Ill-health has been identified as the cause and consequence of poverty in Uganda. In April, 2009 the ICT4MPOWER project was launched in order to improve health care delivery in the rural communities of Uganda using Information and Communication Technology. One of the aspects considered, was the development of a human resource management system. Studying quality literature, interviewing possible stakeholders and investigating the current healthcare management information system led to the finding of both tactical and strategic functions for the development of human resources. Mock up interfaces was designed to support the needs of the organization. Flowcharts, use cases, and instruction films were made to clarify and to see the process from different end user. We have identified a need for a more strategic approach towards human resource management, but it must begin with establishing the hard foundation.

Syfte: Studiens syfte är att öka förståelsen för HR-arbetet i små företag utifrån antagandet att de ofta har resursbrist, vilket skapar begränsningar. Detta för att se hur resursbristen påverkar deras HR-arbete och vad det kan leda till. Metod: Studien har använt en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Empirin från intervjuerna analyserades sedan med hjälp av en tematisk analys och det teoretiska ramverket för att svara på forskningsfrågorna.  Slutsats: I studien framkom det att små företag ofta får anpassa sig efter resursbrist och att detta även genomsyras i deras HR-arbete. Företagen tvingas välja vilka delar som ska prioriteras då de inte har resurser till att utföra allt HR-arbete. Det största fokuset läggs på arbetsmiljön och medarbetarnas välmående, samtidigt som det långsiktiga och strategiska arbetet hamnar helt i skymundan. Det visar slutligen på att tidigare teorier och modeller inte är anpassade efter små företag där det råder resursbrist, eftersom dessa inte är tillräckligt dynamiska. / Purpose: The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of the HR work in small enterprises based on the assumption that they often lack resources, which creates limitations. This is to see how the lack of resources affect their HR work and what that can lead to. Method: In the study, a qualitative research method was used through nine semi-structured interviews. The empirical evidence from the interviews was analyzed using a thematic analysis and the theoretical framework to answer the research questions. Conclusion: In the study, it emerged that small enterprises often have to adapt to their lack of resources which characterize their HR work. The enterprises are forced to choose which parts they prioritize since they do not have enough resources to do all the HR work. Their biggest focus is the work environment and the well-being of the employees, while the long-term and the strategic work is deprioritized. This shows that previous theories and models are not customized to fit small enterprises with lack of resources, because these are not dynamic enough.

Dissertation deals with the human resource audit. It is aimed at creation of the concept for human resource audit and verification of its various aspects by analyzing the primary data obtained by empirical research.

O Desenvolvimento de Recursos Humanos (DRH) é um tema que se destaca pelo estudo e fomento da aprendizagem em diferentes níveis, formatos e momentos. Seus componentes principais são treinamento e desenvolvimento, desenvolvimento de carreiras e desenvolvimento organizacional. Uma de suas abordagens é o Desenvolvimento Estratégico de Recursos Humanos (DERH), que busca alinhar a aprendizagem no contexto organizacional aos objetivos estratégicos da organização. O presente estudo adotou a abordagem de DERH e orientou-se pela perspectiva de desempenho, segundo a qual, o objetivo da aprendizagem nas organizações é ajudá-las a atingir seus objetivos. Desse modo, torna-se importante avaliar a contribuição das políticas e práticas de DRH para o alcance dos resultados organizacionais. Nesse sentido, avaliar a relação entre DRH e desempenho organizacional torna-se relevante. A partir dessa breve contextualização, depreende-se o objetivo deste estudo, que foi analisar a relação estabelecida entre adoção de políticas e práticas de DRH e desempenho organizacional, investigando a atuação dos fatores contingenciais nessa relação. Esses fatores foram investigados à luz da abordagem de DERH, que tem como uma de suas características a análise do ambiente e de sua influência no modelo de DRH. Para condução da etapa empírica, foi adotada a abordagem quantitativa, utilizando-se questionário estruturado direcionado ao principal responsável pelo RH de organizações que atuam no Brasil. A amostra da pesquisa contou com 354 casos válidos. Para a análise dos dados, foram empregadas as análises fatorial exploratória e confirmatória para a constituição do sistema de DRH e a regressão logística para avaliar a relação desse sistema com o desempenho das organizações. Como resultados principais, constatou-se que a adoção de políticas e práticas de DRH explica 42,1% da variação nos valores previstos de desempenho organizacional e que a regulação do setor, o porte e o alinhamento horizontal moderam a relação entre DRH e desempenho organizacional. / Human Resource Development (HRD) is a theme that stands out for the study and promotion of learning in different levels, formats and moments. Its main components are training and development, career development and organizational development. One of its approaches is the Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD), which seeks to align learning in the organizational context with the strategic objectives of the organization. The present study adopted the approach of SHRD and was guided by the perspective of performance, according to which, the purpose of learning in organizations is to help them achieve their goals. Thus, it is important to evaluate the contribution of HRD policies and practices to the achievement of organizational results. In this sense, evaluate the relationship between HRD and organizational performance becomes relevant. Based on this brief contextualization, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship established between the adoption of policies and practices of HRD and organizational performance, investigating the behavior of contingency factors in this relationship. These factors were investigated in light of the SHRD approach, which has as one of its characteristics the analysis of the environment and its influence on the HRD model. In order to conduct the empirical step, the quantitative approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire directed to the main HR manager of organizations working in Brazil. The survey sample had 354 valid cases. For the analysis of the data, we used the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for the constitution of the HRD system and the logistic regression to evaluate the relationship of this system with the performance of the organizations. As a main result, it was found that the adoption of HRD policies and practices explains 42.1% of the change in predicted values of organizational performance and that sector regulation, size and horizontal alignment moderate the relationship between HRD and organizational performance.

O Desenvolvimento de Recursos Humanos (DRH) é um tema que se destaca pelo estudo e fomento da aprendizagem em diferentes níveis, formatos e momentos. Seus componentes principais são treinamento e desenvolvimento, desenvolvimento de carreiras e desenvolvimento organizacional. Uma de suas abordagens é o Desenvolvimento Estratégico de Recursos Humanos (DERH), que busca alinhar a aprendizagem no contexto organizacional aos objetivos estratégicos da organização. O presente estudo adotou a abordagem de DERH e orientou-se pela perspectiva de desempenho, segundo a qual, o objetivo da aprendizagem nas organizações é ajudá-las a atingir seus objetivos. Desse modo, torna-se importante avaliar a contribuição das políticas e práticas de DRH para o alcance dos resultados organizacionais. Nesse sentido, avaliar a relação entre DRH e desempenho organizacional torna-se relevante. A partir dessa breve contextualização, depreende-se o objetivo deste estudo, que foi analisar a relação estabelecida entre adoção de políticas e práticas de DRH e desempenho organizacional, investigando a atuação dos fatores contingenciais nessa relação. Esses fatores foram investigados à luz da abordagem de DERH, que tem como uma de suas características a análise do ambiente e de sua influência no modelo de DRH. Para condução da etapa empírica, foi adotada a abordagem quantitativa, utilizando-se questionário estruturado direcionado ao principal responsável pelo RH de organizações que atuam no Brasil. A amostra da pesquisa contou com 354 casos válidos. Para a análise dos dados, foram empregadas as análises fatorial exploratória e confirmatória para a constituição do sistema de DRH e a regressão logística para avaliar a relação desse sistema com o desempenho das organizações. Como resultados principais, constatou-se que a adoção de políticas e práticas de DRH explica 42,1% da variação nos valores previstos de desempenho organizacional e que a regulação do setor, o porte e o alinhamento horizontal moderam a relação entre DRH e desempenho organizacional. / Human Resource Development (HRD) is a theme that stands out for the study and promotion of learning in different levels, formats and moments. Its main components are training and development, career development and organizational development. One of its approaches is the Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD), which seeks to align learning in the organizational context with the strategic objectives of the organization. The present study adopted the approach of SHRD and was guided by the perspective of performance, according to which, the purpose of learning in organizations is to help them achieve their goals. Thus, it is important to evaluate the contribution of HRD policies and practices to the achievement of organizational results. In this sense, evaluate the relationship between HRD and organizational performance becomes relevant. Based on this brief contextualization, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship established between the adoption of policies and practices of HRD and organizational performance, investigating the behavior of contingency factors in this relationship. These factors were investigated in light of the SHRD approach, which has as one of its characteristics the analysis of the environment and its influence on the HRD model. In order to conduct the empirical step, the quantitative approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire directed to the main HR manager of organizations working in Brazil. The survey sample had 354 valid cases. For the analysis of the data, we used the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for the constitution of the HRD system and the logistic regression to evaluate the relationship of this system with the performance of the organizations. As a main result, it was found that the adoption of HRD policies and practices explains 42.1% of the change in predicted values of organizational performance and that sector regulation, size and horizontal alignment moderate the relationship between HRD and organizational performance.

This nonexperimental, correlational study (N = 283) examined the relation among job fit, affective commitment, psychological climate, discretionary effort, intention to turnover, and employee engagement. An internet-based self-report survey battery of six scales were administered to a heterogeneous sampling of organizations from the fields of service, technology, healthcare, retail, banking, nonprofit, and hospitality. Hypotheses were tested through correlational and hierarchical regression analytic procedures. Job fit, affective commitment, and psychological climate were all significantly related to employee engagement and employee engagement was significantly related to both discretionary effort and intention to turnover. For the discretionary effort model, the hierarchical regression analysis results suggested that the employees who reported experiencing a positive psychological climate were more likely to report higher levels of discretionary effort. As for the intention to turnover model, the hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that affective commitment and employee engagement predicted lower levels of an employee’s intention to turnover. The regression beta weights ranged from to .43 to .78, supporting the theoretical, empirical, and practical relevance of understanding the impact of employee engagement on organizational outcomes. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice are highlighted as possible strategic leverage points for creating conditions that facilitate the development of employee engagement as a means for improving organizational performance.

In today’s fast paced, ever-changing world, one cannot help hearing the terms Big Data and analytics. The Internet holds vast amounts of data and this data, for example in retail, is being used to predict shopping habits, current needs, trends, and more. Why should this be limited to the retail side of an organization? Today, there is a more significant push for Human Resource (HR) professionals to be strategic business partners, and, therefore, HR professionals need to work on leading, not lagging, in the area of measurements and analytics. Some organizations that have adopted the use of analytics in their HR departments have been extremely successful. If this is the case, why are not more HR professionals adopting the use of human resource analytics (HRA)? The purpose of this study is to gain insight as to the reasons why more HR professionals are not using HRA to improve organizational performance and to gain and maintain a competitive advantage. An exploration of prior research was performed and resulted in the development of a model representing factors that impact the adoption of HRA. The model was then tested for content validity and reliability using Partial Least Squares of Path Modeling. Results of the study of 302 HR professionals, currently working in the field of HR, suggest the hypotheses testing social influence, tool availability, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and quantitative self-efficacy as factors impacting the adoption of HRA were all significant. Conversely, the factors data availability, fear appeals, and general self-efficacy were not significant. Findings indicate that the factors impacting the adoption of HRA are not only in the hands of the HR professional but, to some extent, the organization as well. If organizations truly want to adopt HRA, they must make available to the HR professionals the tools, data, resources, and support necessary. This study contributes to the literature on individual-level adoption, specifically of HRA. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, as well as further research.

Woven within the pages of HRD’s historical literature, a variety of scholarly voices can be found drawing attention to the increasing inconsistency in the language of the field. Within the literature, we also find evidence of a long-standing discord and debate regarding the field’s definition and identified boundaries. This is the first study that attempts to elevate the conversation of HRD’s definition to that of an exploration of what is shared, and what makes the discipline’s members unique. Utilizing Li’s (2009) lens of disciplinary identity and elements of Gee’s (1999) theory of Discourse, this study presents a concept of what HRD’s disciplinary identity may look like at the macro level. This study also investigates the construct from both the academic and practitioner lens, in an attempt to include perspectives and influences at the micro level regarding the discipline’s enacted identity in both scholarship and practice, which may aid the relationship between theory and practice. Embedded within the larger aim of this study was the goal of revealing current similarities and differences in academic and practitioner labels-in-use within the field of Human Resource Development. To that end, this study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design that began with a quantitative collection and analysis of text from the Association for Talent Development’s (ATD) website and the Academy of Human Resource Development’s (AHRD) website. A second, qualitative phase was then conducted consisting of interviews of a diverse group of academics and practitioners from institutional/organizational contexts that were believed to provide greater insight into the potential contextual nuances behind the quantitative results. Mixed analyses of the quantitative and qualitative findings found a variance in the language-in-use, as well as indications that the discipline’s espoused identity may not reflect what is actually lived. These findings also suggest insights into the discipline’s social actions and interactions at the micro level, providing support for a proposed cultural model of HRD at the macro level. Although this study is a first step in trying to better understand HRD’s language-in-use and overall disciplinary identity, it also provides evidence that viewing HRD’s language-in-use in this way warrants further investigation.

Orientation: Job satisfaction, which is usually lower among healthcare workers than in other types of organisations, has a major influence on job-related behaviour, such as turnover, absenteeism, and self-reported job performance. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the level of job satisfaction between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists. Research design: A non-probability research design was used to choose a convenient sample. One group was from the public sector and the other from the private sector all working in Gauteng Province (N=200). A structured self-administered Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) (Weiss, et al., 1967), validated by Ian Rothmann for South African circumstances, was identified for this purpose. Main findings: There was a significant difference in support work value factor (supervision, company policies and practices) and work conditions work value (activity, independence, variety, compensation, security and working conditions) between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists. The privately employed had a higher mean value 3.59 and publicly employed a smaller mean value of 3.33 on support work value. The mean values of work conditions and value for publicly employed physiotherapists and privately employed physiotherapists were 3.44 and 3.84 respectively. Practical implications: Managers should pay particular attention on the job satisfaction levels of employees in the public sector. Value add: The study adds to the literature and also confirms that there is a difference between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists‘ levels of job satisfaction. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Orientation: Job satisfaction, which is usually lower among healthcare workers than in other types of organisations, has a major influence on job-related behaviour, such as turnover, absenteeism, and self-reported job performance. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the level of job satisfaction between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists. Research design: A non-probability research design was used to choose a convenient sample. One group was from the public sector and the other from the private sector all working in Gauteng Province (N=200). A structured self-administered Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) (Weiss, et al., 1967), validated by Ian Rothmann for South African circumstances, was identified for this purpose. Main findings: There was a significant difference in support work value factor (supervision, company policies and practices) and work conditions work value (activity, independence, variety, compensation, security and working conditions) between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists. The privately employed had a higher mean value 3.59 and publicly employed a smaller mean value of 3.33 on support work value. The mean values of work conditions and value for publicly employed physiotherapists and privately employed physiotherapists were 3.44 and 3.84 respectively. Practical implications: Managers should pay particular attention on the job satisfaction levels of employees in the public sector. Value add: The study adds to the literature and also confirms that there is a difference between publicly employed and privately employed physiotherapists‘ levels of job satisfaction. / MBA (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015