Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A high employee turnover rate, where talented employees leave the institution to join other legislatures and government departments, has been experienced by the Language Services Section (LSS) of Parliament SA which is part of the Legislative and Oversight Division (LOD). This thesis evaluates why talented employees leave the LSS and explores possible retention strategies to retain talented employees. This was firstly done by reviewing literature on the concept of employee turnover. Secondly, the study evaluated possible factors that impact on employee turnover. Thirdly, the legislative environment of employee turnover within the South African context was discussed. Furthermore, the causes of employee turnover in the LSS of Parliament SA were assessed. Lastly, recommendations were made on how to retain employees in the LSS of Parliament South Africa. The research design used to conduct the study is a qualitative case study. Unstructured interviews, a survey questionnaire and documentation were used for this study. Deductions were made by comparing the theory from the literature review with the practice in LSS in order to gain a better understanding of why talented employees leave the institution and what retention strategies can be implemented to retain them. This study presents various reasons why employees are leaving the institution. These reasons include non-competitive salaries, ineffective recruitment and selection processes, inadequate training, a lack of career pathing and the fact that many language practitioners (LPs) reside in provinces other than the Western Cape. Many of these reasons were identified previously through an LOD Retention Strategy Project but strategies to address problems were not implemented due to the lack of a people-centred approach to talent management. Recommendations were made that retention strategies should be implemented and that more emphasis should be placed on human resources and the development of people in order to reach the core objectives of parliament through happy and well-developed employees. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ’n Hoë omsetkoers van werknemers waar talentvolle werknemers die instelling verlaat om by ander wetgewers en staatsdepartemente aan te sluit, is deur die Afdeling Taaldienste van die Parlement van Suid-Afrika, wat deel vorm van die Wetgewing en Oorsig Afdeling, ervaar. Hierdie tesis evalueer die redes waarom talentvolle werknemers die Afdeling Taaldienste verlaat en verken moontlike retensiestrategieë om talentvolle werknemers te behou. Eerstens is literatuur oor die konsep van werknemersomset hersien. Tweedens het die studie moontlike faktore wat werknemersomset beïnvloed, evalueer. Derdens is die wetgewende omgewing van werknemersomset binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, bespreek. Verder was die oorsake van werknemersomset binne die Afdeling Taaldienste van Suid-Afrika, geassesseer. Laastens is aanbevelings gemaak oor hoe om werknemers in die Afdeling Taaldienste van die Parlement van Suid-Afrika te behou. Die navorsingsontwerp wat vir die uitvoer van die ondersoek gebruik is, is ’n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie. Ongestruktureerde onderhoude, ’n opnamevraelys en dokumentasie is vir die studie gebruik. Afleidings is gemaak deur die teorie van die literatuuroorsig met die praktyk in die Afdeling Taaldienste van die Parlement van Suid-Afrika te vergelyk om ’n beter begrip te kry van waarom talentvolle werknemers die instelling verlaat en watter retensiestrategieë in werking gestel kan word om hulle te behou. Die studie verskaf verskeie redes waarom werknemers die instelling verlaat. Hierdie redes sluit in nie-mededingende salarisse, ondoeltreffende werwings- en seleksiesprosesse, onvoldoende opleiding, ’n gebrek aan loopbaanbeplanning en die feit dat talle taalpraktisyns in ander provinsies as die Wes-Kaap woon. Baie van hierdie redes is voorheen deur ’n Wetgewing en Oorsig Afdeling Retensiestrategieprojek geïdentifiseer, maar strategieë om die probleme aan te spreek is nie geïmplementeer nie as gevolg van die gebrek aan ’n mens-gesentreerde benadering tot talentbestuur. Aanbevelings is gemaak dat die retensiestrategieë geïmplementeer word en ’n groter klem op menslike hulpbronne en die ontwikkeling van mense geplaas word sodat die kerndoelwitte van die Parlement deur gelukkige en goedontwikkelde mense behaal kan word.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The scarce skills phenomenon has become a cause for concern and priority for both public and private sectors as discussed in various research studies. Both these sectors have a quest to retain these scarce skills by making use of their limited resources. In the light of the above context, this study focuses on the analysis of the retention of scarce skills within the City of Cape Town Municipality, with the primary objective of ascertaining the effectiveness of its retention strategy on retaining civil engineers. For purposes of this research, a case study design was used to answer the study question. The sample consisted of 30 percent of the present and past civil engineers, from junior to senior levels. This sample also included employees from the human resource department of the municipality. Content analysis was used to analyse data which was gathered through focus groups, exit and personal interviews. The literature investigation explored reasons why employees were leaving their organisations. The study further traced various thoughts and debates related to challenges and strategies associated with scarce skills retention. From the literature review it became evident that although the retention approaches and strategies vary from one organisation to another, they share common traits. However there is no one cap fits all. Results indicate that the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction about all pre-determined themes of the study. These themes were based on aspects related to remuneration and benefits, job satisfaction and working conditions, climate and culture, leadership and career development. Areas of dissatisfaction were raised under common themes which emerged during the study. These themes included, amongst others, outsourcing of major projects, bureaucracy, political environment and human resource policies and procedures. Based on the findings of the study, the research concludes with recommendations applicable to the municipality and also provides those relevant for further study. Due to the technical composition of the sample, the results of the study cannot be inferred to all occupational groups within the organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die skaarsheid van vaardighede het „n kommerwekkende verskynsel geword vir private en publieke sektore. Dit is die taak van albei sektore om skaars vaardighede te behou, deur gebruik te maak van hul beperkte bronne. In die lig van bostaande stellings, fokus hierdie studie op die analise van skaars vaardighede binne die Kaapstadse Munisipaliteit, met die primêre doel om die effektiwiteit van sy behoudstrategie vir die behoud van siviele ingenieurs te bepaal. „n Gevallestudie-ontwerp was gebruik vir hierdie ondersoek, om die studievraagstuk te beantwoord. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit „n samestelling van 30 persent van huidige en voormalige siviele ingenieurs, vanaf junior tot senior vlakke. Die ondersoekgroep het ook werkers binne die departement van personeelbestuur in die munisipaliteit ingesluit. Inhoudsanalise was gebruik om data te analiseer wat deur fokusgroepe, uitgang en persoonlike onderhoude ingesamel is. Die literêre ondersoek het die redes waarom werkers hul organisasies verlaat, verken. Die studie weerspieël verder denke wat verband hou met die uitdagings en strategieë wat met die behoud van skaars vaardighede geassosieer word. Die literêre ondersoek het bewys dat behoudstrategieë onderling eienskappe deel, alhoewel die strategieë van een organisasie van diè van „n ander in geheel verskil. Daar is egter geen jas wat by almal pas nie. Resultate toon dat die meerderheid van respondente tevredenheid toon met alle voorafbepaalde studietemas. Hierdie temas is gebaseer op aspekte wat verband hou met besoldiging en voordele, werktevredenheid en werksomstandighede, klimaat en kultuur, leierskap en beroepsontwikkeling. Areas van ontevredenheid is geïdentifiseer onder algemene temas wat tydens die studie opgekom het. Hierdie temas sluit in, onder andere, eksterne bronontginning vir groot projekte, burokrasie, politieke konteks, asook beleid en prosedures van menslike hulpbronne. Ter afsluiting: voorstelle word gemaak wat gebaseer is op die resultate van die ondersoek, wat van toepassing is op die munisipaliteit en voorsien dit wat relevant is vir verdere studie. Die resultate van die ondersoek kan nie op alle werksgroepe binne die organisasie van toepassing wees nie, weens die tegniese samestalling van die ondersoekgroep.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In response to globalisation and competition, today’s organisations are changing at an accelerating and radical pace. A review of the literature revealed that the demanding and often repetitive nature of work increases employees’ turnover intention. This is generally attributed to a lack of employee engagement. This trend is especially evident within the South African financial services industry. Without a functional workforce, no organisation can survive. Therefore organisations within this sector need to establish a balance between the provision of meaningful work, and profitability. The primary objective of this research study was to develop and empirically test a structural model that elucidates the antecedents of variance in turnover intention and employee engagement among employees employed by audit firms operating in the South African financial services industry. In addition, this research study investigated whether employees employed by these audit firms engage in job crafting to modify their work environment (i.e. job resources, personal resources and job demands, as illustrated in the Job Demands-Resources model) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner & Schaufeli, 2001) to cultivate meaningful work that decreases turnover intentions while increasing employee engagement. In this research study, an ex post facto correlational design was used to test the formulated hypotheses. Quantitative data was collected from 391 employees employed by audit firms operating in the South African financial services industry. Data was collected specifically for the purpose of this research study. Participation was voluntary. A self-administered web-based survey was distributed electronically to the participants. The data collected was strictly confidential and anonymous. The survey comprised seven sections. The first two sections measured the participants’ biographical and employment information. Subsequent sections measured specific latent variables using valid and reliable measuring instruments. These instruments include the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) (Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova, 2006), the Turnover Intention Scale (Moore, 2000), the Psychological Meaningfulness Scale (May, Gilson & Harter, 2004), the Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012), and the six-item Proactive Personality Scale (Claes, Beheydt & Lemmens, 2005). Data was subjected to a range of statistical analyses. The findings shed light on the seriousness of turnover intention and the lack of employee engagement among employees employed by audit firms operating in the South African financial services industry. It provides South African industrial psychologists with much needed insight into the presenting problem. With reference to the highlighted managerial implications of the research findings and the recommended interventions, industrial psychologists can ensure the retention and engagement of employees. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisering en mededinging veroorsaak dat hedendaagse organisasies al hoe vinniger en ook ingrypend verander. ’n Oorsig van die literatuur het getoon dat werknemers se voorneme om van werkplek te verander al hoe meer toeneem weens die veeleisende en dikwels herhalende aard van die werk wat hulle doen. Hierdie voorneme is veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf sigbaar en kan toegeskryf word aan ’n gebrek aan werknemerbegeestering. Geen organisasie kan egter sonder ’n funksionele werksmag oorleef nie. Gevolglik moet organisasies in hierdie bedryf sorg dat hulle ’n balans tussen betekenisvolle werk en winsgewendheid skep. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om ’n strukturele model te ontwikkel en empiries te toets wat lig werp op die voorkoms van verskille in die voorneme om van werkplek te verander en werknemerbegeestering onder werknemers in diens van ouditeursfirmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf. Daarbenewens het hierdie studie ook ondersoek of werknemers in hierdie ouditeursfirmas betrokke is by werksfatsoenering om hulle werkomgewing aan te pas (m.a.w. werkshulpbronne, persoonlike hulpbronne en taakeise, soos in die Job Demands-Resources model aangedui) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner & Schaufeli, 2001) om betekenisvolle werk te skep wat hulle voorneme om van werk te verander, kan verminder en terselfdertyd werknemerbegeestering kan aanvul. ‘n Ex post facto korrelasie-ontwerp is gebruik om die geformuleerde hipoteses te toets. Kwantitatiewe data is by 391 werknemers in diens van ouditeursfirmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf ingesamel. Die data is spesifiek vir hierdie studie ingesamel. Deelname was vrywillig. ’n Selftoegepaste webgebaseerde opname is elektronies onder die deelnemers versprei. Die dataversameling was streng vertroulik en anoniem. Die opname het uit sewe afdelings bestaan. Die eerste twee afdelings het die biografiese en werksinligtiging van die deelnemers ingesamel. Die daaropvolgende afdelings het spesifieke latente veranderlikes met behulp van geldige en betroubare instrumente gemeet. Hierdie instrumente was die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, UWES-9 (Schaufeli, Bakker & Salanova, 2006), die Turnover Intention Scale (Moore, 2000), die Psychological Meaningfulness Scale (May, Gilson & Harter, 2004), die Job Crafting Scale (Tims, Bakker & Derks, 2012), en die ses-item Proactive Personality Scale (Claes, Beheydt & Lemmens, 2005). Die data is aan ’n reeks statistiese analises onderwerp. Die bevindinge werp lig op die erns van voorneme om van werkplek te verander en die gebrek aan werkenemerbetrokkenheid onder werknemers in diens van ouditeursfirmas in die Suid-Afrikaanse finansiële diensbedryf. Dit bied aan Suid-Afrikaanse bedryfsielkundiges belangrike insae in die tersaaklike probleem. Bedryfsielkundiges kan, met verwysing na die aangeduide bestuursimplikasies van die bevindinge en aanbevelings van hierdie studie, die behoud en begeestering van werknemers verseker.

Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) play an important role in contributing to economic development of many countries around the world, including South Africa. Despite the importance of SMMEs an unacceptable and disappointingly high number of these ventures fail during the first few years of operation. It is in light of the importance and challenges faced by SMMEs that the performance of SMMEs is of interest to all countries. This study investigated the impact of entrepreneurship education on the performance of SMMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The objectives of the study were to investigate the role of entrepreneurship education in improving entrepreneurship skills and knowledge of owner/managers of SMMEs in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, to determine the role of entrepreneurship education on the establishment and survival of SMMEs and to identify strategies that can be implemented to improve the performance of SMMEs. Both primary and secondary data sources were used in this study. A quantitative research design was used in conducting this research. Simple random sampling, a probability sampling technique was used to select a sample of 201 from the sample frame of 420 registered SMMEs. The survey method, by way of a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) is the statistical software that was used to analyse data. The Chi-square test, the T-test, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Validity and reliability of the research instrument and the findings was assured. The results for this study are useful for the development of the SMME sector, which is very important to South Africa for they contribute to the solving of socio-economic challenges. The findings of this research showed that entrepreneurship education has a positive impact on the performance of SMMEs and it plays a critical role in improving entrepreneurial skills and knowledge of SMME owners and managers. It was also found that entrepreneurial education is very important for the establishment and survival of SMMEs. Strategies that can be implemented to improve the performance of SMMEs in South Africa were suggested to the government, government agencies, educational institutions, other organisations, and SMME owners and managers.

An employee wellness programme is a programme that promotes and supports the well-being of its employees and is aimed at increasing productivity. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are used as a means of ensuring employee wellness. Employee Assistance Programme can be defined as a programme aimed at improving the quality of life of employees and their families by providing support and helping to alleviate the impact of everyday work and personal problems. EAPs are intended to help employees deal with their personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health and well-being. The main goal of the EAP is to enhance productivity as well as social functioning of individuals.The main objective of the study as to evaluate the Employee Assistance Programmes and the impact of Workplace Wellness on employee performance in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature. This was triggered by the fact that Wellness and EAPs are not visible in the ECPL and the Legislature continues to lose employees due to ill-health and resignations. The institution is characterised by a culture of “us” and “them”, us, referring to Labour and them to Management, and therefore resulting in low staff morale. This raised some concern from the researcher as there is an EAP paid for by the Legislature, but awareness, utilisation and effectiveness of the programme remain a challenge. Due to the nature of the institution’s core business, it is perhaps even more vital for the Legislature to create an organisational culture of caring and employees to be nurtured. It is believed that it is more cost effective and beneficial to both the employer and the employee to retain trained employees, than it is to lose troubled employees and hire new ones, in particular because there is no guarantee that the new ones will not, in time also show signs of problems. The researcher used applied research in this study to explore the need for the EAP as well as how best the programme can be implemented. A combination of an explanatory-descriptive design was used for this study because little is known about the phenomenon or programme. For this research, the researcher used a combination of interval/systematic and random sampling to complement each other in reducing any bias that has the potential of occurring when applying interval/systematic sampling. To get representation and precision, the researcher divided 285 employees according to their ranks. The results from this attempt were: Secretariat=25, Management=42, Administrative staff=196, General Workers=33 NEHAWU Shopstewards=10. The researcher then divided employees in each respective category by one tenth or 10% of each category to get the number of respondents from each category to be included in the sample and added up all categories to get the sample size. The sample of this study was thus, Secretariat=1, Management=4, Administrative staff=20, General workers=3 and NEHAWU Shopstewards=1 and made up a sample size of 29. Only one questionnaire was compiled for all the respondents because EAP recognise that employees start from the CEO of a company to the lowest paid employee in that company and, as such considers all employees to be equal. Research results indicated that there are some limitations in the utilisation of EAP and that employees are faced with both personal and work-related problems. Thus it became clear that the whole concept of Employee Wellness and Employee Assistance Programmes needed to be overhauled and restructured to ensure maximum benefit.

Performance management systems help align individual goals and objectives with those of the organisation. The system engages employees and thereby directs them toward achieving the strategic goals of the organisation. The purpose of this research study was to conduct a critical evaluation on the management and implementation of Performance management and development System in the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs. Despite the importance of performance management, most organisations find it difficult to implement, manage and sustain performance management systems and processes effectively. It is therefore crucial to ensure adequate planning, evaluation and training is done that will support a sustainable process. Given the strategic role played by the SMS, especially the management of Performance Agreements in the realization of government programmes, it is important that departmental officials make efforts to ensure compliance with its provisions. This study has shown that officials have not been accurate enough in their implementation of the PMDS. The study reveals that there is no staff development programme in place that would help develop staff members to grow in the different fields of their jobs. This is a sound reason why staff responded that they are not happy with the current system. It would appear that management does not devote a great deal of time to staff development. The focus of the PMDS needs to be changed from an output-focused system to a management development system, where there is an increased focus on the development of competencies, compared to the current focus on rewarding only output.

Organisations are confronted with the challenges of managing, controlling and putting in place retention strategies to mitigate against high turnover intention. This is also the case with public libraries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of the turnover intention of public librarians at the City of Johannesburg Libraries (COJLIS) in the Gauteng province of South Africa, with a view to developing a retention strategy. Turnover intention can bring devastation to the organisation and can also lead to negative consequences such as decreased morale and productivity, shortage of skilled and qualified librarians, direct and indirect costs to library organisation and loss of knowledge. This quantitative research study utilised the conceptual framework to investigate demographic, personal and organisational factors influencing turnover intentions of librarians. The conceptual framework for the present study incorporated aspects of a theory or theories, concepts from the literature, personal experiences, knowledge of the context and models The aspects of theory or theories and concepts from the literature on employee turnover “content” and “process” models such as Mobley (1977), Jerome (2017), Nair, Mee & Cheik (2016), Perez (2008), Spector (2005), Spector (1997), Price and Mueller (2000) and Price (2001)were modified to suit this study for public librarians at COJLIS. Mobley’s (1977) turnover process model was germane to this study, as it theorises a linear sequence consisting of the following: “dissatisfaction, thoughts of quitting, evaluation of subjective expected utility of job search and costs of quitting, search intentions, evaluation of alternatives, comparison of alternatives and present job, intentions to quit and quitting”. The constituents of the conceptual framework are demographics factors (age, tenure and job designation level), personal factors (job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and organisational factors (payment and fringe benefits, location of workplace, working environment: flexi working hours, perceived alternative employment opportunity, promotion and recognition, personal interaction, supervision and leadership, training and opportunity to utilise skills) as well as turnover intention. This study employed the census method and adopted the cross-sectional survey design method to collect data from 174 librarians working in 89 public libraries and three support sections at COJLIS. Data collection involved the use of a closed-ended questionnaire, as well as analysis documents such as strategic plans and human resource policies. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) according to the objectives of the study. The researcher conducted a linear regression test to find the instance of correlation between personal and organisational variables, and librarians’ intention to leave their workplace. The findings revealed that demographic determinants (age, tenure and job designation level) are significantly related to turnover intention. Tenure was a highly significant predictor of turnover intention. The major findings to this study were a negative and significant relationship between payment and fringe benefits, working environment: flexi working hours (work-life balance) promotion and recognition towards turnover intention. The study concludes that COLIS may be able to reduce turnover intention through the improvement of factors such as payment and fringe benefit, working environment: flexi working hours (work-life balance) promotion and recognition which would lead to increased job satisfaction and organisational commitment. It is recommended that in order to mitigate turnover intention and increase retention, the talent retention policy, strategy and initiatives should be developed which could incorporate the variables (e.g. payment and fringe benefits, promotion and recognition and training to develop and utilise new skills) of the suggested conceptual talent retention model for COJLIS. A further study to validate a newly developed retention model in COJLIS is recommended. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie is gepoog om insig in die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers te verkry. Om dit te kon bereik, is eerstens 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie onderneem en is die aard van beroepsmobiliteit, faktore wat 'n invloed op die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers kan he en die gevolge daarvan op maatskaplikewerkdienslewering, die maatskaplike werker en die maatskaplikewerkorganisasie verken en beskryf. Tweedens is 'n empiriese studie onderneem en is inligting oor die navorsingsonderwerp deur middel van posvraelyste as data-insamelingsinstrument by maatskaplike werkers en maatskaplikewerkorganisasies verkry. Die empiriese studie het aangedui dat maatskaplike werkers meestal aan onrealisties hoe roleise in die werksituasie en hul persoonlike lewens blootgestel is en dat die omgewings waarin hul figureer, soos die werksomgewing en persoonlike omgewings, dikwels as onvriendelik beleef word en dat dit 'n stabiele arbeidsmag verhinder. Faktore wat met die werksomstandighede van maatskaplike werkers verband hou, dra by tot die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers, sowel as faktore wat met persoonlike omstandighede verband hou, terwyl oorplasings en bevorderings ook 'n rol in die werksomset van maatskaplike werkers speel. Interaksie en wedersydse beinvloeding tussen die verskillende faktore vind voortdurend plaas. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die maatskaplike werker, deur beroepsmobiel te wees, poog om 'n passing tussen roldruk en omgewingsdruk te bewerkstellig. Met betrekking tot die gevolge van die werksomset van maatskaplike werkers, is bevind dat maatskaplikewerkdienslewering, die maatskaplike werker en die maatskaplikewerkorganisasie positief en negatief beinvloed word wanneer maatskaplike werkers van werk verwissel of ophou om beroepsarbeid te verrig. Tendense kon deur die ondersoek vasgestel word en dit kan hydra tot die ontwikkeling van 'n teorie oor die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers. Aanbevelings is gemaak ten einde die beroepsmobiliteit van maatskaplike werkers te verminder en/of te voorkom / This study attempts to gain insight into the occupational mobility of social workers. In order to achieve this, an· extensive literature study was undertaken and the nature of occupational mobility, factors that could affect the occupational mobility of social workers and the consequences thereof on the delivery of social work, the social worker and the social work organisation were explored and described. Secondly, an empirical study was undertaken and information on the research topic was obtained from social workers and social work organisations through postal questionnaires as data gathering instruments. The empirical study indicated that social workers are mostly exposed to unrealistically high role demands in the work situation and in their personal lives and that the environments in which they figure, such as the work and personal environments, are often experienced as unfriendly and that these hinder a stable labour force. Factors related to the working conditions as well as to the personal situations of social workers contribute to the occupational mobility of social workers while transfers and promotions also play a part in the work turnover of social workers. Interaction and mutual influencing between the various factors take place constantly. It is concluded that occupational mobility is the result of the social workers' efforts to bring about a harmony between role and environmental pressures. With regard to the work turnover of social workers, it was found that the delivery of social work service, the social worker and the social work organisation are affected positively and negatively when social workers change jobs or cease to perform professional work. The study was able to pinpoint trends and this can contribute to the development of a theory on the occupational mobility of social workers. Recommendations were made to reduce and/or prevent the occupational mobility of social workers / Social Work / D. Phil. (Maatskaplike Werk)

The aim of this research was to understand the main factors that explain turnover and retention at DOA Ukhahlamba District and to recommend to the District and Provincial management the appropriate strategy for retaining staff. To be able to achieve this aim, the following research objectives have been visited, namely: a) turnover trends, b) analysis of primary and external turnover factors and c) primarily retention factors. Data for analysing turnover trends was collected from the 2004 to 2007 DPSA and DOA annual reports. Primary data on labour turnover and retention factors was collected from 41 employees across different sections at DOA Ukhahlamba District by means of a questionnaire survey. The data was analysed using statistical methods, including frequency distribution, chi-square test and Pearson product-moment correlation. The findings have revealed that there is no clear pattern of turnover trends at DOA and DPSA, and DOA percentage turnover figures are low in comparison with those of the DPSA. In terms of organizational-specific factors, the top three primary turnover factors were identified, namely: a) communication within the organisation, b) leadership and the organisation and participation in decision making. The research results further revealed that communication within the organization had a significant impact with regard to race, but division, location, and grades did not. With regard to the external factors, research results identified the following most important external labour turnover factors arranged according to their importance, namely: lack of availability and quality of health care services and infrastructural development; lack of available sport and recreation facilities; crime in the area and people living in the neighbourhood; lack of educational opportunities available for the family, and geographic location of place of employment. The findings further revealed the top three retention factors, were strongly significantly correlated to each other, namely: resource availability, use of discretion in handling customer complaints, and the impact of the job on society. These are positively related to intention to stay. The implications these results to the management would require the review of the organisational Human Resource Management Policy and the introduction of Attraction and Retention Policy because at present its is non existence at DOA Eastern Cape. Research limitations: the study did not fully explore ethnicity when analysing the communication within the organisation as a labour turnover factor despite having an organisation that is diverse in nature, future academic research should focus more on labour turnover at management level and moderating variables to external labour turnover factors as there is little research done in this area. The factors identified for labour turnover and retention should be treated with caution as it may not be applicable to all sector Departments in the Eastern Cape and may be limited to Ukhahlamba District due to its geographic location. This study will contribute to the body of knowledge as it will serve as a guide to Eastern Cape DOA and other sector Departments in choosing factors to consider when designing their retention strategy in order to reduce labour turnover. To the academic researchers, the first three primary retention factors identified in the survey have not been seen before, grouped and rated amongst the top three retention factors which therefore means that the management support becomes more important than looking more on salary package as the first priority factor as revealed by most of the research literature consulted (Gustafson, 2002; Mobley, 1982; Mobley, 1979; Herzberg, 2003). This shows that labour turnover and retention factors will not be the same to all organisations, the location of the business and surrounding environment should be considered carefully when designing the appropriate policy and retention strategy of the organisation.

The shortage of nurses in any health care setting increases workloads and complicates workflow. In South Africa the shortage is exacerbated by multiple factors, one of which is the emigration of nurses to countries that offer better benefits and working conditions. The purpose of the study was to explore and determine the views of nurse managers regarding staff turnover and retention, and to recommend effective measures to improve the retention of nurses. The inquiry was conducted in a KwaZulu-Natal hospital, a natural setting for the participants. The study utilized a qualitative, explorative, descriptive design. The population of this study comprised of 36 nurse managers. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were applied to select a sample of 18 nurse managers. Data were collected through focus groups. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically, emerging patterns were noted. The researchers examined these categories closely and compared them for similarities and differences. identifying the most frequent or significant codes in order to develop the prominent categories. These were summarised in a narrative form. Four themes emerged from the findings: the staff turnover challenge; current retention strategies; measures to improve retention and strengthening management. The shortage of nursing staff was critical at this selected hospital, and this situation could be considered to be a microcosm of what is happening in public health care sectors in South Africa. Various measures were put in place to curb the high turnover. However, these measures had a fair to low level of success. Therefore, improved retention strategies are required to reduce the staff turnover. It is evident from the findings that needs to be done to investigate, plan and implement effective measures that are likely to retain nursing staff and recruit more nurses into the profession. / Health Studies / M. A. (Nursing Science)