Ethics is more than an abstract body of theories, principles and ideas. It is a way of thinking through difficult situations before deciding how to act (Manning & Stroud, 2008). This study takes this conception of ethics into the realm of the business decision and business schools’ responsibility to ensure that their MBA graduates are empowered and comfortable to reason and act ethically in the difficult business situations they will face and decisions they will be expected to take in their career. / Business Management / D. B. L.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Some digitised pages may appear cut off due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world of 'business learning' is changing dramatically and business sc'iools therefore need to respond differently to the demands of the market place, not only to survive, but to grow as well. To achieve this objective, feedback from students with regards to a course and lecturer form a part of the effective management and delivery of educational instruction, as evaluation of performance provides an important instrument in clarifying goals and standards and enhancing future performance. The focus of this study is, therefore, to determine firstly differences in the perceptions of students with regards to the teaching of Industrial and Social Relations within the MBA programme at the USB. The relevance of the research is that differences between students following the four programmes, namely full-time, part-time, modular English and modular Afrikaans, may affect their commitment to the subject, which in turn may affect the quality of the programme. Secondly, it is also necessary to compare the lecturer's objectives pertaining to his particular approach and course content, to the perceptions of the students and to establish the degree of congruence between these. To test the consistency of the evaluation process, a brief comparison of the four MBA classes of 2000 as a whole is made with the first class of 2001 completed at the time of writing. The sample groups were comprised of students who had completed the course evaluation questionnaire. This was voluntary in nature. The data collected was interpreted in terms of the Wilcoxan Rank Sum Test within a framework of fifty-six hypotheses. The hypotheses were formulated from theories relating to the course and students. There are however, a number of limitations contained in this study. The pertinent ones are that the course evaluation questionnaire used is the same for every course within the MBA programme. No distinction is made between the different subjects. The validity of the instrument may, therefore, be impaired and the results not entirely conclusive of students' views. The questionnaires were also completed unaided and it is possible that students did not interpret the questions correctly. This notwithstanding, the research within the parameters of this study points to some minor differences between the students of the four MBA programmes. More importantly, however, it identifies a very strong degree of congruence between the students' perceptions and the lecturer's objectives in the teaching of Industrial and Social Relations. These results have given the lecturer, apart from some general 'pointers' on how to improve the course, the assurance to continue with his present approach to the 'teaching' of Industrial and Social Relations within the MBA programme at the USB. This study should be seen merely as a preliminary trial, and all constraints notwithstanding, it should serve as a starting point for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wêreld van sakeonderrig verander dramaties en daarom is dit noodsaaklik dat bestuurskole anders begin optree teenoor die vereistes van die markplek, nie net om te oorleef nie, maar ook om te groei. Daarom is die terugvoering van studente met betrekking tot In program en die dosent In deel van die effektiewe bestuur en aanbieding van opvoedkundige opleiding. Die evalueringsproses is dus In belangrike instrument om doelstellings en standaarde te bepaal, en om toekomstige optrede te verbeter. Eerstens fokus die studie daarop om verskille in die persepsies van studente te bepaal ten opsigte van die opleiding van Arbeidsbetrekkinge en Sosiale Verhoudinge in die MBA-program van die USB. Die belangrikheid van dié navorsing is dat die verskillende studente van die vier MBA-programme, naamlik Voltyds, Deeltyds, Modulêr (Engels) en Modulêr (tweetalig), en hul toewyding tot die MBA-program daartoe aanleiding kan gee dat die kwaliteit van die program beïnvloed word. Tweedens is dit ook van belang om In vergelyking te tref tussen die doelwitte met betrekking tot die dosent se benadering en die programinhoud teenoor die persepsies van die studente, om In graad van analogie tussen dié twee te bevestig. Om die betroubaarheid van die evalueringsproses te bevestig, is In kort vergelyking getref tussen die MBA-klasse van 2000 in sy geheel, met dié van die eerste voltooide MBA-klas van 2001. Die vier groepe is saamgestel deur studente wie vrywillig die programevalueringsvraestel beantwoord het. Die inligting wat ingewin is, is volgens die Wilcoxan Rank Sum Test in In raamwerk van 56 hipoteses geïnterpreteer. Die hipotese is geformuleer uit teorieë wat op die program en die studente betrekking het. Daar is egter 'n aantal beperkings in die studie. Die belangrikste is die evalueringsvraestel, wat dieselfde is vir elke kursus wat in die MBA-program aangebied word. Geen onderskeiding is gemaak tussen die verskillende kursusse nie, en daarom is dit moontlik dat die validiteit van die instrument nie optimaal is en die resultate nie 'n korrekte aanduiding van studente se persepsies is nie. Die studente het die vraestelook sonder enige bystand voltooi, wat moontlik die korrekte interpretasie van vrae kon beïnvloed. Alhoewel die navorsing op klein verskille tussen die studente van die onderskeie MBA-programme dui, identifiseer dit 'n sterk graad van analogie tussen studente se persepsies en die dosent se doelwitte in die onderrig van Arbeidsbetrekkinge en Sosiale Verhoudinge. Hierdie resultate gee die dosent nie net algemene riglyne om die program te verbeter nie, maar ook die nodige versekering om voort te gaan met sy huidige benadering tot die onderrig van Arbeidsbetrekkinge en Sosiale Verhoudinge op die MBA-program van die USB. Hierdie studie moet gesien word as primêre navorsing. Hopelik sal dit as 'n beginpunt vir toekomstige navorsing dien.

The objective of this study was to determine if a statistically significant positive relationship exists between the cognitive tests (APIL and Critical Reasoning Test Battery - NCR2 and VCR2) and the academic performance of students on an MBA programme. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on a non-probability purposive sample (N=329) of MBA students at an institution of higher learning in South Africa. A theoretical relationship was established between the variables. The empirical relationship revealed statistically significant relationships between the cognitive tests and academic performance on an MBA programme. The findings contribute valuable knowledge to the field of psychological assessment that can be applied in the selection of students for higher education. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Business Management / D. B. L.