O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as práticas sociais em organizações do setor privado e sua aproximação com as expectativas e resultados da sustentabilidade social, a partir das dimensões da inovação social. Para tal, realizou-se um estudo de casos múltiplos, com objetivo exploratório e descritivo, de natureza qualitativa, sobre práticas sociais implementadas em três empresas brasileiras localizadas no Rio Grande do Sul. As empresas selecionadas desenvolvem ações voltadas à melhoria da qualidade de vida e à mudança social nas comunidades em que atuam, tendo em vista alguns desafios sociais. O processo de coleta de dados pautou-se tanto na pesquisa documental de fontes secundárias disponibilizadas pelas organizações estudadas, como na coleta de dados primários, através de observação direta e entrevistas semiestruturadas junto aos atores sociais identificados, em cada organização, como os responsáveis pela implementação e continuidade das práticas selecionadas. Todos os dados foram submetidos à triangulação, tendo em vista a qualidade do estudo. Após revisar a literatura, tendo por base as temáticas da inovação e da sustentabilidade em suas dimensões sociais aplicadas a organizações, foram destacados os objetivos e as expectativas que permitem analisar a presença de sustentabilidade social e os fatores indicativos de inovação social, com base nas suas dimensões. Os casos foram avaliados isoladamente e, posteriormente, foi feita a análise intercaso, a qual permitiu ponderar as semelhanças e divergências de cada organização, com base nas categorias de análise elencadas. Assim, foi possível inferir sobre a ocorrência da inovação social no contexto corporativo. A partir dos resultados do estudo foram elencados os fatores que caracterizam inovações sociais com base nas suas dimensões: objetivos e motivações, atores, processo de implementação e resultados obtidos. Os dados apontaram para a necessidade primordial de relacionar a inovação social aos objetivos e estratégias da organização, considerando que, a partir disto, sua prática social poderá ser legitimada. Também se verificou que, para serem consideradas como tal, as mudanças sociais resultantes da prática organizacional deverão conduzir a comunidade à autonomia e ao empoderamento, a fim de que sigam operando de forma sustentável sem a tutela da organização. A prática da inovação social corporativa é parte de um processo de mudança cultural e é frequentemente legitimada em modelos de negócios sociais, ainda que praticados por organizações com fins lucrativos. Ainda, considerando as dimensões e princípios da sustentabilidade social, confirma-se que a existência da inovação social corporativa é requisito para que se possa atuar em prol da sustentabilidade social, com base no que, de fato, pressupõe ser sustentável. / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, CAPES / This study aimed to analyze the social practices carried out by private sector organizations and their approximation with the expectations and results of social sustainability, from the dimensions of social innovation. In this sense, a multi-case study was carried out, with an exploratory and descriptive objective and qualitative nature about social practices implemented in three Brazilian companies located in Rio Grande do Sul. The selected companies develop actions that aim to improve the quality of life and social change in the communities in which they operate, considering some social challenges. Considering the proposed objective, the data collection process was based on documental research in secondary sources provided by the studied organizations and the collection of primary data, through direct observation and semi-structured interviews with the social actors identified as responsible of each organization for the implementation and continuity of selected practices. All data were submitted to triangulation, considering the quality of the study. After reviewing the literature, based on the general themes of innovation and sustainability in its social dimensions applied to organizations, the objectives and expectations that allow the analysis of the presence of social sustainability, as well as the factors indicative of social innovation based on its dimensions were highlighted. The cases were evaluated separately and later was made the analysis inter-case which led to consider the similarities and differences of each organization based on categories of analysis listed. Thus, it was possible to infer about the occurrence of social innovation in the corporate context. Based on the results of the study, the factors characterizing social innovations based on their dimensions: objectives and motivations, actors, implementation process and results obtained from the practices were listed. The results pointed to the need to relate social innovation, first, to the objectives and strategies of the organization and, from this, their social practice can be justified. It is also verified that to be considered as such, the social changes resulting from their practice should lead the community to autonomy and empowerment, so that they continue to operate in a sustainable way without the organization being ahead. The practice of corporate social innovation is part of a process of cultural change and is more easily legitimized in social business models, although practiced by for-profit organizations. Finally, considering the dimensions and principles of social sustainability, it is confirmed that the existence of corporate social innovation is a prerequisite for social sustainability, based on what, in fact, assumes to be sustainable.

A difusão da inovação determina o processo pelo qual uma inovação é comunicada, informada por determinados canais, em um espaço de tempo, entre membros de um sistema social. Já a inovação de serviços engloba a importância de diferenciação de serviços para a estratégia das organizações, o que pode deixar a organização em uma posição vantajosa, na busca de diferenciação em produtos ou serviços. A partir da Aprendizagem em nível organizacional as empresas podem tornar-se abertas as mudanças, o que permite o desenvolvimento dos funcionários de forma individual e grupal, formal e informalmente, tornando-se um fator relevante da competitividade das organizações. Esta pesquisa buscou analisar como ocorre a aprendizagem de natureza formal e informal, nos níveis individual e grupal, na difusão da inovação em serviços através da interação dos funcionários de uma instituição financeira com atendimento digital. Assim, este estudo se caracteriza como de caráter qualitativo, com objetivo exploratório e descritivo, tendo adotado como estratégia de pesquisa de estudo de caso. O estudo de caso envolve funcionários de uma instituição financeira, localizada na cidade de Caxias do Sul, na Serra Gaúcha, que possui diferenciação no atendimento, de forma presencial e digital. Foi utilizada a triangulação entre três procedimentos de coleta de dados: entrevistas semiestruturada, observação participante e análise documental. Foram realizadas nove entrevistas, até a obtenção da saturação teórica, a análise de dados foi efetuada com categorização a priori e posteriori. A partir da análise dos achados em campo foi possível propor um esquema conceitual, que considera a aprendizagem formal e informal como complementares, e apresenta a sua interação entre os processos, os grupos que se estabelecem e através disto, como ocorre a difusão da inovação e aprendizagem organizacional, com práticas, normas, aprendizagem individual e grupal. Desse modo, as formas de aprendizagem da organização estão sendo construídas com base na relação existente entre os processos de aprendizagem e difusão da inovação. / The diffusion of innovation determines the process by which an innovation is communicated, informed by certain channels, in a space of time, between members of a social system. Service innovation, on the other hand, encompasses the importance of service differentiation for the organizations strategy, that can leave the organization in an advantageous position in the search for differentiation in products or services. From organizational learning onwards, companies can become open to changes, since this allows the development of employees individually and in groups, both formally and informally, making it a relevant factor in the organizations competitiveness. This research sought to analyze how formal and informal learning at the individual and group levels occur in the diffusion of innovation in services through the employees interaction of a financial institution with digital attendance. Thus, this study is characterized as having a qualitative character, with an exploratory and descriptive objective, having adopted as a case study research strategy. The case study involves employees of a financial institution, located in the city of Caxias do Sul, in the “Serra Gaúcha”, which has differentiation in attendance, face-to-face and digital one. Triangulation was used between three data collection procedures: semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis. Nine interviews were carried out, until theoretical saturation was obtained, data analysis was performed with a priori and posteriori categorization. From the analysis of the field findings, it was possible to propose a conceptual scheme, which considers formal and informal learning as complementary, and presents its interaction between the processes, the groups that are established and through this, how occurs the diffusion of innovation and organizational learning, through practices, norms, individual and group learning. Thus, the learning forms of the organization are being built based on the relationship between the processes of learning and diffusion of innovation.

The research investigated the problem of the apparent lack of leadership among leaders in the higher education (HE) sector in South Africa (SA). In particular, the research investigated the perception that there is a lack of transformational leadership among leaders in the public institutions of higher learning. This will compromise the leaders’ ability to manage change successfully. This problem was therefore viewed from the perspective of the changing HE landscape in SA in which institutions of higher learning are being merged or incorporated. One of the potential consequences of these mergers and incorporations is that the newly formed institutions may be challenged by a lack of appropriate leadership. The view that a lack of appropriate leadership is one of the root causes of institutions finding themselves in a precarious situation is widely supported by scholars and role players in the HE sector. The aim of this research was to establish the frequency of exhibition of transformational leadership and its behaviours, as well as to ascertain the level of transformational leadership among leaders in the HE sector. Transformational leaders are, by definition, change agents. Therefore, the research was premised on the assumption that if leaders exhibit transformational leadership and its behaviours frequently, if not always, and if their level of transformational leadership is high, then they will necessarily be able to manage change successfully. The Full Range of Leadership Styles (FRL) was adopted in that in addition to transformational leadership, the transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles were also measured. Fundamental to the FRL model is that every leader exhibits each style to some extent and that the model represents how frequently a leader exhibits a particular style of leadership. The findings of the empirical study generally indicated that the picture painted by scholars and role players in the HE sector about leadership in that sector is not as bleak as they claim, although some improvements in developing transformational leadership still have to be made. / Prof. Frans Cilliers

M.Comm. / Die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel van vandag het met groot, nuwe uitdagings en ingrypende veranderings te kampe. Daar moet voldoende fasiliteite en personeel vir die toenemende aantal skoliere en die groeiende studentebevolking voorsien word en terselfdertyd moet standaarde gehandhaaf word. Transformasieprosesse is aan die orde van die dag en 'n algehele onderwysintergrasie is aan die gang en die Nasionale Kommissie vir Hoer Onderwys is die spil waarom verdere veranderings in die hoer onderwys sal draai. Hierdie transformasie noodsaak innoverende bestuur en onderrigprogramme, asook nuwe prioriteite. Daar word baie gese oor die bestuur van verandering, maar 'n duidelike proses word nie uitgelig waarvolgens dit gedoen moet word nie. Die probleem is dat die proses van verandering nie duidelik in ondernemings bespreek word the. Tweede golfbestuurders wil eerder die status quo handhaaf en stabiliteit verseker as om die risiko's van verandering te oorweeg. In die huidige omstandighede in Suid-Afrika is dit belangrik dat ondernemings verander om te kan oorleef. Bestuurspraktyke wat in die verlede toegepas is, is verouderd en onvoldoende om die veranderings waarvoor ondernemings tans te staan kom in positiewe geleenthede te omskep. Soos reeds genoem, is bestaande literatuur geneig om op die leierseienskappe te konsentreer wat nodig is vir die bestuur van verandering, op die kommunikasie van verandering en op modelle waarin die proses van verandering stapsgewys uiteengesit word. Daar is egter spesifieke voorskrifte wat direk verband hou met bovermelde fokusareas wat van kardinale belang is by die bestuur van verandering. Die volgende probleme is uit die voorafbespreking geidentifiseer wat in die verloop van hierdie studie bespreek sal word: Massafikasie - groeiende studentebevolking Tekort aan fasiliteite Verouderde en onvoldoende bestuurspraktyke `n Duidelike proses van verandering Afname in staatsfondse Verandering in arbeidswetgewing Politieke aspirasies van studente Verandering in waardes en norme van studente finplementering van deursigtigheid Aanstellingsprosedures Rol van studenteraad Verwagtinge van studente en personeel Verandering in didaktiese beginsels. In die lig van die agtergrond en probleemstelling van die studie, kan die doelwitte van die studie soos volg geformuleer word: Die primere doel is om die noodsaaklikheid daarvan vir technikons om te verander, te ondersoek. Daarbenewens het die studie ook die volgende doelwitte: Om te bepaal of technikons al verander het. Om te bepaal wie by verandering betrokke is. Om te bepaal of sekere aspekte en faktore tot verandering bygedra het.

Change is a topic of crucial concern to all organisations in the present turbulent business environment. Leaders are constantly faced with the challenge of determining whether environmental factors will exert pressure which may cause harm or change to the organisation. Some of the major challenges that accompany change include a) the constantly changing environment has created an unpredictable future as the marketplace has lost its predictability b) leaders that are not able to predict what type of change the organisation is going to be faced with c) the uncertainty around the outcome of change d) no clear relationship exists between the scale of the change and the scale of its impact within an organisation and e) the risk of failure. Therefore, in dealing with change the mindsets of the organisation’s leaders, regarding the complexity of change, are the most critical factor. In this context, the main topic expanded on in this study is that change in organisations requires leadership and leadership in turn requires certain competencies. Central to the concept of leadership and change is the leadership-followership relationship as leaders have to lead people through the change and the ensuing uncertainty. In order to do so successfully leaders need to have a set of competencies that enable them to lead people through change and uncertainty. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework containing a set of competencies required for the major change types. It compared the views of managers and employees, in the financial services sector, on the importance of those competencies as well as the degree to which managers display the competencies. Ten leaders participated in the qualitative phase of the study and 60 managers and 74 employees responded to the survey. The major outcomes of the study included the competency framework as well as the competencies where statistically significant differences between the managers’ and employees’ views on, a) the degree to which the managers display the competencies as well as b) the importance assigned to the competencies, were found. / Dr. Anton Verwey

M.Cur. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The research assessed the implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS) in the Malawian civil service using a change diagnostic model called ‘causal model of organisational performance change’ by Burke and Litwin (1992). The motivation for the research topic comes from a background of the Malawi Government’s goal of improving service delivery to the public. The government launched the performance management system as one of the change interventions that would assist in achieving its service provision goal. For the achievement of the service provision goals, the PMS had to be implemented effectively. Using an integrative approach, the research employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to obtain data that was structured around the organisational elements of the Burke-Litwin model. Using purposive sampling, 195 departments in the Malawian Civil Service formed the population from which the sample was drawn. Of the 195 departments, 69 departments, represented by an officer from each department, participated in the study. Three departments namely; The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), The Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD) and The Civil Service Commission (CSC) were included in the sample in addition to the 69 departments. These three departments were chosen due to their involvement in the formulation and implementation of the Performance Management System (PMS). Information from the three departments was obtained through interviews while questionnaires were administered to the remaining sample subjects. The research found that both the transformational and transactional factors were lacking in supporting the implementation of the PMS in Malawian civil service. Fundamental prerequisites like systems’ compatibility, assessment of enabling culture and amendments of relevant laws were not considered before the implementation of the system. Upon commencement of the implementation process the support from political leaders and donors declined and the evaluation process lacked inclusion of key stakeholders. The current research expands the application of the Burke-Litwin model in assessing the ‘post change intervention’ implementation processes. The findings could possibly provide valuable input in the form of the following recommendations: The government should consider working on the culture of the civil servants, the capacity of the implementing structure of PMS, the evaluation of the PMS and the prerequisites for the programme. The government should consider being inclusive when evaluating PMS and in assessing the performance of employees, and lastly, there is need to fully utilise technology and the functional position of stakeholders like the Civil Service Commission.

In applying Pascale’s (1990) constructive ‘conflict paradigm’ to consider transformation efforts at a selected bank, this study argues that transformation could be sustained if the organisation were to self-reflect on the paradoxes that are generated when constructive conflict is encouraged. Underlying this supposition is the notion of “disequilibrium” which supports creative tension within organisations and prompts inquiry and dialogue, leading to the new. Sustaining disequilibrium allows an organisation to develop the “requisite internal variety” in order to meet the challenges in its environment. Key to encouraging this form of organisational resilience to its environment is the nature of the organisation’s culture or context. Johnson’s (1998) “cultural web” is used to analyse the culture of the selected bank and “re-map” the culture in line with the bank’s transformation strategies. Pascale’s seven domains of contention are applied with particular emphasis on the ATM division in order to develop a profile of conflict in the organisation.

An audit report by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) indicated that a company needs to ensure that support is provided to those employees who remain after a staff reduction process and that their needs are managed effectively. One of the recommendations by ANAO for companies that are embarking on restructuring and future staff reduction programs, is the facilitation of change management workshops, or intervention to prepare the staff to manage change. A literature study revealed that no change management model existed that specifically focused on the “survivors” of a retrenchment or restructuring strategy in a company. The literature study was therefore used to assist in developing a change management in Telkom SA. Pre-assessment and post-assessment questionnaires were developed to test the employees’ abilities to manage change and their understanding of the changes that the telecommunications industry is facing. The findings of the survey showed a high level of employee tolerance to change and illuminated the value that was added by the developed change management model.

Organisations must have a constant influx of candidates for potential employment. New employee positions are required as market areas are expanded. Recruitment occurs even in the face of limited growth or decline in service capacity, because individuals with specialised skills or training who leave the organisation must be replaced, and because services or technologies that have been revised or modified must be staffed. The recruitment of personnel plays an important role in assisting the organisation to adapt and remain competitive. The Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA) employs a wide variety of workers. Thus, the sources of applicants and types of methods used to expand the applicant pool vary depending on the occupational classification being considered. It, therefore, becomes self-defeating to invest significant resources in a recruitment effort if such effort is offset by high turnover rates. Retention of employees is as essential as their recruitment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the organisational factors impacting on employee retention at DEDEA. The population for the study included 781 DEDEA employees. The response rate for the emailed questionnaire was 54 percent or 425 respondents. The Likert-type scale instrument consisted of forty questions divided into two sections: Section one looked at the demographic profile of the respondents and section two focused on getting responses on the five organisational impacting on v employee retention, namely: career development; compensation; positive recognition; staff engagement and management. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the following research design was adopted: Step 1 A literature review was conducted to determine the various organizational factors impacting on employee retention. Step 2 From the literature review, a process model was adopted to assist the researcher in structuring the research questionnaire. Step 3 A questionnaire was constructed according to the principles and guidelines in steps 2 and step 3. Step 4 Empirical data was obtained by means of an email survey. Step 5 The results of the survey were analysed and interpreted. Step 6 The empirical results were integrated with Step 3. Step 7 Conclusions and recommendations were done. The main findings from the study were: - The study revealed a significant relationship between the selected organisational factors and employee retention. - The study also produced a model suitable for use by DEDEA as a guide in determining what initiatives the organisation should embark on to improve employee retention.