Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Psychological capital (PsyCap), the four dimensions of PsyCap and Perceived Wellness are viewed as positive constructs. Research indicated these positive constructs has a beneficial or positive effect on the organisation's financial performance.. Furthermore, health and wellness awareness is lacking especially in the production-driven manufacturing industry where the profit motive is of paramount importance. The research study used a cross-sectional design, measuring Psychological capital and Perceived wellness using questionnaires in the form of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS), respectively. These questionnaires are self-report measures, which were distributed to a sample of employees from the manufacturing industry (n = 160) in the Western Cape. Various studies both locally and abroad confirmed that the respective measures are both valid and reliable, However, the applicability in South African organisations requires further exploration.The present study aimed to determine what effect the factors of psychological capital had on the wellness of employees. The relationship between psychological capital and its effect on employees' wellness was assessed using Pearson correlation, Analysis of variance and Multiple regression analysis. Based on the findings, there was no significant relationshipfound between psychological capital and the wellness amongst the sample employees in the manufacturing industry. This is however contradictory to what studies found researching similar constructs.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / The correctional facility, and in particular the job of the correctional officer, remain a unique field of study, as there has not been much research done on the population other than stress-related studies. Although the correctional environment is one of the most dangerous and volatile working environments, there is still a number of correctional officers who remain motivated in their role until the day they retire. Many studies conducted on correctional officers, focused on the negativity associated with the role, resulting in minimal positively focused research. With the recent development in the field of positive psychology and the dimensions of psychological capital it is believed that human resources and psychological strengths assist with improving an employee‟s performance. At present psychological capital is seen as an important concept in helping employees cope with their working environments, resulting in the success of the organisation. Research has also shown a link between an individual‟s psychological capital and their level of work engagement. Having correctional officers being positively engaged in their workplace, will firstly result in the successful operation of correctional facilities and secondly it will allow the department of correctional services to achieve their vision and mission in protecting society from harmful individuals and rehabilitating the inmates to successfully integrate into society again. Data for this present study was collected through a biographical questionnaire, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and the work and well-being questionnaire (UWES-17). A convenience sample was utilized, with 122 correctional officers completing the questionnaires. The data was then analyzed using a statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). This study found that psychological capital does influence work engagement amongst the sample of correctional officers, specifically the psychological capital dimension hope influencing the work engagement dimension vigour. Furthermore optimism explained the greatest proportion of the variance in work engagement. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were proposed.

Burgess (2003) has identified 16 different South African consumer groups. For the purpose of this research, and for the sake of simplicity, the 16 consumer groups were combined into four clusters. The four clusters are the following: the rural survivalist, the emerging, the urbanised middle class and the urban elite consumer group. The main objectives of the research were the following: <ul> <li>To determine the rural consumers‟ perceptions of the corporate image of Pharmaceutical organisations in the greater Bushbuckridge area. </li> <li>To provide guidelines for aligning organizational behaviour more closely with the rural consumers‟ perceptions of corporate image. </li> </ul> Structured interviews were conducted to determine the consumers‟ perceptions on how corporate image should be structured in order to improve healthcare delivery in the pharmaceutical sector in Bushbuckridge. A sample of 850 rural consumers was interviewed and the data obtained were analysed through content analysis and descriptive statistics. The following main conclusions were made: <ul> <li>With respect to corporate social responsibility, the consumers consider HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS treatment and support for pensioners as the most important intervention areas for the pharmaceutical organisations. </li> <li>With respect to corporate business conduct, rural consumers expect leaders to be able to listen, treat people with respect and to act intelligently. </li> <li>Expectations when buying medicine: The respondents expect the pharmaceutical companies to be trustworthy, act in confidence, to be able to analyse and clarify consumers‟ needs. </li> <li>Distribution channels: Respondents prefer to buy their medicine at pharmacies, government hospitals and clinics. </li> <li>Qualities of the sales force: Respondents expect that pharmaceutical companies should emphasise the following services: privacy during consultation, clean environment and training on how to live a healthy live. </li> <li>Pharmaceutical products: Western medicine is preferred in Bushbuckridge. </li> <li>Employee behavior: It is evident from the study that the respondents value “ubuntu”, believe that time is money, are undecided towards the influence of witchcraft in the workplace and also undecided towards the value of the extended family. </li> </ul> The literature review and the resulting empirical survey will assist leaders in the pharmaceutical sector to obtain a better understanding of rural consumers‟ perceptions of corporate image. / Thesis (PhD (Organizational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Human Resource Management / PhD / unrestricted

Based on the increasing importance that information and communication technologies (ICT) plays in most global economies, the high demand for ICT employees and the influence of organisational culture on the success of ICT businesses, the purpose of this study was to provide ICT managers with ways to retain and keep their employees satisfied and happy in their jobs. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to identify and empirically test the influence of various factors of organisational culture on Happiness and Job satisfaction of employees in the ICT industry in South Africa. After completing a comprehensive literature review, it appeared that limited research had been conducted on the happiness of employees in the ICT industry. Numerous factors were identified as influencing happiness; however, due to the difficulty to assess some of these factors, this study only focused on the influence of organisational culture on the happiness and in return the job satisfaction of employees. All the factors influencing organisational culture were reviewed in the literature and 13 independent variables were identified and hypothesised to influence the mediating variable Happiness and the dependent variable Job satisfaction. All the variables in this study were clearly conceptualised and operationalised. Valid and reliable items sourced from various measuring instruments used in previous studies, were used to operationalise theses variables. Furthermore, numerous items were self-generated from secondary sources. A convenience sampling method was used to identify the respondents and a structured questionnaire was completed online by respondents. The data collected from 187 usable questionnaires was subjected to various statistical analyses using the software program Statistica. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to assess the validity of the dependent variable Job satisfaction and the mediating variable Happiness of this study, whereas an Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to assess the validity of the independent variables. To confirm the reliability of all the variables investigated, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated. Due to the large number of variables and the small number of respondents, conducting a factor analysis on the independent variables was not possible. This problem was solved by the use of the item parcelling method. After the item parcelling was conducted and the factor analysis conducted, only seven out of the 13 factors loaded together as expected. All the parcels measuring these factors did not load together as expected and where necessary these factors were renamed and operationalised again. The sample data was summarised using descriptive statistics. The majority of respondents reported that they were satisfied with their jobs and almost half of the respondents reported being happy with their lives. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to establish the degree of relationship between the factors investigated in this study. After the Multiple Regression Analysis was conducted, it was found that three independent variables influence the Happiness of employees in the ICT industry, namely, Customer focus, Strategic direction and intent and Family orientation and atmosphere. Happiness was also found to have a positive influence on the Job satisfaction of ICT employees. The influence of various selected demographic variables on the dependent, mediating and independent variables was investigated by means of an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The statistical significance between the differences in means scores was measured using the Bonferroni Post-hoc test. The Population group of the respondents, the Years of service and their Age group were found to significantly influence some of the independent variables and mediating variables investigated in this study. No relationship was found between any demographic variables and the dependent variable Job satisfaction. Limited studies on the influence of organisational culture on the happiness of nemployees and more particularly those in the ICT industry were found in the literature. This study has made a contribution to the field of happiness research by understanding the factors influencing the happiness and job satisfaction of employees in the ICT industry. As a result, the study presents recommendations and suggestions to assist ICT businesses to improve their organisational culture and at the same time enhance the happiness and job satisfaction of their employees.

No / The purpose of this paper is to highlight the loss of moral capital incurred by an organization from indifferent or deferential followers of bad leaders. Despite the proliferation of codes of conduct and ethics and compliance programs throughout the business community, the prevalence of malevolence and malfeasance in organizations continues to rise. While a good deal is known about bad leadership, far less is known about bad followership.

Comprehensive research has been done on organisational behaviour, entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship. Literature is however less clear on which organisational behaviour components influence corporate entrepreneurship. This creates a problem for managers and business leaders when they want to influence the entrepreneurial spirit within an organisation. This study summaries the literature on organisational behaviour variables and corporate entrepreneurship, as well as the limited findings linking the two concepts. The empirical study focuses four areas: testing validity and reliability of the measurements used in the study; the correlation between organisational behaviour components and corporate entrepreneurship; the ability of organisational behaviour components to predict corporate entrepreneurship; and finally testing if the grouping of organisational behaviour variables is justified. This cross sectional study was done in 12 non-listed and 5 listed companies in South Africa. Randomly selected employees completed 862 questionnaires. They represented all the local ethnic groups, both genders, and were from all organisational levels. The results of the empirical study indicated that the measurements used in the study were all acceptable being reliable and valid. The correlation between the selected organisational behaviour components and corporate entrepreneurship were all strong and significant, with goal setting the strongest, followed by performance management, then transformational leadership, and communication. The correlation with shared decision making, organisational culture, and power were less strong but still significant. The organisational behaviour components together declare a 46.5% variance in corporate entrepreneurship with organisational culture and goal setting contributing significantly and uniquely. Grouping the organisational behaviour variables in individual level, group level and organisational level, as suggested by many authors, did not provide a satisfactory solution. Suggestions to managers on where to focus when they want to foster corporate entrepreneurship were made. The limitations as well as suggestions for future research were discussed in the final instance. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

Firms pursuing an open innovation strategy have increasingly turned to individuals as sources of new ideas. Two main approaches are often highlighted. First, firms can use online innovation contests, where individuals submit ideas in competition for a prize. Second, firms can use firm-hosted online communities, drawing from collaborative efforts of individuals with more intrinsic motivations to participate. A central challenge in both cases is that firms often struggle to sustain participation and effort of participants on an on-going basis. A third hybrid approach, where firms establish community-based innovation contests, has been largely ignored by research, but seems to help firms to engage participants on an on-going basis. This study focuses on community-based innovation contests to understand how firms engage communities to participate in contest over time. I conducted fieldwork at two firms that have successfully run them for many years, Chicago-based T-Shirt firm Threadless and Phoenix-based automotive firm Local Motors. Over ninety interviews with firm employees and community members, over six months of on-site observation at the two firms’ headquarters as well as internal documents and blog data have been collected and analysed. Based on this data the core of the thesis consists of three empirical chapters that examine how firms are able to engage the communities to participate in their contests on a regular basis. First, it shows that the addition of a community to contests increases contestants’ opportunities to learn. In experiential learning, contests provide experience whereas the community provides room for reflection and learning. These learning opportunities motivate contestants to come back and create contest entries on an on-going basis. Secondly, taking a social identity perspective, the research shows how the firms are able to engage the community members continuously by creating a joint firm-community identity. Lastly, it explains how these firms are able to influence community members’ perception of the tasks they are doing through the contest design. Firms are able to turn activities that have been traditionally regarded as work into a recreational activity.

Models of R&D account for technical, technological and administrative factors of R&D implementation but underestimate the influence of behavioural and political factors such as power and conflict. They assume that R&D organisation is “well-insulated” from partisan, emotions, political reactions and contextual factors and that decision makers are rational and decisions are taken to best fit the content of R&D programme. The present study explores the effects of rational and irrational factors in the R&D implementation process on the performance of publicly funded research projects in universities. It uses realist and qualitative exploratory semi-structured interviews with 22 active researchers in Sultan Qaboos University provides “depth and detail” of the complexities of R&D implementation effects on its performance. The study discovers 18 measures of success of academic research and 30 effects of R&D implementation of the performance of publicly funded research.The study concludes that the iterative, non-linear and processual nature of R&D implementation is a continuous dynamic system. R&D success builds up the capacity for future success whilst failures decrease the chances of future successes. The integrated effects of implementation (IEI) influence R&D performance through technical and administrative capability of the R&D organisation as well as through behaviours of organisation members. These include leaders’ behaviours, conflict and political skills within individuals. Both success dynamism and IEI suggest contextualism implementation of R&D.

Organisational commitment, viewed as a measurable psychological state, is a core variable of interest in Organisational Behaviour research. It has been studied for more than four decades, largely focusing on the identification of its antecedents and consequences. One widely used conceptualisation is Meyer and Allen‘s (1991) three-component model of commitment, which considers commitment as having three forms: affective, continuance and normative (emotional attachment to an organisation, the perceived cost associated with leaving it and the perceived obligation to remain in it). This research contributes in three ways to improving our understanding of public-sector work behaviour, with particular reference to organisational commitment. Firstly, it examines the multi-dimensionality of organisational commitment. Secondly, it explores the relationships between Meyer and Allen‘s three components, modifying the concept of continuance commitment to include two sub-components, high personal sacrifice and low perceived alternatives, thus proposing a four-factor model, Antecedents and Consequences of Organisational Commitment Components (ACOCC). Thirdly, it considers antecedent variables, including Hofstede‘s (1980) four cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance and masculinity/femininity), as well as selected consequences: in role behaviour, organisational citizen behaviour and employee intention to leave. These selected variables are deemed to be suitable for Saudi Arabian culture and have never been tested before in that context. The study investigates how the commitment components are associated with and mediate relationships with the set of possible work behaviours. Using a sample of 700 employees from different organisation levels (drawn from 16 Saudi ministries in two cities, Riyadh and Jeddah) the hypotheses were tested through structural equation modelling, which confirmed the fit of the proposed recursive ACOCC model. The regression paths were significant between the antecedents (opportunities for learning, impersonal bureaucratic arrangements and Hofstede‘s four cultural dimensions) and affective and normative commitment, as well as for continuance commitment for reasons of high personal sacrifice. Intention to leave and organisational citizen behaviour were fully mediated by the commitment components. Thus the findings reveal the level and form of organisational commitment among public-sector employees and of relationships between the antecedents and consequences of that commitment in a non-Western culture, specifically Saudi Arabia. In particular, they highlight the significant mediation role of organisational commitment. The findings also permit exploration of a number of issues pertaining to cultural dimensions impacting on organisational commitment. Noteworthy here, for example, is the high degree of uncertainty avoidance found among Saudi public-sector top-level managers. These different results have important implications for the nature and management of commitment among government employees in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as a whole.

Although a growing number of scholars suggest that the construction of identity is an important form of institutional work, the complex interactions between identities and institutions remain under-explored. In particular, few studies consider how the affective aspects of identities may inform institutional work. This thesis examines the experiences of lawyers who volunteered to create and support a legal charity. As these volunteers grew to more than twenty thousand over fifteen years, the charity gradually centralized charitable work across law firms for the first time. In this way, it transformed the institution of pro bono work within the English legal profession. Drawing on this case study, this thesis employs a grounded theory methodology to generate a conceptual framework that connects emotion work, identity work and institutional work. This framework suggests that some professionals work to re-assert and ‘remember’ aspects of their traditional identities that compete with some contemporary demands. This can prompt identity contradictions that inspire reflection on professional practices. This identity work may also encourage professionals to evoke emotions of guilt that can imbue contradictions with enough significance to create a purpose for remedial institutional work. When enabled by meso-level processes, such micro-level work can reinvigorate traditional practices and accomplish institutional change.