Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In today's fast and highly competitive business environment, every manager is placed under increasing pressure. Managers are being confronted on a daily basis with situations where their management skills are tested to the utmost and critical decisions need to be made. These decisions are not always to everybody else's approval. In order to conquer these trying situations, it is necessary for every manager to equip himself by strategically planning how he is going to handle these situations. This study aims to present these critical managerial areas in a practical functioning model. From this model, certain levels indicating the different aspects having an influence on managerial performance, as well as their build-up, are discussed. In the various levels of the model, the possible tools enabling the manager to prepare himself, is presented through questionnaires, processes and models of self examination. Hereby every manager can preventatively plan and prepare himself to avoid personal stress and underperformance. The processes will support optimal managerial performance. The awareness of the different areas, as well as the use and application of the models, will enable every manager to identify areas of weakness in his personal performance. The importance of every area, as well as possible aspects to be kept in mind, is discussed in this study. As one can1 truly separate work and personal life, the tools proposed in this study will also greatly benefit personal development in every facet of life. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die hedendaagse snelveranderende en hoogs kompeterende bestuursomgewing word al hoe meer eise aan bestuurders gestel. Hulle word daagliks gekonfronteer met verskeie toetse en situasies, waartydens die mondering van bestuurders tot die uiterste getoets word en moeilike besluite geneem moet word. Hierdie besluite dra dan ook nie altyd almal se goedkeuring nie. Ten einde hierdie eise baas te raak, is dit nodig dat bestuurders hulleself moet toerus deur strategies hiervoor voor te berei. Hierdie studie het dus die doelwit om hierdie toerustingsareas in 'n praktiese funksionele model saam te stel. Vanuit hierdie model word die verskillende vlakke van toerusting, sowel as die opeenvolging daarvan bespreek. In die verskillende vlakke van die model word die moontlike toerusting wat elke bestuurder self kan volg uitgewys in die vorm van vraelyste, prosesse en stappe van selfondersoek. Hieruit kan elke bestuurder voorkomend strategiese beplanning en voorbereiding aanpak, sodat moontlike persoonlike spanning en wanprestasie verhoed kan word. Die prosesse sal bestuursprestasie tot die maksimum ondersteun. Die bewusmaking van die verskillende areas, asook die gebruik en die toepassing van die modelle, sal elke bestuurder in staat stel om leemtes in persoonlike prestasie te identifiseer. Die belangrikheid van elke area sowel as moontlike aspekte wat in elke vlak in gedagte gehou moet word, word Iydens die studie bespreek. Aangesien dit bykans onmoontlik is om 'n mens se beroepslewe en persoonlike lewe te skei, sal die hulpmiddels wat die dokument voorstel ook tot groot voordeel wees van persoonlike ontwikkeling in elke faset van die lewe.

The present study addresses the perceived gap in literature on contribution of managerial demographics to the innovation performance of manufacturing firms of 12 European countries so as to highlight the distinctive role of managers in a broader context. The managerial demographics is conceptualised as the managerial knowledge(education and experience), gender role (number of female managers), leadership role (top manager's years of experience) and, management ratio. The effect of managerial demographics is examined on two dimensions of innovation performance: first, the propensity of firms to perform innovation and, second, the innovation intensity of firms. We report that the role of female managers in innovation is more significant, than that otherwise emphasised in innovation literature, as evident in case of countries under study. And, the number of female managers have a positive impact on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Moreover, the results show that managerial experience also have a non-linear effect on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed in-detail.

The use of coaching is fairly up to date in the business world although it’s relatively new. Despite this, there’s a lack of clarity about what coaching is and what it signifies. Our point is however not to define coaching. Based on the normative coaching literature, the purpose is, from a critical discourse analysis to explore the power relations that affect the coach and coached in their relation to each other, so as to be able to criticize managerial coaching relationship as presented in the literature. This will contribute to enabling for a more open discourse. The theoretical image of managerial coaching described by the literature as a democratic exercised leadership by a certain type of behavior and attitudes, will lead to improved organizational performance. For this to be possible, the relationship between coach/manager and coached/co-workers need to be characterized by safety, trust and equality. This is considered to be complex, given the power and dependency relationship prevailed between manager and employee. The empirical data on which the analysis is partly based on, have been collected through semi-structured interviews with a group within the National Insurance Office in Karlskoga, consisting of managers and employees where a coaching leadership is applied. Coaching relationship has been explored with the aid of Faircloughs analytical model and therefore conclusions could be obtained, which is that the coaching relationship is characterized by a variety of power conditions affecting coach and coached in their relation to each other. Among other things, it has emerged that the coach is governing the coached thoughts and thus indirectly also the coached acting. Managerial coaching is therefore considered according to us not to be a democratic exercised leadership but may instead implying to be more controlling in comparison with the “traditional” leadership.

In Canada, new parents have access to maternity and parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Parental leave, which follows maternity leave, entitles new parents to 35 weeks of leave. Although both parents have access to parental leave, only a small percentage of fathers utilize it, despite the benefits for both fathers and their children. This gendered usage perpetuates the belief that family responsibilities are mothers’ responsibilities. This multi-level research study explored the organizational, manager, and employee characteristics that influence support for and use of parental leave by male employees. In 2012, seven large, Manitoba employers were recruited for participation and the sample included 550 male employees and 354 female and male managers. Data were collected using a structured interview at the organizational level and two self-administered questionnaires for managers and male employees. The hypotheses were tested using OLS regression and hierarchical logistic regression. Results indicated strong managerial support for parental leave use by men, although female managers were significantly more supportive than male managers. The strongest influence on support for parental leave use for both employees and managers was the personal use of parental leave. Male employees who perceived organizational family support and the view that men could take leave without negative career impact reported higher levels of perceived supervisory family support. Twenty-five percent of the sample had used parental leave, but those who had access to an Employment Insurance top up from their employer reported the highest leave use and the longest leave duration. Parental leave was extended from 10 to 35 weeks in 2000; the results indicate that fathers who had access to 10 weeks of parental leave were 80 percent less likely to report leave use, compared to those with access to 35 weeks of leave. Therefore, to increase fathers’ use of parental leave, organizations are encouraged to increase awareness and explicit support for parental leave, as well as offer a top up. To increase fathers’ leave use, future parental leave policy development should focus on both increasing wage replacement and the addition of a non-transferable leave for fathers, similar to that offered in Quebec.

The present study addresses the perceived gap in literature on contribution of managerial demographics to the innovation performance of manufacturing firms of 12 European countries so as to highlight the distinctive role of managers in a broader context. The managerial demographics is conceptualised as the managerial knowledge(education and experience), gender role (number of female managers), leadership role (top manager's years of experience) and, management ratio. The effect of managerial demographics is examined on two dimensions of innovation performance: first, the propensity of firms to perform innovation and, second, the innovation intensity of firms. We report that the role of female managers in innovation is more significant, than that otherwise emphasised in innovation literature, as evident in case of countries under study. And, the number of female managers have a positive impact on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Moreover, the results show that managerial experience also have a non-linear effect on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed in-detail.

During the last two decades, managerial coaching has become increasingly popular in organizations. Despite its popularity, there is a paucity of empirical evidence in the study of managerial coaching outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceived managerial coaching behavior and employee self-reported affective and performance-related outcomes based on perceptions of selected organization employees. Three theories, path-goal leadership, career motivation, and organization support, were used to frame the hypothesized conceptual model of managerial coaching outcomes for the current study. The systematic review of relevant literature identified satisfaction with work, role ambiguity, satisfaction with manager, career commitment, job performance, and organization commitment for the potential outcomes of managerial coaching. A 36-item survey including seven existing instruments was utilized to collect data. An estimation of the readability level for the survey was Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level 7.1. The survey was sent electronically to all employees in the selected government organization. The sample included 431 respondents representing a population of 1,399 employees. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, Cronbach‘s alpha estimates for reliability, correlation analysis, two-step modeling techniques for structural equation modeling, and Sobel tests were the analysis methods used in the study. The results of the analyses indicated that the hypothesized conceptual model was adequately supported by the empirical data of the study sample (χ2/df = 3.53; CFI = .91; IFI = .91; RMSEA = .08). The further investigations suggested that managerial coaching had a direct impact on employee satisfaction with work and role clarity and an indirect impact on satisfaction with work, career commitment, job performance, and organization commitment. Role clarity, as a direct outcome of managerial coaching, influenced job performance—such mediation was consistent with the hypothesized model for the study. The hypothesized model had clear and comprehensive illustrations of how managerial coaching affects work and organization-related variables, satisfaction with work, role clarity, career commitment, job performance, and organization commitment. This study provides empirical support to the proposed benefits of managerial coaching in organizations, and enhances the selected theories by offering additional empirical support to them.

Using panel data analysis, this paper considers the impact of governance provisions on firm’sR&D investment decisions. The current paper also contributes to the literature on corporategovernance and innovation by introducing an interaction dimension which captures theinfluence that internationalization of U.S. firms may have on R&D investment decisions. Basedon a sample of 627 U.S. firms for the years 2008-2016 this paper’s results suggest thatgovernance provisions do not nurture or impede R&D investments, and therefore the resultscasts doubt on the existence of a relationship between governance provisions and R&Dintensity. The current paper’s findings also suggest that proposed effects of internationalizationdo not modify the relationship between entrenchment and R&D for U.S. firms.

Manufacturing is one of the important sectors needed to improve the economies of Namibia and South Africa. However, the manufacturing sectors of both countries are not performing as planned. Management accounting is one of the requirements needed for a successful organisation. With the aim of reducing costs, improving decision making, profits and customer satisfaction, the main role of management accounting in manufacturing companies of Namibia and the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is to control cost, forecast and budget, make decisions, report internally, improve profits and manage working capital. This study used an online survey to examine the factors that affect the effectiveness of management accounting in executing this role. The findings of the study revealed that management accounting is affected by the external environment, developments in technology and customer satisfaction. It also found that organisational structure, relationships with stakeholders and management accounting reporting were internal factors affecting management accounting. Specific skills like numerical and analytical skills were also identified as important to the role of management accounting. Based on contingency and role theories, this research aims to find those factors which can be controlled to improve the effectiveness of management accounting systems in manufacturing organisations, and as a result improve the success of those organisations on which these systems are contingent.

Work design and content is changing. Accompanying this change has been an increasing demand by workers for policy makers to factor the issue of managing workers’ work and life. Work–life balance as a concept has attracted attention for several years as a result of individuals attempting to juggle multiple demands from both work and outside the workplace. The number of multiple demands on individuals usually vary from one person to the other and can increase or decrease at different stages of the person’s life. Essentially, this study reviewed work–life balance literature as espoused from the UK and US schools of thought. The purpose of this research is to explore the extent to which work–life balance policies and practices are a reality for employees and managers in the Nigerian banking sector; to investigate the adoption and use of policies/practices in Nigerian banks and finally to examine the barriers to and reasons for their muted adoption and utilisation of work–life balance policies and practices in Nigerian banks. This research is exploratory in nature and it adopted a mixed-method research technique which allowed for in-depth information from the respondents. The methodological approach used in this study is a qualitative dominant mixed method. A mixed-method approach was used in this study following the traditions of McCarthy, Darcy and Grady (2010); Kalliath and Brough (2008); Halford, (2006) and Beauregard and Henry (2009) to ensure the validity and reliability of the study and also to offer different insights in order to make the final result of the research more robust. A questionnaire and semi structured interview technique was utilised. The study was based on 20 of the 24 banks in the Nigerian banking sector. The total sample size was three hundred and sixty nine (369), of which two hundred and fifteen (215) questionnaires were completed and one hundred and thirty four (134) semi-structured interviews conducted for the bankers while (20) semi structured interviews were conducted for the trade union officials. In order to ensure that the cross-section of relevant respondents was as representative as possible, interviewees were divided into three categories: employees, managers and trade union officials. SPSS was used to analysis the quantitative data, while qualitative data was analysed using NVivo software through the coding of the large quantity of data collected. The themes that emerged from the analysis were used to discuss the research issues in the light of prior research findings from various empirical researches. The quantitative contribution of the study revealed that age was not significant to the bankers as regards issues relating to work life balance. The qualitative findings on the other hand revealed that there is diversity in terms of how both managerial and non-managerial employees understood and experienced WLB initiatives in the Nigerian banking sector. In addition, the study showed that cultural sensitivity affects how WLB is appreciated and utilised. The research also contributes to the spill-over theory by adding age, gender, implementation and benefits of work–life balance. This research has contributed to the body of knowledge on work–life balance issues in the Nigerian banking industry. This study also contributes to the existing literature on connotations of work–life balance by utilising a mixed method approach to explore and explain the different notions of work–life balance and usage of work–life balance initiatives.

The present study addresses the perceived gap in literature on contribution of managerial demographics to the innovation performance of manufacturing firms of 12 European countries so as to highlight the distinctive role of managers in a broader context. The managerial demographics is conceptualised as the managerial knowledge(education and experience), gender role (number of female managers), leadership role (top manager's years of experience) and, management ratio. The effect of managerial demographics is examined on two dimensions of innovation performance: first, the propensity of firms to perform innovation and, second, the innovation intensity of firms. We report that the role of female managers in innovation is more significant, than that otherwise emphasised in innovation literature, as evident in case of countries under study. And, the number of female managers have a positive impact on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Moreover, the results show that managerial experience also have a non-linear effect on the innovation performance of manufacturing firms. Finally, the implications of the findings are discussed in-detail.