Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Diversity is an inevitable aspect of organisational life, which has to be dealt with at one time or another. How employees perceive diversity impacts on their behaviour and therefore managing it is imperative. The purpose of the study is an evaluation of employee perceptions towards diversity management in a glass packaging manufacturing concern in the Western Cape. There has been a movement by many organisations over the last two decades to place more emphasis on valuing employee differences, and developing diversity management initiatives (policies and programs that benefit all employees regardless of differences for a common goal).Organisations are faced with understanding the importance of valuing differences and instituting effective diversity management initiatives as counter-measures to protect themselves from such negative consequences as lawsuits, loss of competitive advantage and diminished legitimacy in the eyes of the customers they serve. The increase in females and previously disadvantaged groups in the work force, along with employers’ concerns about motivating and obtaining 6 satisfactory levels of performance from a diverse group of employees, has created an urgency to understand and recognize the value of differences.A quantitative, cross-sectional research design, based on analysis of questionnaires administered within one of the manufacturing plants of the organisation based in the Western Cape, was undertaken. The Workplace Diversity Survey was used to measure employees’perceptions and attitudes towards diversity. Significant differences in the perceptions of employees (n=80) on the basis of age, race and gender, were found. However, there was no statistically significant difference in perceptions towards diversity on the basis of job status.While some methodological issues remain problematic, the researcher is of the opinion however, that the study will be useful for the intended organisation and its management in that no scientific information pertaining to managing diversity, exists within the business.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Research evidence suggests that strengthening the cultural roots of an organisation (Organisational Culture) can lead to the observance of increased behaviours that goes beyond the call of duty (Organisational Citizenship Behaviour) across all sectors within a given organisation. Organisational cultures that encourage innovation, sense of togetherness and positive competition, are ideal in encouraging employees to perform beyond normal expectations in organisations. Organisational culture is therefore a critical element that contributes to organisational success and effectiveness. The focus of this study is to determine the impact that the organisational culture of the South African Police Service, as an organisation, has on the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour of its members in the Western Cape. The empirical study involved the participation of 127 respondents from three of the largest police stations in the Western Cape. A survey was conducted using the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale (OCBS) to assess the hypothesised relationship between the variables. An analysis of the results suggests that all of the dimensions of Organisational Culture (Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market) are positively related to all of the dimensions of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (Altruism, Sportsmanship, Civic Virtue, Conscientiousness and courtesy).

The presented dissertation reports the findings of a quantitative study on shared values of a multinational corporation across its Middle East and Sub-Saharan subsidiaries. The study is based on the Competing Values Framework (Quinn &Rohrbaugh, 1983; Cameron&Quinn, 1999) with 24 shared values superimposed upon the Competing Values Framework (McDonald&Gandz, 1992). The presented work argues that an organisation can increase its competitiveness by understanding its shared value system and by managing the organisation accordingly. In return, the organisation due to an increased competitiveness would realise a competitive advantage by understanding the shared value composition. In understanding the shared values composition one can attract and retain staff due to a greater person organisation fit, which in turn would lead to a reduction in staff turnover, skilling and training cost in return yielding a competitive advantage. The research found that there seems to be a common shift or trend in the Cape Town, Johannesburg and Middle East subsidiaries. The trend is that the subsidiaries value those shared values most that fits into the clan and market culture quadrants with some elements of the adhocracy and hierarchy cultures type resembled. The latter not being as dominant as the clan and market culture types. The Pretoria and Turkey subsidiaries regarded the values of the clan and adhocracy culture quadrants higher than those within the market and hierarchy culture quadrants. This is unexpected to a degree as the subsidiaries are across multiple nations encompassing different cultures. The subsidiaries believe in culture of collaboration and competition with the purpose of group cohesion and the pursuit of objectives. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The principles and practices of project management are increasingly adopted by organisations (technical and non-technical) that hope to reap its multiple benefits, particularly 'the opportunity to be both externally effective (fast to market) and internally efficient (doing more, faster, with less)' (Pinto, 2002). Organisations may not be as successful as they anticipated when they opted to engage in project management, because their organisational culture does not support project work. The primary objective of this research was ‘to develop a reliable holistic diagnostic assessment tool to measure project management culture, as an operational culture, in organisations’. This research made use of multi-methods (triangulation) including: • a thorough literature study; • verification of the theoretical model of du Plessis (2001) by project management experts using Lawshe’s (1975) technique; • the development of a scale instrument (project management culture assessment tool) by using DeVellis’s (1991) process supported by Clark and Watson’s (1995); and • a reliability test of the developed project management culture assessment tool (PMCAT), by using the Mann-Whitney t-test, in two independent organisations. The results indicated that 94% of the project management experts who responded perceived the model and descriptive elements on project management culture by Du Plessis (2001) as valid. A questionnaire with 135 variables derived from the validated model and descriptive elements was subjected to 494 project managers of whom 236 responded. This data was the input to the development of the scale instrument, using statistical techniques such as item analysis (SAS, 1997) and exploratory factor analysis (BMDP, 1993). The outcome was a project management culture assessment tool (PMCAT) that comprised of 89 items in a five-factor scale instrument. The overall reliability of the items in this scale was highly acceptable with a Cronbach alpha coefficient above 0.70. The scale inter-correlation showed that the factors are highly inter-correlated which can be expected from an interdisciplinary, holistic construct of factors that are systemic in nature. The PMCAT was tested in two independent organisations and was found to be a reliable diagnostic tool that can distinguish between organisations' project management culture, especially in the South African project management environment. / Thesis (PhD (Organizational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

The subject of this thesis is to evaluate the corporate culture of UniCredit Group. The thesis also analyses the influence of Italian national culture on corporate culture of the UniCredit Group. The theoretical part describes the corporate culture, its determinants, typology and strategies used in international expansion. The practical part introduces the UniCredit Group, its history on the czech market and it also includes the evaluation of the corporate culture. In the end, there is an analysis of Italian national culture being one of the determinants of the UniCredit Groups corporate culture.

In the past two decades, a need in forming strategic alliance has become increasingly important, especially for small companies. Likewise, airline alliances act as a vehicle for small carriers to obtain their superior position or to survive competition in a competitive international market where they do not appear to be a dominant player. In strategic alliances, the greater integration conveys greater benefits. However, the level of failure and success are varied among alliance members. This thesis was underpinned by the aim to conduct an in-depth study under the concept of organisational culture to reveal the key issues and barriers that appear to distort the ability of an organisation to foster success as well as to boost up its ability to obtain the benefits from the alliances to the maximum level.The empirical investigation employed a qualitative approach as a mechanism, driving this thesis through the process of research design, data collection, and data analysis. Using a single case study as a main technique, the case company of this thesis is Thai Airways. Data was collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using thematic grouping and organised through NVIvo software.This thesis displayed the findings into two main themes. The first theme is associated with the activity to diagnose organisational culture, whereas the Competing Values Framework (CVF) was adopted as an initial framework. The main objectives are to develop a cultural profile for Thai Airways and to identify the key issues and barriers that distort the ability of Thai Airways to foster success. The key finding derived from this theme offered the identified problems and barriers derived from organisational culture. Using the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) method, the second theme is associated with the activity to identify the critical success factors for Thai Airways, deriving as a set of CSFs proposed to help enhance the ability of Thai Airways to obtain big firm's benefits. The outcome of this thesis could be considered as a new reference for the areas of organisational studies and the success of airlines, where the literature appears to be limited. More importantly, this thesis believed that the research journey offered an empirical experience reflecting a piece of organisational culture study in a non-Western context.

The health system in Abu Dhabi has undergone a series of far reaching reforms during the past six years, yet in spite of the structural transformations, public confidence in the performance of this vital sector is still skeptical at best and employee engagement is still low. The thesis was underpinned by the aim to reveal the challenges in public health system reform outside the context of western administration. This thesis is an attempt to analyse the intricate, multidimensional concept of organisational culture within the complex structure of public healthcare sector in a fast growing economy like Abu Dhabi. Managing organisational culture is increasingly viewed as an essential part of health system reform. Organisational culture in health care organisations has gained increased consideration as an important factor that affects health systems reform and influences the quality of health care. The research project aims to explore the context of health system reform in Abu Dhabi and to understand the organisational culture of the different constituents of its public healthcare sector. Using a multi-method investigation combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches using the Competing Values Framework as conceptual framework, this research aims to provide a critical assessment of organisational culture in healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the regulator, operator, and three public hospitals prior to the use of a survey instrument based on the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). The data analysis revealed that the prevailing cultural model of the Abu Dhabi public sector organisations was concurrently governed by hierarchy and market cultures while the presence of clan and adhocracy models was relatively limited. Interesting variations in assessment of clan culture were found between UAE nationals and other nationality clusters. The findings also revealed a desired cultural shift manifested by a higher emphasis on clan and adhocracy cultures and a lower emphasis on hierarchy and market culture. Those results confirm the presence of two opposing or competing cultural dimensions clan/adhocracy vs. hierarchy/market. This research makes a considerable contribution to the sparse empirical studies in health system reforms and organisational culture in the Arab Gulf states, and proposes important explanations and possible solutions to the salient challenges facing the health system in Abu Dhabi.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / There has been a global transformation of higher education institutions (HEls) in response to a wave of dynamic education sector reforms; specifically, this is related to the adoption of educational technologies to enhance teaching-and-learning practices, education management, research and administration. This situation has placed a strain on HEls in South Africa and elsewhere, due to changing societal expectations, the inevitable integration of technology, and specifically eLearning into traditional interventions; and at the same time, the increasing pressure on practitioners to deliver quality education. Equally important, the question arises whether Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is indeed constructively impacting teaching-and-learning practices. Consequently, a need has arisen for ePedagogy training and support for academics and students within challenging, complex HE settings. Within this context, the research has endeavoured to position the eLearning discourse within a global perspective; as well as to explore the theoretical underpinnings which impact the application of learning, and specifically eLearning. In particular, the merging of learning theories; different teaching and learning approaches, and technology that enables the creation of effective eLearning models and provides a more structured approach to the implementation of eLearning, were studied. Building on this theoretical basis, the importance and content of models within the discourse have highlighted the recent emphasis on the delivery of quality education. The principal thrust of this research was, therefore, to highlight the main developmental phases towards the creation of an Integrated eLearning model to influence organisational cultural change in Higher Education Institutions. The research was built on an in-depth case study of a large HEL namely: the University of the Western Cape (UWC), over the period September 2005 to October 2011. This explorative, longitudinal study was undertaken because of the numerous "unsuccessful" or "incomplete" eLearning implementations in developing countries, as well as the many challenges faced by academics. As a result, the study explored the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of eLearning within the empirical setting of UWC, a complex higher education environment. This has been an accumulative exercise that started shortly before the establishment of the E-Learning Development and Support Unit (EDSU) and the 'el.earning Awareness Campaign' - reflecting on the deployment of a non-coercive approach to the implementation of el.earning and its impact on the organisational culture of the institution. The result was the development of an Online Course Creation model, which forms the core of phase 1 (September 2005 - December 2006) of the case study. Subsequently, phase 2 (January 2007 - August 2008) of the case study showcased gaps in the Online Course Creation model and emphasised that eLearning implementation in a complex higher education setting should go beyond thefocus on ePedagogy with regard to effective online course creation. Hence, this second phase of the case study involved the development of a revised eLearning model, the Inclusive ePedagogy model. Consequently, phase 3 (September 2008 - October 2011) of the case study highlighted the main developmental stages implemented in the creation of a final Integrated el.earning model, and discussed how these integrated factors contribute to the implementation of eLearning, and ultimately, influence the organisational cultural change within UWC. Interaction with various stakeholders during the phases of the study included interviews and questionnaires. As a result thereof, the research reflected on the exponential growth of eLearning; improved attitudes and mindsets; strategic commitment for the infusion of technology and ePedagogy; and the institutional teaching and learning strategy. On the other hand, these results are in stark contrast to the lack of management in the development of the home-grown Open Source platform, coupled with intermittent access to internet connectivity. This shortcoming has often hindered online teaching and learning initiatives and support processes. Furthermore, the research has indicated how educational technology has positively impacted on prevailing communities of practice, and has even led to sound practices, such as sharing online courses/modules within the institution and with the global community. The escalating numbers of students seeking eLearning training and support have been supported by blended eLearning approaches. These approaches reflect the importance of integrated curriculum design. Moreover, the presented Integrated eLearning model, shows that 'eLearning success' can never be claimed, but is rather a process undergirded by a dedicated support team committed to continuous eLearning marketing, together with the review of processes within dynamic, complex higher education settings. Equally important, eLearning implementation within a HEI inherently impacts the organisational cultural changes. This is not just a once-off event, as it entails the difficult task of changing mindsets toward the use of new pedagogies, in order to supplement traditional instruction. At the same time, considering people-development processes; as well as organisational issues, which include peoples' perceptions at different times of the eLearning continuum, is presented as various factors, which contribute to the successful implementation of eLearning. The most important factors contributing to successful eLearning implementation, as established through the research, and also incorporated into the proposed Integrated eLearning Model are: the provision of holistic online activities; integrated institutional ICT infrastructure and systems; the support of educators and students; the necessary positive attitude by lecturers to take a hands-on role in the application of blended eLearning practices - aligned to research - and the contribution to the knowledge era; the importance of communities of practice within and outside the institution; the need for motivated formal leadership and educators to take ownership of the development of aligned, integrated curriculum strategies supportive of emergent educational technologies; continuous commitment to eLearning support, and quality-assurance processes; sustainable eLearning change management and marketing strategies; as well as crucial integrated professional leadership, management and support of the elements of the Integrated eLearning model.

Master’s thesis is focused on description of the present state of organization culture of the company Epcos s. r. o. The thesis produses the disposal for upgrading organization culture. Part of own work is the proposal of ethics code for company Epcos s. r. o., proposal of vision of the company, and creation and evaluation of questionnaire which refers to the communication related to the organization culture.

This study is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of female executives in the financial sector of South Africa. It aims to explore the perceptions of the possible challenges which have been experienced by executive women within the financial sector while attempting to break the glass ceiling. In many countries including South Africa there lies a contradiction between our governmental policies of equality and equal representation for men and women in the employment sectors and the actual practice. Despite the fact that our employment laws have changed in order to give equal opportunities to both males and females there is still such a small percentage of women holding executive positions in corporate South Africa and this could be a consequence of the challenges faced by them. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis based on a feminist standpoint as a method, this study explores the hidden gender inequalities that exist within the boardrooms of the financial sector. It starts by exploring how available literature constructs the problem as related to the internal organisational and institutional structures of the financial sectors and individual matters and societal perceptions. Interview data from semi-structured interviews with females in executive positions were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Similar views emerged from the participants in this study, which confirm previous literature and studies. The barriers highlighted in this research were the different roles which men and women perform, compensation, networking and mentoring disadvantages, re-entry into the corporate world after maternity leave and the ability to be a mother and career woman at the same time. The study agrees that women tend to experience the glass ceiling or factors contributing to what has been termed the glass ceiling. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted