The research aim was firstly to establish the prevailing organisational climate of the primary schools in the North West Province, and secondly, to develop management strategies to establish an effective organisational climate in primary schools. The study was conducted by means of a thorough literature study with a view to place the concept organisational climate in context. Following this, the information gained during the literature study was empirically verified, and certain findings were made based on the data. From the last-mentioned data and findings, a number of management strategies could be developed and certain recommendations were also formulated. In Chapter 1 the problem statement as well as four research objectives were formulated. The research aim was motivated and the research methodology discussed. The chapter division was explained and a number of relevant ethical aspects were discussed. A few contributions made by this study were discussed briefly. The nature of organisational climate was discussed in Chapter 2. Organisational climate was placed in the correct context by discussing a number of relevant concepts, namely: school climate, organisational climate, educational climate, classroom climate, quality of work life, systemic factors and the influence thereof on organisational climate, individual factors, job satisfaction, job performance, work stress and job motivation. The maintenance and the importance of a positive organisational climate also received attention. The determinants of an effective organisational climate received attention in Chapter 3. Determinants such as presented in the literature were discussed. Following this, determinants identified from different measuring instruments were also discussed. The "Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools" (OCDQ-RE) was discussed in detail, since this questionnaire was used for the research in question. The research approach and methodology was discussed in Chapter 4. Different research approaches were discussed, namely the interpretivistic, the critical, the positivistic and the postpositivistic approaches. Next, the quantitative investigative method was discussed fully, since this is the manner in which the data in this research were obtained. The statistical data processing was discussed comprehensively. The chapter was concluded with a number of relevant ethical aspects. In Chapter 5 the data interpretation was discussed. The responses were processed statistically and certain findings were inferred from it. The following statistical processing was done: two factor analyses were done, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined, openness indexes were discussed, categorisation was done regarding the prevailing organisational climate in the schools, the practical meaningfulness was reported on and finally, the South African data were compared with that of the American research. A number of management strategies were designed in Chapter 6 to establish an effective organisational climate in the primary school. These management strategies were formulated from existing literature concerning organisational climate, as well as from the processed data in the empirical study. The management strategies were formulated based on the actions and behaviour of the school principal as well as those of the educators. The research was concluded in Chapter 7 with a summary, findings and recommendations. Firstly, a brief summary of each chapter was given, followed by a few findings, and the chapter was concluded with seven recommendations, each coupled with a motivation. The following important findings stemmed from the research: Research objective ONE: The nature of organisational climate in the primary school. • Certain aspects such as school climate, educational climate and classroom climate regarding the organisational climate of the school are intertwined and they form a unit that determines the organisational climate of the school. • The organisational climate of a school is influenced by a variety of factors. Examples of these factors are as follows: quality of the work life of educators, tangible and non- tangible factors, task, maintenance and development needs, job satisfaction, job performance, job motivation and work stress. However, it is important to take cognisance of the fact that these factors are people driven and that all role-players in the school are responsible for the development, establishment and maintenance of an effective organisational climate. • The importance of an effective organisational climate is accentuated by the creation and maintenance of a positive work life, positive values and norms and effective communication. By meticulously applying these above-mentioned principles, a positive organisational climate will become a reality in schools. Research objective TWO: The nature of the different determinants of organisational climate in the primary school: • The findings in the literature correspond to a large extent with the findings that came to the fore from the measuring instruments. The findings are categorised in two determinants for organisational climate, namely the actions or behaviour of the school principal and those of the educators. Research objective THREE: The current standing of the organisational climate in the primary schools: • The total openness index of the schools in the study population explains the actions and behaviour of the principals, as well as those of the educators, as a mean. • The schools were divided into four categories as follows: Uninvolved organisational climate (22.73%), Closed organisational climate (22.73%), Open organisational climate (21.21%), Involved organisational climate (33.33%). Research objective FOUR: Management strategies for the development and establishment of an effective organisational climate in the primary school: • Four management strategies were formulated concerning the actions or behaviour of the school principal and three regarding the actions or behaviour of the educators. The following important recommendations were made: Recommendation 1: Principals need to be empowered to fulfil a more supporting role, mainly in the case of black and Coloured educators. Constructive criticism, reasons for criticism and paying attention to the well-being of educators are examples of fields in which principals need to be empowered. Recommendation 2: Principals need to be empowered to follow alternative managerial styles, rather than an autocratic and "iron-fist" approach. Recommendation 3: Principals need to demonstrate less restrictive behaviour towards educators, especially in the case of Coloured educators. Examples of restrictive behaviour principals need to devote attention to are as follows: educators are expected to serve on too many committees and the amount of administrative work needs to be cut back on. Recommendation 4: Educators need to be empowered to act more fraternally towards one another. Examples of fields in which empowerment is required are as follows: educators do not accept one another's shortcomings, educators often depart for home directly after school hours, and educators socialise in small, selected groups. Recommendation 5: The extent to which trusting behaviour occurs among educators requires active improvement. Factors that need attention are as follows: colleagues do not invite one another for home visits, educators do not know one another's home backgrounds, educators socialise during work hours, and educators do not arrange social meetings for one another. Recommendation 6: Educators' attitude towards and involvement in the school's activities need to be addressed actively and improved. The following factors need to receive attention: the problem that educators describe staff meetings as futile, and also that they converse amongst each other during staff meetings. Recommendation 7: Further research is needed regarding the validation of a measuring instrument that is directly meant for the South African context. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The research aim was firstly to establish the prevailing organisational climate of the primary schools in the North West Province, and secondly, to develop management strategies to establish an effective organisational climate in primary schools. The study was conducted by means of a thorough literature study with a view to place the concept organisational climate in context. Following this, the information gained during the literature study was empirically verified, and certain findings were made based on the data. From the last-mentioned data and findings, a number of management strategies could be developed and certain recommendations were also formulated. In Chapter 1 the problem statement as well as four research objectives were formulated. The research aim was motivated and the research methodology discussed. The chapter division was explained and a number of relevant ethical aspects were discussed. A few contributions made by this study were discussed briefly. The nature of organisational climate was discussed in Chapter 2. Organisational climate was placed in the correct context by discussing a number of relevant concepts, namely: school climate, organisational climate, educational climate, classroom climate, quality of work life, systemic factors and the influence thereof on organisational climate, individual factors, job satisfaction, job performance, work stress and job motivation. The maintenance and the importance of a positive organisational climate also received attention. The determinants of an effective organisational climate received attention in Chapter 3. Determinants such as presented in the literature were discussed. Following this, determinants identified from different measuring instruments were also discussed. The "Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools" (OCDQ-RE) was discussed in detail, since this questionnaire was used for the research in question. The research approach and methodology was discussed in Chapter 4. Different research approaches were discussed, namely the interpretivistic, the critical, the positivistic and the postpositivistic approaches. Next, the quantitative investigative method was discussed fully, since this is the manner in which the data in this research were obtained. The statistical data processing was discussed comprehensively. The chapter was concluded with a number of relevant ethical aspects. In Chapter 5 the data interpretation was discussed. The responses were processed statistically and certain findings were inferred from it. The following statistical processing was done: two factor analyses were done, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined, openness indexes were discussed, categorisation was done regarding the prevailing organisational climate in the schools, the practical meaningfulness was reported on and finally, the South African data were compared with that of the American research. A number of management strategies were designed in Chapter 6 to establish an effective organisational climate in the primary school. These management strategies were formulated from existing literature concerning organisational climate, as well as from the processed data in the empirical study. The management strategies were formulated based on the actions and behaviour of the school principal as well as those of the educators. The research was concluded in Chapter 7 with a summary, findings and recommendations. Firstly, a brief summary of each chapter was given, followed by a few findings, and the chapter was concluded with seven recommendations, each coupled with a motivation. The following important findings stemmed from the research: Research objective ONE: The nature of organisational climate in the primary school. • Certain aspects such as school climate, educational climate and classroom climate regarding the organisational climate of the school are intertwined and they form a unit that determines the organisational climate of the school. • The organisational climate of a school is influenced by a variety of factors. Examples of these factors are as follows: quality of the work life of educators, tangible and non- tangible factors, task, maintenance and development needs, job satisfaction, job performance, job motivation and work stress. However, it is important to take cognisance of the fact that these factors are people driven and that all role-players in the school are responsible for the development, establishment and maintenance of an effective organisational climate. • The importance of an effective organisational climate is accentuated by the creation and maintenance of a positive work life, positive values and norms and effective communication. By meticulously applying these above-mentioned principles, a positive organisational climate will become a reality in schools. Research objective TWO: The nature of the different determinants of organisational climate in the primary school: • The findings in the literature correspond to a large extent with the findings that came to the fore from the measuring instruments. The findings are categorised in two determinants for organisational climate, namely the actions or behaviour of the school principal and those of the educators. Research objective THREE: The current standing of the organisational climate in the primary schools: • The total openness index of the schools in the study population explains the actions and behaviour of the principals, as well as those of the educators, as a mean. • The schools were divided into four categories as follows: Uninvolved organisational climate (22.73%), Closed organisational climate (22.73%), Open organisational climate (21.21%), Involved organisational climate (33.33%). Research objective FOUR: Management strategies for the development and establishment of an effective organisational climate in the primary school: • Four management strategies were formulated concerning the actions or behaviour of the school principal and three regarding the actions or behaviour of the educators. The following important recommendations were made: Recommendation 1: Principals need to be empowered to fulfil a more supporting role, mainly in the case of black and Coloured educators. Constructive criticism, reasons for criticism and paying attention to the well-being of educators are examples of fields in which principals need to be empowered. Recommendation 2: Principals need to be empowered to follow alternative managerial styles, rather than an autocratic and "iron-fist" approach. Recommendation 3: Principals need to demonstrate less restrictive behaviour towards educators, especially in the case of Coloured educators. Examples of restrictive behaviour principals need to devote attention to are as follows: educators are expected to serve on too many committees and the amount of administrative work needs to be cut back on. Recommendation 4: Educators need to be empowered to act more fraternally towards one another. Examples of fields in which empowerment is required are as follows: educators do not accept one another's shortcomings, educators often depart for home directly after school hours, and educators socialise in small, selected groups. Recommendation 5: The extent to which trusting behaviour occurs among educators requires active improvement. Factors that need attention are as follows: colleagues do not invite one another for home visits, educators do not know one another's home backgrounds, educators socialise during work hours, and educators do not arrange social meetings for one another. Recommendation 6: Educators' attitude towards and involvement in the school's activities need to be addressed actively and improved. The following factors need to receive attention: the problem that educators describe staff meetings as futile, and also that they converse amongst each other during staff meetings. Recommendation 7: Further research is needed regarding the validation of a measuring instrument that is directly meant for the South African context. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ management styles when caring for adult children with serious mental illness (SMI), as well as parents’ perspectives on what type of community-based mental health interventions would support and/or enhance overall family functioning. This qualitative descriptive study was undergirded by Knafl and Deatrick’s Family Management Style Framework. Thirty parents (N = 30) caring for adult children with SMI over age 18 were recruited as participants. Demographic data included age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, annual income, and National Alliance on Mental Illness membership. Parents were interviewed in their homes or other private setting. Verbal informed consent was obtained. Audio-recorded, individual, semistructured interviews were conducted until redundancy was achieved. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Four major themes emerged from the data. These themes described prolonged, difficult, and confusing phases that parents and the family undergo in caring for an adult child with SMI. These phases have a progressive nature, moving from parents recognizing that their child has a SMI to redefining family life as a result of caring for an adult child with SMI. Successful management of these phases must include increasing access to mental health information, mental health screening, early interventions, violence prevention, and various treatment options for adult children and their families.

The out of field phenomenon, that is, educators who teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment. This growing phenomenon in South African schools impacts colleagues, learners, parents, governing bodies and school management. Teaching characteristics that ensure success in classrooms are threatened by the out of field phenomenon. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This problem was investigated by a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the existence of the out of field phenomenon should be recognised in order to provide substantial educator support and sufficient staff development programmes. It is recommended that new evidence-informed knowledge about the out of field phenomenon can contribute to improve effective decision making and policy developing in this regard. / Education management / M.Ed.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die studie is om die verband tussen werksontevredenheid (as gevolg van vervelige- en roetinewerk asook swak bestuursbenaderings) en werksafwesigheid te bepaal. Werksafwesigheid beïnvloed organisasiedoeltreffendheid nadelig omdat daar 'n tekort aan korrektiewe beamptes is as gevolg van die oorbevolking van gevangenes in Pollsmoor-gevangenis. 'n Omvattende oorsig van gepubliseerde literatuur oor werksafwesigheid het die empiriese navorsing van hierdie studie voorafgegaan. Die volgende doelwitte is bereik in hierdie studie, naamlik: * Om die werksafwesigheidsverskynsel by wyse van 'n literatuuroorsig te beskryf. * Om Pollsmoor-gevangenis se werksafwesigheidsyfers en -statistiek aan te toon en die navorsingspopulasie in terme van werksafwesigheidsgroepe te kategoriseer. * Om response rakende die vlak van tevredenheid met die aard van die werk, bestuursbenaderings en ander derde veranderlikes in die werksomgewing, van 'n verteenwoordigende steekproef van die navorsingspopulasie in te win, te ontleed en te beskryf. * Om bevindings en aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van werkstevredenheid met vervelige- en roetinewerk, swak bestuursbenaderings asook derde veranderlikes. Die bevindings van hierdie studie behoort voordelig aangewend te kan word deur die Korrektiewe Dienste en akademiese belangegroepe. Die bevindings van hierdie studie verskaf ook waardevolle inligting oor werksafwesigheid vir toekomstige navorsing. Summary The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between work absenteeism and work satisfaction with boring- and routine work, poor management styles and third variables. The following objectives have been reached in this study, namely: * To describe the work absenteeism phenomenon by means of a literature review. * To show Pollsmoor prison's work absenteeism figures and -statistics and to categorize the research population in terms of work absenteeism groups. * To collect, analyse and describe the responses' pertaining to the level of satisfaction with the nature of the work, management styles and third variables in the work environment, from a representative sample of the research population. * To make findings and recommendations with regards to work satisfaction with boring- and routine work, poor management styles and third variables. The findings of this study could be utilized by Correctional Services and academic interest groups. / Business Management / M.Tech.

The out of field phenomenon, that is, educators who teach outside their field of expertise, adds complexity to the education environment. This growing phenomenon in South African schools impacts colleagues, learners, parents, governing bodies and school management. Teaching characteristics that ensure success in classrooms are threatened by the out of field phenomenon. It puts extra strain on school management's responsibility to provide quality management and jeopardises effective teaching and quality learning. This problem was investigated by a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with selected participants who shared their experiences of the phenomenon. Findings indicated that the existence of the out of field phenomenon should be recognised in order to provide substantial educator support and sufficient staff development programmes. It is recommended that new evidence-informed knowledge about the out of field phenomenon can contribute to improve effective decision making and policy developing in this regard. / Education management / M.Ed.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die studie is om die verband tussen werksontevredenheid (as gevolg van vervelige- en roetinewerk asook swak bestuursbenaderings) en werksafwesigheid te bepaal. Werksafwesigheid beïnvloed organisasiedoeltreffendheid nadelig omdat daar 'n tekort aan korrektiewe beamptes is as gevolg van die oorbevolking van gevangenes in Pollsmoor-gevangenis. 'n Omvattende oorsig van gepubliseerde literatuur oor werksafwesigheid het die empiriese navorsing van hierdie studie voorafgegaan. Die volgende doelwitte is bereik in hierdie studie, naamlik: * Om die werksafwesigheidsverskynsel by wyse van 'n literatuuroorsig te beskryf. * Om Pollsmoor-gevangenis se werksafwesigheidsyfers en -statistiek aan te toon en die navorsingspopulasie in terme van werksafwesigheidsgroepe te kategoriseer. * Om response rakende die vlak van tevredenheid met die aard van die werk, bestuursbenaderings en ander derde veranderlikes in die werksomgewing, van 'n verteenwoordigende steekproef van die navorsingspopulasie in te win, te ontleed en te beskryf. * Om bevindings en aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van werkstevredenheid met vervelige- en roetinewerk, swak bestuursbenaderings asook derde veranderlikes. Die bevindings van hierdie studie behoort voordelig aangewend te kan word deur die Korrektiewe Dienste en akademiese belangegroepe. Die bevindings van hierdie studie verskaf ook waardevolle inligting oor werksafwesigheid vir toekomstige navorsing. Summary The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between work absenteeism and work satisfaction with boring- and routine work, poor management styles and third variables. The following objectives have been reached in this study, namely: * To describe the work absenteeism phenomenon by means of a literature review. * To show Pollsmoor prison's work absenteeism figures and -statistics and to categorize the research population in terms of work absenteeism groups. * To collect, analyse and describe the responses' pertaining to the level of satisfaction with the nature of the work, management styles and third variables in the work environment, from a representative sample of the research population. * To make findings and recommendations with regards to work satisfaction with boring- and routine work, poor management styles and third variables. The findings of this study could be utilized by Correctional Services and academic interest groups. / Business Management / M.Tech.

Syfte: Syftet är att studera hur sättet att kommunicera mellan chef och medarbetare påverkats, där flertalet anställda till följd av COVID-19 fått ställa om och arbeta på distans. Metod: Studien är genomförd som en kvalitativ enfallsstudie med tvärsnittsdesign, på ett finansbolag beläget i Västra Götaland. Frågeställningen besvaras genom analyser av data som samlats in genom personliga, semistrukturerade intervjuer med chefer och medarbetare. Resultat: En mer relationsinriktad ledarskapsstil tenderar att skapa bättre förutsättningar för en bra kommunikation på distans, jämfört med den mer målinriktade ledarskapsstilen. Kommunikationsverktyg är väsentliga för distansarbete och de finns alltid tillgängliga för medarbetaren. Är de verktyg som används inte anpassade efter organisationens situation, påverkas flödet av kommunikation och således om det är envägs- eller tvåvägskommunikation. Däremot inser användaren i samband med distansarbete befintliga verktygs fulla potential. Arbete på distans ställer i grunden inte mycket högre krav på medarbetarna utöver att de ska kunna arbeta självständigt och jobba minst lika effektivt, samt att personen även ska kunna ta ett större eget ansvar. Sätten och möjligheterna att kommunicera begränsas på distans, vilket innebär att samtliga kontinuerligt arbetar gemensamt för att upprätthålla en väl fungerande kommunikation. Chefen har definitivt ett högre ansvar att leda en grupp när den är splittrad, det är inte enbart en persons ansvar att upprätthålla en väl fungerande kommunikation. Förslag till framtida studier: Rekommendationen är att studera flertalet organisationer som inte omfattas av samma lagkrav och där personalstyrkan varit densamma sedan omställningen till distansarbete. På så sätt går det jämföra skillnaden mellan organisationer där alla haft en god kommunikation redan innan omställningen. Genom en kvalitativ studie finns möjlighet att täcka in större antal medarbetare för att få annat perspektiv på hur hela organisationen betraktar kommunikation och återkoppling i ett ledarskap på distans. / Purpose: The purpose is to study how the way to communicate between manager and employee is affected, where the majority of employees due to COVID-19 have had to adjust to the situation and telework. Method: The study is performed as a qualitative, cross-sectional designed single case study, at a financial company located in western Sweden. The questions for this study were answered through data analysis collected through personal, semi-structured interviews with supervisors and employees. Result: Human-oriented leadership tends to create better conditions for a well working communication in teleworking, compared to task-oriented leadership. The tools for working and communication are essential but also always available for the employee. If the tools in use are not adopted for the needs of the organization, the flow of the communication is affected and thus also the feedback. On the other hand the user during teleworking becomes more aware of the tools’ full potential. Teleworking basically doesn’t demand more of the employees other than being able to work independently and at least as efficiently, as well as taking more self responsibility. The ways and possibilities for communicating are limited while teleworking, which means that all involved continuously need to work mutually to obtain a well working communication. The manager definitely has a higher responsibility to manage a divided team but it’s not solely one person’s onus to obtain the communication. Suggestions for further studies: The recommendation is to study multiple organizations, which are not bound to the same legal requirements and where the staff has maintained the same since the conversion to teleworking. That way differences can be compared between organizations where a well functioning communication was established even before the conversion. Through a qualitative study there is a possibility to cover a greater number of employees with the objective of receiving a different perspective on how the entire organization considers communication and feedback during a telecommuting management.

Introduktion: Pandemin och dess konsekvenser innebar flera år av utmaningar på alla nivåer i samhället. Det var särskilt utmanande för ledare att styra sin organisation i rätt riktning då framtiden var oviss och förändringen var oundviklig. Ledarskap påverkas av flera faktorer, varav en avgörande faktor är kontexten. Tidigare forskning framhåller betydelsen av kontexten för att bestämma vilken ledarskapsstil som fungerar bäst. Coronapandemin skulle kunna anses utgöra en sådan kontext där ledare snabbt behövde anpassa sig för att möta de nya kraven. Coronapandemin medförde även utmaningar för ledare att hantera medarbetares välmående. Vår studies relevans bekräftas av tidigare forskning, vilka framhåller behovet av mer forskning för att förstå distansens påverkan på ledarskapet. Vidare blir vår studie särskilt relevant eftersom det är få studier gjorda i Sverige, vilket gör det intressant att undersöka landets unika strategi och dess effekter på ledarskapet i denna kontext. Tidigare forskning framhåller att betydelsen av att förstå effektivt ledarskap har ökat under coronapandemin, och att det är viktigt att ompröva och utveckla befintliga ledarskapsteorier med tanke på de kontinuerliga förändringarna i dagens samhälle.   Syfte: Vår studies syfte är att bidra till ökad förståelse för hur svenska ledare, till följd av införandet av restriktionen gällande att arbeta hemifrån, har anpassat sin ledarskapsstil i en extraordinär situation.   Teoretisk referensram: Den teoretiska referensramen bygger på tidigare studier och teorier om psykosocial arbetsmiljö samt ledarskapsstilarna: transaktionellt-, transformativt- och situationsanpassat ledarskap som vi anser är relevanta för vår studie. Vidare ges även en introduktion till området organisation och distansteorierna presenteras.   Metod: Vår studie genomförs med ett abduktivt angreppssätt och en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Ett målinriktat urval används för att finna respondenter som uppfyller förutbestämda kriterier. Data från sju respondenter samlas in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som sedan transkriberas. Avslutningsvis analyseras insamlad data med hjälp av en tematisk analys.   Slutsats: Coronapandemin verkar inte medfört att grunden i ledarnas ledarskap har förändrats i någon större utsträckning. Coronapandemin har dock ställt helt andra krav på ledarna under distansarbetet som i större utsträckning behövt ta hänsyn till medarbetarnas välmående och ta mer ansvar för de sociala delarna som medarbetarna har gått miste om till följd av distansarbetet. I motsats till tidigare forskning, fann vi att tilliten inte blev lidande till följd av distansarbetet. Resultatet indikerade även att respondenterna tidigare erfarenhet av att leda på distans och bättre digitala förutsättningar hade en påverkan på hur smidigt omställningen till att arbeta på distans har kunnat ske.

According to Oliver (2002) the success of turnaround maintenances is measured in terms of the cost of completion, time, safety performance and the performance of the plant afterwards. The Escravos gas plant (EGP) is a gas processing plant that converts associated gas from Chevron owned crude oil wells to liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and gas condensate (Chevron intranet. Website assessed on September 14, 2007). According to the EGP plant operations coordinator (See interview Appendix A), the plant undergoes a turnaround maintenance exercise once every two years. The major tasks done during these turnaround maintenances are 1. Change–out of three molecular sieve beds. 2. Servicing of three compressor turbines. 3. Servicing of expander turbo–machinery. 4. Clean–out of fired gas heater tubes and burners. 5. Tie–ins for major upgrades. The EGP management does not involve the contractor personnel that carry out the tasks in the management of the turnaround maintenance. The contractor’s personnel simply follow the work plans and instructions developed by the EGP management. The EGP turnaround management team consists of the coordinator who is the head of the turnaround maintenance team, shift supervisors, maintenance supervisors (rotating equipment maintenance supervisor, instrumentation and electrical maintenance supervisor, and static equipment maintenance supervisors), safety supervisors, maintenance planners, process engineers and construction supervisors. All these listed personnel in the preceding paragraph and the supervisors of the contractor teams participate in the pre–turnaround meetings which happen once a month for the first 10 months of the 12 months leading to the turnaround. The meeting frequency increases to once every two weeks during the last two months leading to the turnaround maintenance. The meeting is held daily during the turnaround maintenance and once every two weeks for the first month after the turnaround maintenance. During the preceding months to the turnaround maintenance, the work scope is defined, the job sequence outlined and schedules are developed. Resources requirements are detailed and procured. During the turnaround maintenance the focus of the turnaround meeting is to discuss potential deviations, observe at–risk behaviors and likely challenges. Plans are then made to address these deviations, challenges and at–risk behaviors. After the turnaround maintenance, “lessons learnt” are captured and the turnaround maintenance is closed out. According to the EGP coordinator (see interview in appendix A), the success of its turnaround maintenance is measured by the time used to complete the turnaround maintenance, the total recordable incident rate during the turnaround maintenance, the days away from work, the lost time injury(LTI) and the cost incurred. Poling et al noted that it is difficult to rate turnaround maintenance projects because no two turnaround maintenances strategies are exactly the same. They iterated that the most common tactics used is benchmarking and that benchmarking enables a company to measure and compare its performance against peer companies in a constructive and confidential manner. They pointed out that the quantitative differences computed between a plant and other similar plants using detailed data taxonomy can provide invaluable information regarding improvement opportunities. This is a way of effectively extending a “lessons learned” exercise across multiple companies. According to then however a critical attribute of effective reliability and maintenance benchmarking is the ability to compare disparate assets; but even small differences for similar plants can alter the value of the comparison. Existing literature indicate that the parameters the gas plant management use to rate the safety of its turnaround maintenance (i.e. the total recordable incident rate, the days away from work and the lost time injury)are reactive in nature. They are otherwise called lagging indicators. Lagging indicators are safety performance metrics that are recorded after the accident or incidents has occurred. For example lost time injury is any work related injury or illness which prevents that person from doing any work day after accident (E&P Consultancy Associates. Website assessed on June 15, 2009). In contrast the other group of metrics called pro–active metrics or leading indicators such as at–risk behaviors, near misses and preventive maintenance not completed are parameters that measure safety performance before accident occurs. Leading indicators gained popularity in the 1930’s after Heinrich postulate his iceberg theory (Wright, 2004). Heinrich’s used the iceberg analogy to explain reactive (lagging) and proactive (leading) indicators. Heinrich likened accident and at–risk behaviors to two parts of an Iceberg; the part you see above water and the part hidden under the water. The size of the iceberg above water is relatively small compared to that under water. The iceberg starts to grow under the water and only after they reach a certain size does part of the ice begin to appear above water. Heinrich believed that accidents are the result of root causes such as at–risk behaviors, inconsistencies, wrong policies, lack of training and lack of information. When the number of accidents that occur in an endeavor is measured you get relatively smaller numerical quantities when compared to the number of at–risk behaviors. Heinrich suggested that to eliminate accidents that occur infrequently, organizations must make effort to eliminate the root causes which occur very frequently. This makes sense because imagine a member of personnel coming to work intoxicated every day. Binging intoxicated at work is an at–risk behavior. The employee is very likely to be involved in an accident at some time as a result of his drinking habit. The number of times he is intoxicated if counted will be huge when compared to the impact of the accident when it does occur. The iceberg theory is supported by work from Bird (1980) and Ludwig (1980) who both attempted to establish the correct ratio of accidents to root causes in different industries. Heinrich suggested a ratio of three hundred incidents to twenty nine minor injuries to one major injury. This researcher chose to use the number of at–risk behavior exhibited by the turnaround maintenance teams to rate the safety performance of tasks despite criticism from individuals like Robotham (2004) who said that from his experience minor incidents do not have the potential to become major accidents and Wright et al (2004). Leading indicators are convenient to analysis because of their relative large quantity. In a turnaround environment, the numbers of accidents that occur are relatively few unlike the number of near misses (Bird, 1980). It is easy to statistically analyze thirty at–risk behaviors than four accidents. In addition Fleming et al (2001) noted that data from industry show much success by companies in the reduction of accidents by efforts at reducing the number of at–risk behaviors, increase the number of safety audits, and reduce the number of closed items from audits etc. Phimister et al made similar claims when they said Near miss programs improve corporate environmental, health and safety performance through the identification of near misses. Existing literature also reveals many theories about management styles and their possible impact on performance. The theories are grouped into trait theories, situational theories and behavioral theories. The trait theories tries to explain management styles by traits of the managers like initiative, wisdom, compassion and ambitious. Situational theories suggest that there is no best management style and managers will need to determine which management style best suit the situation. Behavioral theories explain management success by what successful managers do. Behavioral theorists identify autocratic, benevolent, consultative and participatory management styles. Vroom and Yetton (1973) identified variables that will determine the best management style for any given situation. The variables are; 1. Nature of the problem. Is it simple, hard, complex or clear? 2. Requirements for accuracy. What is the consequence of mistakes? 3. Acceptance of an initiative. Do you want people to use their initiative or not? 4. Time–constraints. How much time do we have to finish the task? 5. Cost constraints. Do we have enough or excess to achieve the objective? A decision model was developed by Vroom and Yago (1988)to help managers determine the best management style for different situations based on the variables listed above (See figure six). They also defined five management style could adopt, namely the; 1. Autocratic I style 2. Autocratic II style. 3. Consultative I style 4. Consultative II style 5. Group II style The autocratic I management style is a management style where the leader solves the problem alone using information that is readily available to him/her, is the normal management style of the Escravos gas plant management in all turnarounds prior to 2009. However the Vroom and Yago model recommends the Consultative II management style for the type of work done during the Escravos gas plant turnaround maintenance. According to Coye et al (1995), participatory management or consultative style II creates a sense of ownership in organization. In this management style the leader shares problem with group members individually, and asks for information and evaluation. Group members do not meet collectively, and leader makes decision alone (Vroom and Yago, 1988). Coye et al believe that this management styles instills a sense of pride and motivate employees to increase productivity. In addition they stated that employees who participate in the decisions of the organization feel like they are a part of a team with a common goal, and find their sense of self–esteem and creative fulfillment heightened. According to Filley et al (1961), Spector and Suttle did not find any significant difference in the output of employees under autocratic and participatory management style. This research studies if and how the Escravos gas plant turnaround maintenance can be improved by changing the management style from autocratic I style to consultative II style. Two tasks in the turnaround were studied; namely the change out of the molecular sieve catalyst beds and the servicing of the turbine engines. The turnaround contractor Techint Nigeria Limited divides the work group into teams responsible for specific tasks. Six teams (team A, B, C, D, E and F) were studied. EGP management will not allow the researcher to study more than these six teams for fear of the research disrupting the work. The tasks completed by these teams are amongst those not on the projects critical path so delays caused by the research will not impact the entire turnaround project provided the float on these activities were not exceeded. They also had the fewest number of personnel, so cost impact of the research work could be easier to manager. Teams A, B and C are different maintenance teams comprising of eight personnel each. They were responsible for changing the EGP molecular sieve beds A, B and C respectively in the 2007 and 2009 turnaround. Their tasks are identical because the molecular sieve beds are identical. Teams E, D and F are also maintenance teams comprising of six personnel each. They were responsible for servicing the EGP turbine engines A, B and C during the 2007 and 2009 turnaround maintenance. Their tasks are also identical because the turbine engines are identical. Consultative management style II is exercised by involving team A and team D in the development of the procedures, processes and job safety analysis of all tasks that they were assigned to complete during the 2009 turnaround maintenance. They were also permitted to participate in the turnaround maintenance meetings and to make contributions in the meetings. In the 2007 turnaround maintenance team A and team D only carried out their tasks. They did not participate in the development of procedures and job safety analysis neither did they participate in the turnaround maintenance meetings. The other four teams; team B, team C, team E and team F are used as experimental controls for the research. They did not participate in the development of the procedures, processes nor the job safety analysis for the tasks in either of the turnaround maintenance. They were also not permitted to attend the daily turnaround meetings. They only completed their tasks based on instructions given to them during the 2007 and 2009 turnaround maintenance. It was necessary to study the experimental control teams as the researcher was not sure whether task repetition, increased knowledge or improved team cohesion would lead to a reduced time or a reduced numbers of at–risk behavior. ix The research tested the hypothesis 1H0 and 1H1 and 2H0and 2H1 at the 0.025 and 0.05 level of significance as follows; Null hypothesis, 1H0: There is no significant difference in the time spent by team A and team Din 2007 when they did not participate in the development of the procedures and processes with the time in 2009 when they did(u1-u2=0). Alternate hypothesis, 1H1: There is a significant difference in the time spent by the team A and Din 2007 when they did not participate in the development of the procedures and processes with the time in 2009 when they did (u1-u2!=0). Null hypothesis, 2H0: There is no significant difference in the number of at–risk behaviors observed to have been exhibited by the team A and team D in 2007 when they did not participate in the development of the procedures and processes with the number in 2009 when they did (u1-u2=0). Alternate hypothesis, 2H1: There is a significant difference in the number of at–risk behaviors observed to have been exhibited by the team A and team D in 2007 when they did not participate in the development of the procedures and processes with the number in 2009 when they did (u1-u2!=0). The student t test was used to analyze these times and number of at–risk behavior. At the 0.025 and the 0.05 level of significance, the data show that there is no difference in the times all the teams used to complete their task in 2007 and in 2009. The researcher concludes that a change in the management style from autocratic I style to consultative II style did not lead to a reduction in the time used by any team to complete their task. However at the 0.025 and the 0.05 level of significance, there is a significant difference in the number of at–risk behaviors of the research team A and team D. There is however no significant difference in the number of at–risk behavior of the control team B, team C, team E and team F at the same level of significance. The researcher concludes that a change in the management style from autocratic I style to consultative II style lead to a reduction in the number of at–risk behavior of team A and team D. In addition the reduction in the number of at–risk behavior of team A and team D could not have been because of task repetition, increased knowledge or improved team cohesion since there is no significant difference in the number of at–risk behavior exhibited by team B, team C, team E and team F. The research can be used by the Escravos gas plant management and the management of any similar process plant to fashion out more cost effective, time effective and safer methods for carrying out their turnaround maintenance. A change in management styles may just be a better approach to improving productivity than giving financial incentives to contractors and personnel. Changes in management style will have to be managed. The change must be gradual because sudden change can be detrimental as people may just need to understand and adapt to the change. The turnaround personnel must also understand the intent so as to prevent conflicts. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.