oehley (2007) and Smuts (2011). Factors external to the organisational environment were added to the model in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity underlying the determinants of intention to quit. Only a subset of the hypothesised intention to quit structural model was then empirically tested. In the initial model only nine of the nineteen paths were empirically corroborated. The initial reduced model was subsequently revised by deleting various paths that were found to be statistically insignificant (p > .05) and by adding various paths suggested by the modification indices. The final model produced exact fit. Seven of the nineteen paths in the final model were not empirically corroborated. Suggestions for future research are made by introducing additional variables that could be included into a future model. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing vind oorsprong uit die dringende behoefte om die faktore te bepaal wat talentvolle werknemers noop om te bedank en te probeer verstaan wat organisasies kan doen om die dienste van werknemers te behou. Die uitdaging om die dienste van hierdie katagorie van werknemers te behou, blyk 'n internasionale vraagstuk te wees. Die behoud van talentvolle individue in die werksplek het 'n primêre bron van kompeterende voordeel vir organisasies geword. Die toenemende fokus op talentbestuur het 'n wêreldwye fenomeen geword. Die geskiedenis, kulturele erfenis, politiek en die ekonomiese omgewing is maar net 'n paar van die faktore wat gesamentlik die kompleksiteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark beïnvloed. 'n Werklikheid wat veelbesproke is, maar gerespekteer word vir sy diversiteit en die meegaande probleme wat daaruit voortspruit, bied buitengewone uitdagings vir organisasies wat moet meeding in die internasionale sakewêreld. Verskeie faktore waarvan sommige beheer kan word, maar ander nie, dra by tot die toenemende verhoging in die arbeidsomset in alle sektore en organisasies in Suid-Afrika. Organisasies en topbestuur kan hulself bemagtig deur verskeie pro-aktiewe benaderings en organisatoriese strukture in plek te stel om sodoende beheerbare situasies te kan identifiseer en koördineer. Strategieë en prosesse kan geïmplimenteer word om die toenemende hoeveelheid uitdagings met sukses aan te pak en dus die waardevolle talent van werknemers te behou. Die toepassing van strukturele talentbestuurprogramme het as sulks bewys dat dit met sukses gebruik kan word om die dienste van werknemers te behou. Die belangrike rol wat lynbestuur vervul in die toepassing en implementering van die proses om talentvolle werknemers te behou, is al deeglik bewys. Die basis van 'n talentbestuur en bevoegdheidsmodel om die probleem aan te spreek en op te los is op sigself al bewys. Addisionele navorsing is alreeds uitgevoer om die huidige model te her-evalueer en daarop uit te brei. Die huidige studie het dit ten doel om die oorspronklike model en teorieë wat vorige navorsers ontwikkel het, te her-evalueer. The primêre oogmerk van die onderhawige studie was gevolglik om op die bestaande modelle soos voorgestel deur Oehley (2007) en Smuts (2011) uit te brei. Faktore ekstern tot die organisasie is tot die model toegevoeg ten einde ‘n meer volledige begrip te ontwikkel van die kompleksiteit wat die determinante van die voorneme om te bedank onderlê. Slegs ‘n subversameling van die gehipotiseerde bedankingsvoorneme-strukturele model is vervolgens empiries getoets. In die aanvanklike model het slegs nege van die negentien bane empiriese steun ontvang. Die aanvanklike gereduseerde model is vervolgens hersien deur verskeie statisties onbeduidende (p > .05) bane te verwyder en deur ‘n aantal bane wat deur die modifikasie-indekse voorgestel is tot die model toe te voeg. Die finale model het presiese passing getoon. Sewe van die negentien bane in die finale model kon egter nie empiries bevestig word nie. Voorstelle vir verdere navorsing word gemaak deur addisionele veranderlikes voor te stel wat moontlik in ‘n toekomstige model ingesluit sou kon word.

The main objective of this study was to investigate factors contributing to employee turnover in the South African pharmaceutical industry and to suggest strategies to minimize it. Employee turnover is a persistent problem facing both public and private organizations in South Africa. In addition to the costs incurred when an employee resigns, losing employees results in a loss of knowledge, skills and experience. Numerous studies have been undertaken globally on this topic. However, this problem continues to adversely affect organizations in several ways. Schwab (1991) suggests that this is because there are no clear resolutions yet to this challenge. Based on literature review conducted, there is no study undertaken in South Africa attempting to address this problem. The purpose of this study was to identify factors contributing to high turnover rate of pharmacists in South Africa (the pharmaceutical industry in particular) and to recommend strategies to address this problem. A quantitative research approach was followed when addressing this problem. Literature review was conducted on employee turnover and a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument. Following a non-probability, convenience sampling method, two pharmaceutical companies in Gauteng and one in the Eastern Cape were surveyed. The results were analysed by a statistician using Epi-info and stata software as tools for statistical analysis. The following factors were found to be key factors contributing to employee turnover in the pharmaceutical industry: (i) lack of career advancement opportunities, (ii) uncompetitive salary packages, (iii) perceived inequity reflecting leadership challenges, (iv) insufficient recognition for good performance, (v) stress, and (vi) insufficient retention strategies. An effective retention strategy should address all factors that may contribute to employee turnover. A retention strategy that combines competitive salary packages, opportunities for learning and career advancement, recognition, equity and support structures (to deal with stress), should be used in the pharmaceutical industry. This will assist in creating a motivating climate, which is a pre-requisite for job satisfaction and, in turn, employee retention.

Research problem: The Port Elizabeth hospital complex is faced with many staff-related challenges including the difficulty of retaining staff. Factors such as salaries, work environment, work injury, work related stress, personal growth and development opportunities, advancement and promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisor(s), are among the issues that contribute and have been found to be some of the factors affecting employees’ perceptions and attitudes towards their work and ultimately to their intentions to stay or leave. Research objectives: To address the research problem, research objectives and questions were established. The main objective of the research was to investigate the perceptions and attitudes influencing the employees’ intention to quit their jobs within the hospital complex. The key perceptions and attitudes that were measured were; job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment. The secondary objective of the study was to determine, from a list of predetermined factors, which were related to job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment and the intention to quit. Research questions: Four research questions were established and these were: What are the employee perceptions and attitudes towards the organisation and their work in the organisation? In particular how satisfied are the employees with their jobs (job satisfaction), how committed are they to the organisation (organisational commitment), how do they perceive the support within the organisation (perceived organisational support) and do they intend to remain with the organisation (intention to quit measured as the intention to stay). What are the most important factors contributing to job satisfaction, perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and intention to quit? (Measured as the intention to stay). What is the relationship between the sub-groups, identified as gender, race, nationality, occupational level, age, hospital, and length of tenure and job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment? What is the relationship between the sub-groups, identified as gender, race, nationality, occupational level, age, hospital, and length of tenure and intention to quit (measured as the intention to stay)? Research design: The nature of this research was a descriptive study collecting quantitative data. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect information regarding employee perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of their working conditions, their perceptions and attitudes towards the organisation and their intention to remain with the organisation. Major findings: The result of the survey showed that organisational commitment and positive organizational support are practically significantly positively correlated with the intention to stay. However, it was discovered that job satisfaction was statistically significantly positively correlated to intention to stay. The nine factors that were measured were found to be antecedents for all the three constructs of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and perceived organizational support. However, the factors that were also correlated with the intention to stay were promotion opportunities, nature of the work, communication and leader-member exchange.

Relationships between recruitment referral sources and performance, work skills, inter-personal skills, attendance, retention, gender, ethnicity, age, etc. -- Formal recruiting (radio, tv, newspaper, employment/placement office) -- Informal recruiting (employee referrals, walk-ins, etc.).

No description available.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The industrial psychology literature related to call centres highlights the negative aspects of call centre work environments and the resultant adverse impact on workers’ well-being. Call centres have been labelled the “coal mines of the 21st century”, “assembly lines in the head” and “satanic mills” (Janse van Rensburg, Boonzaier, & Boonzaier, 2013, p. 2). High levels of stress, high staff turnover and burnout are all factors that are often experienced by call centre agents (Banks & Roodt, 2011). However, Van der Colff and Rothman (2009) report that some call centre agents, regardless of the high job demands, do not develop burnout. These agents cope better than others under highly demanding and stressful work conditions. To build on these findings, the present study took a detailed look at factors affecting the well-being of employees working in call centres. Specifically, the question was asked, “Why is there variance in work engagement, job burnout and intention to quit amongst the employees in call centres?” The job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) was used as a framework to investigate the well-being of call centre agents employed in the outbound departments of two branches of a Cape Town call centre. The primary objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a structural model, derived from theory, explaining the antecedents of variance in work engagement, job burnout and intention to quit amongst call centre employees. The antecedents comprise transformational leadership (as a job resource), emotional intelligence and psychological capital (as employees’ personal resources), and emotional labour (as job demands) present in a call centre environment. An ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses in this research study. Quantitative data was collected from 223 call centre agents by means of non-probability convenience sampling. A self-administered hard-copy survey was distributed to the two call centre branches, given that call centre agents agreed to participate in the research study. Measuring instruments consisted of (1) the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) questionnaire (Schaufeli et al., 2002), (2) the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001), (3) the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) (Ding & Lin, 2006; Lee, 2000), (4) the Emotional Demands and Emotion-rule Dissonance scales (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, & Fischbach, 2013), (5) the adapted Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5x short) (Van Aswegen & Engelbrecht, 2009), (6) the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Gignac, 2010) and (7) the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio, Avey, & Norman, 2007). The data was analysed using item analyses and structural equation modelling (SEM). A PLS path analysis was conducted to determine the model fit. From the 21 hypotheses formulated in the study, six were found to be significant. It is noteworthy, however, that 12 of the non-significant paths were related to the moderating effects. Hypotheses 1, 3 and 8 were also found to be not significant. However, hypotheses 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 were all found to be statistically significant and therefore supported the JD-R theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014), which postulates that job demands are generally the most important predictors of job burnout, whereas job resources and personal resources are generally the most important predictors of work engagement. Also, it was found that call centre agents experiencing a high level of work engagement were less inclined to leave the organisation. The study’s findings shed light on the importance of developing interventions that can foster job and personal resources in the pursuit of optimising work engagement. In addition, the call centre agents can be bolstered in coping with existing job demands and cumulatively this also results in a decrease in the employees’ level of burnout and in their intention to leave the company. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Bedryfsielkundige literatuur met betrekking tot inbelsentrums beklemtoon die negatiewe aspekte van die werkomgewing van inbelsentrums en die gevolglike nadelige effek op werkers se welsyn. Inbelsentrums is reeds beskryf as die “steenkoolmyne van die 21ste eeu”, ‘”monteerbande in die kop” en “sataniese meule” (Janse van Rensburg, Boonzaier, & Boonzaier, 2013, p. 2). Hoë vlakke van stres, hoë personeelomset en uitbranding is faktore wat gereeld deur inbelsentrum-agente ervaar word (Banks & Roodt, 2011). Van der Colff en Rothman (2009) rapporteer egter dat ten spyte van hulle hoë werkvereistes, sommige inbelsentrumagente nie uitbranding ervaar nie. Hierdie agente vaar beter as ander onder hoogs veeleisende en stresvolle werkomstandighede. Om verder te bou op die navorsing wat reeds onderneem is, kyk die huidige studie na die faktore wat moontlik die welsyn van werknemers in inbelsentrums affekteer. Met ander woorde, dit soek na die antwoord op die navorsingsinisiërende vraag: “Hoekom is daar verskille in die werksbegeestering, werksuitbranding en intensie om die organisasie te verlaat onder werknemers in inbelsentrums?” Om op hierdie navorsingsinisiërende vraag te kan reageer, is die job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014) gebruik as raamwerk spesifiek om die welsyn van inbelsentrumagente wat in die uitbel-departemente binne twee takke van ‘n bekende uitbelsentrum, geleë in Kaapstad, te ondersoek. Die hoofdoelwit van hierdie studie was om ’n strukturele model te ontwikkel en te toets wat die antesedente van variansie in werksbegeestering, werksuitbranding en die intensie om die organisaie te verlaat, onder inbelsentrumwerknemers verklaar. Die spesifieke antesedente wat in hierdie studie getoets is, was transformasie-leierskap (as ’n werkshulpbron), emosionele intelligensie en sielkundige kapitaal (psychological capital) (as werknemers se persoonlike hulpbronne), en emosionele arbeid (as werkseise) wat in ‘n inbelsentrum-omgewing teenwoordig is. ʼn Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp is gebruik om die geformuleerde hipoteses in hierdie studie te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is by 223 inbelsentrumagente deur middel van nie-waarskynlikheids gerieflikheidsteekproeftrekking ingesamel. ’n Selfgeadministreerde hardekopie-opname is in die twee takke van die inbelsentrum versprei, aangesien hulle ingestem het om aan die studie deel te neem. Die opname het spesifieke latente veranderlikes gemeet wat op die studie van toepassing is deur gebruik te maak van betroubare en geldige meetinstrumente. Hierdie instrumente sluit in (1) die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) vraelys (Schaufeli et al., 2002), (2) die Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) (Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter, 2001), (3) die Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) (Ding & Lin, 2006; Lee, 2000), (4) die Emotional Demands en Emotion-rule Dissonance skale (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, & Fischbach, 2013), (5) die aangepaste Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5x kort) (Van Aswegen & Engelbrecht, 2009), (6) die Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Gignac, 2010) en (7) die Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans, Avolio, Avey, & Norman, 2007). Die versamelde data is deur middel van item-analise en strukturele vergelykingsmodellering geanaliseer. ’n PLS pad-ontleding is onderneem om modelpassing te bepaal. Vanuit die 21 hipoteses wat vir hierdie studie geformuleer is, is ses bevind om betekenisvol te wees. Dit is egter merkwaardig dat 12 van die nie-betekenisvolle bane verband gehou het met modererende effekte. Hipoteses 1, 3 en 8 is ook bevind om nie-betekenisvol te wees. Hierdie nie-betekenisvolle bane kan op grond van verskeie redes ontstaan. Hipoteses 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 en 9 is egter almal bevind om statisties betekenisvol te wees en ondersteun dus die JD-R teorie (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014). Hierdie teorie hou voor dat werksvereistes oor die algemeen die belangrikste voorspellers van werksuitbranding is, terwyl werkshulpbronne en persoonlike hulpbronne oor die algemeen die vernaamste voorspellers van werksbegeestering is. Dit is ook bevind dat inbelsentrumagente wat ’n hoë vlak van werksbegeestering ervaar, minder geneig is om die organisasie te verlaat. Die studie se bevindings werp lig op die belangrikheid daarvan om ingrypings te ontwikkel wat werks- en persoonlike hulpbronne kan kweek in die nastrewing van die optimering van begeestering en om inbelsentrumagente te help om die bestaande werkseise te hanteer. Gevolglik sal hierdie uitkoms lei tot ’n vermindering in die werknemers se vlakke van uitbranding en in hulle intensies om die organisasie te verlaat.

Grounded in the positive psychology paradigm the recently recognised core construct of psychological capital was focussed in a South African study. A non-experimental, correlational study (n=204) examined the relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. The present study was exploratory in nature and the pattern of relationships being investigated had not been previously tested in a South African context. A self-administered composite questionnaire consisting of five psychological scales were distributed to employees in the junior to senior management level at a global tyre manufacturing organisation based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The five scales were the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire by Walumbwa, Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans, Psychological Climate by Koys and DeCotiis, Team Commitment by Bennett and the Intention to Quit Scale by Cohen. All the measures applied on the South African sample were developed outside South Africa and model equivalence had to be established. The content and structure of the measures were investigated through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. With the exception of the Cohen scale of intention to quit, all other measures changed their factorial structures to suit the present data. The propositions in the study were tested through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, post hoc tests, Cohen’s d, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regressions. Structural equation models were built to test the relationships between the scales and sub scales of authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. Results of the analyses carried out, show significantly strong relationships between the variables. Of note is the marked relationship between authentic leadership and psychological climate. Most of the propositions were accepted in light of the relationships that emerged. The proposition indicating structural equation models was rejected because none of the models built in the study successfully produced an adequate fit on the data. Contributions of the study were in terms of the portability of the measurement instruments applied in the study as well as the relationships that emerged. Re-validation of the measures is required to enable clarity on how the variables in the study are interpreted across cultural contexts. Directions for future research include extending the study to other samples and other cultures. Measuring social desirability of the instruments could possibly provide clarity on how the different samples respond to the measures. Studies that compare the reading ability as well as the ability to comprehend the items in the measures would provide valuable information.

No description available.