Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Ph.D. (Education and Curriculum Studies) / This study is about teachers’ identity shifts during the first waves of educational reform in South Africa in the post-apartheid renewal and restructuring of the education system. I studied the everyday life of four teachers in a “township” school in Gauteng Province, the industrial heartland of the country. I set out to find, over a three of years, how teachers saw themselves as professionals in this changing landscape, which included a three of new policies, including a new curriculum policy and a school governance policy. The study started with the knowledge claim that the researcher would find a shift in teacher identity, working from theories of self, specifically symbolic interactionism. I argued that in the establishment of a “post 1994” identity, as citizens and as educational practitioners, teachers have been the object of multiple social interventions. The least of these is not their adapted teaching modes and their performance as “OBE practitioners”, but as educators who took on the identity of the curriculum and its ideological intent. This was to shift teachers’ focus to learning outcomes more than content input and to see themselves as “guides by the side”, facilitators of learning, creating learning conditions that would optimise the potential of children and youth. For many teachers, the move away from being the giver or instructor to being the guide may be disturbing, I argued at the outset. I was interested to see how they engaged with a new life in a new system, or rather, a system “under repair” and one which may ask of them not only to adopt the “seven new roles of educators” as per the first policy change, but with that, also their sense of who they were, their sense of self as practitioners ...

Magister Artium - MA / The aim of the study is to prove that a correlation exist between job satisfaction and the levels of absenteeism, turnover, performance and customer satisfaction. Data were collected using the Job Satisfaction Survey which is a self-administered questionaire to measure job satisfaction of call centre representatives. Additional data were collected using the company's existing measures for measuring absenteeism, turnover, performance and customer satisfaction. The study found a relationship between job satisfaction and performance, between job satisfaction and turnover and between job satisfaction and customer service. However, no relationship was found between job satisfaction and absenteeism, which is consistent with previous studies. / South Africa

Andelen äldre i samhället ökar. Med åldrandet följer nedsatt fysisk förmåga, förändrade socialt nätverk och ökad sjukdomsförekomst vilket kan påverka hälsan. Hälsa som en subjektiv upplevelse utgörs av flera dimensioner av välbefinnande där livstillfredsställelse är en dem. Syftet med studien var att beskriva självskattad hälsa, livstillfredsställelse och dess förändring över tid, samt livsgnista hos personer över 80 år. Metoden som användes var en longitudinell skattning av upplevd hälsa samt livsgnista år 1999 och 2017 hos 10 personer över 80 år. Semistrukturerade intervjuer med samma 10 personer genomfördes avseende deras upplevelse av livstillfredsställelse idag samt för 20 år sedan Resultatet visade att livsgnistan hos de flesta av deltagarna var hög. Självskattad hälsa hade sjunkit sedan 1999 för flertalet, ingen av deltagarna skattade sin hälsa som förbättrad men inte heller skattade någon sin hälsa som dålig. Tre av deltagarna skattade sin hälsa som mycket bra. Intervjuerna resulterade i beskrivningar av livstillfredsställelse idag och för 20 år sedan där tre kategorier i vardera tidsaspekten identifierades. Livstillfredsställelse idag utgjordes av kategorierna: acceptans för hur livet är idag, mening med tillvaron och konsekvenser av åldrandet.  Livstillfredsställelse för 20 år sedan utgjordes av kategorierna: livet gick sin gilla gång, saker som berikade livet samt hälsa och sammanhang. Slutsatser som kan dras av denna studie är att de äldre upplever livstillfredsställelse och hög livsgnista. Det finns en tendens att högre skattad hälsa är kopplat till högre livsgnista. Skattad hälsa samt faktorer som bidrar till livstillfredsställelse förändras över tid i samband åldrande. Det finns förutsättningar för de äldre att uppleva hög nivå av livstillfredsställelse trots de konsekvenser som åldrandet kan ha på hälsan. Det är av vikt för distriktssköterskor att bedöma äldre personers subjektiva hälsa. Detta för att kunna planera vårdinsatser på ett sätt som ger de bästa förutsättningarna för denna aspekt av hälsa samt en personcentrering av vården.

Five models delineating the person-situation fit controversy were developed and tested. Hypotheses were tested to determine the linkages between vision congruence, empowerment, locus of control, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee performance. Vision was defined as a mental image of a possible and desirable future state of the organization. Data were collected from 213 employees in a major flower import company. Participants were from various organizational levels and ethnic backgrounds. The data collection procedure consisted of three parts. First, a profile analysis instrument was used which was developed employing a Q-sort based technique, to measure the vision congruence between the CEO and each employee. Second, employees completed a survey instrument which included scales measuring empowerment, locus of control, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and social desirability. Third, supervisor performance ratings were gathered from employee files. Data analysis consisted of using Kendall's tau to measure the correlation between CEO's and each employee's vision. Path analyses were conducted using the EQS structural equation program to test five theoretical models for goodness-of-fit. Regression analysis was employed to test whether locus of control acted as a moderator variable. The results showed that vision congruence is significantly related to job satisfaction and employee commitment, and perceived empowerment acts as an intervening variable affecting employee outcomes. The study also found that people with an internal locus of control were more likely to feel empowered than were those with external beliefs. Implications of these findings for both researchers and practitioners are discussed and suggestions for future research directions are provided.

Research problem: The restructuring of an organisation can be classified as a transformational intervention (Litwin & Burke, 1992). As such is it has a potential to significantly influence key employee attitudes that are related to employee and organisational performance. Any deterioration in these attitudes could impact negatively on organisational outcomes. As part of the monitoring and review of change interventions, management needs to understand the change in employee attitudes towards their work and management in their business units and towards the broader organisation in order that, if necessary, corrective action can be taken. Research objectives: To address the research problem, research objectives and questions were established. The main objective of the study was to investigate whether there has been a change in attitudes of employees in two business units of a South African National Science Council after the implementation of restructuring in the organisation and the business units. The key attitudes to be measured are job and management satisfaction, perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and a dimension of employee engagement, dedication. Research questions: Four research questions were established and these were; What is the change in employee attitudes post-restructuring? In particular what is the change in employee job satisfaction; management satisfaction, employee engagement, commitment to the organisation and perceived organisational support? What is the relationship between the sub-groups, distinguished by gender, occupational level, race, home language, age, number of years of service and business unit, and employee attitudes pre-restructuring? What is the relationship between the sub-groups distinguished by gender, occupational level, race, home language, age, number of years of service and business unit, and employee attitudes post-restructuring? What is the relationship between the sub-groups distinguished by gender, occupational level, race, home language, age, number of years of service and business unit, and the change in employee attitudes pre and post-restructuring? Research design: The nature of this research is descriptive. In order to solve the research questions the researcher used a pre-test and post-test measurement of employee attitudes. A survey using a structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information regarding employee attitudes before and after the restructuring of the organisation and business units. Major findings: The results from the survey showed that there was a change in the levels of organisational commitment, job satisfaction and management satisfaction at the National Science Council after the restructuring had taken place. Also, the impact of the sub-groups in the organisation on affective factors was evident in the level of occupation and employee engagement, race and management satisfaction, the business unit and the levels of perceived organisational support, management satisfaction and employee engagement, home language and employee engagement, the number of years the employee had worked for the organisation and management satisfaction, age and job satisfaction and employee engagement.

Rising global competition, the influence of advances in information technology and the re-engineering of business processes are some of the imperatives that force organisations to restructure their businesses. In South Africa, the situation is even more compelling, with the recent democratisation of the country that requires companies to implement certain restructuring programmes designed to empower previously disadvantaged individuals. Organisational restructuring is therefore inevitable for any organisation. These changes, however, do affect organisations and employees. Employees become insecure, confused about their jobs, and therefore less productive. To the extent that change can adversely affect both organisations and employees, it becomes critical that organisations should implement it carefully, if they are to survive. To achieve this, requires managers to fully understand drivers of change, the possible consequences of change on both organisation and employees, and to take appropriate actions. The main objective of this study was to identify possible approaches that organisations can pursue in implementing restructuring without adversely affecting the employees. The practical context chosen was an organisation that had recently implemented organisational restructuring. The research methodology for this study entailed the conducting of an intensive study of the relevant literature, to determine what the theory reveals in respect of restructuring strategies that can assist organisations in effectively implementing the restructuring process. Dissertations, theses, research reports and journals were consulted, in an attempt to formulate a theoretical basis for this study. The contemporary literature reveals that there are various strategies that organisations can employ to effectively restructure their organisations with minimal adverse influence on employees. The restructuring organisations should ensure that employees are genuinely involved in the process at the iv outset. The desired changes and the benefits thereof, should be clearly and consistently communicated to the employees at the beginning of the restructuring process. An empirical study was then conducted at the chosen organisation that had recently embarked on an organisational restructuring. The focal point of the empirical study was to determine how this organisation had implemented its restructuring process. The main purpose was to establish the impact that this restructuring had on the morale and motivation of the employees. The final step of this study included an assessment of the findings. This was done so that suitable conclusions could be drawn and appropriate recommendations made. The conclusions revolved around the effects of restructuring on the employees of this organisation. The focus of the recommendations was on what approaches the restructuring organisations should follow to successfully and effectively implement the restructuring process, without adversely affecting the employees.

Auteure et scientifique française du siècle des Lumières, Geneviève Thiroux d’Arconville (1720-1805) contribue largement à la circulation des savoirs de son temps en publiant près de 70 ouvrages (littéraires, historiques et scientifiques), en plus de laisser à sa mort douze cahiers manuscrits rédigés à la toute fin de sa vie (1801-1805). Pourtant, cette auteure prolifique demeure, encore aujourd’hui, méconnue dans le milieu universitaire. Son œuvre représente une pensée complexe qui se déploie à travers quatre lignes de force, à savoir la fiction, la morale, l’histoire et les sciences. Dans le but de mieux comprendre son discours, cette thèse étudie l’une de ces lignes directrices : la morale. L’objectif de ce travail consiste donc à saisir l’évolution de la réflexion morale de Madame d’Arconville à travers un corpus formé d’ouvrages publiés dans la deuxième moitié du XVIIIe siècle et des textes manuscrits rédigés au tout début du siècle suivant. Nous cherchons à voir comment la réflexion morale de Madame d’Arconville, qui est à la fois portée par le pessimisme augustinien hérité des moralistes du XVIIe siècle et par l’idéologie progressiste des Lumières, s’infléchit graduellement au sein de ses manuscrits de fin de vie en une morale plus réflexive.

Cette recherche fut élaborée afin d’offrir un portrait contrasté et critique de l’organisation des services de santé mentale au Québec. Elle se situe en réaction contre la volonté instituée d’exclure la parole de la personne psychiatrisée et de la soustraire d’une partie de son pouvoir sur elle-même. Afin de découvrir la manière dont l’identité se transforme à travers le parcours de soins, nous avons développé un cadre conceptuel liant les théorisations goffmanienne et foucauldienne, nous permettant de mettre à jour la façon dont les discours dominants et l’organisation concrète des services agissent sur l’expérience sensible des sujets. Méthodologiquement, nous nous sommes inspirée des principes de l’ethnographie institutionnelle et avons effectué une collecte de données de 16 mois, par le bais de l’observation participante et d’entretiens semi-dirigés, au sein de trois organismes communautaires de santé mentale dans la ville de Gatineau. La population cible de cette recherche était composée d’adultes psychiatrisés faisant actuellement l’usage de leurs services. Nos résultats montrent que organisation de l’offre de services engendre des attributs identitaires chez les participants par le biais de contraintes structurelles qui occasionnent une transformation du rapport à soi, à l’autre et à la société. Ces contraintes résultent de relations de pouvoir se situant à l’extérieur de la vie quotidienne des usagers et sous-jacentes à l’organisation des services. Un continuum identitaire se développe au cours du parcours, aboutissant à son extrême, à une identité « docile » qui correspond aux besoins de fonctionnalité de la structure et qui contribue au maintien de relations de pouvoir asymétriques, au détriment de l’usager. Celui-ci demeure, ainsi, dans un état de marginalité institué. En tant que travailleuse sociale, nous proposons d’avoir recours à l’approche d’intervention visant la conscientisation critique des usagers, afin que ces derniers puissent contrer la modulation de soi et se réapproprier réellement leur pouvoir d’agir.

La thèse que je présente s’intitule Machiavélisme : politique et réalisme. Elle est structurée en cinq chapitres. Dès le début, j’ai démontré que la pensée politique de Machiavel est inséparable du contexte socio-politique de l’Italie du XVe et XVIe siècles. Le souhait profond de Machiavel, c’est de voir son pays libéré de tous les barbares. Machiavel a décrit la mécanique du pouvoir, la lutte pour sa conquête, sa confiscation, l’affrontement des ambitions personnelles. Comment gouverner les hommes ? A cette question, il affirme que le prince doit être à la fois renard et lion pour connaître les pièges et effrayer les loups. Le prince est double : homme et bête. Il a une double nature. Sa bestialité elle-même est double. C’est le réalisme politique. Celui qui veut la fin doit aussi vouloir les moyens propres à l’atteindre, même si ces moyens peuvent paraître en contradiction avec l’idéologie du moment. Le prince ne doit pas s’embarrasser de la morale ni des principes quand il s’agit de gouverner les hommes. Paraître sans l’être et paraître en l’étant tout en demeurant capable de paraître son contraire et par là de le devenir. J’ai fait une étude du machiavélisme et ce concept est inséparable de la raison d’État. La raison d’État est ordinairement associée au pouvoir politique dégagé de toute limitation morale et juridique. Enfin j’ai fait un rapprochement entre le machiavélisme et les dictatures du XXe siècle (Hitler, Mussolini, Lénine). / The dissertation we deal with is entitled Machiavelianism: Politics and Realism. Five chapters structure it. Right from the beginning, it has been posited that Machiavelli's political thought is inherent to the Italian social and political context of the XVth and XVIth centuries. Italy was peculiarly in turmoil during this period because some of its provinces were besieged by France and Spain. Machiavelli's deep thought consists in seeing Italy free from the barbarians. Machiavelli has described the mechanism of power, the struggle for its conquest, its confiscation, the confrontation of personal ambitions. How to govern men? To this question, Machiavelli states that the Prince has to behave as a fox and lion in order to unravel traps and threaten the wolves. His bestiality is therefore double-shaped. That is the political realism, thereby. The one who wants the end has to justify the specific means to reach them as well; even though these means supposedly contradict the up-dated ideology. Neither morality nor principles have to embarass the Prince when the question of governing the city is posed. We have analyzed Machavelianism and the concept is inseparable from the state reason. The state reason is ordinarily associated with the political power, all moral and judicial limits cleared off. Finally, a link has been made between Machiavelianism and the XXth century dictatorships.