Magister Commercii - MCom / The primary objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the impact of psychological empowerment and job satisfaction on organizational commitment amongst employees in a multi-national organization. For the purpose of this study a quantitative, non-probability convenience sampling design was used to assess the three variables. The sample consisted of (N = 120) permanent employees were employed in the following departments namely: Administration, Engineering, Production, Quality and Commercial. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The Holy Qurʾān, like the Bible, is an acknowledged literary masterpiece. Its linguistic and aesthetic vivacity with an amalgam of religious beliefs, moral values, religious social orthodoxy and historical backgrounds pose a great challenge to any translator and make the task overwhelmingly arduous, if not unattainable. The study aims at examining the problems the Qurʾān translators encounter while translating near-synonyms from Arabic into English. It is based on the translations of two professional translators namely, Yusuf Ali and T.B. Irving. The translations provide an empirical basis for the discussion of the problems while translating Qurʾānnic texts into English. The corpus for the present study includes the translations of four near-synonymous pairs namely, ghayth and maṭar, al-ḥilf and al-qasm, bakhīl and shaḥīḥ and ʿāqir and ʿaqīm in their Qurʾānic context. The two translated texts are compared to determine to which extent the translations reflect the referential and the connotative meaning of the original Qurʾānic text as well as to which extent they maintain the textuality standards such as cohesion, coherence, informativity, situationality and acceptability, intentionality and intertextuality. In short, the study sets out to identify the roblematic areas in the translated Qurʾānic texts at the lexical and textual levels with a view to determining what makes one translation better than the other, or what brings one translation closer to the original text than the other.The study is an intersection between Qurʾānic exegeses (tafsīr) and applied linguistics. The researcher consults different books on translation theories as well as of Qurʾānic exegeses (tafsīr) to facilitate the process of analyzing the near-synonyms in their Qurʾānic context. The researcher opts for eclecticism, instead of confining to a particular rigid model or approach, which is a combination of text-analysis translation-oriented approaches of De Beaugrande & Dressler(1981); Neubert & Shreve(1992); Halliday (1994) and Hatim & Mason (1990). In addition, the study draws upon the multiple and theoretical implications of Nida's dynamic equivalence, Beekman & Callow's (1974) historical and dynamic fidelity and Gutt's (1991) relevance theory and the emphasis on communication as mainly context-dependent. These models are closely related and reliable in the process of analyzing and evaluating the problems encountered in Arabic-English translation of the Qurʾānic near-synonyms. Furthermore, the researcher suggests an outline approach for the process of analyzing the Qurʾānic near-synonyms translations in a systemic and organized way thereby ensuring maximum and effective communication of the Qurʾānic message. The study concludes that the Qurʾān translator, compared to other literary genres, faces many difficulties in translating the Qurʾānic ST message. The selected translations of the Holy Qurʾān have failed to measure up to the depth of the Qurʾānic message, its originality and the connotative shades of meanings of the original expression. The study attributes these problems to contextual, socio-cultural, theological and historical factors which create differences that lead to gaps or absence of lexicalization in the TT. Furthermore, the reliance on dictionary meaning rather than the meaning of the lexical item in context, the negligence of context culture as well as the context of situation (the reason for the revelation of the verses) affect the “periodicity” of the text as indicated by Martin & Rose (2007, p.187), that is, the information flow of the whole text. Accordingly, this affects maintaining the standards of textuality and the fidelity which a religious text should meet. The complexity of the Qurʾān as genre is a great challenge to the translator at both the lexical and Qurʾān textual levels, which dilutes the authenticity of the holy text and misrepresents its true message. The conclusion of the study which contains recommendations based on experience may prove helpful to the future novice and professional translators to improve the quality of translation in general and religious translation in particular. The study is a contribution towards a greater understanding of the subtle differences between the near-synonymous pairs in their Qurʾānic context through Arabic-English translation. It is a novel addition to the world of religious translation, Qurʾān translation, ḥadīth and in English. It also contributes to some extent to modern exegeses of the Qurʾān. It is hoped that the work will encourage further studies in the field of translation to employ a context-based linguistic approach to translating different genres and sacred texts in particular, integrating insights from applicable translation and linguistic approaches. / South Africa

Syftet med denna studie är att öka förståelsen för det meningsskapande som kommer till uttryck när ungdomar använder det sociala nätverket Instagram. Specifikt fokus riktas mot vad som kännetecknar meningsskapande i förhållande till ungdomars erfarenheter av de bilder på kroppsideal och hälsa som framställs på Instagram. För att besvara syftet använder vi oss av en kvalitativ metod, inspirerad av en fenomenologisk ansats. Vi har genomfört tre gruppintervjuer med totalt 16 ungdomar i årskurs tre på gymnasiet och sedan analyserat datamaterialet med inspiration av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visar att Instagram används som ett redskap för att upprätthålla den sociala interaktionen, på och utanför nätverket. Genom att vara intressant och visa upp sin bästa sida söker användarna bekräftelse, vilket de får genom gilla-markeringar och kommentarer. Resultatet visar även att ungdomarna är medvetna om att den bild av kroppsideal och hälsa som finns på Instagram enbart visar en del av helheten. För att vara hälsosam uttrycker ungdomarna att det är viktigt att älska sig själv och ha balans i livet. / The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding for the meaning-making that comes to expression when adolescents uses the social network Instagram. Specific focus is directed on what defines meaning-making in relation to adolescents experiences of the images on body ideal and health that is portrayed on Instagram. To answer the purpose we have used a qualitative research method, inspired by a phenomenological approach. We have completed three group interviews with a total of 16 adolescents in the last year of high school and then analyzed the data with inspiration from a qualitative content analysis. The result shows that Instagram are used as a tool to maintain the social interaction, on and beside of the media. By being interesting and show your best side the users also seek confirmation, which they get from likes and comments. The results also shows that adolescents are aware that the image of body ideal and health that exists on Instagram only shows a part of the whole picture. To be healthy the adolescents express that it's important to love yourself and have a balance in life.

Mohammed Dib est une figure importante de la littérature algérienne de langue française; d’une stature incomparable et inégale, il appartient au courant réaliste de la première génération d’auteurs maghrébins engagés, qui renouvelle son écriture après l’indépendance de l’Algérie. L’objet du présent travail, qui s’inscrit dans le cadre du comparatisme, est d’étudier le rapport du texte dibien au modèle, en mettant en place des axes qui permettent de comparer des phénomènes d’écritures appartenant à des époques et des cultures différentes, et ce en confrontant l’écriture dibienne dans son roman Cours sur la rive sauvage et son recueil de nouvelles Le Talisman, avec La Divine Comédie de Dante, Aurélia de Gérard de Nerval et Treize histoires de Faulkner. La lecture plurielle, que nous avons appliquée au corpus, nous a permis d'approcher de manière plus directe l’univers romanesque de Mohammed Dib. La prise en compte de relation intertextuelle constitue pour nous l’outil d’analyse, permettant ainsi une réflexion sur le texte, placé dans une double perspective: relationnelle et transformationnelle précisant les enjeux d’une œuvre polyphonique.Cette étude nous a permis d’analyser les mécanismes par lesquels se traduisent les relations d’influence et de motifs littéraires, en suivant une certaine chronologie: d’abord,par rapport à Faulkner, un des écrivains américains les plus célèbres, ses oeuvres portentun intérêt particulier pour la Terre- Mère, thématique récurrente qui constitue la matrice de l’imaginaire faulknérien. Ensuite par rapport à Nerval, considéré comme l’un des plus importants romanciers du courant romantique français, du XIXème siècle. Enfin, en s’inspirant de Nerval, Dib perpétue une tradition en rapport avec la poétique de Dante, dans sa Divine Comédie, et reprend l’idée que l’écriture est un voyage initiatique. / Mohammed Dib is a special case in the French-language Algerian literature; it is the realists of the first generation of North African writers who renews his writing after the independence of Algeria. The purpose of this work that is part of the comparative report is to study the text to the model by setting up the axes that compare the phenomena of writings belonging to different eras and cultures, and by confronting the dibienne writing in his novel Course on wild shore and his short story collection The Talisman with The Divine Comedy of Dante, Gérard de Nerval Aurelia and Thirteen stories of Faulkner. The plural reading that we have applied to the corpus allowed us to approach more directly the fictional universe of Mohammed Dib. The inclusion of intertextual relationship provides us with the analysis tool, enabling reflection on the text, placed in a double perspective: relational and transformational as well as the challenges of a polyphonic work. This study allowed us to analyze the mechanisms by which the result of influence relations and literary motifs follow a certain timeline. First, compared to Faulkner, one of the most famous American writers ; its working with a particular interest for the earth- mother, the southern United States of America and the history of his country, which is the recurring theme of Faulkner's imaginary matrix. Then over Nerval, considered one of the most important novelists of the French Romantic movement of the nineteenth century. Inspired by Nerval, Dib continues a tradition related to the poetics of Dante, in his Divine Comedy, and takes up the idea that writing is a journey.

Social constructionism offers a framework that acknowledges the predominance of language in the construction of meaning. Society at large has begun to question the assumptions that are made by empirical paradigms of science. Rather than looking for so-called “truth” social constructionism is interested in the values that underlie specific constructions of meaning. In this dissertation, reminiscence in older individuals is studied from the perspective of social constructionism. In social constructionism the unheard voices and the hidden subtexts are revealed. Most research up to now focuses on the meaning that reminiscence has for the teller of personal stories. Very little emphasis is placed in the current literature on the listener and even less acknowledgement is given to reminiscence as an activity that takes place in relationship. The emphasis in this study is therefore to include the listener in the ongoing conversation about reminiscence. Different voices are juxtaposed, with three participants writing about their experiences as listeners. The question of how reminiscence contributes to both meaning and identity is posed. A holistic content analysis conducted from a narrative perspective follows. To conclude, the author not only makes her own values explicit throughout the study, but invites the reader to become a participant and to add another voice to those voices included in the study. The reading of the study thus becomes an interactive process. Copyright 2005, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Beneke, M 2005, The way it was, the way it is : reminiscence as intergenerational construction of identity, MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02242006-125424 / > / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

L’auteur littéraire et son oeuvre ne peuvent être définis de façon totalement indépendante l’un de l’autre, car ils se définissent par leur lien réciproque et suivant des caractéristiques propres. Le lien se traduit par l’attribution du texte à l’auteur – terme générique – de façon directe ou par un mécanisme de représentation. L’attributaire identifie – ou authentifie – le texte, lui confère une double signification – en vertu de son intention propre et en vertu de son autorité personnelle – et il en assume la responsabilité. De son côté le texte, notamment de par sa qualité, participe à l’autorité de l’auteur et à son identification comme tel.L’écoulement du temps, enfin, amenuise le lien entre texte auteur sans le faire disparaître entièrement car une part irréductible de l’intention de signification du texte reste déterminée par son auteur, le texte seul étant dénué de portée juridique. L’auteur et l’oeuvre comportent également des caractéristiques propres. L’acte juridique peut être décrit comme une oeuvre singulière, comme un texte singulier. Les caractéristiques propres de l’auteur – sens large – et du texte sont comparables à celles de l’auteur et du texte littéraires. Le texte s’insère dans un ensemble d’intentions normatives préexistantes qu’il doit à la fois respecter et modifier. Respecter, car il doit en observer les canons pour pouvoir s’y insérer. Modifier car en s’insérant dans cet ensemble, la valeur de l’intention normative propre qui lui est reconnue, le modifie. L’auteur exerce un pouvoir, qui comporte deux fondements : celui de ses qualités personnelles et celui d’un titulaire supérieur d’une autorité, dont l’auteur assure la représentation. / The literary author and his work can not be defined in a totally independent way, one from the other. They are defined, on the one hand, by a reciprocal link, and, on the other hand, according to their own characteristics. The link is shown by the attribution of the text to the author - a generic term - directly or through a mechanism of representation. This attributive author identifies - or authentifies - the text, gives it a twofold meaning - because of his own intention and of his personal authority - and he assumes the responsibility. In a symmetrical manner, the text, especially by its quality, participates in the authority of the author and in his identification as such. As time passes, the link between text and author lessens without causing it to disappear entirely, since an irreducible part of the intent of meaning of the text remains determined by the author, as the text considered on its own having no legal significance.The author and the work also have their own characteristics. The judicial act can be described as a singular work, as a singular text. The author’s own characteristics - in a broad sense - and those of the text are comparable to those of a litterary text’s author. The text is inserted into an existing group of pre-existing normative intents which he must both respect and modify. He must respect the canons in order to insert it. And he must modify it to insert his text into the whole, the value of its own normative intent, which is recognized, modifies the existing law. The author exercises a power, which has two bases : that of his personal qualities and that of the person who has the title of a superior authority, whom the author represents.

The business environment is currently typified by rapid and ongoing change, which causes the future to be increasingly unpredictable and unsettled. Companies are struggling to maintain their competitive edge and to survive. It is therefore important that management should ensure that the necessary competencies and abilities are available to enable the coordination of both diversified and specialised functions within the company. This underlines the importance of effective teamwork in organizations. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of team leadership in the effectiveness of management teams. In order to attain this goal, the primary focus of the literature study was team leadership. Chapter 2 comprehensively discusses the most important aspects determining effective teams and team efficiency in organizations. The analysis of the literature was focused specifically on the general factors determining team efficiency and twenty critical factors were identified. In chapter 3 team leadership is discussed. A comprehensive literature study was done in order to identify the characteristics of an effective team leader, as well as the roles he/she is expected to play in the team. Qualitative analysis of the literature indicated 17 discernable roles which are discussed comprehensively in this chapter. Qualitative as well as quantitative research methodologies were used in order to achieve the objective of this study. Qualitative methodology was used mainly to analyze the available literature. Quantitative research involved a random sample of 19 teams, which were selected from all divisions of the organization. A dual criterion, consisting of an evaluation of the group dynamics in the teams and also of quantifyable team output was used. On the basis of the criterion these teams were divided into nine effective and ten ineffective teams. The team leaders were assessed by means of a 360° questionnaire. The head of the team, team members and the team leaders themselves were required to do the assessment according to five identified dimensions describing team leadership. The effective and ineffective teams were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test to determine whether any significant differences between the teams exist in terms of the following five dimensions: "management of attention" (dimension 1); "management of meaning and motivation" (dimension 2); "management of trust" (dimension 3); "management of self" (dimension 4) and "management of empowerment" (dimension 5). From the comparison between the effective and ineffective teams the following results were apparent: There is a clear tendency to indicate that in the case of effective teams, when assessing the team leader, the assessment by team members and team leaders coincide. In the case of ineffective teams, leaders tend to rate themselves considerably higher than the team members do. This leads to the conclusion that leaders of effective teams have a realistic view of their ability as team leaders. Significant differences were also discernable in the following dimensions: "management of attention" (dimension 1); "management of trust" (dimension 3); "management of self" (dimension 4) and "management of empowerment" (dimension 5). The most significant differences were found in terms of dimensions 3 and 5. Results indicate that leaders of effective teams have a realistic concept of their ability; that they have the ability to purposefully lead their team members; that they can inspire trust in their team members; that they manage themselves effectively and that they empower their team members in all areas and aspects. / Thesis (MCom (Human Resources Management))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

This thesis, SPEECH ACT THEORY AND COMMUNICATION: A UNIVEN STUDY, is an investigation into the communicative competence of a group of second language speakers. The study employs Speech Act Theory, a discourse evaluation method within the cross-cultural paradigm, to ascertain the structural (form) and the pragmatic (function) statuses of selected utterances of entry-level students in the University of Venda for Science and Technology (Univen). Speech Act Theory is a concept premised on the notion that an utterance has a definite function, meaning or purpose, for example, to suggest, to advise, to complain; and that these functions are expressible in established structural codes. Implicit in this notion is the assertion that there is a correlation between the ‘form’ and the ‘function’ of utterances. The corollary to this is that, where there is no correlation, miscommunication may result. The contention of this study is that such a correlation may not always exist in the utterances of second language users of English because of the idiosyncratic nature of such utterances, derived from syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors. The hypothesis continues to assert that despite the individualistic nature of these utterances, meaning can be created or miscommunication does not always result because hearers are able to accurately interpret the intention of the speakers, by exploiting notions such as implicature, conversation principles, context and prosodic features. This research is an attempt to identify the processes that speakers undergo to articulate their intentions and the verbal and non-verbal information that hearers require to interpret such intentions or messages. The quality of the processes of formulating intentions and interpreting them is directly dependent on the communicative ability of the interlocutors. Communicative ability is a very general term, inclusive of various abilities of the interlocutors amongst which are grammatical and pragmatic competences. Meaning is dynamic, flexible and dependent on negotiation among the interlocutors. This flexibility of meaning is even more pronounced when idiosyncratic utterances, such as those of second-language speakers, are examined. To ascertain how meaning is created from such individualistic utterances, an analysis of selected utterances was conducted along the principles of Speech Act Theory. The results of the analysis supported the hypothesis that, although different categories of blemishes are visible in these utterances, such characteristics do not always affect the interpretation process, indicating that a variety of non-linguistic clues is also required for communication. Conclusions reached include the fact that, even though both grammatical and pragmatic considerations are vital for the quality of the utterances, perhaps, Speech Act Theory does not make sufficient provision for blemished but meaning-bearing utterances, like those usually produced by second language users and the kind selected for this investigation. This observation also impinges on the validity of Speech Act Theory as the sole judge of communicative competence of second-language users. / Thesis (D.Litt (English))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / English / unrestricted

It is a topic of discussion that finds its way into almost every setting in the South African context. Is leaving South Africa not the best option available to us? From old to young it seems many South Africans, are contemplating leaving the shores of South Africa in search of opportunity elsewhere. The purported reasons behind this exodus, or even just the thought going into the possibilities, are repetitive in the literature. Crime, affirmative action, standards of living, concerns regarding political and economic security for the future are all referred to. What is undeniable is the great loss of skills that is occurring as most of these people leaving are graduates. I wished to try and understand the experiences of some young adults who are currently contemplating, or in the process of emigrating. The focal question in this research is: “what experiences are fuelling the ‘brain drain phenomenon amongst our young adults?” The intention of this study is not in any way to find extrapolative answers, but instead to understand and describe the personal experiences of a select few. Therefore a Phenomenological approach was used in order to describe these participants’ experiences as closely as possible. The respondents were asked to write a ‘full’ response to the open ended question. This technique of data capture falls within the semi-structured interview framework, but allowed for the participants to provide a description of their experiences with the least possible opportunity for influence. It was of great importance that their descriptions be their own in order for the researcher to gain a proper understanding of their experiences. These descriptions were then analysed through thematic analysis. The themes that were identified seem to describe the ‘experienced meaning’ that the participants have formed rather than the physical experiences of such ‘reasons’ as discussed in the literature. Themes such as victimization, regret, insecurity, crime, fear, the need for freedom and job security were identified. For South Africa to turn this brain drain around it will be necessary for policy makers to take into consideration and act upon the physical experiences but also the experienced meaning that people form. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted

This study was inspired by the ever growing need for significance expressed both by my life coaching and pastoral therapy clients as well as the need for existential meaning reported both in the lay press and academic literature. This study reflected on a life that matters with a group of co-researchers in a participatory action research context. The study has been positioned within pastoral theology and invited the theological discourse into a reflection of existential meaning. Adopting a critical relational constructionist epistemology, the research was positioned within a postmodern paradigm. The implications for meaning and research were explored and described. My fellow researchers were invited to reflect on what constitutes a meaningful life or “a life that matters” to them personally. These stories of meaning were explored and situated within personal meaning histories. Meaning discourses introduced to the discussion of “a life that matters” were deconstructed, their effects externalised and embedded in life long meaning stories. In the process outsider witnesses were introduced to these stories, enriching these as we did. Together the research community made up of me and my fellow researchers, reflected on the meaning discourses introduced to the conversation on a life that matters in this way. These discourses included spirituality, purpose, and being meaningful in somebody else’s life. Only then did the group decide that perhaps these discourses were complemented by identity discourses. When we reflected upon the value of the research process as meaning enhancing action in their lives, my co-researchers suggested that it was the reflection process which added most value to their own experiences of meaningfulness. Throughout the research process, the voices of literature were invited into the conversation, exploring their perspectives on existential meaning. These voices acted as outsider witnesses, authenticating the stories of meaningfulness which were introduced by my fellow researchers. This study may serve to revive the conversation both in the practical theology discourse and the pastoral theology discourse. It positions existential meaning within an uncertainty discourse and suggests that reflexive co-construction in the manner suggested previously, can contribute to the meaning enhancing multilogue. Meaning making is introduced in a non-totalitarian way, strongly suggesting that an experience of meaningful living is possible even in postmodern times often described as confusing and potentially relativistically or nihilistically meaningless. This study creates space for spirituality in the existential meaning conversation; perhaps even strongly proclaiming that it should be part of any conversation on meaningfulness. Meaningfulness has been introduced as a local experience devoid of the power discourses of meta narratives and do-it-yourself recipes. Local process rather than universal content was positioned as meaning enhancing in the study, thus opening space for local life knowledges and negating the need to conform to meta-narratives of meaningfulness which may in effect be alienating and disempowering in that they relegate the life knowledges of objectified people into anecdotal and fictional. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted