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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
341

This is your captain speaking : En studie om kvinnliga och manliga piloters upplevda balans mellan arbete och familjeliv

Lekare, Denise, Jacobsen, Lotta January 2019 (has links)
Denna studie av Lotta Jacobsen och Denise Lekare syftar till att undersöka hur manliga och kvinnliga piloter vilka flyger långdistans upplever sin arbetssituation, särskilt i relation till familjelivet. Metoden som tillämpats är kvalitativ i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex piloter. För att analysera intervjusvaren har vi använt oss av en feministisk organisationsteori och en teori om work-life balance. Resultaten visade att informanterna upplevde en hög grad av balans mellan sfärerna, till följd av starka fysiska, temporära och psykologiska gränser mellan arbete och familjeliv, vari arbetssfären är starkt avgränsad från familjesfären och vice versa. Denna balans hotas när arbetsperioderna blir för långa eller piloterna är oense med andra sfärmedlemmar om gränsernas karaktär. Ytterligare ett resultat var att de kvinnliga piloterna inte kände sig direkt diskriminerade, men att det däremot fanns en hög grad av indirekt diskriminering mot kvinnor inom flygbranschen. Detta har resulterat i att kvinnliga piloter får det svårare att avancera i sina karriärer. Därför är ett utmärkande drag för denna studie den undersökning av flygbranschen som görs, som resulterar i skilda möjligheter för män och kvinnor till avancemang i karriären, särskilt i kombination med familjebildning. / This essay by Lotta Jacobsen and Denise Lekare examines how male and female long haul pilots experience their work situation, especially in relation to their family life. A qualitative method was applied, consisting of semistructured interviews with six pilots. To analyze the interview responses, we used a feminist organizational theory and a theory of work-life balance. The results showed that our respondents experienced a high level of balance due to the strong physical, temporary and psychological borders between work and family life, as the work sphere is strongly delimited from the family life sphere and vice versa. This balance is threatened when the working periods is too excessive or the pilots disagree with other sphere- members about the nature of the borders. Another result was that the female pilots did not feel directly discriminated against, however, there was a great amount of indirect discrimination in the aviation industry against women. This has resulted in female pilots having a harder time advancing in their careers. Therefore, a key characteristic for this essay is its examination of the aviation industry that results in different possibilities for men and women to advance in their careers, especially in relation to building a family.
342

L’effet de la présence syndicale sur l’accès à des mesures de conciliation emploi-famille et leur efficacité perçue par les professionnel(le)s en ressources humaines

Gauthier-Daigneault, Catherine 12 1900 (has links)
Malgré que les milieux de travail aient subi plusieurs transformations dans les dernières décennies, les employeurs sont en constante recherche de flexibilité ce qui crée des impacts notamment sur les statuts d’emploi et le temps de travail. Ces changements ont eu pour effet de placer l’enjeu de la conciliation emploi-famille (CEF) au cœur des discussions. Bien qu’il y ait eu du progrès sur le marché du travail concernant la conciliation emploi-famille (CEF) durant les dernières années, certaines problématiques demeurent. La principale problématique étant l’incompatibilité entre les sphères professionnelles et familiales et ces dernières peuvent avoir des répercussions négatives chez les différents acteurs. Cette recherche s’intéresse à l’effet de la présence syndicale sur l’accès à des mesures de CEF et leur efficacité perçue par les professionnel(le)s en ressources humaines. Cette étude quantitative se base sur des données secondaires qui ont été recueillies par Émilie Genin et Mélanie Laroche, professeures à l’École des Relations industrielles de l’Université de Montréal entre 2017 et 2018. La collecte des données a été réalisée en partenariat avec l’Ordre des conseils en ressources humaines et relations industrielles agréés du Québec (CRHA). Notre échantillon est représenté par un total de 249 répondants. Les hypothèses de recherche ont été testées en utilisant des données recueillies auprès de professionnel(le)s en ressources humaines ou en relations industrielles, membres de l’Ordre des CRHA du Québec. Nous cherchions à comprendre si la syndicalisation a un effet sur le nombre de mesures offertes de CEF et si la syndicalisation a un effet modérateur sur la relation entre les mesures de CEF et leur efficacité perçue. Notre modèle d’analyse nous permet de dégager différents constats. Les résultats de la recherche montrent que la syndicalisation n’a pas d’effet sur le nombre de mesures de CEF offertes dans les organisations. Une relation positive a aussi été constatée entre le nombre de mesures de CEF et leur efficacité perçue par les professionnel(le)s en ressources humaines. Finalement, nos résultats montrent que la syndicalisation n’a pas de relation de modération sur la présence de mesures de CEF et leur efficacité perçue. Face à ces constats, nous visons de contribuer à la littérature en se centralisant sur l’effet de la présence syndicale quant à l’accès aux mesures de CEF et leur efficacité perçue. Alors que peu de recherches s’intéressent de manière spécifique à ces éléments, notre étude permet une réflexion quant à l’impact de la présence syndicale sur la CEF. Cette étude sert aussi de référence à tous les employeurs, les syndicats et les gouvernements qui souhaitent mettre au premier plan l’enjeu de la CEF. / Even though workplaces have undergone several transformations in recent decades, employers are constantly looking for flexibility, which has particularly impacted employment status and working time. These changes had the effect of raising the issue of work/life balance (WLB) at the heart of discussions. Although there has been progress in the labor market regarding WLB in recent years, some issues remain. The main one being the incompatibility between the professional and family spheres which can have negative repercussions. This research will examine the effects of union presence on access to WLB measures and their perceived effectiveness by human resources professionals. This quantitative study is based on data collected by Émilie Genin and Mélanie Laroche, professors at the School of Industrial Relations of the University of Montreal between 2017 and 2018. The data was collected in partnership with the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines et relations industrielles agréés du Québec (CRHA). Our data is constituted by a sampling of 249 respondents. The research hypotheses were tested using data collected from human resources or industrial relations professionals, members of the Ordre des CRHA du Québec. In this research, we sought to understand whether unionization has an effect on the number of WLB measures offered in the workplace and whether unionization has a moderating effect on the relationship between WLB measures and their perceived effectiveness. Our model allows us to make various findings. Research results show that unionization has no effect on the number of WLB measures offered in organizations. A positive relationship was also observed between the number of WLB measures and their perceived effectiveness by human resources professionals. Finally, our results show that unionization does not have a moderating relationship on the presence of WLB measures and their perceived effectiveness. We aimed to contribute to the literature by focusing on the effect of union presence on access to WLB measures and their perceived effectiveness. While little research specifically examines these elements, our study allows for reflection on the impact of union presence on the WLB. This study also serves as a reference for all employers, unions and governments who wish to shed some light on the issue of WLB.
343

"När arbetsplatsen flyttar hem" : En kvalitativ undersökning om kvinnor och mäns upplevelser kring effekterna av arbete hemifrån / "When the workplace moves home" : A qualitative study of women and men´s experiences of the effects of working from home

Kling, Johan, Joakim, Petersson January 2021 (has links)
Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur den ökande andelen av betalt arbete hemifrån upplevs ha förändrat gränsdragningen mellan arbetsliv samt familjeliv för kvinnor och män. Studien syftar vidare till att undersöka om mängden ökat arbete hemifrån förändrat upplevelsen av att arbetslivet och familjelivet kommer i konflikt samt att se om fördelningen av det obetalda arbetet har påverkats av den förändrade arbetssituationen.   Frågeställningarna har tagits fram för att besvara studiens syfte: ”Hur påverkar det obetalda arbetet kvinnor och män som utför betalt arbete hemifrån?”, ”Hur upplever arbetstagaren att gränsen mellan privatliv och arbete påverkas av betalt hemarbete?”, ”Hur påverkas det betalda arbetet av hemarbete?”. Den teoretiska referensramen fokuserar på gränslöst arbete med fokus på begreppen betalt hemarbete samt obetalt arbete. Det obetalda arbetet beskriver det oavlönade arbete som utförs i hemmet som historiskt sett i hög grad utförts av kvinnor. Det växande begreppet gränslöst arbete belyses ur nya vinklar i studien då rådande Covid-19 pandemi samt ny teknik möjliggjort till större flexibilitet för hur, var och när de betalda arbetsuppgifterna utförs vilket skulle kunna bidra till en obalans mellan arbets- och privatliv. Studien utgår från kvalitativ ansats där vi genomfört sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter i åldrarna från 25 till 40 år. Resultatet visar på att studiens respondenter upplever att de lever i ett jämställt förhållande där det obetalda arbetet fördelas jämnt mellan könen. Studien finner att respondenterna är mer effektiva vid utförandet av betalt arbete hemifrån. Trots den svåra gränsdragningen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv känner sig respondenterna mer tillräckliga mot de båda sfärerna där de i framditiden önskar att få arbeta varierat där de delvis arbetar hemifrån och delvis på arbetsplatsen. / The purpose of this bachelor's thesis is to examine how the increasing proportion of paid work from home is perceived to have changed the demarcation between work life and family life for women and men. The study also aims to investigate whether the amount of increased work from home has changed the experience that work life and family life come into conflict and to see if the distribution of unpaid work has affected the changed work situation. The questions have been developed to answer the purpose of the study: "How does unpaid work affect women and men who perform paid work from home?", "How does the employee feel that the boundary between private life and work is affected by paid work from home?", “How is paid work affected by homework?”. The theoretical frame of reference focuses on boundless work with a focus on the concepts of paid homework and unpaid work. The unpaid work describes work performed at home that has historically been performed to a large extent by women. The growing concept of borderless work is highlighted from new angles in the study as the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic and new technology enabled greater flexibility in how, where and when the paid work tasks are performed, which could contribute to an imbalance between work and private life. The study is based on a qualitative approach where we conducted six semi-structured interviews with respondents aged between 25 to 40 years. The results show that the study's respondents feel that they live in an equal relationship where the unpaid work is distributed evenly between the sexes. The study finds that the respondents are more efficient at homework. Despite the difficult demarcation between work and family the respondents now feel more sufficient towards the two spheres where in the future they wish to work at varied places where they could work partly from home and partly from the office.
344

"Det är en livsstil att vara ledare" : Kvinnliga chefers upplevelser av balansen mellan chefskap och hemmaliv / "Being a leader is a lifestyle" : Female managers perception of balance between leadership and homelife

Artan, Josefine, Gjedsted, Julia January 2021 (has links)
Having a managerial position and being a woman at the same time can amount to certain problems. Women often have the main responsibility in the houshold whilst also maintaining a great extent of responsibility in the worklife. High demands on the individual in both spheres can make the perceived balance between work life and private life fragile and create difficulties for the individual to achieve balance between the two spheres. To have a great responsibility at the workplace also entails a requirement of accessibility and this requirement could intrude on the perceived balance between work life and private life. This paper examines two main questions: How can the perceived balance between work life and private life be portrayed among female managers? How may the perceived balance differentiate between work life and private life among women in leading positions since they became managers? The theoretical frame of reference form the basis of the study and addresses theories on work-life balance, gender studies and management studies. The study was carried out by using a qualitative method and utilized interviews as the main method for data collection. Ten female managers have participated in the survey. These respondents were selected according to set criterias: to be a female in a leading position working in the public sector. The results show that female managers have great experiences of work-life balance. The perceived balance between work life and private life was based on four different points: the importance of having the ability to keep work life and private life separate, flexibility in the profession, support from your surroundings and time for yourself. The results also show that the balance between work life and private life is something that could be affected by the profession itself. The female managers argue that the managerial position offers a type of freedom which makes them perceive their experience of work-life balance as better in the managerial position than before they became a manager.
345

Effekter av det påtvingade distansarbetet : En studie om hur medarbetare upplever att det påtvingade distansarbetet påverkar motivationen / The effects of the forced telework : A study of how employees experience that the forced telework affects their motivation

Mattsson, Hilda, Bohlin, Linnéa, Björkqvist, Jonthan January 2021 (has links)
Bakgrund: Företag blir alltmer beroende av sina medarbetare då organisationens värdeskapande process till stor del sker genom dem. Det är således viktigt att motivera, bibehålla och utveckla sina medarbetare. Tidigare studier om hur motivationen påverkas av distansarbete skiljer sig åt, där vissa menar att distansarbetet har en positiv inverkan på motivationen medan andra menar motsatsen. Innan Covid-19-pandemin har distansarbetet skett på en mer frivillig nivå men till följd av Covid-19-pandemin har många företag varit tvungna att införa det. Syfte och problemformulering: Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för hur medarbetare upplever att motivationen påverkas av det påtvingade distansarbetet. Studiens problemformulering är “Hur upplever medarbetare som innan Covid-19-pandemin inte arbetade på distans samt medarbetare som innan Covid-19-pandemin arbetade deltid på distans att motivationen har påverkats av det påtvingade distansarbetet?” Litteraturgenomgång: I litteraturgenomgången presenteras teorier kring konceptet motivation där inre och yttre motivation samt amotivation behandlas. Även teorier kring distansarbetet presenteras där kommunikation och work life balance behandlas.  Metod: Vid genomförandet av studien har forskarna i föreliggande rapport använt sig av en kvalitativ metod. För att samla in det empiriska materialet har forskarna använt sig av semistrukturerade intervjuer. Det har intervjuats fyra respondenter som innan Covid-19-pandemin inte arbetade på distans samt fyra respondenter som innan Covid-19-pandemin arbetade deltid på distans.  Slutsats: Det har framgått att det påtvingade distansarbetets påverkan på motivationen är oberoende av ifall medarbetaren har en vana av distansarbete eller inte. Det framgår snarare att det är hur väl medarbetarens individuella behov uppfylls som avgör hur motivationen påverkas av det påtvingade distansarbetet. / Background: Companies are becoming increasingly dependent on their employees, as the organization's value-creating process largely takes place through them. It is thus important to motivate, retain and develop the company's employees. Previous studies on how motivation is affected by teleworking differ, where some believe that telework has a positive effect on motivation while others believe the opposite. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, teleworking took place on a more voluntary level, but as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies have had to implement it. Purpose and research question: The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of how employees feel that motivation is affected by the forced distance work. The study's research question is "How do employees who before the Covid-19 pandemic did not work remotely and employees who before the Covid-19 pandemic worked part-time remotely feel that motivation has been affected by the forced telework?" Literature review: The literature review presents theories about the concept of motivation, where internal and external motivation as well as amotivation are treated. Theories about telework are also presented where communication and work life balance are treated. Method: The researchers in the present study have used a qualitative method. To collect the empirical material, the researchers used semi-structured interviews. Four respondents who before the Covid-19 pandemic did not work remotely and four respondents who before the Covid-19 pandemic worked part-time remotely were interviewed. Conclusion: It has emerged that the impact of forced telework on motivation is independent of whether the employee has a habit of telework or not. It is rather clear that it is how well the employee's individual needs are met that determines how motivation is affected by the forced distance work.
346

Between a baby and a boardroom : social constructions of mothers' employment decisions

Van Beek, Liezel 01 1900 (has links)
Text in English, isiZulu and Afrikaans / The topic of work-life balance has gained much attention in recent years. A focal point remains the effects of maternal employment on the well-being of women and children, despite shifts in society towards gender equality. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers who either had chosen to stay at home after having children or to continue with full-time employment; and how their decision impacted their lives. This qualitative study, based on the Social Constructionist paradigm, and Second Order Cybernetics and Feminist Theories, included interviews with four full-time employed and four stay-at-home South African mothers. The data were analysed using hermeneutic analysis. The findings suggest that the participants’ tensions regarding motherhood and employment were strongly influenced by structural obstacles at work and at home, interpersonal relationships with other mothers, as well as intrapersonal experiences. Breastfeeding was identified as a prominent topic within the various themes. / Eminyakeni yamuva nje ukulinganisela phakathi komsebenzi nokuphila kwasekhaya kube undabamlonyeni. Indaba eseqhulwini kuseyiwo umthelela wokusebenza komama enhlalakahleni yabesimane nezingane, yize sekube nezinguquko emphakathini endabeni yokulingana kobulili. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlola lokho okwehlele omama abakhethe ukuhlala ekhaya ngemva kokuzalwa kwezingane noma abaqhubeka besebenza isikhathi esigcwele; nokuthi isinqumo sabo sibe namuphi umthelela ekuphileni kwabo. Lolu cwaningo olwalubheka umnyombo, olusekelwe embonweni weNhlanganyelo Yomphakathi, kanye ne-Cybernetics Yohlelo Lwesibili Nemibono Yabalweli Besifazane, lwalubandakanya izingxoxombuzo nomama abane baseNingizimu Afrika abasebenza isikhathi esigcwele kanye nabanye abane abahlala ekhaya. Ulwazi lwahlaziywa kusetshenziswa uhlaziyo lokucubungula okulotshiwe. Okwatholakala kubonisa ukuthi izinto ezaziyingqinamba kubabambiqhaza ngokuphathelene nokuba umama nokusebenza zazilawulwa kakhulu yizithiyo zesikhundla emsebenzini nasekhaya, ubudlelwano nabanye omama, kanye nalokho ababhekana nakho uma bezihlola ekujuleni. Ukuncelisa ibele kwakubhekwa njengesihloko esiqavile phakathi kwalezo zihloko ezinhlobonhlobo. / Die kwessie van ‘n werk-lewe balans geniet die afgelope paar jaar baie aandag. 'n Brandpunt in die literatuur is steeds die gevolge van ma’s se indiensneming op die welstand van vroue en kinders, ondanks verskuiwings in die samelewing ten opsigte van geslagsgelykheid. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die ervarings van vroue te ondersoek wat óf kies om tuis te bly, óf om voltyds te bly werk wanneer hulle kinders kry; en hoe die besluit hul lewens beïnvloed. Die kwalitatiewe studie, gebaseer op ‘n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese uitgangspunt, en ekosistemiese en feministiese teorieë, het onderhoude met vier voltydse werknemers en vier tuisbly ma’s in Suid-Afrika ingesluit. Die data is ondersoek met behulp van hermeneutiese analise. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die deelnemers se spanning rakende. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)
347

Work-life balance och motivation : En kvantitativ studie som undersöker sambandet mellan work-life balance och medarbetarnas upplevda motivation / Work-life balance and motivation

Martins, Amanda, Schaffer, Frida January 2023 (has links)
Bakgrund. Individer i dagens samhälle behöver finna en balans mellan sina olika roller inom arbetslivet och privatlivet. Denna balans konkurrerar om individens tid och resurser, vilket kan vara krävande för en individ att lyckas balansera mellan. Forskningen visar att en individs balans mellan sina olika roller tenderar att samverka med individens motivation på arbetsplatsen. Syftet med studien är därmed att undersöka sambandet mellan work-life balance och medarbetarnas upplevda motivation i arbetet. Material och metod. Studien består av en kvantitativ metod, där ett bekvämlighetsurval har använts. En enkät användes för datainsamlingen, där 296 respondenter deltog. De instrument som har använts för att undersöka sambandet är WEIMS-instrumentet och WLB-scale. För att kontrollera att sambandet mellan våra huvudvariabler kvarstod mot kontrollvariablerna, har en multipel regressionsanalys använts. I denna analys genomfördes bootstrapping med 5000 iterationer. Resultat. Studien fann ett positivt samband mellan work-life balance och motivation (r = .14, p < .001), när sambandet kontrollerades för våra signifikanta kontrollvariabler: stress, hälsotillstånd och sömn. Slutsats. Work-life balance och medarbetarnas upplevda motivation är två faktorer som samspelar med varandra. Vidare har work-life balance och motivation också visat sig samverka med individens vilja till att lämna arbetsplatsen. / Background. Individuals in today's society need to find a balance between their various roles in the workplace and personal life. This balance competes for an individual's time and resources, which can be demanding for them to successfully juggle. Research shows that an individual's balance between their various roles tends to interact with their motivation at work. The purpose of this study is thus to examine the relationship between work-life balance and employees' perceived motivation in the workplace. Materials and Methods. The study employs a quantitative method, using convenience sampling. A questionnaire was used for data collection, with 296 respondents participating. The instruments used to investigate the relationship are the WEIMS instrument and the WLB-scale. To control for the persistence of the relationship between our main variables against the control variables, a multiple regression analysis was employed. In this analysis, bootstrapping was performed with 5000 iterations. Results. The study found a positive correlation between work-life balance and motivation (r = .14, p < .001) when the relationship was controlled for our significant control variables: stress, health condition, and sleep. Conclusion. Work-life balance and employees' perceived motivation are two factors that interact with each other. Furthermore, work-life balance and motivation have also been found to interact with an individual's intention to leave the workplace
348

När självuppfyllelsen krockar med familjens krav : En studie kring erfarenheter av att balansera arbete, familj och studier. / When self-fulfillment clashes with family obligations : A study on experiences of balancing work, family, and education.

Chehade, Lisa, Sjölund, Jani January 2023 (has links)
The study, conducted at selected Swedish universities and colleges, focused on the balance between work, family, and studies for working professionals. In this qualitative study, twelve individuals were examined to explore their experiences of balancing work and studies alongside their full-time employment, as well as how the boundaries between work and family affected individuals in committed relationships with children under the age of 12. The theoretical framework of the study was centered around work-life balance and the significance of different roles in achieving this balance. The study's results highlighted challenges in balancing work, family, and distance learning for working parents. Common challenges included time constraints, the impact of children on work and studies, and a lack of support. Women experienced greater effort and a dual workload due to traditional expectations. Men in leadership positions often had more flexibility and fewer conflicts. The study concludes that combining full-time employment, children, and studies is challenging, particularly for women striving for economic improvement. The authors suggest that future research should examine how communication patterns within the family can affect balance, and further explore the situation for individuals holding non-leadership positions.
349

Stödjande ledarskapets påverkan på arbetsrelaterad stress i små revisionsbyråer / Supportive leadership's impact on work-related stress in small audit firms

Axelsson, Melker, Wenngren, Andreas January 2023 (has links)
Bakgrund: Revisionsbranschen befinner sig i en nedåtgående trend sett till antal revisorer. Revisionsyrket präglas av säsongsbetonad och ojämn arbetsbelastning, vilket resulterar i hög arbetsrelaterad stress på grund av tids- och budgetpress samt höga krav. Tidigare forskning visar att balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv är viktigt för medarbetarens trivsel på arbetsplatsen. Tidigare forskning riktas främst mot situationen i revisionsbyråerna vilka benämns “The Big Four” varpå följande studie riktar sig mot chefer på mindre revisionsbyråer. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att identifiera och undersöka hur stödjande ledarskap används av chefer inom små regionala revisionsbyråer för att förbättra det psykosociala välbefinnandet för medarbetarna. Teoretisk referensram: Föreliggande studie använder teorier och begrepp som exempelvis stödjande ledarskap, Work-Life Balance, krav, kontroll och stöd. Kärnbegrepp inom studien är arbetsrelaterad stress vilket kan uppstå till följd av obalans av tidigare nämnda faktorer. Metod: I föreliggande studie användes en kvalitativ forskningsansats där semistrukturerade intervjuer utgjorde den huvudsakliga datainsamlingen som kompletterades med insamling av dokument. Åtta intervjuer genomfördes där svaren triangulerades med hjälp av dokumenten. Slutsats: Det studien visade var att det är avgörande för chefen att skapa en personlig relation till medarbetarna. Detta för att kunna identifiera behov och anpassa sig utifrån den givna situationen. Goda förmågor att planera och följa upp arbete är även en viktig faktor för chefer inom revisionsbranschen för att medarbetarna ska ha en kontrollerbar arbetssituation och därmed undvika såväl orimlig arbetsbelastning som arbetsrelaterad stress. Det kan vidare konstateras att ledarskap är individuellt utifrån chefen som medarbetaren där egenskaperna varierar och ledarskapet behöver anpassas utifrån båda parter. / Background: The auditing industry is currently in a declining trend in terms of the number of auditors. The audit profession is characterized by seasonal and uneven workload, which results in high work-related stress due to time and budget pressure and high demands. Previous research shows that balance between work life and private life is important for employees’ well-being in the workplace. Previous research is mainly aimed at the situation in the audit firms called “The Big Four”, whereupon the following study is aimed at managers at smaller audit firms.  Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify and investigate how supportive leadership is used by managers within small regional auditing firms to improve the psychosocial well-being of employees.  Theory: The current study uses theories and concepts such as supportive leadership, work-life balance, demands, control and support. The core concept within the study is work-related stress, which may arise as a result of imbalance of previously mentioned factors.  Method: In this study a qualitative research approach was used where semi-structured in-depth interviews constituted the main data collection which was supplemented by the collection of documents. Eight interviews were conducted where the answers are triangulated with the help of documents.  Conclusion: The study showed that the crucial part for the manager is to create a personal relationship with the employees. This is to be able to identify needs and adapt based on the given situation. Good abilities to plan and follow up on work is also an important factor for managers within the audit industry and for the employees to have a controllable work situation and thus avoid both unreasonable workload and work-related stress. It can further be stated that leadership is individual based on the manager as the employee where the characteristics vary and leadership needs to be adapted based on both parties.
350

Exploring the role of information and communication technology on employees' work and family domains / Johannes Willem de Wet

De Wet, Johannes Willem January 2015 (has links)
Technology has become part of society’s everyday functions, changing rapidly and providing widespread mobility. In South Africa alone, the amount of internet users grew from 8,5 million to 24,9 million in only three years (2011-2014). Currently 90% of these users access this facility from their mobile devices. This statistic illustrates the trend that South Africans are moving towards a continually connected lifestyle, a situation in which information and communication technology (ICT) seems to have become omnipresent. Due the rapid growth of ICT technology and its adoption into people’s lives (both personally and professionally) the influence of such a phenomenon needed to be investigated to understand its impact on individuals and society. Thus, the objective of the present research was to explore the role ICT plays in employees’ work and family domain. The research followed a qualitative research approach and made use of snowball sampling. The sample of participants (N=25) were mostly employees from a professional organisation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data and the interviews were recorded, transcribed and processed through thematic analyses. The analyses revealed the following four main themes with sub-themes flowing from it: 1) the usage of ICT; 2) the role of ICT usage; 3) the challenges relating to ICT usage; and 4) managing work-life interaction by using ICT. Theme 2 lend itself to be sub-divided into four minor subthemes namely: 1) the positive role of ICT usage; 2) the negative role of ICT usage; 3) the role ICT plays in relationships; and 4) the increased expectations brought about by ICT usage. The current research was not without certain limitations, which should be noted. The researcher only investigated the employees themselves and did not extend the unit of analysis to include the household of employees (esp. the partner or spouse). In addition, the majority of the participants were Afrikaans-speaking males, which is not a true reflection of the multicultural society of South Africa promoting gender equality in the work place. Based on the findings of the present research, various recommendations could be made. Future research could firstly enlarge the sample to be more representative of South Africa’s multicultural and diverse society, and secondly, to include the partner or spouse of employees. Organisations should also consider the implementation of various policies on ICT usage. These directives could include the following: a policy to ensure across the board ICT implementation; an after-work hours policy to ensure as little as possible infringement on employees work-life interaction; and a hierarchical policy ensuring the correct communication channels are followed. Lastly, future research could also do multiple comparative studies on the differences between the degree of ICT adoption, or the amount of ICT devices employees utilise and the impact this has on their work-life interaction. Such research can also investigate how the decrease in face-to-face communication impacts social interaction in both the work and nonwork domains and thereby affects employees’ work-life interaction. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

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