This research paper is broken up into three sections, namely an evaluation report, a literature review and a description of the research methodology. The evaluation report section is an assessment of the factors that could contribute to staff leaving the organisation and why staff would choose to remain with the organisation. The Distribution Division of Eskom is divided into nine separate Operating Units (OU's), in line with the nine Provinces. According to an Eskom Human Resource Manager (Mjali, 2013), as at March 2012 there were 2231 employees in the Easter Cape Operating Unit, while the staff turnover for the same period was 4.53%. Of the 101 staff that had resigned for the period 01 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, there were 27 transfers, 26 resignations and 30 retirements. The balance of 18 staff that left was due to dismissals and deaths. While the statistics suggest a healthy level of staff turnover at present, given the current pressures that Eskom employees are under, it is important to investigate their future intentions and to see what Eskom can do to continue to retain their services. The literature relating to staff turnover and retention was examined to determine the meaning of the terms retention and turnover and to review the relevant turnover topics that were emerging from the exit interview data. The research conducted was quantitative in nature, and a questionnaire was distributed to all managerial staff within the Eastern Cape Operating Unit of Eskom. The questionnaire was sent electronically to the participants via email with the link to the questionnaire. Participants were requested to respond on questions relating to factors on turnover and retention, and the responses were used to assess employee's intention to either remain with the organisation or to leave. The feedback received was analysed with the use of data analysis in Microsoft Excel (2010). The results of the research showed that there were two distinct themes related to employees' intention to remain with the organisation, namely job satisfaction and career development. On the other end of the scale, themes which would cause staff to want to leave the organisation were the performance management system of the organisation, not being listened to (i.e. to the ideas and views of staff) and leadership (i.e. the way the organisation was being led). Recommendations are made to management. The study also recommends future research that can be done to get greater insight into factors relating to staff turnover and retention. A detailed review of the literature is included in Section two of the report. Only essential components of the literature are included in Section one of report. Section three of the report provided a detailed description of the research design and the research procedure that was followed.

The career choice process, which emphasises the term ‘choice’, is one which is characterised by an ever changing multi-layered progression (Ozbilgin, Kusku & Erdogmus, 2004). This is due to the choice being a result of the on-going interaction between an individual and their social and organisational contexts. It is then safe to assume that this career decision making process involves an awareness of an individual’s surrounding environment and an ability to acknowledge and understand what they regard as being important to them. In support of this understanding, this research project seeks to draw attention to the career influences of a specific group of professionals rather than researching career choices across a range of professionals within different contexts in efforts to broadly predict career choice behaviour. This study rather focuses on the factors that actively influenced the career choices of ten Rhodes University Academics across a range of disciplines and faculties and their individual career decision making processes. In drawing on “mainstream and heterodox” (Ozbilgin et al., 2004, p. 2) literature, this research aims to apply existing notions presented by past researchers to South African academics, now residing and working at Rhodes University, which is located in the small town of Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The methods of qualitative inductive research are discussed and the results are explored within the settings and contexts unique to each individual who has been drawn to the specific University context. The purpose of the study is to therefore adopt an inductive thematic analysis approach in seeking to examine the internal and external factors that served to influence the sample of academics into their chosen discipline, their decision to become and academic and their employer of choice, in light of the increasing pressure on higher education institutions to contribute to social and economic transformation within the South Africa (Tettey, 2006).

This research hypothesises a statistical positive significant correlation between job satisfaction and absenteeism among the shop floor workers of a motor manufacturing plant in the impoverished province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. According to the literature review, two schools of thought exist that argue on the nature of the relationship. One believes that absence from work is in some way a natural consequence of job dissatisfaction, i.e. arguing for a job satisfaction-absenteeism relationship. The second one argues for a no relationship, arguing that absence is a result of habitual behaviour and or behaviours influenced by socioeconomic factors such as poverty that affect the employees' ability and pressure to attend work. A sample of 150 workers was randomly selected from the 2500 shop floor workers. The Job Descriptive Index (lDI) questionnaires were used to measure the satisfaction index of the workers. The absence statistics for the sample workers were gathered from the organisation's Human Resources department and statistical tests for correlation and regression were conducted on the two variables - lDI and absence data. Contrary to the expectations of the study, the results showed that overall job satisfaction and absenteeism were not correlated. It concluded that the job dissatisfaction theory of absenteeism is empirically unsupportable and alternative conceptualisations of absence contributors and potentially fruitful research strategies are discussed.

The retention of knowledge workers has become an increasing challenge both locally and internationally. This study focusses on the factors contributing to the retention of knowledge workers at an Industrial Development Zone in the Eastern Cape. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that would facilitate the retention of knowledge workers in the IDZ. This was explored through the employee value proposition framework which includes affiliation, career development, work content, compensation, company benefits, work-life balance and performance and recognition. The sample consisted of 30 employees from the IDZ from all business units. Three categories of employee levels were selected namely the executive managers, managers and specialists and professionals. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data which was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The literature reviewed explored the various retention strategies used by organisations. From the literature review it is realised that employee retention strategies vary from one organisation to another. In most cases they are very similar. Although this is the case, not all strategies will work for all organisations, each organisation requires preferred and unique strategies for its employees. The findings indicate that the majority of employees were satisfied with the employee value proposition dimensions in the organisation. The exceptional areas of satisfaction were retirement benefits, career development, performance recognition, relationships with colleagues, health benefits, relationships with direct manager or supervisor and relationships generally within the organisation. Areas of dissatisfaction were also raised on long service incentives, autonomy to do work, relationships with other business units and the performance review process. In order to retain employees at the IDZ, it is recommended that the organisation should focus on enhancing long service incentives. It is also recommended that employees should be given greater autonomy to do their work. Relationships with business units also need to be strengthened. Work-life balance of employees and performance review process also need to be revised.

Job satisfaction studies are an essential element for ensuring improvement in service delivery. The researcher was committed to assist top management with important information that can make them aware of the causes and consequences of job satisfaction (Nel, Van Dyk, Haasbroek, Schultz, Sono and Werner, 2006:52). Job satisfaction is not only concerned with feeling good at work, it also encompasses job content, the work environment and interaction with all people. The study was conducted at the Department of Health in the Province of the Eastern Cape. This study aimed to describe the level of job satisfaction amongst middle managers of the Department of Health (DoH) at the Head Office, in terms of remuneration, interpersonal relationships, development, support, recognition, extent of supervision, their attitude to the work itself and working conditions.

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that impact on staff turnover and strategies that organisations can use to curtail staff turnover. To achieve this goal the following procedure was followed.  An overview of theories related to staff turnover was conducted to identify what staff turnover is. Also the consequences of staff turnover, the classification and measurement of staff turnover and the broad theoretical explanation of staff turnover were investigated. The current brain drain experienced in the medical field was explored. A literature study was also conducted focusing on individual, job, organisational and environmental factors that influence staff turnover and strategies that managers can utilise to reduce staff turnover. Interviews were conducted with the chief executive officer and one doctor at Hewu hospital. Interviews were also conducted among senior nurses.  An empirical study was undertaken to determine individual, job, organisational and environmental factors that impacted on staff turnover among doctors and nurses at Bisho and Hewu Hospitals. The strategies that were utilised at these hospitals to retain doctors and nurses were also investigated. Suggestions were made for addressing factors that could impact on staff turnover among doctors and nurses and strategies that could be utilised to retain staff. These strategies include:  Getting people off to a good start,  Create a great environment with bosses whom people respect,  Share information,  Give people as much autonomy as they can handle and  Challenge people to stretch. iii Staff turnover is an issue that many South African organisations are currently facing and an issue that is especially affecting the medical field. Various factors, especially job and organisational factors, are not adequately addressed and these could lead to a high rate of staff turnover. It is clear that organisations should have a human resource strategic plan in order for them to effectively select, retain, train and develop employees. Health Care organisation could use the strategies identified in this study as a mechanism to benchmark how well they manage staff turnover. It is therefore important that the management of hospitals should strive to identify the underlying causes of labour turnover in their organisations and formulate strategies to address the problem.

The study focused on work-family conflict among females occupying lower level jobs. A quantitative research methodology was conducted on a sample of (N=144) females working on the assembly line in two private sector organisations. The research instrument was a questionnaire comprising six parts. The variables were measured under four categories: work-family conflict, job demands, perceived organisational support and job self-efficacy. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse and interpret the data. A comparative study was done between Hesto and Alpha pharmaceutical employees and it was found that Hesto employees experience greater work-family conflict, job demands, perceived organisational support and job self-efficacy. The correlation results of the study showed that a significant negative relationship exists between perceived organisation support and work-family conflict. There was a weak positive relationship between perceived organisational support and job self-efficacy. Work demands was found to be positively and significantly related to work-family conflict. There was a significant negative relationship between perceived organisational support and work demand. A significant negative relationship was found between job self-efficacy and work-family conflict. Based on these results recommendations were made on how South African companies can help reduce work-family conflict.

M.Tech (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of procedural, distributive and interactional justice on job satisfaction among members of the South African Police Academy, Thabong. A critical function of the South African Police Service (SAPS) is to ensure that the inhabitants of South Africa are safe. Members of the SAPS need to be committed and have a high morale to ensure that the vision of the SAPS is fulfilled. This study advocates the application of the equity theory. People prefer to work in an environment that is perceived as just. Employees will experience satisfaction with their job in terms of equity when the equity theory is applied. However, inequity will lead to tension at the workplace. In order for the officers as employees of the SAPS to function effectively, it is essential for the SAPS to ensure that their employees are satisfied. In this study, a quantitative approach was applied to gain an understanding of the influence of organisational justice (OJ) dimensions (PJ, DJ, IJ) on job satisfaction (JS). This involved administering questionnaires to 234 employees who were attending management courses at the SAPS Academy, Thabong in the northern Free State province of South Africa. Two primary tests were used to assess the suitability of the data for factor analysis. These tests are the Kaiser-Meyer Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlations among the constructs. A means analysis was conducted to assess the perceptions of the employees in respect of PJ, DJ, IJ and JS. Multiple regression analysis was executed to examine whether the independent variables of PJ, DJ and IJ predict the dependent variable JS. The Cronbach alpha coefficient test provided an adequate indication of reliability of the instrument. Face/ content, construct and convergent validity methods were applied to establish validity of the study. A positive relationship between the OJ and JS was found in this study. The SAPS will be able to improve the JS levels of SAPS officers by making positive improvements when applying OJ to influence the various elements of JS identified in this study. This will effectively enable SAPS officers to meet the challenge of providing improved service. The proper implementation of OJ will ultimately lead to the organisations success as well as the progression of its employees. Since the SAPS depends on human resources, the organisation is required to assess the current OJ practices and create a working environment that stimulates and motivates employees so that their JS levels increase. The recommendations proposed for this study offer vital information on OJ practices that could assist the SAPS to improve the perceptions of employees. Accordingly, the application can improve employees’ low morale resulting from unfairness and injustice, thereby increasing the JS levels amongst employees. The findings of the research may generate guidelines for OJ practices. Recommendations include a systematic and transparent reward system that recognises employees’ excellent performance and rewards them accordingly. Another recommendation is the creation of a well-structured consultative forum to grant employees an opportunity to provide management with their perceptions of unfair practices. Future research should extend to other sectors within the public sector environment, as well as expanding the research to include several other JS elements.

Thesis (Ph.D. Education (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The genesis of this study was the lack of comprehensive teacher socialisation programmes for Zimbabwean immigrant teachers in public schools in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. To better understand the theoretical foundations of teacher socialisation as the phenomenon under review, the principles of expanded Activity Theory (AT) (Engeström, 1987) fused with elements of the theory of Symbolic Interactionism (SI) were used as a conceptual framework to ground and structure the study. The study sought to answer the following main research question: How are Zimbabwean immigrant teachers socialised in their host schools amid the inadequacy of existing teacher socialisation programmes for new teachers in public schools? The study followed the qualitative approach to research, based on the interpretive paradigm executed through a multiple instrumental case study design in two public secondary schools in the Sekhukhune South District of the Limpopo Province. The researcher used purposeful sampling so select five participants and two schools, which provided answers to the research questions posed. The study reveals that the teacher socialisation programmes offered in public schools are inadequate and not tailored according to the real needs of Zimbabwean immigrant teachers. The situation is entrenched by the lack of shared understanding amongst principals about the structure and implementation of an effective teacher socialisation programme, especially for immigrants. The study further revealed that Zimbabwean immigrant teachers, owing to their temporary job status, feel only partly valued and appreciated in the South African schooling system. This was evident in their perception that the employment policies for immigrants had been tightened to ensure that they do not attain any permanent employment. In addition, the study revealed that owing to the uncertainty of their job status in schools, Zimbabwean immigrant teachers prefer private schools as their employment of choice rather than public schools. Lastly, the study generally reveals that the challenges Zimbabwean immigrant teachers experience with their socialisation are more systemic than in their host schools.

Thesis (M. Com. (Human Resource Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among organisational politics, organisational support and job satisfaction among 148 participants in a selected institution of higher education in South Africa. Quantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine if there is a relationship among the three variables of the study. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. Two groups of respondents participated in the study; and that is the academic staff and administrative staff members from central administration and library. The study established that organisational politics is negatively related to organisational support and have a negative impact on the overall job satisfaction. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations, strengths and potential links for future research are provided. Key words/concepts: Organisational Politics, Organisational Support, Job Satisfaction.