The study examined the factors affecting the African foreign doctors' perception of knowledge transfer with special reference to South African provincial hospitals. The influence of three organisational factors (Interpersonal relationships, Language & communication and organisational culture) and the demographic variables on knowledge transfer were assessed. From these variables four hypotheses were formulated and tested. The study employed a cross-sectional study and a total of 62 African foreign doctors practicing in South African provincial hospitals completed a structured questionnaire. The findings indicated that interpersonal relationships, language and communication as well as organisational culture influenced knowledge transfer. Also, there was a variation on the influence of language and communication on knowledge transfer among different age groups in the organisation. Based on the research findings the results were discussed and compared and contrasted to previous research and the literature review. The recommendations as outlined in a graphical representation indicate how the organisation can improve the transfer of knowledge and improve their efficacy in the process subsequently. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

Different kinds of collectives help to coordinate between individuals and social groups to solve distribution problems, supply goods and services, and enable individuals to live fulfilling lives. Collectives, as part of the process of socialization, contribute to the normalization of behaviors, and consequently, structure our ability to be self-reflective autonomous agents. Contemporary philosophy of action models characterize collective action as the product of individuals who have the proper motivations to perform cooperative activities (bottom-up); or they begin with the social-level phenomena and explain this in terms of individual actions and the mental states that motivate them (top-down). One general goal of this project is to show how and why both of these approaches through focusing solely on the individuals involved fail to capture and account for important types of group actions: those of economic group agents. Group agents, one kind of organized collective, are unique in that they have the potential to develop group-level decision-making processes that result in the capacity of the group to engage in practical reasoning. Because of this capacity, group agents can be stable and respond to reason--capacities we would not expect from other kinds of collectives. Inasmuch as we value the possibility of influencing the reflexive dynamics that perpetuate social institutions, understanding the range of organization structures and their agential capacities will open up the possibility of altering the course of those dynamics toward more just systems of organization. Understanding what kinds of group agents currently operate within the systems of organizations that make up social institutions is the first step in determining how to move toward developing group agents that are also moral agents. By analyzing how different systems of constraint--inside and outside the firm--inform one another to influence the possibility of design and the group's possibilities for action, I use Christian List and Philip Pettit's account of group agency as a springboard to develop a more adequate account of how structure influences and constrains the possibilities of economic group agents in non-idealized circumstances (i.e. this world, with our history). My chapters include 1) a taxonomy of organization structures and an analysis of how a narrow conception of organization structure in jurisprudence can lead to systems of constraint that limit the rights and freedoms of individuals even as it seeks to extend them, 2) an evaluation of the popular accounts of collective action (cf. Raimo Tuomela, 1997; Michael Bratman, 1993, 1997, 2009; and Christian List and Philip Pettit, 2011) that could be made to accommodate the actions of certain kinds of economic associations, 3) an exploration of the standards of evaluation that influence these powerful group agents, and how these standards limit the economic group agent's capacity to engage in moral reasoning, and 4) an analysis of the group agent's reasoning capacity and the internal mode of interaction between group agent and group members that perpetuate group agency. I argue that we can understand group agents that have the capacity to be moral agents as the products of a particular kind of decision-making process within an organization's structure. The decision-making process, together with the organization structure and group member support, produces and sustains judgments and actions at the level of the group that cannot be reduced to the beliefs and actions of particular members. In this way, the group displays a systematic unity of actions based on its own judgments. That is, the group exhibits agency. Moral group agents exhibit more than practical reasoning; they also demonstrate the capacity for critical reflection upon the ends they pursue. Member buy-in promotes a tight connection between group members and their role in bringing about and sustaining group agency, and is the foundation of the group agent. Without a holistic organization structure, a member's personal identities could undermine group aims, thereby undermining group agency. Group moral agency, I argue, begins with promoting an organizational way of life conducive to collective flourishing and respect for members.

Title  Becoming involved in the planning process - from the construction workers perspective. University/Institution  Halmstad University Keywords Empowerment through participation, construction workers involvement in decision making in the planning process, knowledge management and communication in the planning process, partnering, human resource management Aim The aim of this bachelor thesis is to provide knowledge and examine how construction workers perceive involvement in the planning process of partnering projects, what they can contribute and what they get out of the planning process. Methodology  The study was conducted with a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews.          The interview studie consist of 10 interviews with construction workers who are specially educated in participating in the planning process at the company ByggDialog AB. Conclusion All respondents are positive to be involved in the planning process. The main advantages they can see is that they are able to influence technical solutions and methods that will be used later on in the production. Therefore it is important to consider when construction workers should be involved in the planning process so that they get the chance to influence in this decisions. When it comes to the decision making the construction workers should be involved in the decisions that are related to their tasks in the production such as technical solutions, choice of methods and materials. Their main duties and working hours should be in the production. Involvement in planning does not automatically mean that the construction workers are involved in the decision making, it is up to them how much they participate. Therefore it is important to give the construction workers space and opportunities to express their opinions. / Uppsatsens titel  Byggnadsarbetarens syn på att bli involverad i projekteringen Högskola/institution Högskolan i Halmstad Nyckelbegrepp  Involvering av byggnadsarbetare i projekteringen, delaktighet i beslut i projekteringen, kunskapsöverföring och kommunikation i projekteringen, partnering, human resource management.  Syfte  Syftet med arbetet är att bidra med kunskap och undersöka hur byggnadsarbetare upplever att bli involverade i projekteringen i partneringprojekt, vad de kan bidra med och vad de får ut av projekteringen.  Metod Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjustudierna består av 10 intervjuer med byggnadsarbetare som har en förmansutbildning hos företaget ByggDialog AB.  Slutsats  Alla respondenter är positivt inställda till att bli involverade i projekteringen. De främsta fördelarna de ser med detta är att de är med och påverkar tekniska lösningar och metoder som de senare kommer att använda i produktionen. Därför är det viktigt att avväga när byggnadsarbetarna ska involveras i projekteringen så att de får chans att påverka detta. När det gäller beslutsfattande ska byggnadsarbetarna tas med i de beslut som direk rör deras arbetsuppgifter såsom tekniska lösningar, metodval och material. Deras huvudsakliga arbetsuppgifter och arbetstid ska vara i produktionen.  Involvering i projekteringen innebär inte automatiskt att byggnadsarbetarna deltar och fattar beslut, det är upp till dem själva hur mycket de deltar. Därför är det viktigt att ge byggnadsarbetarna utrymme och möjligheter att uttrycka sina synpunkter.

The success of any organisation depends on its ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. In order to be able to adapt, an organisation needs visionary leadership, a management team that is passionate, professional and entrepreneurial, and employees that are engaged. With the right strategies, organisational practices and management the hidden value of an organisation can be unlocked. The traditional hierarchies in the organisation can be broken down in order to empower management teams to be more entrepreneurial. The right organisational climate should also be created to unleash potential. As part of the business planning process and the drive to reconnect with citizens, to respond to the need to do things differently, to build new relations and to improve service, the municipality should continuously evaluate the human resource management practices in place, to determine whether they are sufficient and effective to enable it to achieve its objectives. Knowledge of organisational climate variables also enables management towards the accomplishment of organisational goals. Local government is key to the realisation of a promise of a better life for all. It is therefore critical for its employees to always perform at their optimal, and adhere to all the principles of the Batho Pele when delivering service to the public. All the principles of this policy are intertwined and collectively guide all three spheres of government efforts in transforming and accelerating service delivery. Managers at all levels must support staff in service responsibility so that staff members feel valued, motivated, informed and challenged to put forth their best efforts on behalf of the people they serve. The objectives of this study were to determine the reliability and validity of the OCQ, the HRPQ, and the SSPPQ instruments, as well as to assess the relationship between human resource practices and organisational climate in the municipality. In Article 1 and Article 3 employees from the municipality were targeted, and in Article 2 citizens from the municipality were targeted separately. The study popUlation from the municipality included employees from managerial and non-managerial categories, and the study population from the citizens included the public which the municipality serve. A cross-sectional survey design was used to obtain the research objectives. Three standardised questionnaires were used in the empirical study, namely the Organisational Climate Questionnaire, the Standardof Service as Perceived by the Public Questionnaire and the Human Resource . Practices Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analyses, Cronbach alpha coefficients, correlations, MANOV AS and regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In Article 1 the results indicated a four-factor structure for the OCQ. Statistically and practically significant differences were found between organisational climate dimensions and some of the biographical characteristics, namely age, service years and job leveL Employees with more years of service experience higher levels of organisational climate, than emlpoyees with fewer years of service. A significant difference in communication was found between job levelland job level 3. Employees in higher positions do not communicate well with employees at lower levels. In terms of Article 2 the study extracted a two-factor structure, namely Consultation and Efficiency. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies. Most of the Batho Pele principles received negative responses from the public. The results showed that customers who feel they are not sufficiently consulted on services also feel that the services they received were not effective. Knowledge of the service environment was perceived as poor, and consultation on services was perceived as a challenge. The public also perceived responsiveness as poor.In Article 3 the scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and also confIrnled a relationship between human resource management practices and organisational climate Responsiveness! cooperation and human resource development contributed most to people care. Supervision, human resource development, responsiveness/cooperation, employee support andrecognition contributed to structure. Openness, feedback and responsiveness/cooperation contributed most to efficiency. Recognition, responsiveness/cooperation, superviSIOn and openness contributed most to communication. Based on the results, recommendations were made for urgent actions to be implemented by the municipality, as well as for future research / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Education in South Africa faces many challenges; among them is the betterment of teaching and learning in order to improve the performance in schools, particularly in township schools where the results of learners are still not up to the required standard. For schools to function effectively, the School Management Teams (Principal, Deputy Principal, HODs), need to understand the importance of the effective management of human resources. The proper and effective management of people cannot be neglected if the schools as organisations want to attain their goals. School Management Teams as managers of schools are accountable for the effective running of the schools and the task of proper management of human resources rest on their shoulders. In this study an investigation into human recource management in selected township schools in the Gert Sibande Region (Mpumalanga Province) was done. Central to the study is the School Management Team's (SMTs) understanding of the concepts management and leadership, human resource management and related aspects. An investigation was also done regarding the knowledge, skills and strategies needed to improve education in township schools. With regard to the proper training of SMTs, various recommendations are made to expose them to more rigorous training, especially in Human Resource Management as this is the cornerstones of effective school management. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Education in South Africa faces many challenges; among them is the betterment of teaching and learning in order to improve the performance in schools, particularly in township schools where the results of learners are still not up to the required standard. For schools to function effectively, the School Management Teams (Principal, Deputy Principal, HODs), need to understand the importance of the effective management of human resources. The proper and effective management of people cannot be neglected if the schools as organisations want to attain their goals. School Management Teams as managers of schools are accountable for the effective running of the schools and the task of proper management of human resources rest on their shoulders. In this study an investigation into human recource management in selected township schools in the Gert Sibande Region (Mpumalanga Province) was done. Central to the study is the School Management Team's (SMTs) understanding of the concepts management and leadership, human resource management and related aspects. An investigation was also done regarding the knowledge, skills and strategies needed to improve education in township schools. With regard to the proper training of SMTs, various recommendations are made to expose them to more rigorous training, especially in Human Resource Management as this is the cornerstones of effective school management. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The success of any organisation depends on its ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment. In order to be able to adapt, an organisation needs visionary leadership, a management team that is passionate, professional and entrepreneurial, and employees that are engaged. With the right strategies, organisational practices and management the hidden value of an organisation can be unlocked. The traditional hierarchies in the organisation can be broken down in order to empower management teams to be more entrepreneurial. The right organisational climate should also be created to unleash potential. As part of the business planning process and the drive to reconnect with citizens, to respond to the need to do things differently, to build new relations and to improve service, the municipality should continuously evaluate the human resource management practices in place, to determine whether they are sufficient and effective to enable it to achieve its objectives. Knowledge of organisational climate variables also enables management towards the accomplishment of organisational goals. Local government is key to the realisation of a promise of a better life for all. It is therefore critical for its employees to always perform at their optimal, and adhere to all the principles of the Batho Pele when delivering service to the public. All the principles of this policy are intertwined and collectively guide all three spheres of government efforts in transforming and accelerating service delivery. Managers at all levels must support staff in service responsibility so that staff members feel valued, motivated, informed and challenged to put forth their best efforts on behalf of the people they serve. The objectives of this study were to determine the reliability and validity of the OCQ, the HRPQ, and the SSPPQ instruments, as well as to assess the relationship between human resource practices and organisational climate in the municipality. In Article 1 and Article 3 employees from the municipality were targeted, and in Article 2 citizens from the municipality were targeted separately. The study popUlation from the municipality included employees from managerial and non-managerial categories, and the study population from the citizens included the public which the municipality serve. A cross-sectional survey design was used to obtain the research objectives. Three standardised questionnaires were used in the empirical study, namely the Organisational Climate Questionnaire, the Standardof Service as Perceived by the Public Questionnaire and the Human Resource . Practices Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analyses, Cronbach alpha coefficients, correlations, MANOV AS and regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In Article 1 the results indicated a four-factor structure for the OCQ. Statistically and practically significant differences were found between organisational climate dimensions and some of the biographical characteristics, namely age, service years and job leveL Employees with more years of service experience higher levels of organisational climate, than emlpoyees with fewer years of service. A significant difference in communication was found between job levelland job level 3. Employees in higher positions do not communicate well with employees at lower levels. In terms of Article 2 the study extracted a two-factor structure, namely Consultation and Efficiency. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies. Most of the Batho Pele principles received negative responses from the public. The results showed that customers who feel they are not sufficiently consulted on services also feel that the services they received were not effective. Knowledge of the service environment was perceived as poor, and consultation on services was perceived as a challenge. The public also perceived responsiveness as poor.In Article 3 the scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and also confIrnled a relationship between human resource management practices and organisational climate Responsiveness! cooperation and human resource development contributed most to people care. Supervision, human resource development, responsiveness/cooperation, employee support andrecognition contributed to structure. Openness, feedback and responsiveness/cooperation contributed most to efficiency. Recognition, responsiveness/cooperation, superviSIOn and openness contributed most to communication. Based on the results, recommendations were made for urgent actions to be implemented by the municipality, as well as for future research / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Im Arbeitskontext ist das auf die Beeinflussung anderer Personen ausgerichtete Handeln ein wichtiges Element beruflichen Erfolgs. Dazu gehören beispielsweise Aktivitäten wie die Selbstdarstellung bei der Bewerbung oder in Verhandlungssituationen, der Aufbau gewinnbringender sozialer Netzwerke sowie der Erhalt relevanter arbeitsbezogener Informationen. Ausgeprägte mikropolitische Kompetenzen gelten dabei als hilfreich, um solche sozialen Einflussversuche in Organisationen erfolgreich zu gestalten und die eigene Karriere zu fördern. Zusätzlich zu solchen „Einflusskompetenzen“ werden seit einigen Jahren durch wesentliche Um- bzw. Neugestaltungen von Arbeitsprozessen und -strukturen weitere personale Fertigkeiten für den beruflichen Erfolg und die Karriere relevant: So wird durch eine steigende Virtualisierung von Arbeits- und Geschäftsprozessen und der damit verbundenen Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IuK) der kompetente Umgang mit den verwendeten Medien zu einer wesentlichen Schlüsselqualifikation im beruflichen Kontext . Um am Markt als Unternehmen oder Arbeitnehmer sichtbar und handlungsfähig zu sein, ist die Nutzung webbasierter Dienste zur medialen Darstellung der eigenen Identität sowie zum Austausch fachbezogener Informationen mittlerweile fester Bestandteil. Im vorliegenden Beitrag soll am Beispiel von XING, dem mit mehr als sieben Millionen Mitgliedern im deutschsprachigen Raum führenden beruflichen Online-Netzwerk, untersucht werden, welche medien- und einflussbezogenen Fertigkeiten der Nutzer relevant sind, um erfolgreich diese Plattform zu nutzen. Es werden Konzepte zur Medien- und Einflusskompetenz, die Mthodik beschrieben und Ergebnisse dargestellt.

This thesis examines approaches to international human resource management by Taiwanese MNCs located in the UK. A range of international human resource management models are discussed, from the universalist paradigm originating in the US to more contextual models, particularly those emphasising the impact of culture. The key elements of Chinese culture and their application to management are reviewed Interview and questionnaire data is drawn from 32 Taiwanese companies operating in the UK in the manufacturing and financial services sectors, and is analysed using SPSS and NVivo packages. Key findings include that the cultural origin of Taiwanese managers remains crucial in the way they manage UK subsidiaries. The small size of the Taiwanese companies also influences their internationalisation and international human resource strategy. In addition, there is a sectoral difference in the different HR practices being adopted. Japanese MNCs have been the only non-western MNCs to have been studied in depth. Although the Japanese and Chinese have been said to share a similar culture, they are shown in this thesis to adopt different techniques to achieve their HRM goals. It is concluded that many goals similar to those of western models of HRM can be found in Taiwanese MNCs, but achieved through different HR practices, for example, group reward rather than individual reward for commitment. It is suggested that conventional HRM frameworks fail to readily explain companies of non-western origin and the thesis tries to develop an IHRM model suitable for Chinese MNCs. Following strong economic development in China, research on Taiwanese MNCs can contribute to future perspectives on Chinese internationalisation and management transfer.

This study explored human resource management (HRM) functions of 200 work organizations operating in Turkey using a questionnaire. The participating organizations were the members of either the Personnel Managers Association or the Quality Association in Turkey. Job analysis and design, recruitment and selection, orientation and employee training, performance appraisal, career planning and development, human resource planning, compensation management and incentives, managing employee health and safety were among the fields that were examined. In addition to the prevalent HRM functions, the profile of Human Resource Departments of the organizations (i.e., title, size, number of hierarchical levels, etc.), the characteristics of HRM managers (education, age, gender, experience, etc.) were also examined. For example, it was found that the departments operating in field of HRM were named Human Resource Department in 59.5% of the organizations in the sample. Moreover, the results indicated that the main HRM areas practiced by the private sector organizations operating in Turkey were personnel selection, employee recruitment, training and development, compensation management, and employee orientation. Nevertheless, the other essential functions of HRM, such as job analysis, human resource planning and career planning, and development were not practiced as frequently. Whether those functions were frequently practiced or not, each of them was further analysed in terms their specific applications. Another aim of the present study was to compare the practices of HRM in Turkey with its applications in the world. For instance, the results demonstrated that recruiting via internet was practiced frequently in the surveyed organizations and in the US companies. The present study also revealed that personnel selection methods, such as interviews, were popular among surveyed organizations and organizations in Eastern European countries, England, and the US.