by Lau Pak Chuen, Alan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [86-90]). / Questionnaire also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / ABSTRACT --- p.iv / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.viii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.0 --- Overview --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The Research Objective --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- The Conceptual Model --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- The Research Design --- p.7 / Chapter 1.5 --- Significance of This Study --- p.7 / Chapter 1.6 --- Outline of This Paper --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE / Chapter 2.0 --- Overview --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1 --- Review of Relevant Past Studies in Expatriate Job Assignments --- p.10 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Studies Focusing on Current Expatriate Job Assignments --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Studies Focusing on Future Expatriate Job Assignments --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2 --- Issues That Have Not Yet Been Addressed in the Past Studies --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- The Assumed Rationality of Employees' Decisions --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Lack of Consequences of Willingness to Accept the Expatriate Job Assignment --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- The Organization-Specific Nature of the Past Studies --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Theory of Planned Behavior --- p.17 / Predicting Behavior: Intentions and Perceived Behavioral Control --- p.18 / "Predicting Intention: Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control" --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Role of Desire in Predicting Intention --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4 --- The Conceptual Model --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- The Causal Relations Among Constructs and Hypothesis --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- "The Causal Relations between Salary, Promotional Opportunity, Location and Attitude toward the Expatriate Job Assignment to China" --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- The Causal Relations between Approval and Subjective Norm --- p.32 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- The Causal Relations between New Job Opportunity and Perceived Behavioral Control --- p.33 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- The Causal Relations between Desire and Attitude --- p.34 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- The Causal Relations between Desire and Attitude --- p.34 / Chapter 2.5.5 --- "The Causal Relations between Desire, Attitude toward the Expatriate Job Assignment to China, Subjective Norm and Perceived Behavioral Control, and Willingness to Accept the Job Assignment" --- p.35 / Chapter 2.5.6 --- "The Causal Relations between Desire, Attitude toward the Expatriate Job Assignment to China, Subjective Norm and Perceived Behavioral Control, and propensity to Leave" --- p.36 / Chapter 2.5.7 --- The Causal Relations between Willingness to Take the Expatriate Job Assignment and Propensity to Leave the Company --- p.37 / Chapter 2.6 --- Summary --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY / Chapter 3.0 --- Overview --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1 --- Research Design --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Sample and Sampling Procedure --- p.40 / Chapter 3.3 --- Data Collection Procedures --- p.42 / Chapter 3.4 --- Manipulations --- p.44 / Chapter 3.5 --- Operationalization of Constructs --- p.46 / Chapter 3.6 --- Data Analysis --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Manipulation and Confounding Checks --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Structural Equation Modeling --- p.53 / Chapter 3.7 --- Research Activities --- p.54 / Chapter 3.7.1 --- Focus Group Interview --- p.54 / Chapter 3.7.2 --- Pretest --- p.55 / Chapter 3.7.3 --- The Main Study --- p.55 / Chapter 3.8 --- Summary --- p.56 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- ANALYSIS AND RESULTS / Chapter 4.0 --- Overview --- p.57 / Chapter 4.1 --- Manipulation and Confounding Checks --- p.57 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Manipulation Checks --- p.57 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Confounding Checks --- p.58 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Structural Equation Modeling --- p.59 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- The Original Conceptual Model --- p.60 / Chapter 4.2.1.1 --- The Measurement Model Evaluation --- p.60 / Chapter 4.2.1.2 --- Structural Equation Model Results --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- The Modified Conceptual Model --- p.65 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- The Measurement Model Evaluation --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Structural Equation Model Results --- p.66 / Chapter 4.3 --- Discussion --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Results of the Original Conceptual Model --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Results of the Modified Conceptual Model --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Comparison between the Original Model and the Modified Model --- p.72 / Chapter 4.1 --- Summary --- p.73 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- CONCLUSION / Chapter 5.0 --- Overview --- p.74 / Chapter 5.1 --- Summary of the Research --- p.74 / Chapter 5.2 --- Contributions of the Study --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Theoretical Contributions --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Managerial Implications --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.81 / Chapter 5.4 --- Directions for Future Research --- p.83 / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary --- p.85 / REFERENCES / APPENDIX

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ability of organisations to be successful in the current global business environment will ultimately be dependent on their ability to be innovative. However, creativity and innovation will not take place spontaneously in any team setting and will be the result of meticulous planning and implementation efforts on the part of the team’s members. The current global business environment is characterised by constant change and this makes leadership more important than ever before as leaders are considered the drivers of change and ultimately responsible for organisational success. Leaders within organisational team settings have an essential role to fulfil in stimulating and facilitating innovative behaviour in their subordinates. The fact that some leaders manage to successfully stimulate and facilitate innovative behaviour in their subordinates, while others fail to do so, might well be contributed by some to a number of simplistic variables– but this is not the case. The fact that some leaders manage to successfully stimulate and facilitate innovative behaviour in their subordinates can be attributed to the fact that these leaders possess specific competencies based on different sets of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The innovation process consists of four distinct phases (idea generation, idea screening, feasibility and commercialisation) and innovative outcomes for a team will only result if team members successfully progress through each of these four phases. The reality, however, is that the innovation process itself is filled with challenges that will need to be overcome by team members if innovation is to flourish. Accordingly leaders should apply specific sets of knowledge, skills and attitudes during each of the phases in the innovation process to help guide subordinates successfully through the innovation process. It should hence be clear that being aware of the specific leadership competencies that will stimulate and facilitate innovative behaviour in subordinates will be of immense value to any organisation who wishes to act more innovatively. The primary purpose of this study was consequently to design a psychological measurement instrument that would provide a measure of the specific competencies leaders should possess to stimulate and facilitate innovative behaviour in subordinates. This instrument would enable management to customise training and development programmes to meet the specific needs of leaders and hence develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes on their part. A pilot study was conducted with the experimental version of the ILQ to obtain information regarding the psychometric properties of the instrument. Results obtained from the pilot study provided evidence that the ILQ instrument possesses high levels of internal reliability and satisfactory levels of concurrent validity. It can therefore be claimed that the ILQ instrument would serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for organisations who wish to improve their innovative capabilities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die mate waartoe organisasies suksesvol sal wees in die huidige globale besigheidsomgewing sal bepaal word deur hul vermoë om innoverend op te tree. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat kreatiwiteit en innovasie nie spontaan sal plaasvind binne ‘n spankonteks nie, maar eerder die resultaat sal wees van doelbewuste praktyke en gedrag deur spanlede. Die huidige globale besigheidsomgewing word gekenmerk deur konstante verandering en lei daartoe dat leierskap belangriker as ooit geag word vanweë die feit dat leiers beskou word as die dryfkrag vir verandering en verantwoordelik is vir organisasie sukses. Spanleiers in organisasies moet ‘n essensiële rol vervul met betrekking tot die stimulering en fasilitering van innoverende gedrag in hul ondergeskiktes. Die feit dat sommige leiers dit regkry om suksesvol innoverende gedrag in hul ondergeskiktes te stimuleer en te fasiliteer, terwyl ander leiers misluk om dit reg te kry, word deur sommige individue aan ‘n klein aantal eenvoudige veranderlikes toegeskryf – dit is egter nie die geval nie. Die feit dat sommige leiers dit regkry om suksesvol innoverende gedrag in hul ondergeskiktes te stimuleer en te fasiliteer, kan toegeskryf word aan die feit dat hierdie leiers oor sekere bevoegdhede beskik gebaseer op spesifieke stelle kennis, vaardighede en houdings. Die innovasieproses bestaan uit vier onderskeie fases (idee-generering, idee-evaluering, bepaling van uitvoerbaarheid en kommersialisering) en werkspanne sal slegs innoverende uitkomstes behaal indien hulle suksesvol vorder deur elkeen van hierdie vier fases. Die realiteit is egter dat die innovasieproses inherent gevul is met uitdagings wat oorkom sal moet word deur spanlede indien innovasie enigsins sal floreer in die spanne. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat leiers ‘n spesifieke versameling kennis, vaardighede en houdings sal aanwend om die pogings van ondergeskiktes suksesvol te bestuur deur die verskeie fases van die innovasieproses. Om kennis te dra omtrent die spesifieke leierskap-bevoegdhede – gebaseer op kennis, vaardighede en houdings – wat innoverende gedrag in ondergeskiktes sal stimuleer en fasiliteer, sal van onskatbare waarde wees vir organisasies. Die doel van hierdie studie was gevolglik om ‘n meetinstrument te ontwerp wat die bevoegdhede sal meet waaroor leiers moet beskik indien hulle beoog om suksesvol innoverende gedrag in hul ondergeskiktes te stimuleer en te fasiliteer. ‘n Meetinstrument van hierdie aard sal organisasies en hul bestuur in staat stel om opleiding en ontwikkeling programme nommerpas te maak en sodoende spesifieke bevoegdhede in hul leiers te ontwikkel. ‘n Loodsstudie is vervolgens uitgevoer om inligting rakende die psigometriese eienskappe van die instrument te verkry. Die resultate het getoon dat die ILQ oor hoë vlakke van interne betroubaarheid beskik, asook bevredigende vlakke van samevallende geldigheid. Die aanspraak kan gevolglik gemaak word dat die ILQ as ‘n waardevolle diagnostiese instrument vir enige organisasie sal dien wat beoog om hul innoverende vermoë uit te brei.

Organisations and job content will continually change irrespective of the employee or job context. The ability to understand, initiate and manage change is therefore, an essential skill for any change agent. The general aim of this research was to investigate the impact of change management on role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction. "Change management", "role conflict", "role ambiguity" and "job satisfaction" were conceptualised. This change process was described and the effect of change management on role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction was determined. Instruments for measuring these concepts were administered among 116 employees who have been subjected to extensive organisational change within a large transport organisation. It was found that change management has a significant impact on role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction. The change management process used in this research potentially enables Human Resources managers and change agents to reduce role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction during large scale organisation change. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

Some chapters have bibliographical references at the end of the chapter / Strategic recruitment and retention efforts improve the capacity of a research unit in delivering outputs such as collaborative research, increased grant funding and peer-reviewed journal articles (Chung, Clifton, Rowe, Finley, & Warnock, 2009). At the same time, knowledge of employees’ experiences can help organisations improve HRM strategies and practices. In this regard, the motivation driving this study was that exploring the recruitment and retention experiences of staff in a university research unit could reveal significant insights that could assist in refining the organisation’s HRM practices, thereby facilitating attraction and retention of valuable talent. This qualitative study was designed from an interpretive paradigm and a constructivist perspective in order to facilitate the exploration and understanding of employees’ subjective experiences. Findings indicate that professional development, organisational appeal and networking opportunities make this research unit an employer of choice. These factors, among others, are both attractors and incentives to remain with the organisation which significantly outweigh factors that discourage attraction and retention. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This study explored the importance attached to and the degree of satisfaction with 53 job aspects in the work environment of cooperative research center directors. A survey instrument was mailed to the 105 individuals identified as directors of research units that are (a) committed to multidisciplinary or engineering research, (b) organized as integral units of a university, and (c) supported and funded by industry and other sources. Responses were categorized into two groups: directors involved in NSF (National Science Foundation) Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC), and directors involved in other types of cooperative research endeavors. A 69% response rate was obtained. One purpose of this study was to measure: (a) factors that influence job satisfaction; (b) factors likely to influence center performance; and (c) success factors in industry/university cooperative research. This study was also designed to: (a) compare job attitudes between the two groups of directors; (c) determine the relationship between measures of importance and satisfaction for each group; and (d) develop predictive models of centers' performance using collected data; Directors assign a high degree of importance and a low degree of satisfaction to the majority of the job aspects; and they tend to be somewhat dissatisfied with those factors they consider most important in their work environment. Directors in the NSF I/UCRC group rated factors related to professional activities and industry/university interactions as significantly more important. In developing models to predict the total operating budget and the number of industrial members at a center, combinations of importance and satisfaction ratings were found to be significant factors.

Organisations are always confronted with the need to transform in order to adapt to environmental changes and have a competitive advantage. The concern is that when an organisation embarks on a transformation process, its individual employees are affected either positively or negatively. Employees can respond to transformation change by either being satisfied or dissatisfied in the organisation. The main aim of this research was to develop a diagnostic model for measuring employee satisfaction during organisational transformation. The first construct of organisational transformation was conceptualised using the open system paradigm, theoretical definitions and models of organisational change. In this study, organisational transformation is second order and drastic in the sense that it alters the way in which the organisation functions and relates to the external environment focusing on the vision, processes, systems, structure and culture. It is the fundamental and constant change at all levels of the organisation caused by external factors posing as risks for organisational survival. vi The second construct of employee satisfaction was conceptualised focusing on the humanistic paradigm, theoretical definitions and models. Employee satisfaction in this study is the individual’s positive emotional state of contentment stemming from the organisation’s ability to meet his or her needs and expectations based on his or her experience and evaluation of various organisational processes and practices. It influences employees’ performance and commitment to the organisation. A theoretical model was developed as a framework to enable organisations to diagnose or assess their employees’ satisfaction during organisational transformation. The model highlighted dimensions essential to diagnose employee satisfaction such as organisational strategy, policies and processes and outcomes, in order to determine employees’ contentment and fulfilment in the organisation. The main aim of the empirical research was to conduct a three year longitudinal study of employee satisfaction during organisational transformation; to operationalise the conceptually developed diagnostic model of employee satisfaction during transformation; and develop a structural equation model (SEM) in order to test the theoretical model. The Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS) was used in 2003, 2007 and 2008 to measure employee satisfaction. The initial year of the study (2003) comprised 1 140 participants who voluntarily completed the measuring instrument. The second year of the study (2007) involved 920 participants, while the final year of the study (2008) included 759 participants. In terms of the reliability and validity of the ESS, it was determined that in the three years of the study, most of the dimensions had acceptable internal consistency reliability based on the results of the Cronbach alpha test. The SEM investigated the impact of organisational strategy, policies and procedures and outcomes as the three domains of employee satisfaction during organisational transformation. The confirmatory factor analysis of the latent variables was conducted, and the path coefficients of the latent variables of organisational strategy, policies and processes and outcomes indicated a satisfactory fit for all these variables. The goodness-of-fit measure of the model indicated both absolute and incremental goodness-of-fit. The SEM confirmed the causal relationships between the latent and manifest variables, indicating that the latent variables, organisational vii strategy, policies and procedures and outcomes are the main indicators of employee satisfaction. This research adds to the field of organisational behaviour by proposing a model of employee satisfaction during organisational transformation. The domains of this model should enable organisations to identify developmental areas based on employees’ dissatisfaction or areas of strengths based on employees’ satisfaction. The diagnostic model will also enable organisations and practitioners to initiative interventions aimed at addressing areas of dissatisfaction as developmental areas and to leverage on its strengths as areas of satisfaction in the organisation. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Transformational leadership has been one of the most heavily researched theories of leadership of the past 25 years, largely because this style has been associated with a wide range of positive individual- and organizational-level outcomes. Despite the need for transformational leaders, the antecedents of transformational leadership behavior remain ambiguous. Numerous potential antecedents of transformational leadership have been identified in the past, but this research has focused on popularly addressed or commonly measured variables rather than characteristics with a strong theoretical link to transformational leadership. The current study expands on past research by examining a theoretically driven predictor of transformational leadership behavior. Specifically, the current study will examine whether a leader’s implicit person theory (IPT) will be a predictor of leadership behaviors. This theory was chosen as a potential antecedent because it centers on the concept of malleability or change, and as such shares a strong intuitive connection with transformational leadership (which itself places a heavy emphasis on change and growth). Results did not support our hypotheses, however, as regression analysis revealed that IPT failed to account for significant variation in leadership behavior after accounting for some of the most commonly examined predictors in the literature, (the Big Five personality traits). Limitations of the current study and opportunities for future research are discussed.

The purpose of the study was to construct a psycho-social model for team cohesion at a financial institution. The financial institution had been in existence for 127 years, and had faced significant challenges throughout its history of acquisitions and mergers to establish working teams that would give it a competitive edge in global financial markets. The research objective was to develop a psycho-social model for team cohesion by investigating the interrelationships and overall relationships amongst the independent constructs (self-worth, personality preferences and conflict resolution styles) and the relevant outcome (team cohesion). Furthermore, the study also scientifically tested the possible moderating effect of the employees’ socio-demographic characteristics (race, gender, age, level of education, job level and tenure) on the fostering of team cohesiveness. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design approach was selected and applied to a simple probability sample (N = 463) using standardised, valid and reliable measuring instruments. The population consisted of permanent employees, and the results revealed significant relationships between the construct variables. The canonical correlation indicated a significant overall relationship between the contingencies of self-worth domains, personality preferences and conflict resolution styles, and the team cohesion-related dispositions of cohesiveness and engaged. The structured equation modelling indicated a good fit of the data between the individuals’ contingencies of self-worth domains (family support, God’s love, virtues, competition, work competence, physical appearance and pleasing others), the accommodating conflict resolution style, an extraversion personality preference, and team cohesion. Hierarchical moderated regression showed that race, age, educational level and job tenure significantly moderated the relationship between the participants’ psycho-social attributes and team cohesion. Tests for significant mean differences revealed significant differences in terms of the socio-biographical variables. On a theoretical level, the study deepened understanding of the antecedent constructs (self-worth, personality preferences and conflict resolution styles) and team cohesion construct. On an empirical level, the study produced an empirically tested psycho-social model for team cohesion. This study will add significant practical, valuable knowledge to the organisation in managing the future establishment and enhancement of team cohesion, and when integrating new team members to the environment during organisational restructuring and re-alignment after acquisitions and mergers, without negatively affecting organisational effectiveness. These findings invariably provided new insight in managing and understanding inherent interpersonal conflict among employees in the workplace and the enhancement of team cohesion practices, thus adding to the existing body of knowledge in the fields of Consulting Psychology and Industrial and Organisational Psychology, more specifically in financial organisations. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Consulting Psychology)