Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Successful strategy execution remains critical for any organisation. Yet many organisations seem to have difficulties in implementing their strategies, especially in the public sector. This study explores the role of middle managers in executing organisational strategies in the local government sector. The study adopted a qualitative research method and followed a case study strategy, using a local authority council (LAC) in Namibia. Using semi-structured individual interviews, I interviewed 10 middle managers, selected through applying purposive sampling and representing diverse characteristics of the target group. I introduced a theoretical framework consisting of four research focus areas to guide the study: the value-adding role of middle managers, the key enablers for middle managers to execute strategies successfully, the key processes they follow and the key tools they use to implement corporate strategies. I also conducted a critical literature review on the above focus areas. The findings suggest that middle managers interpret, communicate and translate organisational strategic goals into actions in their value-adding role as champions, synthesisers, facilitators and implementers. The results of the research study also indicates that communication and the availability of resources are key enabling factors, whereas systems, structures, policies and communication channels are key processes impacting on the middle managers' effective implementation of corporate strategies in this LAC. In the same vein, resources – information technology (IT) in particular, performance management systems and laws – were found to be the key tools. Some disconfirming evidence also emerged from the study, suggesting that some middle managers play a value-subtracting role, characterised by disruptive behaviour and being bogged down in routine duties. This research study is, at best, an explorative one, as it used a limited sample. Further research is necessary to gain more in-depth insights about the different roles of middle managers and their influence on strategy generation and implementation versus the role of top/senior managers. As the study employed a case study design, the generalisability of the findings is also limited to this LAC. Further, while I aimed to give a trustworthy account of the experiences of the research participants, many factors may have interfered with the processes of fair collection and interpretation of data, including personal emotional involvement with the topic, presuppositions formed from reading the literature, and various aspects of the interaction with the research participants. Further research is therefore needed to validate the assumed relationships that are expressed in the thematic map. This study is of value to the LAC in that, in the present context of this organisation, top management formulate the organisational strategic goals (vision, mission, strategic thrusts and objectives), with little involvement of middle managers. The study records the views of middle managers, indicating that there is a gap between the agenda setting and leadership of top managers and the observed roles of middle managers. Yet, effective strategy execution requires constant feedback, commenting on and questioning the strategy in order to facilitate understanding. Middle managers thus correctly argue that continuous dialogue and interaction with senior managers increases the alignment of their tactical initiatives with top management's conception of corporate strategy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suksesvolle strategieuitvoering bly van deurslaggewende belang vir enige organisasie. Tog is dit oënskynlik vir menige instansie moeilik om hulle strategieë ten uitvoer te bring, veral in die openbare sektor. Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol van middelvlakbestuurders in die toepassing van organisatoriese strategieë in die plaaslike regeringsektor. Met behulp van ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode en ʼn gevallestudieontwerp, is ʼn Namibiese plaaslike regeringsraad ('n sogenaamde LAC) onder die loep geneem. Semi-gestruktureerde afsonderlike onderhoude is met tien middelvlakbestuurders gevoer, welke tiental deur doelgerigte steekproefneming gekies is en die diverse kenmerke van die teikengroep verteenwoordig. Die studie word gerig deur ʼn teoretiese raamwerk met vier navorsingsfokusgebiede, naamlik die waardetoevoegingsrol van middelvlakbestuurders; die kerninstaatstellers vir middelvlakbestuurders om strategieë suksesvol in werking te stel; en die kernprosesse wat middelvlakbestuurders volg, sowel as die kerninstrumente wat hulle gebruik om korporatiewe strategieë uit te voer. ʼn Oorsig van kritieke literatuur is ook op elk van voormelde fokusgebiede onderneem. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat middelvlakbestuurders, in hulle waardetoevoegingsrol as kampvegters, sintetiseerders, fasiliteerders en toepassers, organisatoriese strategiese doelwitte vertolk, oordra en in dade omskakel. Die navorsing bevind ook dat kommunikasie en die beskikbaarheid van hulpbronne kerninstaatstellers is, terwyl stelsels, struktuur, beleid en kommunikasiekanale die kernprosesse is wat middelvlakbestuurders se doeltreffende inwerkingstelling van korporatiewe strategieë in die LAC onder beskouing beïnvloed. In dieselfde trant blyk hulpbronne – veral inligtingstegnologie, ʼn prestasiebestuurstelsel en wette – die kerninstrumente te wees. Die studie lewer egter ook teenstellende bewyse op dat sommige middelvlakbestuurders inderwaarheid ʼn waardeverminderingsrol speel, omdat hulle ontwrigtend optree en in roetinetake vasval. Hierdie navorsingstudie is hoogstens ondersoekend, met ʼn beperkte steekproef. Verdere navorsing is dus nodig om ʼn dieper insig in die verskillende rolle van middelvlakbestuurders en hulle invloed op die formulering en inwerkingstelling van strategie teenoor dié van top-/senior bestuurders te verkry. Aangesien die studie van ʼn gevallestudieontwerp gebruik maak, is die veralgemeenbaarheid van die bevindinge ook beperk tot die onderhawige LAC. Voorts, hoewel die studie 'n betroubare weergawe van die navorsingsdeelnemers se ervaringe probeer gee, kon verskeie faktore met die prosesse van billike datainsameling en datavertolking ingemeng het, wat persoonlike betrokkenheid by die onderwerp, vooronderstellings uit die literatuur, en vele aspekte met betrekking tot wisselwerking met navorsingsdeelnemers insluit. Die aangenome verhoudinge in die tematiese kaart moet dus deur middel van verdere navorsing bekragtig word. Die studie is van waarde vir die betrokke LAC, aangesien die topbestuur van die organisasie tans die organisatoriese strategiese doelwitte (visie, misie, strategiese fokuspunte en oogmerke) sonder veel oorleg met middelvlakbestuurders bepaal. Middelvlakbestuurders kon dus deur hierdie studie ook húlle menings lug, waaruit duidelik blyk dat daar ʼn gaping is tussen topbestuurders se agendabepaling en leierskap, en die waargenome rolle van middelvlakbestuurders. Doeltreffende strategieuitvoering verg egter deurlopende terugvoering oor, kommentaar op, en bevraagtekening van die strategie ten einde werklike begrip in die hand te werk. Middelvlakbestuurders het dus gelyk dat voortdurende gesprekvoering en wisselwerking met senior bestuurders nodig is om te verseker dat taktiese projekte op middelvlak in pas is met die topbestuur se gedagtes oor korporatiewe strategie.

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The globalisation of business is probably the most important topic of discussion in business around the world. Globalisation impacts on business processes, and changes in the processes of economic and political liberalisation signify a radical shift in thinking about how the world works and how it should be organised. The process of change consequently means having to deal with increasing complexity. It is the complexity of change that prompts the urgency to improve the thinking of management in an organisation. As adult learners, managers need different competencies to operate; in addition their thinking skills need to be developed, as they are the key drivers in an organisation going through transformation. In a needs' assessment in a financial services organisation operating in the global environment, a need for training of middle managers to help them improve their thinking skills in order to become more effective thinkers was determined. The need to train adults to develop cognitive skills prompted a specific thinking skills intervention and the facilitation thereof. A Thinking Skills Programme aimed at teaching thinking dispositions and thinking skills was implemented as a programme to teach the managers to become effective thinkers. The study was approached from a programme evaluative perspective. The purpose of the programme was an improvement-orientated evaluation and was designed to evaluate the outcomes of the programme. Qualitative data was collected through a pre- assessment and postassessment process. Open-ended questionnaires as well as other qualitative methods were used in the assessment to capture the data. The data analysis was done through content analysis. In the process of determining the patterns and processes in the preassessment, observations, semi-structured interviews, field notes and post-assessment, the researcher looked for themes or interconnections that emerged in the units, sub-categories and categories. The sub-categories that emerged were derived from the frequency of appearance in the answers of the participants in the questionnaires. The post-assessment feedback categories indicated that a shift in effective thinking had taken place in the participants. The most significant difference in their thinking was the awareness of their thinking. They reflected on their thinking while solving problems, which is evidence of effective thinking. They used the thinking tools to help them solve problems. The intervention influenced the participants to be more creative in solving problems, which was not evident in the pre-assessment. The evaluation of the outcome of the programme through the application of a Thinking Skills Programme was successful. This was demonstrated by the fact that in the measurement of the outcome of the programme it was evident that the middle managers had become more aware of their thinking and that they applied the thinking dispositions and thinking tools in their daily managerial activities. They had become more effective thinkers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die globalisering van die sakewêreld is waarskynlik die belangrikste besprekingspunt in dié sektor regoor die wêreld. Globalisering het 'n impak op sakeprosesse, en veranderings in die prosesse van ekonomiese en politieke liberalisering dui op 'n radikale verandering in denke oor hoe die wêreld werk en hoe dit georganiseer behoort te word. Die proses van verandering dui gevolglik daarop dat daar rekening gehou moet word met toenemende kompleksiteit. Dit is die kompleksiteit van verandering wat aanleiding gee tot die belangrikheid daarvan om die denkvaardighede van die bestuur in 'n organisasie te verbeter. As volwasse leerders benodig bestuurders verskillende vaardighede om hulle taak te verrig, en hulle denkvaardighede moet ontwikkel word aangesien hulle die dryfkrag is van 'n organisasie wat transformasie ondergaan. In 'n behoeftebepaling in 'n finansiële dienste organisasie wat op die wêreldmark meeding, is die behoefte geïdentifiseer aan opleiding vir middelvlak bestuurders om hulle denkvaardighede te help verbeter, ten einde van hulle meer effektiewe denkers te maak. Die behoefte om volwassenes op te lei in die ontwikkeling van kognitiewe vaardighede het aanleiding gegee tot In spesifieke denkvaardigheidsintervensie en die fasilitering daarvan. 'n Denkvaardigheidsprogram gemik op die onderrig van denkdisposisies en -vaardighede is as 'n program ingestelom bestuurders op te lei om effektiewe denkers te word. Die studie is benader vanuit 'n programevaluasie-perspektief. Die doel van die program was 'n verbeteringsgeoriënteerde evaluasie en dit is ontwerp om die uitkomstes van die program te evalueer. Kwalitatiewe data is versamel deur middel van 'n pre- en postassesseringsproses. Oopeindevraelyste asook ander kwalitatiewe metodes is in die assessering gebruik om data te versamel. Die data-analise is gedoen deur inhoudsanalise. Vir die bepaling van die patrone en prosesse in die pre-assessering, is observasies, semigestruktureerde onderhoude en veldaantekeninge gebruik. Vir die postassessering het die navorser gesoek na temas of interkonneksies wat na vore gekom het in die eenhede, subkategorieë en kategorieë. Die subkategorieë wat na vore gekom het, is geïdentifiseer op grond van die frekwensie van voorkoms in die antwoorde van die deelnemers wat die vraelyste voltooi het. Die terugvoeringskategorieë in die postassessering het aangetoon dat 'n verandering in effektiewe denke by die deelnemers plaasgevind het. Die mees beduidende verandering in hulle denke was die bewustheid van hulle denke. Deelnemers het gereflekteer op hulle denke tydens probleemoplossing, wat as bewys dien van effektiewe denke. Hulle het die denkinstrumente gebruik om hulle te help om probleme op te los. Die intervensie het tot gevolg gehad dat die deelnemers meer kreatief tydens probleemoplossing was, wat nie tydens die pre-assessering geblyk het nie. Die evaluering van die uitkoms van die program deur die toepassing van 'n Denkvaardigheidsprogram was suksesvol. Dit is gedemonstreer deur die feit dat in die meting van die uitkoms van die program dit duidelik geblyk het dat die middelvlak bestuurders meer bewus geraak het van hulle denke en dat hulle die denkdisposisies en denkinstrumente in hulle daaglikse bestuursaktiwiteite toegepas het. Hulle het meer effektiewe denkers geword.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur mellanchefer kan hantera motstånd inom offentliga organisationer i samband med organisationsförändringar. Studien ämnar vidare undersöka vilka förutsättningar som mellanchefer behöver från ledningen för att hantera medarbetarnas förändringsmotstånd. Frågeställningar: • Hur använder mellanchefer i offentliga organisationer sitt ledarskap för att hantera förändringsmotstånd? • På vilket sätt påverkas mellanchefer i samband med organisationsförändringar i offentliga organisationer? Metod: I studien har en kvalitativ forskningsdesign använts. Sex stycken semi-strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts på två olika statliga myndigheter. Genom teoretiskt tematisk analys har empiri analyserats. Empirin har kodats utefter relevanta begrepp och teorier. Slutsats: Studien har påvisat att kommunikation är viktigt genom hela förändringsprocessen, både gällande att informera om förändringen och dess betydelse, men också för att möjliggöra att en dialog kan föras med medarbetare kring deras upplevelse av förändringen. Studien har även funnit att medarbetarinvolvering och delaktighet är viktigt men att detta behöver motiveras och mellanchefer behöver även informera om vad delaktighet innebär för att medarbetare ska ha rätt förväntningar. Delaktighet, kommunikation och hanteringsverktyg är delar som myndigheter behöver arbeta med på olika nivåer. Detta för att mellanchefer ska kunna ha rätt förutsättningar för att kunna hantera motstånd i förändring. / Purpose: The purpose is to examine how middle managers can manage resistance in state agencies. The purpose is also to examine the conditions middle mangers need to manage employees’ resistance to change. Research questions: • How does middle mangers use their leadership in managing resistance to change in state agencies? • How does organizational change in state agencies affect middle managers? Method: The authors conducted a qualitative method for this study. The authors preformed six semi-structured interviews with middle managers working in two different state agencies. Empirical evidence has been analyzed through theoretical thematic analysis. The empirical data was coded along relevant concepts and theories. Conclusion: The need of communication is very important through the whole change process. Communication in this case includes both giving information about the change but also to give employees the opportunity to express their feelings about the change. It is also important for middle managers to involve employees in the change. The involvement needs to be motivated and middle managers also need to communicate what employees can expect from their involvement. Involvement, communication and strategies for dealing with resistance to change are vital parts that needs to be handled on all levels in the organization.This is important because it will enable the right conditions for middle managers to handle resistance to change.

La planification stratégique en tant que processus rationnel a été très critiquée par beaucoup de chercheurs notamment en raison de ses effets incertains et contradictoires sur la performance des entreprises. Certains chercheurs proposent que le processus rationnel soit combiné avec un processus adaptatif afin de construire un processus intégré de planification stratégique qui serait mieux adapté à un environnement de plus en plus dynamique, complexe et incertain.L’objet de cette thèse est, d’une part, d’examiner si la combinaison des deux processus de planification stratégique est plus bénéfique aux entreprises que l’utilisation exclusive de l’un ou l’autre des deux processus et, d’autre part, d’étudier le rôle de cette combinaison dans le développement des capacités organisationnelles et l’amélioration de la performance des entreprises. Pour ce faire, nous avons construit un modèle conceptuel que nous avons testé empiriquement à l’aide d’une étude quantitative à laquelle 335 entreprises européennes ont participé.Les résultats de cette étude montrent que la planification stratégique combinant des caractéristiques de l’approche rationnelle avec des caractéristiques de l’approche adaptative est plus bénéfique aux entreprises. Nous trouvons également que la relation entre la planification stratégique combinée et la performance des entreprises est indirecte. / Strategic planning as a rational process has been strongly criticized by many researchers because of its uncertain and contradictory effects on company performance. As a result, some researchers suggest that the rational process should be combined with an adaptive process in order to build a global process of strategic planning which is better suited to the current dynamic, complex and uncertain environment.The purpose of this research is twofold: to examine whether the combination of the two processes of strategic planning is more beneficial to companies than the exclusive use of one or the other of the two and, to identify the role of this combination in the development of organizational capabilities and in improving company performance. To this end, we have built and tested empirically a conceptual model using a quantitative study in which 335 European companies have participated.The results of this study show that, in one hand, a strategic planning process combining rational with adaptive characteristics is more beneficial to companies and, on the other hand, the relationship between strategic planning and company performance is indirect.

Tidigare forskning har visat att det finns mellanchefer som anser att deras arbetsrelaterade stress är relaterad till krav från både över- och underordnade (Skagert, Dellve, Eklöf, Ljung, Pousette & Ahlborg, 2004). Syftet med den föreliggande studien var att i en offentlig organisation undersöka om mellanchefers upplevda arbetskrav från över- och underordnade har samband med deras upplevda arbetsrelaterade stressnivå. Följande frågeställning formulerades: I vilken grad kan upplevda arbetskrav från överordnade, underordnade, ålder och antal år som mellanchef predicera grad av upplevd arbetsrelaterad stress. Deltagarna i studien var 63 mellanchefer, varav 52 kvinnor och 11 män. Resultatet visade att upplevda arbetskrav från underordnade var den enda oberoende variabeln som statistiskt signifikant predicerade uplevd arbetsrelaterad stress. Antal år som mellanchef hade en negativ statistiskt signifikant korrelation med upplevd arbetsrelaterad stress. Dessa resultat var delvis i linje med presenterad teori och tidigare forskning. / Previous research has shown that middle managers believe that their work-related stress is connected to the demands from both superiors and subordinates (Skagert, Dellve, Eklöf, Heather, Pousette & Ahlborg, 2004). The aim of the present study was to in a public organization investigate whether the middle managers perceived job demands from superiors and subordinates are related to their perceived work-related stress level. The following research question was formulated: To what extent can the perceived job demands from superiors, subordinates, age and number of years as middle manager predict levels of perceived work-related stress. Participants in the study consisted of 63 middle managers (52 women and 11 men). The results showed that perceived job demands from subordinates were the only independent variable that statistically significantly predicted perceived work-related stress. Number of years as middle manager had a negative statistically significant correlation with perceived work-related stress. These results were partially in line with the presented theory and previous research.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elisangela Deo.pdf: 3582180 bytes, checksum: 740baed1dce10d69df6a49b8310fb468 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-29 / The proposed study aimed to understand how the administrative coordinators of an educational institution learn and maintain their professional skills, strategies to use and what factors act as facilitators or barriers to that learning. The research belongs to the category of mixed methods studies, taking two steps in data collection, the first to use quantitative questionnaire, aimed to identify learning strategies that are used by coordinators and classify them according to use of each strategy; after the classification were selected for the qualitative stage coordinators with higher and lower averages in cognitive and behavioral strategies. The strategies were measured by an instrument created by Pantoja (2004) and adapted by Conte (2011). Individuals surveyed are 60 administrative coordinators of an educational institution, the quantitative data were analyzed by structural equation modeling with partial least squares estimation, the qualitative part was analyzed by the interpretive textual analysis based on Flores (1994). The study enable the understanding of the strategies used by coordinators and also the reason for the use of each strategy. / O estudo proposto teve como objetivo geral compreender como os coordenadores administrativos de uma instituição de ensino aprendem e mantêm suas competências profissionais, que estratégias utilizam e quais fatores funcionam como facilitadores ou barreiras para essa aprendizagem. A pesquisa pertence à categoria de estudos de métodos mistos, tendo duas etapas na coleta de dados, a primeira quantitativa com utilização de questionário, teve a finalidade de identificar as estratégias de aprendizagem que são utilizadas pelos coordenadores e classificá-los de acordo com o uso de cada estratégia; após a classificação, foram selecionados para a etapa qualitativa os coordenadores com maiores e menores médias nas estratégias cognitivas e comportamentais. As estratégias foram mensuradas por um instrumento criado por Pantoja (2004) e adaptado por Conte (2011). Os indivíduos pesquisados são 60 coordenadores administrativos de uma instituição de ensino, os dados da parte quantitativa foram analisados pela modelagem em equações estruturais com estimação por mínimos quadrados parciais, a parte qualitativa foi analisada por meio da análise textual interpretativa baseada em Flores (1994). O estudo possibilitou o entendimento das estratégias mais usadas pelos coordenadores e também da razão que leva ao uso de cada estratégia.

<p>Disertacija se bavi utvrđivanjem smera i intenziteta<br />uticaja informacionih tehnologija na pojedine<br />organizacione i poslovne performanse u preduzećima<br />u Srbiji. Pri tme su posmatrane sledeće performanse:<br />zadovoljstvo poslom, zadovoljstvo komunikacijom, organizaciona posvećenost, međusobno poverenje na<br />poslu, organizacionoo učenje, finansijske<br />performanse i profesionalni respekt prema lideru.<br />Istraživanje je realizovano u preduzećima u Srbiji,<br />tako &scaron;to su ispitanici (srednji menadžeri) popunili<br />upitnike. Za istraživanje su kori&scaron;ćeni odgovori od<br />ukupno N = 380 srednjih menadžera iz 102<br />preduzeća. Najvažniji rezultati istraživanja su sledeći:<br />1. Utvrđen je postojeći nivo savremenosti i primene<br />informacionih tehnologija, kao i nivo pažnje koja se<br />poklanja informacionim tehnologijama, u<br />preduzećima u Srbiji. 2. Utvrđeno je stanje<br />informacionih tehnologija u zavisnosti od nekoliko<br />kriterijuma: pol CEO, godine CEO, vlasnička<br />struktura preduzeća, finansijske performanse, profesionalni respekt prema lideru i poverenje u<br />akcije menadžmenta. 3. Utvrđeno je da su<br />informacione tehnologije pokazatelj nivoa<br />posmatranih organizacionih i poslovnih performansi.<br />4. Utvrđeno je da postoji statistički značajan uticaj<br />informacionih tehnologija na posmatrane<br />organizacione i poslovne performanse. 5. Ispitana su i<br />definisana moderatorna dejstva tri moderatora:<br />Profesionalni respekt prema lideru, Poverenje u<br />akcije menadžmenta i Vlasnička struktura preduzeća, na odnos informacionih tehnologija i zadovoljstva<br />komunikacijom i organizacionog učenja. 6. Definisane su preporuke za lidere i menadžere u vezi<br />sa tim kako unaprediti performanse preduzeća,<br />posmatrano iz perspektive informacionih tehnologija<br />i njihove primene.</p> / <p>The dissertation deals with determining the direction<br />and intensity of the impact of information<br />technologies on individual and organizational<br />performance of companies in Serbia. Observed are<br />the following performances: job satisfaction,<br />communication satisfaction, organizational<br />commitment, mutual trust at work, organizational<br />learning, financial performance and professional<br />respect for the leader. The survey was conducted in<br />companies in Serbia, by the respondents (middle<br />managers) completing questionnaires. For the study<br />there were used responses from a total of N = 380<br />middle managers from 102 companies. The most<br />important results of the research are as follows: 1.<br />Defined is the current level of modernity and<br />application of information technologies, as well as the<br />level of attention paid to information technologies in<br />companies in Serbia. 2. Defined is the situation of<br />information technologies depending on several<br />criteria: gender of the CEO, age of the CEO, the<br />ownership structure of the company, financial<br />performance, professional respect for the leader and<br />trust in the actions of management. 3. It is found that<br />information technologies are an indicator of the level<br />of the observed organizational and business<br />performance. 4. It is found that there is a statistically<br />significant impact of information technologies on the<br />observed organizational and business performance. 5. Tested and defined are the moderating effects of three<br />moderators: professional respect for the leader, trust<br />in the action of management and ownership structure<br />of the company, on the relationship of information<br />technologies and communication satisfaction and<br />organizational learning. 6. There are defined<br />recommendations for leaders and managers in this<br />regard to improve the performance of the company,<br />from the perspective of information technologies and<br />their application.</p>

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of middle managers towards cultural diversity and cultural diversity management. A qualitative method of research was chosen to carry out the study. Twenty middle managers from four different companies in the Greater Durban Area were interviewed. One of the main findings of the study was that managers displayed positive attitudes towards cultural diversity and cultural diversity management. However, it was also found that whilst the attitudes displayed towards people of different cultures and races remained positive, little was done in terms of managing the differences that these people brought to the organisation. It was also found that organisations were agreeable to complying with legislative frameworks such as affirmative action and equal employment opportunities to manage diversity. Furthermore, it was established that factors such as understanding, tolerance and acceptance were perceived to be vital "ingredients" to helping diverse people feel accepted and wanted in the company. This was due to their role in increasing productivity levels and decreasing turnover. However, it was uncovered in the literature review, that complying with legislation alone was not enough to manage cultural diversity. If organisations want to unleash the true benefits of diversity management, they wi ll need to recognise people with these differences and simultaneously accept and manage these differences. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:51:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 166830.pdf.jpg: 14969 bytes, checksum: 9e02b47f84c4976d1ff126454914749f (MD5) 166830.pdf: 610068 bytes, checksum: 4ad0ef49c4becd87273c9a4ac1a12e7d (MD5) 166830.pdf.txt: 210590 bytes, checksum: a22a7a12875e4c88e0f13fec2f71b339 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-04T00:00:00Z / The sociology of organizations is still made based on analytical schemas which are free of time (CLARK, 1985; HASSARD, 2000; GIDDENS, 2003). However, temporal concerns permeate every organization, what makes the concept of time extremely important to the organization studies. Based on this idea, this research had the ambition to approach the temporal dimension of work in the organizations; from the perspective of the individuals. Considering that the middle managers live a double tension inside organizations, which are originated from the top managers and the operational workers, we decided to investigate the way that the middle managers experience time at work. To review the temporal experience of the middle managers, twenty people, who work on organizations located at São Paulo, were interviewed and the content of the interviews analyzed. The content analyses methodology was used to analyze the material, which was colleted via semi-structured interviews. The interview analysis suggests that even though the time at work is, by the majority of professionals interviewed, defined as an economic resource, whose utilization must be maximally optimized, the temporal experience of the middle managers is not homogeneous. Environmental elements, common to all workers, tend to approximate the temporal experiences of middle managers. These elements, which are compression of time, sense of urgency, new technologies, characteristics related to the role of manager and organization or disorganization of workers and institutions, are associated to the economical and social scenario under which organizations function. However, personal characteristics, related to age, gender, personal values and experiences, besides the field in which the company functions also impact the way the middle managers experience time and deal with the temporal pressures. In conclusion, despite the fact that environmental elements are shared, with emphasis to the growing compression of time, the human nature and the impermanence of the social phenomenons reveal the complexity of the temporal experience of the middle managers at work. The homogeneity, objectivity and linearity represented by the clock, image of the time in the contemporary societies, is then confronted with the heterogeneous, subjective and cyclic aspects that are part of the temporal experience of the workers. / A sociologia das organizações ainda é realizada sob a construção de esquemas analíticos livres de tempo (CLARK, 1985; HASSARD, 2000; GIDDENS, 2003). No entanto, questões temporais permeiam toda e qualquer organização, o que torna o conceito de tempo de central importância para os estudos organizacionais. Com base nisso, esta pesquisa teve a ambição de abordar a dimensão temporal do trabalho nas organizações; sob a perspectiva dos indivíduos. E, dado que os gerentes médios vivenciam um duplo foco de pressão: originado da alta gerência e do nível operacional da organização, decidiu-se investigar como os gerentes médios experimentam o tempo no trabalho. Para desvendar a experiência temporal dos gerentes médios, foram analisadas, com a metodologia de análise de conteúdo, entrevistas com 20 profissionais de média gerência que trabalham em empresas que operam na cidade de São Paulo. A coleta do material de pesquisa ocorreu com entrevistas em profundidade semi-estruturadas. A análise das entrevistas sugere que embora o tempo no trabalho seja, por todos os profissionais entrevistados, definido como um recurso econômico, cuja utilização dever ser otimizada ao máximo, a experiência temporal entre os gerentes médios não é homogênea. Há fatores ambientais comuns a todos os entrevistados, que tendem a aproximar as experiências temporais dos mesmos. Tais fatores, que são a compressão do tempo, o sentido de urgência, as novas tecnologias, características intrínsecas ao papel de gerente e a organização de si próprios, das empresas e colaboradores, estão associados ao cenário econômico e social contemporâneo. No entanto, características relacionadas à idade, gênero, valores e experiências pessoais, além do segmento de atuação da empresa também impactam a experiência temporal dos gerentes médios e contribuem para a diversificação da maneira como os gerentes médios experimentam e lidam com as pressões temporais. Em síntese, a despeito dos fatores ambientais compartilhados, com destaque para a crescente compressão do tempo, a natureza humana e a impermanência dos fenômenos sociais desnudam a complexidade da experiência temporal dos gerentes médios no trabalho. E revelam que – apesar da homogeneidade, objetividade e linearidade representadas pelo relógio, ícone do tempo nas sociedades ocidentais contemporâneas – heterogeneidade, subjetividade e ciclicidade fazem parte da experiência temporal dos trabalhadores.