Within the last decade, more organizations are utilizing a non-traditional workforce. Specifically, these organizations are utilizing contract workers as resources to provide services and manufacture products. While this change in workforce provides benefits to organizations, the change also presents numerous challenges such as turnover. The turnover involved in such a relationship along with the addition of newcomers translates into an organizational socialization and knowledge transfer (KT) issue, because contract workers as well as employees need to be efficiently brought into a new organization, and knowledge needs to be shared with these new individuals so that they can effectively contribute to the work process. It is contended that organizations follow a typical, informal organizational socialization "policy" which involves KT in getting new contract workers and employees up to speed. This study addressed the typical organizational socialization policy as it is represented by formal knowledge transfer (FKT) via instructor-led/classroom training (ILT) and computer-based training (CBT) and by informal knowledge transfer (IKT) via a social network. The study focused on IKT, because companies understand this type of KT the least. In order to evaluate the organizational socialization of contract workers for this study, the contract worker population was compared to a baseline population of employees which was broken up into two employee groups: "rookies" and experienced hires. The formal and informal transfer of three types of knowledge (job task, role, and organizational norms) was assessed by using surveys and interviews (including social network methods) on a research population consisting of 166 employees (both rookies and experienced hires) and contract workers from a Fortune 100 company. The findings include: (a) Job task knowledge was transferred more often than role and organizational norms knowledge, (b) coworkers were used more than managers a source of knowledge overall, (c) worker classification as well as job task and role knowledge explained significant amounts of variance in performance, and (d) network size impacted performance.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2004 / Refer to the document

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of the study is to investigate the transfer of training in the Central Bank of Lesotho. To guide this study, the following questions were formulated and answered: .:. How do managers assess transfer of training in the Central Bank of Lesotho? .:. What is the extent of transfer of training in the bank? .:. What are the reasons behind lack of transfer of training, if it exists in the bank? .:. What can be done to promote transfer of training in the bank? The research method that was used in this study was the survey method, which aims at gathering data about large numbers of people. Questionnaires were used to elicit answers to these questions and were given to the management of the Central Bank of Lesotho, as well as to the employees who have undergone training. This company was chosen because the researcher has worked there for seven years and understands how it operates. The study found that behavioural performance appraisal is used by Central Bank of Lesotho management to assess transfer of training and that a high percentage of training is transferred immediately after training, when trainees are still excited about what they have learned. It was concluded that there are barriers to transfer of training such as lack of management and co-worker support, lack of resources after training, lack of motivation and many others. On the basis of these findings and conclusions, it was recommended that Performance Appraisal should not only be carried out by managers, but colleagues also have to assess an individual. Follow-up training and management support were encouraged, to motivate trainees to apply what they have learned. / Thesis (M.Bus.Ad.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 1994. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research conducted by Albert Ellis (1978) revealed that individuals' concepts of their own rational and irrational and/or dysfunctional cognitions are important determinants of effective human functioning. The presence of these cognitions within an individual can have several consequences such as depression, neuroses and psychoses. It is clear from the literature (Ellis, 1978; Dryden & Gordon, 1990; Lodder, 1993) that one of the causative factors in manifestations of emotional instability is individuals' lack of knowledge about their psyches. The general aim of this study is to develop a programme which lead to positive human functioning, including self-acceptance and selfempowerment, on the basis of a comprehensive study of the literature on all possible coping skills (Lodder, 1993). Several approaches were considered which could promote Self-insight, namely rational-emotive therapy, transactional analysis and the use of projective techniques. Each of these aspects was dealt with fully and reasons are provided for the selection of rational-emotive therapy. Rational-emotive therapy provides participants with the necessaryknowledge to identify and combat their own irrational and/or dysfunctional cognitions. Before Ellis's cognitive questionnaire could be used in the evaluation process, the psychometric characteristics of the instrument had to be determined first. A further aim is to adapt Ellis's cognitive questionnaire according to scientifically recognized procedures to measure human functioning on a rational -basis as a psychometrically acceptable measuring instrument. A primary psychometric requirement of a measuring instrument is that its items must be sufficiently homogeneous to be able to regard them as criteria of a single construct. Ellis's cognitive questionnaire (adapted) demonstrated a particularly satisfactory internal consistency (alpha coefficient = 0,89; N = 250). With the help of a factor analysis Ellis's cognitive questionnaire (adapted) was developed in such a way that the items in the subscales were all relatively pure measurements of the isolated factors. Furthermore, the results of the factor analysis produced five factors which could be linked relatively clearly to the five postulated dimensions of irrational cognition. To ascertain whether participation in the programme by 90 female and 30 male administrative staff members did in fact lead to the envisaged result, the Solomon four - group design was used to evaluate it. Evaluation of the programme was undertaken on the basis of Kirkpatrick's evaluation model by concentrating on the knowledge, reaction and behavioural levels. A knowledge test was used to measure knowledge, a reaction questionnaire was used for participantsreactions and Ellis's cognitive Questionnaire (adapted) for evaluation at the behavioural level. The most important findings of the investigation could be summed up as follows: • The experimental group acquired significantly more knowledge about irrational cognitions than the control group did. • After the programme the experimental group made significantly more use of cognitive restructuring as a coping style than the control group did. • The experimental group revealed considerably fewer dysfunctional cognitions. Certain shortcomings also emerged from this investigation. Recommendations are made according to which these specific shortcomings can be addressed in future research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Albert Ellis se navorsing (1978) het aan die lig gebring dat individue se begrip vir hulle onderskeie rasionele en irrasionele en/of disfunksionele kognisies 'n belangrike determinant is van doeltreffende menslike funksionering. Die aanwesigheid van hierdie kognisies binne 'n individu kan verskeie gevolge he soos depressie, neuroses en psigoses. Dit blyk uit die literatuur (Ellis, 1978; Dryden & Gordon, 1990; Lodder, 1993) dat een van die veroorsakende faktore van manifestasie van emosionele onstabiliteit die gebrek is aan kennis van individue rondom hulle psiges. Die algemene doelstelling van die studie is om aan die hand van 'n omvattende literatuurstudie van aile moontlike "helpende vaardighede" \ (Lodder, 1993) 'n program te ontwikkel wat individue kan lei tot positiewe menslike funksionering met in begrip van selfaanvaarding en selfbemagtiging. Verskillende benaderings wat gebruik kan word om Selfinsig te bewerkstellig, naamlik Rasioneel-emotiewe terapie, Transaksionele Analise en die gebruik van Projektiewe Tegnieke is oorweeg. Daar is volledig aandag gegee aan elk van hierdie aspekte en redes verstrek vir die keuse van Rasioneel-emotiewe terapie. Rasioneel-emotiewe terapie verskaf aan die deelnemers die nodige kennis en vaardighede om hulle en gedragsvlak te konsentreer. 'n Kennistoets is gebruik vir kennismeting, 'n reaksievraelys vir deelnemerreaksies en Ellis se Kognitiewe vraelys (aangepasl vir evaluering op gedragsvlak. Die vernaamste bevindings van die ondersoek kan soos volg opgesom word: • Die eksperimentele groep het beduidend meer kennis en insig oor rasionele kognisies opgedoen as die kontrolegroep. • Die eksperimentele groep het na die program beduidend meer as die kontrolegroep van kognitiewe herstrukturering as behartigingstyl gebruik gemaak. • Die eksperimentele groep het beduidend minder disfunksionele kognisies openbaar. Sekere leemtes het uit hierdie ondersoek geblyk. Aanbevelings is aan die hand gedoen waarvolgens hierdie sp~sifieke leemtes in toekomstige navorsing op hierdie terrein oorbrug kan word. eie irrasionele en/of disfunksionele kognisies te kan identifiseer en betwis. Alvorens Ellis' se Kognitiewe vraelys gebruik kon word in die evalueringsproses moes die psigometriese eienskappe van die instrument eers bepaal word. 'n Verdere doelstelling is om Ellis se kognitiewe vraelys volgens wetenskaplik-erkende prosedures aan te pas om as psigometriese aanvaarbare meetinstrument menslike funksionering aan die hand van rasionaliteit te meet. 'n Primere psigometriese vereiste vir 'n meetinstrument is dat sy items voldoende homogeen moet wees om dit te kan beskou as 'n maatstaf van 'n enkele konstruk. Ellis se Kognitiewe vraelys (aangepas) het 'n besondere bevredigende interne bestendigheid gedemonstreer (koeffisient alfa = 0,89; N = 250). Ellis se Kognitiewe vraelys (aangepas) is met behulp van 'n faktorontleding ontwikkel waarvan die items in die subskale almal relatief suiwer metings van die geTsoleerde faktore is. Verder het die faktoranalitiese resultate vyf faktore opgelewer wat redelik duidelik aan die gepostuleerde vyf dimensies van irrasionele kognisies gekoppel kon word. Om te bepaal of die bywoning van die program, deur 90 vroulike en 30 manlike administratiewe personeel, wei tot die beoogde resultate aanleiding gee, is die Solomon vier-groep ontwerp vir die evaluering daarvan gebruik. Evalueririg van die program is aan die hand van Kirkpatrick se evalueringsmodel gedoen deur op die kennis-, reaksie-

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

Multi-Attribute Utility Technology (MAUT) was investigated as an alternative organizational training evaluation method. Research questions focused on what problems emerge in involving stakeholders in training evaluation, what technical problems emerge in the application of the MAUT steps, and what can be learned about the credibility of MAUT results and their impact on decision making. Five employee training courses offered by a city government training unit were evaluated. Two groups of stakeholders developed desired course attributes and indicators using MAUT. Survey data collected from students and their immediate supervisors provided indicator measurements. Location measures and utilities were provided to stakeholders and students. Stakeholders then evaluated MAUT from the participant perspective. Positive and negative findings had implications for the effective use of MAUT. Positive findings were that stakeholders valued the group process and opportunity to have input to the evaluation; surveys were useful for measuring attribute indicators; the development of attributes, indicators, weights and location measures presented no technical problem; and, that MAUT results were credible to students and Stakeholders. Negative findings were that stakeholder availability was very difficult to obtain; not all stakeholders could deal with the conceptual tasks of MAUT; surveys were not feasible for attribute development; calculation and interpretation of MAUT utilities were seen as too complex by stakeholders; and, the use of MAUT results to influence decisions was hindered by the perceived complexity and the absence in the study of the primary decision maker for training. It was concluded that a major strength of MAUT is that it affords the investigator the opportunity to easily tap into the organizational culture and political setting of a program. In addition, the strengths of MAUT as a training evaluation method are highly dependent on inclusion of all relevant stakeholders, a strong commitment of stakeholder time, stakeholder ability to communicate values and priorities, and, the clear and simple reporting of MAUT results. Detailed recommendations for the effective use of MAUT are provided. / Ph. D.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

No abstract available. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1995.