Organisational justice has been of great interest to researchers as it has been linked to employee attitudes and behaviours (Dailey & Kirk, 1992; Greenberg, 1990; Moorman, 1991). However in the context of South African organisations, restorative organisational justice, Ramsay (2009) argues, should occupy a similar place of interest. This is because South African organisations are governed by social correction policies such as employment equity which aims at correcting past injustices in the work place. This has resulted in the preferential selection of previously disadvantaged groups. The current research study attempted to understand the relationship between organisational justice and organisational attractiveness as well as the relationship between restorative organisational justice and organisational attractiveness. Furthermore the research attempted to explore whether or not there was a difference in degree of association between these two organisational justice frameworks and their relationship with organisational attractiveness. The research was conducted on a sample of 342 employees from a debt collection organisation. Only the call centre department within the organisation participated. The results further confirmed the strong relationship between organisational justice and organisational attractiveness. Surprisingly restorative organisational justice overall, did not prove to have as strong a relationship with organisational attractiveness as compared to the traditional organisational justice framework. Research should not end here and future research should attempt to explore restorative organisational perceptions using different samples with a more diverse representation of race.

This research study sought to explore typical organisational structures that are prevalent in South African large construction companies, and investigate their behaviour towards employee involvement. The study proceeded by providing an understanding of the relationship between organisational structures and employee involvement, and draws general deductions of the influence of employee involvement on organisational performance. The aim of this research was to investigate the level of employee involvement on various organisational structures as employee involvement was felt as one of the contributing factors towards the success of any construction company. It was acknowledged that inappropriate organisational design leads to poor involvement of employees. The scope of this research is limited to the selected five large construction companies in South Africa. The research approach to the study was quantitative in nature, collected data was statistically analysed and presented through appropriate means. Research techniques employed for data collection were surveys and interviews. Surveys were completed by employees, while interviews were conducted with management level staff using a selfadministered questionnaire. A sample population of 71 respondents was obtained from a study response rate of 33%. The research findings confirmed the existence of a relationship between organisational structures and employee involvement. It was also revealed that from the large construction companies investigated, 60%, use hybrid (a combination of divisional and geographical) structures as their organisational structure. Two of the three (67%) hybrid structured companies achieved the best organisational performance measured over a period between 2008 and 2012. In conclusion, hybrid structures have proven to be the most appropriate organisational structures that are encouraging to employee involvement. From the findings, companies structured in this manner achieved the best financial results by becoming the first and second achievers in the overall financial assessment. Companies can be similarly structured, but may differ substantially in their effectiveness because organisational success lies in employee involvement and the quality of the human resources at its disposal. When implemented properly, employee involvement impacts the customer experience and subsequently, the overall organisational performance by means of high productivity and profitability. This study makes a modest contribution to the understanding of the relationship between employee involvement and organisational performance in the South African construction industry. Similarly to the previous studies in other sectors and countries, the findings of this study provided empirical evidence that employee involvement has an influence on organisational performance. The implications of this study to the South African construction industry are as follows: construction companies must constantly seek for opportunities to participate on projects outside the country. There are substantial work opportunities that are available in other developing economies such as: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Congo, etc. At this point in time, the South African construction industry is not able to sustain all its role players. The South African government has to finally unlock the infrastructure expenditure plans that have been on the pipeline for a long time. This country as a developing economy still reflects huge infrastructural backlogs, and this expenditure could ignite the much needed growth and development for the entire economy. South Africa’s large construction companies are to expand and show real growth in as far as competing at global stage with some of the biggest construction firms in the world. This would lead to growth and expansion of all construction companies and effectively the development of the entire construction industry. The attempt to attain best practise international standards will also lead to improvements in poor performances that have constantly plagued the industry in the recent past. Keywords: Organisational Structures, Employee Involvement, Organisational Performance, Construction Industry, South Africa

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.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2016 / The market research industry prides itself on providing accurate and reliable information and solutions to varying business problems. However, the industry has been faced with the challenge of racial transformation at senior decision-making positions of the organisations. The pace of upward mobility of black researchers is slow and this is a threat for the industry because the senior level positions are often tasked with the analysis of research data and formulation of the strategic insights and business solutions to communicate to clients and stakeholders to meet their business needs. Therefore, it is difficult to be confident that the data about the black market does not get lost in translation and interpretation due to cultural nuances that may not be accessed. What is unique about the market research industry is that promotions to senior level positions are based on training on the job and the mastering of relevant skills on the job rather than specific prior training at college or university level. This opened theoretical and practical questions about the individual and organisational qualities that made it difficult for black researchers to progress to senior level positions. A phenomenological research approach was implemented to explore the lived experiences of the black researchers and the organisations, which could explain the slow upward mobility pace. In-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with four CEOs of prominent organisations in the industry and 14 black researchers at various levels in these organisations. These interviews identified the organisational identity espoused by the leadership and the organisational identity lived by the black researchers. Narrative identity research approach and Erikson’s (1956) stage developmental model guided the process of understanding the individual identity of the black researchers at the point of the interview. The results suggest that there are three categories of black researchers in the industry. It is those who are not promoted within a specified timeframe promised by the leadership who leave the organisations, those who are not promoted but stay in the organisations for longer periods than would have been expected and those researchers who are promoted to senior level positions. Each of these categories shows unique individual qualities that potentially shape their experience in the organisations. A framework for understanding the interplay between the various lived experiences and outcomes has been developed. The slow pace of racial transformation at senior levels of the organisations can be traced to the responses of organisational management to change and the types of social exchange relationships between the black researchers and management. Future research may quantify the findings and validate the framework developed in this study to establish generalisability in the industry and in contexts outside the market research industry. A case study research methodology focusing on all the demographics of the organisations could also enrich the framework. / MT 2018

The aim of this study was to develop a scale to measure group functioning in work groups. The scale was developed based on the Integrative Model of Group Development. There were 76 individuals who participated in the study. There were 15 groups that participated in this study. The sample was drawn from an organisation in Johannesburg. The research design was non-experimental and cross-sectional in nature. The data collected were analysed using factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient and discriminant analysis. The results showed that the overall scale had two subscales which showed strong reliabilities. The implications of the findings are that further research is needed to match stages of group development with the behaviour of individuals in organisations. The findings indicate that more research on group functioning in the South African work context is required.

The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between intrinsic rewards, personality and emotional intelligence within the education sector within South Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher tested a theoretical model using regression analysis, and made use of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations. A further aim was to investigate whether differences existed according to teaching sector and teaching level with regards to these constructs. This was done using t-tests and analysis of variance tests. Moreover, the researcher aimed to further validate the Intrinsic Work Rewards Scale within the South African context. This was done via the use of confirmatory factor analysis. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 269 educators spanning across eleven educational institutions, including institutions within the private and public sector, and primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions within the Eastern Cape. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics which included frequency tables, and pie charts, and the aforementioned inferential statistics. The findings revealed a number of correlations between the three constructs, and significant differences between private and public sector institutions, and between primary, secondary and tertiary institutions with regards to intrinsic rewards, personality factors and emotional intelligence. The proposed theoretical model could be partly accepted as it showed that a correlation does exist between Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Openness was not correlated) and intrinsic rewards, and between intrinsic rewards and emotional intelligence. Moreover, the model showed that emotional intelligence acted as a mediator and partial mediator in predicting one’s level of intrinsic rewards via Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, but no mediation could be shown with regards to Openness. Finally, the results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the Intrinsic Work Rewards Scale showed acceptable fit and thus provided evidence for this instrument holding construct validity within the South African context. These results theoretically contribute to the area of intrinsic rewards, and have uncovered a new area whereby intrinsic rewards are shown to be related to personality factors and emotional intelligence. The findings of this study hold important implications for the effective management of educators in the South African context.

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.

This research is a primary exploration of the relationship amongst culture, ethnicity and practises of leadership development in South African organisations. The need and significance of this research stems from the fact that in a diverse South African workforce a poor leadership style may have undesirable consequences for an organisation. Amongst these consequences could be a loss of market share and competitive advantage. In order to determine the approach South African organisations are taking towards leadership development, the researcher first sought the opinions of potential future leaders (ie. First Year MBA and MBL students) by means of a questionnaire survey and then interviewed a number of persons responsible for the leadership development programmes in a number of organisations regarding their leadership development initiatives. The primary contribution this study makes to the body of knowledge is that the relationship amongst culture, ethnicity and practises of leadership development in South African organisations has not been explored previously in any depth. This study has delved into these relationships. The conclusion of this study is that culture and ethnicity do not play a major role or have a major influence on the approach organisations take to leadership development, nor to the selection of candidates, or in the formulation of leadership development programme content. / Business Management / DBL

South Africa experiences a steady loss of skilled workers, which compromises the provision of healthcare in the country. This study has explored and will outline the main factors that influence the decision of South African healthcare professionals to either remain with or leave their organisations. As migration involves both internal and external movement, the public sector is frequently overburdened as healthcare workers additionally tend to prefer working in the private sector with its offers of better financial incentives and better working conditions. That said, it has become apparent that it is not only financial factors but many other non-financial factors that play a role in employee turnover. From the literature explored for this paper, five main factors were identified and discussed for different groups of healthcare professionals. This study used a qualitative research approach by means of a content analysis, whereby data from secondary sources were reviewed. This study disregarded studies done in other countries and focused only on the South African healthcare sector. Push and pull factors were established and, during this process, HIV/AIDS, crime and human resources were identified as possible push factors that contribute to the movement of South Africa’s healthcare workers. Since the five main retention factors identified for the purpose of this research paper all fall under human resources, the study proposes a retention strategy that involves the revision of the employee value proposition for different healthcare groups, as their demands are not uniform. Financial as well as non-financial factors have been taken into account for the various employee value proposition frameworks. These factors must be dealt with congruently if retention and turnover strategies are to be successful. Factors that push healthcare workers from the public.

In today’s fast paced and global economy, competitive advantage is increasingly focused more on organisational behaviours rather than on the traditional tenets of land, labour and capital. Going beyond the traditional, organisations that are best able to get the most and the best out of their people are the ones most likely to perform better. This study aims to build an understanding of how culture is influenced by individual employee performance metrics that are used in an organisation. Previous research has been done in the broad fields of organisational culture and employee performance metrics separately, but no studies were identified in literature that focused on the interaction of the two concepts specifically. Therefore, this study seeks to answer the following research question: How do individual employee performance metrics influence sub-culture in the context of a professional services firm in Durban? This study predominantly focused not on performance at the organisational level, but rather the more granular level of individual employee performance metrics and sub-culture in one of the divisions of a professional services firm. This qualitative study explores the multiple perspectives of reality of ten of the 32 managers in the Advisory division of a professional services organisation, regarding how individual employee performance metrics influence their world view of work, or the way they perceive, think, feel and interact in the world of work. The focus of the study was limited to one department, in one branch of a multinational organisation and focused only on the horizontal layer of the “manager group” within the staff levels. Semi-structured, in-depth and face-to-face interviews were conducted with these managers as a means of gathering and saturating data. Interviewees were identified using a stratified sampling from the group of managers in the Advisory division. Open coding and constant comparison was used to analyse data. Page ii of viii The results of the study show that managers had very varied and complex perceptions of how the individual performance metrics used to assess their performance influence the sub-culture of their world of work. The key findings manifested that misuse and abuse of performance metrics by leaders, leadership bias in respect to recognition, reward and remunerations, the predominant focus of the division on the bottom line and emphasis on success at all cost, and low employee morale were all aspects of performance that impacted on how employees behaved in the division. The effect of these factors on the managers operating in this division was that there were low levels of employee commitment which were experienced through low morale and reduced productivity; managers felt that there was a restriction in the development of their careers, all of which resulted in a disregard to values of the organisation. This study reflects how the reward and recognition system using the balanced scorecard has shifted the focus of the department away from the organisation’s espoused values. This has resulted in various leadership and management questions for the leadership of the division in this study. This research also adds to existing literature that links performance and culture within the organisational context that it goes beyond the prevalent themes in literature which focus on performance at the organisation level. This study focuses on performance at the employee level and in particular in a professional services firm in South Africa. The study has three interrelated sections which are however considered as standalone. The first section is an evaluation report based on the Advisory division of a professional services firm in Durban, South Africa, and consists of a literature review, the methodology followed in conducting the study, results and the discussion thereof. The report also highlights limitations of the study, recommendations and the perceived value of the study. The report ends with a summary in the form of a conclusion. Section 2 comprises a more comprehensive literature review while Section 3 documents the research methodology followed in the study.