Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review as well as Coaching and training are crucial elements of the performance management process included in a set of managerial competencies required by managers in a deep level gold mine in South Africa. This dissertation provides a contemporary review of performance management and gold mining in a South African deep level gold mine context. It provides a theoretical framework for the processes of Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review and Coaching and training as integral parts of effective performance management. It investigates if shared meaning exists between the views of the organisation’s managers and the views of the organisation as set apart in a System for People handbook to be used by managers in the organisation. Managerial competencies are discussed and compared with literature found. Following this, the responses from the participants are discussed. The responses are compared with literature reviews done and the view of the organisation. Performance management challenges that face the organisation in the future are investigated and proposals are made to the organisation management team and future research proposals are suggested, before concluding. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review as well as Coaching and training are crucial elements of the performance management process included in a set of managerial competencies required by managers in a deep level gold mine in South Africa. This dissertation provides a contemporary review of performance management and gold mining in a South African deep level gold mine context. It provides a theoretical framework for the processes of Performance Effectiveness Appraisal, Performance Effectiveness Review and Coaching and training as integral parts of effective performance management. It investigates if shared meaning exists between the views of the organisation’s managers and the views of the organisation as set apart in a System for People handbook to be used by managers in the organisation. Managerial competencies are discussed and compared with literature found. Following this, the responses from the participants are discussed. The responses are compared with literature reviews done and the view of the organisation. Performance management challenges that face the organisation in the future are investigated and proposals are made to the organisation management team and future research proposals are suggested, before concluding. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

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The purpose of this thesis is to explore how managers' practices are transforming in the digital era. This is done by looking at how digitalization is changing managerial practices as experienced by managers. The data was collected by conducting five semi-structured online interviews and three structured email interviews with managers working at Ericsson's headquarter office in Stockholm. The collected data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach which resulted in five themes: work and communication in the digital environment, training and learning, information and data, other effects of digitalization, and additional findings. This study concludes that notable changes in managerial practices can be observed in all four categories of practices: task-oriented, relations-oriented, change-oriented, and external practices. This shows that digitalization is a process that transforms managerial practices and it does it both by aiding managers in their tasks and by making some tasks more difficult. Thus, managers need to be more aware and able to adapt to these changes that digitalization brings to their practices.

Date: 1st of June, 2022 Level: Master thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Orkhan Aslanov (1998/01/12) Muhammad Faisal Bin Zainal Fitri (1995/09/26) Title: Hidden costs in the managerial practices of remote working and digital transformation in Ericsson Supervisor: Edward Gillmore Keywords: Digital transformation, Remote working, Competences, Managerial practices, Pandemic Research question: What are the hidden costs in the implementation of digital tools for remote working and what kind of competences have managers developed to overcome challenges? Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to expand the horizons of what is currently understood within remote working regarding managerial practices in organizations by analyzing the emerging hidden costs of digital implementation for remote working in a Nordic-based organization as well to contribute to the limited existing research within this area. Method: The study follows qualitative analysis and the data was collected by conducting seven semi-structured online interviews with managers working at Ericsson's headquarters office in Stockholm. The thematic analysis approach is used which resulted in five themes: digital transformation, remote working, implications, competence development, and managerial practices. Conclusion: This study concludes with managers’ perspectives that Ericsson has successfully undertaken the digital transformation and remote working during the pandemic. Identifying hidden costs of the process helped the company to adapt its competence development and managerial practices.

It has become the norm for organisations in many industrial sectors to constantly operate in dynamic, uncertain and challenging business environments. Technology, regulations, global economy, changing political actions and international conditions are all changing rapidly, creating dynamic business conditions for organisations to understand, react to and thus survive. The Oil and Gas (O&G) sector which is the backbone of the economic growth for many countries in the Middle East region is not an exception to the real world of business filled with uncertainties. The construction of meaning or sensemaking is a prerequisite management skill for complex problem solving and decision-making for survival in today’s increasingly dynamic business environments. Current literature on sensemaking tends to focus on senior management’s role in the process, overlooking the critical role middle management teams play in the construction of meaning. Further, although sensemaking literature illustrates the influence of sensegiving and sensebreaking on sensemaking, there is limited empirical research in existing literature on how middle management teams apply sensegiving and sensebreaking to influence the process. Finally, this research fills a gap in sensemaking research in developing countries to decolonise Western-based research and ensure that local culture and ideologies are taken into account. In particular, it provides important data for the O&G sector in Bahrain, which is important for the Middle East region. Therefore, this research investigates how middle management teams use sensemaking to understand complex problems and how they apply sensegiving and sensebreaking to influence the sensemaking process in Bahrain’s O&G sector. The data was gathered using a qualitative approach using in-depth semi-structured interviews, middle management team meeting observations and operational documents review. The findings include seven themes and 26 sub-themes are visualised in a four-step sensemaking process framework. This framework also illustrates the sensemaking triggers and properties, as well as the influences and sources of information middle management teams adopt to construct meaning in dynamic O&G environments. Further, the four-step sensemaking process framework incorporates the different sensegiving and sensebreaking techniques embraced. This research extends the existing sensemaking literature by providing a descriptive empirical framework to better understand middle management team sensemaking, sensegiving and sensebreaking in dynamic O&G environments. This four-step sensemaking process framework gives middle management teams a way to organise information related to events in an objective manner, enabling them to develop effective reactions to a fast-changing environment. The framework also offers human resource practitioners a platform to assess and develop middle management sensemaking skills.

Background: The rapid digitalization of business operations has transformed the decision-making process, with companies increasingly relying on Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM) to navigate complex business environments. However, the utilization of DDDM is not without challenges, as organizations face obstacles such as data integration issues and a lack of technical skills among managers. This study explores the integration of DDDM into organizational strategies, focusing on the experience of managers as they navigate the transition toward data-driven approaches. Problem: While the benefits of DDDM, such as enhanced operational efficiency and competitive advantage are well-documented, there is a notable gap in understanding how managers' practices and the decision-making process are integrated. Research Purpose: The purpose of the research is to examine how DDDM influences managerial practices in the decision-making process and identify the key challenges and opportunities. By examining experiences, the study aims to uncover insights that can guide organizations in refining their decision-making process and fostering data-driven approaches. Research Question: How does DDDM influence managerial practices and the decision-making process within an organization? Method: This study employs a qualitative research methodology, utilizing semi-structured interviews to gather insights from managers across various industries. It adopts a relativistic ontological stance and epistemological constructionism through a multiple case study to examine managerial practices when utilizing DDDM. Conclusion: The findings show that DDDM can significantly impact organizational efficiency, productivity, and strategic planning. However, successful DDDM requires a balance between data-driven insights and intuitive decision-making. While data can inform decisions, managers must also rely on intuition and experience, especially in complex scenarios with incomplete data.

Recent organisational changes have refocused attention on the productivity and performance of sales representatives and consequently brought about a re-evaluation of the QWL these employees experience, as well as their trust in the organisation to support them. Responses to an internet-based survey methodology were analysed using quantitative techniques and structural equation modelling. Results confirm a positive relationship between Managerial Practices and Organisational Trust, and a lower relationship between the dimensions of Personality and Organisational Trust. A positive relationship was noted between QWL and Managerial Practices, and a lower relationship between QWL and the Personality constructs. This study accentuates the importance of management to be aware of the trust employees have in the organisation as well as their experience of QWL, as it seems as though the Personality traits and Managerial Practices of managers influences both the trust relationship and QWL experienced by employees. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Recent organisational changes have refocused attention on the productivity and performance of sales representatives and consequently brought about a re-evaluation of the QWL these employees experience, as well as their trust in the organisation to support them. Responses to an internet-based survey methodology were analysed using quantitative techniques and structural equation modelling. Results confirm a positive relationship between Managerial Practices and Organisational Trust, and a lower relationship between the dimensions of Personality and Organisational Trust. A positive relationship was noted between QWL and Managerial Practices, and a lower relationship between QWL and the Personality constructs. This study accentuates the importance of management to be aware of the trust employees have in the organisation as well as their experience of QWL, as it seems as though the Personality traits and Managerial Practices of managers influences both the trust relationship and QWL experienced by employees. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The aim of this study was to unify a South African model of organisational trust with the globally accepted Integrative model of organisational trust on a theoretical and empirical level. The antecedents of trust in direct supervisors represented by five personality dimensions and four managerial practices were used to extract the facets of trustworthiness of ability, benevolence and integrity to create a unified trust model. Based on literature, a methodology was developed to re-assign the various dimensions on an item level into three new scales representing the antecedents of trust. Data gathered between 1995 and 2013 in South African organisations by means of the Trust Relationship Audit was used and subject matter experts reassigned the items into the three antecedents of trust. Structural equation modelling was employed to replicate the Martins (2000) model and to test the measurement and structural regression models, arriving at a five-factor model. A unified model of trust in supervisors was fitted to the data and validated. This unified model emphasises the importance of the affective component as an antecedent of trust towards supervisors in organisations in an African context. Managerial concern, based on benevolent managerial practices and communication, was found to have the biggest impact on trust. Integrity as a personality trait was the only other component that had a positive impact on trust. Contrary to most studies, ability had a minimal or negative impact on interpersonal trust in direct superiors, but is a prerequisite for high integrity and benevolence as facets of trustworthiness. Managerial ability and, to a lesser degree, a benevolent personality are necessary but not sufficient for trust to develop. Being very agreeable and competent is not sufficient to be perceived as trustworthy; managers or supervisors also need to exhibit high levels of concern and integrity. In this study the author responds to the calls in the literature that a common terminology be used in trust research. The multitude of measures causes a situation where studies and concepts cannot be compared and therefore no basis exists upon which to build trust research. Future researchers can now with confidence apply the South African model of organisational trust within the context of a globally accepted model. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)