This research examined the problem of poor retention of employees with scarce skills in the Limpopo Department of Agriculture. Employees with scarce skills were selected to participate in the research which focused on recruitment, selection and retention. Recruitment, selection and retention of line employees with valued skills are a major crises facing many institutions. The problem of poor retention and turnover of line employees with scarce skills has far reaching consequences in that dissatisfaction with working conditions causes additional turnover. To some extent, the Department can control the turnover rate of its employees with scarce skills. The research assessed recruitment, selection and retention of line employees with scarce skills in the Limpopo Department of Agriculture. The research concentrated on the reasons for poor retention of line employees with scarce skills, the extent of turnover of employees with scarce skills, what process do the Limpopo Department of Agriculture follow in filling vacant post and what interventions and measures do the Department undertakes to ensure compliance to the recruitment policy. A questionnaire was used to collect data from managers and line employees with scarce skills. A hundred (100) questionnaires were distributed and 67 were returned. The findings revealed that Limpopo Department of Agriculture can do more in retaining its valued line employees (those with scarce skills). The challenge of scarce skills in the Department is compounded by the high demand of for instance engineers, state veterinarians and researchers in South Africa. There is a war on scarce skills in South Africa, Generation Y needs resources, better working conditions and a better salary to be retained. The research findings were evaluated and possible strategies for improving recruitment, selection and retention of line employees with scarce skills are recommended. The Department should design a career progression path policy. This would assist in retaining scarce skills in the public sector. / Public Administration and Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

The research focused on constructing a psychological well-being profile for flourishing practices for junior leaders by establishing the relationship between junior leaders' dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations, and organisational commitment) and the flourishing attribute (positive psychological functioning). A nonprobability purposive sampling quantitative method was applied to a sample of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel in Gauteng (N = 458) at junior leadership levels to explore the statistical relationship between their dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations, and organisational commitment) and the flourishing attribute (positive psychological functioning) attribute. Multiple regression analyses indicated the dispositional attributes with the exception of emotional affect as significant predictors of the flourishing variable. The structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated a good fit of the data with the correlation-derived measurement model. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that age, race, gender and years of service as significant moderators of the relationship between the participants‘ dispositional attributes (emotional affect, career orientations and organisational commitment) and flourishing (positive psychological functioning) attribute. Tests for mean differences discovered that participants differed in terms of their age and race. The study made a significant contribution to the bulk of knowledge in the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychology. On a theoretical level, the study deepened the understanding of the individual and cognitive, affective, conative and relations management dimensions of the hypothesised psychological well-being profile. On an empirical level, the study developed an empirically tested psychological well-being profile that informs flourishing practices for individual junior leaders and organisational levels. On a practical level, dispositional and flourishing practices that inform the dimensions of the psychological well-being profile were recommended. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph. D. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

MCom / Department of Human Resource Management and Labour Relations / The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of workforce diversity on employee performance in a selected Higher Educational Institution in South Africa. Various legislative measures were introduced by the government in order to shape the workforce in organisations. However, these legislative measures expressly focus on compelling organisations to embrace diversity and thus not considering the business need of it and how it influences employee behavioral outcomes such as employee performance. It is upon this backdrop that this study investigated the effects of workforce diversity on employee performance in an HEI in South Africa. A cross-sectional research design was used. A random sample (n = 267) was chosen by dividing employees into homogeneous strata of academic and non-academic employees. A Workforce Diversity Questionnaire and Employee Work Performance Questionnaire were administered. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between independent variables (gender diversity, ethnic diversity and educational diversity) and the dependent variable (employee performance). The relationship between age diversity and employee performance was not significant. HEIs should introduce diversity management programs to improve the effectiveness of workforce diversity towards employee performance. Because a cross-sectional research design was employed, conclusions about causality could not be made

This study explored factors that influence attitudes towards performance management among staff in the Core Network Field Operation (CNFO) of Telkom Eastern Cape. Performance management concerns achieving organisational goals efficiently and effectively. An observation by a manger that the staff were not performing optimally and were displaying a negative attitude towards performance management, necessitated an objective investigation into the reasons for such attitudes and also to be derivative of a corrective solution. This qualitative study was done in the form of a descriptive open ended survey involving geographically dispersed employees. Factual evidence gathered from the result of the study supports the literature that people have different views of performance management. A direct consequence of the different views could be in the inconsistent application of performance management. Solutions and possible corrective actions to improve employee participation and perception as sought by this study are contained in detail in the report / Business Management / M. Tech. (Business Administration)

Abstracts in English and Xhosa / Municipality is a sphere of government that is closest to the people and that deals with provision of services to the people of the country on daily basis. Therefore, human resource training is important to grow the skills and knowledge of the employees to improve in service delivery. Training is needed to improve performance and for organisational success. Municipal employees are the face of the government, so their performance is important on how they deliver services to the citizen. Employees in the City of Tshwane Municipality are required to provide effective and efficient, and quality service delivery. A good employee performance is required for effective service delivery, however is not the case in the City of Tshwane Municipality as it displayed by dissatisfaction from the citizen. For instance, of service delivery protests. Training helps and enables the municipal employees to deliver the service better and meet the expectation of citizens. Through training employee performance changes which influences the good service delivery and client’s satisfaction. Ever-changing, rapidly evolving working environment and changes in the needs of citizens, required the City of Tshwane Municipality to have trained and skilled, knowledgeable developed, employee to do the job well and flexible enough to adapt easily and to improve the service delivery. The human resource development is important to ensure that training and development of employees is taking place in the institution. The primary objective of this study seeks to examine whether HRD enhances employee performance in ensuring that service delivery is delivered in an efficient and effective manner. The researcher used qualitative research method to collect data from the City of Tshwane Municipality and questionnaires were used as a tool to collect data. This is qualitative study to get a deeper understanding of how human resource development can enhance employee performance. The main findings drawn from the study indicate that budget cuts and limited funds have a negative impact on training provision. Financial incapability and lack of identifying training needs leads to employees not attending training which in turn affects productivity. For training to continue requires a lot of money, training evaluation and investment specifically budgeted for employee training and development. If employees are not rewarded according to their performance, this leads to low morale and dissatisfaction. The City of Tshwane Municipality (CoT) has a training programme but extensive training is needed on technology especially when it is first introduced. The study recommends that the institution should seek advice and revisit the Skills Development Act, 1998 on increasing the levels of investment in education and training. The institution has to undertake feasibility studies in order to overcome budget. / Iziko ngalinye lidinga abasebenzi abaqeqeshiweyo, abafanelekileyo nabanezakhono ukuze liqhube imisebenzi yalo. Ukungabikho kophuhliso olusebenzayo lwemithombo yoluntu (iHRD – esi sisishunqulelo sesiNgesi esimele ihuman resource development) kuyayichaphazela indlela abasebenza ngayo abasebenzi kwakunye nokunikezelwa kweenkonzo kwicandelo lemisebenzi yoluntu. Injongo yeHRD kumaziko kukunikezela ngoqeqesho lwabasebenzi oludibene nolwazi, izakhono nesimo sengqondo esidingekayo ukuze abasebenzi bayenze ngcono imisebenzi yabo yemihla ngemihla. Kuthi kusenjalo ke, kubekho ucutho lohlahlo lwabiwo mali, ukuthotywa kwesabelo senkxaso mali, ukuhambela phambili kobuchwepheshe nokuncipha kwemithombo, ukuze zonke ezo meko zichaphazele kakubi ukulungiselela uqeqesho, ukusebenza kwabaqeshwa, ukunikezelwa kweenkonzo, nto leyo ithetha ukuba uqeqesho aluqhubeki ngokuthe gqolo. Abaqeshwa abaqeqeshiweyo, abaphuhlisiweyo nabanolwazi bawenza ngcono umsebenzi kwaye bayalinceda iqumrhu ukuba lifezekise iinjongo zalo. Icandelo likawonkewonke kwiSebe lemithombo yoluntu lifanele ukutyala imali ethe chatha kuqeqesho, ukwenzela ukuba abasebenzi bakwazi okulindeleke kubo. Injongo engundoqo yesi sifundo kukufumanisa ukuba ingaba iHRD iyakuqinisa na ukusebenza kwabaqeshwa ekuqinisekiseni ukuba ukunikezelwa kweenkonzo kwenzeka ngendlela esebenzayo nefanelekileyo na. Umphandi usebenzise iindlela zophando ezahlukeneyo ekuqokeleleni iinkcukacha zolwazi kuMasipala weSixeko saseTshwane – ndlela ezo izezokuqwalasela amanani nokuqwalasela ukuzathuza kwabathathi nxaxheba. Izintlu zemibuzo nazo zisetyenzisiwe njengesixhobo sokuqokelela iinkcukacha zolwazi. Okungundoqo okufunyaniswe kwesi sifundo kubonisa ukuba ukucuthwa kwesabelo mali nokunqongophala kwenkxaso mali kube nefuthe elingalunganga ekulungiseleleni uqeqesho. Iingxaki zemali nokungachaneki kakuhle kwezidingo zoqeqesho kukhokelele ekubeni abaqeshwa bangathathi nxaxheba kuqeqesho, nto leyo ichaphazele iziqhamo zomsebenzi. Ukuba ngaba kusafuneka uqeqesho luqhubeke, kudingeka imali eninzi kakhulu, kuvavanywe noqeqesho,kwenziwe utyalo mali olujoliswe ngqo ekuqeqesheni nasekuphuhliseni abasebenzi. Xa abasebezi bengahlawulwa ngokwendlela abasebenza ngayo, oko kukhokela kutyhafo nokunganeliseki kwabasebenzi. UMasipala weSixeko saseTshwane unayo inkqubo yoqeqesho, kodwa kudingeka uqeqesho olumandla kwezobuchwepheshe, ngakumbi xa oku kuqala ukwaziswa. Esi sifundo sicebisa ukuba eli ziko lifune iingcebiso, kwaye liphinde liqwalasele uMthetho Wophuhliso Lwezakhono (iSkills Development Act), yowe-1998, lijonge ekukhuliseni amazinga otyalo mali kwezemfundo noqeqesho. Ngaphaya koko eli ziko kufuneka lenze izifundo zophando lokufaneleka kweenkqubo, ngenjongo yokuhlangabezana nokucuthwa kwesabelo mali, nto leyo iyinxalenye yesi sifundo. / Human Resource Management / M. Admin.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Improving performance management is a high priority for many organizations that want to improve the performance of their employees. Recently, researchers have focused on the social context to promote behavioral change, and have created new scales to examine context, such as the feedback environment. The current study examined internal and external accountability as mediators of the relationship between the feedback environment and developmental behaviors. Participants each completed three scales measuring the feedback environment, internal and external accountability, and developmental behaviors. Results suggested that internal and external accountability both mediate the relationship between the feedback environment and developmental behaviors, but neither is a stronger mediator than the other. In addition, internal and external accountability both mediate the relationship between each component of the feedback environment and developmental behaviors, but again neither is a stronger mediator than the other. This study contributed to the literature on performance management, and emphasized the importance of training supervisors to use the feedback environment to increase perceptions of accountability for employees.

Text in Afrikaans / Current society view performance appraisal in organization as a very important component and organization are sometimes legally obliged to apply performance appraisal. From a qualitative perspective the researcher want to explore and describe the criteria that must be taken in account during performance appraisal of community developers. A qualitative approach will be utilized following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The study will be conducted by municipalities, non-governmental organizations and state departments in the Boland area in the Western Cape. Data will be collected by means of semi-structured focusgroup interviews with community developers. Data will be analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 1994). Guba's model (in Krefting, 1991) will be employed for data verification. Recommendations were provided according the criteria that must be taken in account with performance appraisal for community developers. / Prestasiebeoordeling word in die hedendaagse samelewing as 'n belangrike komponent binne enige organisasie beskou en organisasies word soms wetlik verplig om prestasiebeoordeling toe te pas. Vanuit 'n kwalitatiewe perspektief beplan die navorser die navorsingstudie om kriteria wat in aanmerking geneem behoort te word by prestasiebeoordeling van gemeenskapsontwikkelaars te verken en te beskryf. Vir die doel gaan 'n verkennende, bekrywende en konteksueie navorsingsontwerp geimplimenteer word. Die studie sal gedoen word by munisipaliteite, nieregeringsorganisasies en staatsdepartmente in die Boland streek in die Wes-Kaap. Semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoude sal met gemeenskapsontwikkelaars gevoer word om die toepaslike data in te samel. Data sal geanaliseer word volgens die stappe van Tesch (in Creswell, 1994)) en data verifiering sal volgens Guba se model (in Krefting, 1991) onderneem word. Aanbevelings is voorsien met betrekking tot kriteria wat in aanmerking geneem kan word by prestasiebeoordeling van gemeenskapsontwikkelaars. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

In a rapidly changing and competitive world organisations need to develop and improve their performance continuously to ensure a competitive advantage. Organisations need to determine their current status of performance constantly and identify organisational strengths and areas where improvements can be made. Periodic organisational self-assessments are therefore required to measure current management and operations policies, practices and procedures, in order to enhance overall business performance rather than solely concentrating on the quality of products or services. Traditionally, external inspections were more commonly used by educational and training institutions for the evaluation of institution and learner performance. These institutions are today taking part in a growing drive for internal self-evaluation, arising from the desire of institutions and Education, Training and Development (ETD) practitioners to assess their own performances. Self-assessment as part of an endeavour to sustain continuous improvement is therefore also appropriate for ETD providers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). A new defence dispensation and a changing ETD environment in South Africa have created new demands on ETD providers in the SANDF. Although training units within the SANDF may function in a unique military context, national legislation relevant to ETD and the latest approach of openness and transparency into matters of the Department imply that military as well as non-military ETD in the SANDF is to be closely aligned with national training and development initiatives. As legislation does not make a distinction between military and private ETD providers in South Africa, most traditionally assumed differences are no longer relevant. A case study explored the appropriateness of conducting organisational self-assessment as component of a Continuous Performance Improvement Strategy and Quality Assurance within the SANDF. The study also investigated the usefulness of a Total Quality Management approach to quality assurance in the ETD environment and the impact of the frameworks used, available assessment instruments and the selected assessment methods on the significance of organisational self-assessment by ETD providers. This study's investigation of the appropriateness and significance of regular organisational self-assessments by training units in the SANDF thus has broader implications, as recommendations are also applicable to other ETD providers. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

In a rapidly changing and competitive world organisations need to develop and improve their performance continuously to ensure a competitive advantage. Organisations need to determine their current status of performance constantly and identify organisational strengths and areas where improvements can be made. Periodic organisational self-assessments are therefore required to measure current management and operations policies, practices and procedures, in order to enhance overall business performance rather than solely concentrating on the quality of products or services. Traditionally, external inspections were more commonly used by educational and training institutions for the evaluation of institution and learner performance. These institutions are today taking part in a growing drive for internal self-evaluation, arising from the desire of institutions and Education, Training and Development (ETD) practitioners to assess their own performances. Self-assessment as part of an endeavour to sustain continuous improvement is therefore also appropriate for ETD providers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). A new defence dispensation and a changing ETD environment in South Africa have created new demands on ETD providers in the SANDF. Although training units within the SANDF may function in a unique military context, national legislation relevant to ETD and the latest approach of openness and transparency into matters of the Department imply that military as well as non-military ETD in the SANDF is to be closely aligned with national training and development initiatives. As legislation does not make a distinction between military and private ETD providers in South Africa, most traditionally assumed differences are no longer relevant. A case study explored the appropriateness of conducting organisational self-assessment as component of a Continuous Performance Improvement Strategy and Quality Assurance within the SANDF. The study also investigated the usefulness of a Total Quality Management approach to quality assurance in the ETD environment and the impact of the frameworks used, available assessment instruments and the selected assessment methods on the significance of organisational self-assessment by ETD providers. This study's investigation of the appropriateness and significance of regular organisational self-assessments by training units in the SANDF thus has broader implications, as recommendations are also applicable to other ETD providers. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Text in Afrikaans / Current society view performance appraisal in organization as a very important component and organization are sometimes legally obliged to apply performance appraisal. From a qualitative perspective the researcher want to explore and describe the criteria that must be taken in account during performance appraisal of community developers. A qualitative approach will be utilized following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The study will be conducted by municipalities, non-governmental organizations and state departments in the Boland area in the Western Cape. Data will be collected by means of semi-structured focusgroup interviews with community developers. Data will be analysed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 1994). Guba's model (in Krefting, 1991) will be employed for data verification. Recommendations were provided according the criteria that must be taken in account with performance appraisal for community developers. / Prestasiebeoordeling word in die hedendaagse samelewing as 'n belangrike komponent binne enige organisasie beskou en organisasies word soms wetlik verplig om prestasiebeoordeling toe te pas. Vanuit 'n kwalitatiewe perspektief beplan die navorser die navorsingstudie om kriteria wat in aanmerking geneem behoort te word by prestasiebeoordeling van gemeenskapsontwikkelaars te verken en te beskryf. Vir die doel gaan 'n verkennende, bekrywende en konteksueie navorsingsontwerp geimplimenteer word. Die studie sal gedoen word by munisipaliteite, nieregeringsorganisasies en staatsdepartmente in die Boland streek in die Wes-Kaap. Semi-gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoude sal met gemeenskapsontwikkelaars gevoer word om die toepaslike data in te samel. Data sal geanaliseer word volgens die stappe van Tesch (in Creswell, 1994)) en data verifiering sal volgens Guba se model (in Krefting, 1991) onderneem word. Aanbevelings is voorsien met betrekking tot kriteria wat in aanmerking geneem kan word by prestasiebeoordeling van gemeenskapsontwikkelaars. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)