This study investigated the impact of organisation restructuring on the psychological contract and the effects on employee engagement and organisational commitment. The study focused on employees from selected health care institutions. The sample consisted of 156 employees from the selected health care institutions. Results indicated positive relationships between employee engagement, psychological contract and organisational commitment. The researcher recommended a better understanding of the manner in which individuals interpret various inducements where would clearer prescriptions be provided. Therefore, employers were advised to be aware of employees’ values and attempt to address them as they are important

This research investigates the relationship between leadership styles and different types of organisational commitment in Eskom Eastern Region. The literature provided discusses the leadership and organisational commitment. Information was gathered, using two instruments, from a sample of 86 leaders and 334 raters. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, which was formulated from Bass and Avolio’s (1997) Full Range Leadership Development Theory, was used to determine leadership style within the organisation. Employee commitment was captured using Bagraim’s (2004) Organisational Commitment, a South African adaptation of Meyer and Allen’s (1997) Three-Component Model of employee commitment. Leadership was identified as the independent variable and organisational commitment as the dependent variable. Data obtained from each of the research instruments was then statistically analysed. Two-tailed correlation analysis showed that although the relationship is not strong, there is a positive relationship between the transformational leadership behaviours and commitment (affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment). The correlation analysis also indicates a weak, but significant, positive relationship between transactional leadership behaviours and continuance commitment. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between transactional leadership behaviours and affective commitment as well as between transactional leadership behaviours and normative commitment. The correlation results showed a weak, but significant, negative correlation between laissez-faire leadership behaviours and affective commitment. There was no statistically significant correlation between laissez-faire leadership behaviours and continuance commitment as well as between laissez-faire leadership behaviours and normative commitment. Overall findings from this study suggest that transformational and transactional leadership behaviours do play important roles in determining levels of affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment. These findings also reveal that the laissez-faire leadership behaviour had a negative relationship with affective commitment. This research therefore adds a new dimension to the body of literature that will help researchers’ efforts to understand the relationship between leadership style and organisational commitment. As this research takes place in the South African context, it contributes to the bank of findings relating to the development of organisational commitment.

The restructuring of higher education through incorporations and mergers has attracted a lot of attention over the past few years in South Africa. These incorporations and mergers have displaced institutions of higher education and positioned them in new organisational homes, thus subjecting faculties, schools and departments to a process of relocation, new knowledge acquisition, identity change and meaning-making processes. The merger has resulted in three types of universities; i.e. traditional universities, comprehensive universities and universities of technology. The introduction of the comprehensive university as a new institutional type has brought with it questions about the idea of the university and the purpose of higher education in general. Mergers in particular have initiated conversations about sense-making and meaning during change. Amidst all this, people within the merging institution have been confronted with a new organisation with which they have to identify. At universities in particular, questions about academic identity and organisational identity have become unavoidable. The boundaries that gave definition to a university have been (re)moved. The structure of the university, as it was known, has changed. Hence, in the newly merged NMMU, academics are in the process of internalising and giving meaning to the new organisational values and norms of a comprehensive university. Needless to say, the challenges facing the newly merged NMMU are cultural, structural and geographic. Bringing together different institutional and personal cultures involves a human dimension that needs to be nurtured by trying to form a coherent and cohesive organisation that is created from culturally diverse and uncomplementary institutions. Another challenge is bringing together different organisational structures, systems and programmes that are informed by different institutional cultures. Furthermore, the challenge of having multiple campuses that are geographically separated exacerbates the situation. Along with all these challenges, the NMMU has the task of constructing an integrated institutional identity through organisational forms and programme models that will embody the multiple functions that are typical of a comprehensive university. The aim of the current study was to explore how the meanings that academics assign to the notion of a comprehensive university are instrumental in constructing an organisational identity; describing in detail how at the NMMU academics make meaning of the comprehensive university and how that meaning-making process influences the construction of an organisational identity; and formulating recommendations based on the qualitative findings and quantitative results of the research. In an effort to achieve the aim alluded to above, this study employed the mixed methods approach that used a sequential, exploratory, transformative design. The complexity of the study was such that it required to be investigated through qualitative and quantitative analytical methods in order to confirm, triangulate and obtain a holistic picture of the situation under investigation. The sample for the qualitative interviews consisted of thirteen purposefully selected academics from all levels at the NMMU. The interviews were transcribed and coded into themes, categories and sub-categories. These themes were then developed and translated into statements for the questionnaire that was administered randomly to all NMMU academics. A total of 108 academics responded to the questionnaire. The responses to the questionnaire were analysed using the SPSS programme. The findings and results of the study revealed that there was a fairly common understanding of the term comprehensive university among academics. However, the details about its procedures appeared to be the privileged ownership of management. This situation mitigated the necessity for a sense-making process that would allow for negotiation, modification and alteration of already held assumptions. A pertinent concern amongst academics was the neglect of the ‘human factor’ during the change process. The management style also came under scrutiny, especially in terms of the facilitation and mediation of change. There was a consensus on the call for cohesion and unity that was believed to be one of the main features that would make the construction of the NMMU organisational identity possible. The vision, mission and values of the NMMU were believed to be central to the creation of cohesion and unity, which would subsequently result in the birth of an organisational culture that could inform the organisational identity of the NMMU. Strategies to actualise and realise the organisational identity were proposed by participants. Notwithstanding, the impact of the merger was identified as having a major influence in shaping the organisational identity of the NMMU.

A study is made of the ever-growing worldwide social pandemic of workplace bullying. We define workplace bullying in terms of its characteristics and distinguish it from unfair discrimination in the form of harassment. A survey is presented of its occurrence worldwide and how it manifests as an organisational conflict, both as hierarchical and horizontal abuse. This is analysed in terms of a social science perspective. We consider grievance reporting as an indication of trends in workplace bullying and discuss the limitations of such reporting. We review the consequent effects of such limitations on the health of workers and workplace efficiency and note the shortcomings of existing labour law in dealing with this inadequacy. Our findings are summarised, with recommendations for resolving this conflict situation.

The 21st century has posed challenges and provided opportunities for organisations, and although a large body of research exists on both leadership and organisational climate, these two concepts have become a matter of urgency in South African organisations. The dynamics in the organisation have a direct effect on the people the organisation serves and business performance. The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between leadership and organisational climate in a South African fast-moving consumable goods (FMCG) organisation. There are few research studies that focus on leadership and organisational climate in the South African context and this study builds on limited existing knowledge. Using a descriptive, cross-sectional field survey approach, a sample of 896 participants employed at one organisation was surveyed. Explanatory factor analysis and the structural equation modelling (SEM) multivariate analysis technique revealed a new set of organisational dimensions and confirmed the relationship between leadership and organisational climate and organisational climate and its various dimensions. The findings emphasise the importance of certain generic and specific leadership practices in creating the desired organisational climate in the South African context. This study contributes to knowledge on the relationship between leadership and organisational climate in the South African context. / Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The study aimed to test whether or not Organisational-based Self-Esteem (OBSE) mediated the relationship between perceived discrimination and job satisfaction. OBSE was expected to have an impact on Job Satisfaction, whilst Perceived Discrimination was argued to have an effect on OBSE. The study was conducted with a sample of 238 women as previous research indicates women are more likely to experience discrimination in the workplace. Contrary to expectations, the SEM revealed that perceived discrimination did not have a significant impact on job satisfaction. Also, the results obtained suggest that OBSE does not mediate the relationship as there was no significant relationship between perceived discrimination and OBSE. There was evidence that OBSE could be a moderator in the relationship instead. Furthermore, opposing the literature, the results supported the notion of global SE mediating the relationship between perceived discrimination and job satisfaction as it was the only significant path in the SEM. Overall, the study contributed to a body of literature and added value by suggesting that the role of perceived discrimination is underestimated as its impact extend outside of the workplace and may have deeper repercussions.

M. Tech. (Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived organisational support, frustration with work and occupational commitment among public secondary school educators in the Sedibeng West District. The social exchange theory, expectancy theory and side-bet theory constituted the bedrock in this study. In order to achieve the primary objective, a quantitative research approach was adopted, and a descriptive survey research design was utilised. The reliability of the measuring instrument was confirmed satisfactory, and thereafter the questionnaires were self-administered to three hundred and seventy-three educators, HODs, deputy principals and principals at nine public secondary schools using a convenience sampling technique. Two hundred and forty questionnaires were retrieved, constituting 64.3 percent response rate, and the data obtained was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 25.0 for statistical analysis. The statistical analysis performed include descriptive statistics using frequencies, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics was utilised to determine the relationship between the two factors of perceived organisational support, frustration with work and occupational commitment. The inferential statistical methods used include Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis and structural equation modelling. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to confirm the factor structure of the constructs in the study, and to determine if the data fit the model. Six model fit indices were used to assess the measurement and structural model fit assessments, which include Chi-square value over degree of freedom (χ2/df), Goodness-of-fit index (GFI), Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), Norm fit index (NFI), Tucker Lewis index (TLI) and Comparative fit index (CFI). The results of the model fit indices indicated a satisfactory fit of the data with the measurement and structural models. Thereafter, path analysis was performed on the research model to measure the path coefficients in the research model. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the hypotheses and the results revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between the job-related factor and frustration with work; a significant negative relationship between the relationship factor and frustration with work; a significant negative relationship between frustration with work and occupational commitment; a significant positive relationship between the job-related factor and occupational commitment; and a non-significant positive relationship between the relationship factor and occupational commitment. The correlation analysis also showed that there was a moderately significant negative correlation between the job-related factor and frustration with work; a moderately significant negative correlation between the relationship factor and frustration with work; a strong positive correlation between frustration with work and occupational commitment; a moderately significant positive correlation between the job-related factor and occupational commitment; and a moderately significant positive correlation between the relationship factor and occupational commitment. The reliability of the measuring instrument in the main study was tested using Cronbach alpha coefficient and composite reliability, while the validity tests were confirmed using face validity, content validity, construct validity, convergent validity, predictive validity and discriminant validity. Based on the findings, recommendations were proposed to enhance the perception of organisational support among educators, HODs, deputy principals and principals; reduce the level of frustration with work; and foster increased level of commitment to the teaching profession.

This study investigated the causes of employee dissatisfaction by means of a case study of the Business Application Solution Centre (BASC) at the Eskom Academy of Learning (EAL). The rationale for the study was to contribute further to a general understanding of employee dissatisfaction. This study highlighted the issue of the under-representation of blacks and females (of all races) in senior positions, and further emphasised appointment and recruitment issues that promote unfair labour practices, organisational culture and structure issues that undermine workplace relations, and the extent to which management responds to the abovementioned issues. A mixed method approach was employed to gather data from BASC employees. Qualitative data was collected by means of one focus group discussion and nine in-depth, face-to-face interviews. For the focus group and face-to-face interviews, purposive sampling was used for the selection of respondents, in order to ensure representation on all race, gender and occupational strata. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for both the focus group and face-to-face interviews. The questioning route was guided by the themes of gender, appointment and recruitment issues, culture and structure issues, and management response and practice. Quantitative data was collected by means of an online survey. Even though the online survey link was sent to employees on all strata, top managers did not participate. The use of a web-based online survey had an element of immediacy and also ensured maximum confidentiality, as responses were transferred to a development server with no link or trace to the respondents. The study revealed many underlying causes of employee dissatisfaction, such as the following: (1) the main drivers of black and female under-representation in top positions were lack of skills development, mentoring and career-pathing; (2) among the recruitment and appointment practices leading to employee dissatisfaction was the appointment of employees to ‘acting’ rather than permanent management positions; (3) there was a perception that managers abused their authority by promoting their favourites and overlooking those who they did not like; (4) although an affirmative action (AA) policy had been implemented at BASC, it was felt that employees should be appointed and promoted on merit, and that this should be accompanied by mentoring; (5) in some instances, the hiring of consultants deprived employees of opportunities to perform critical tasks. The fact that consultants were paid more than employees was also a source of discontent; (6) appointment criteria were non-transparent, and respondents revealed that they knew who was going to be appointed even before the recruitment process had been completed; (7) a bureaucratic culture was found to be the main organisational culture issue undermining workplace relations. On the other hand, a culture of teamwork appeared to reduce dissatisfaction and enhance unity; (8) the major organisational structure issues undermining workplace relations were managers who lacked managerial competencies and unequal payment on the same grade; (9) employees who stood their ground were given a low rating during performance appraisals. Others were bullied by senior managers and colleagues, who were rude towards them; (10) a hostile working relationship between managers and employees was caused by managers who lacked human resource skills; and (11) junior managers were undermined by employees who bypassed them and went straight to senior managers to discuss workplace issues. This study addresses both the general lack of information regarding the causes of employee dissatisfaction in South Africa, and of employee dissatisfaction in the information and communication technology (ICT) workplace environment. The findings of the study will also contribute towards a better understanding of the general causes of employee dissatisfaction. The results of this study suggest that more in-depth investigations of the causes of employee dissatisfaction are necessary to fully address this issue, and in order to ultimately prevent a further increase in the rate of employee turnover. Some implications for further research became apparent during the course of this study: similar studies on employee dissatisfaction should be conducted with top managers; studies on the experience of managers appointed to acting positions should be undertaken; and follow-up studies on employee dissatisfaction should be conducted as causes are addressed and relevant interventions are implemented. / Business management / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)

During times of organisational change and restructuring, employees, are often placed in acting positions. Consciously, organisations frame their reasons for this practice as preparing the system for a new strategy, organisational structure, work distribution and leadership challenges. This implies that the conscious reasons for using acting as a human resources practice may not be sound, leading to a question about the possibility of unconscious collusions operating in the system. From an unconscious perspective, it can be hypothesised that this practice represents how organisations respond to its unprocessed unconscious anxieties inherent to change, transformation and adapting to new ways of thinking, operating and functioning. This research was done using systems psychodynamics as theoretical paradigm and theory, offering a depth-psychology organisational theory, OD consultancy and qualitative research stance which differentiate between conscious and unconscious. The unconscious contains anxiety against which the system defends, specifically, by using dependence, fight/flight, pairing, me-ness and we-ness. Role identity consists of the normative, existential and phenomenal roles. If the three role parts are similar, anxiety is contained and bearable. When there are splits between the three role parts, persecutory and paranoid anxiety exists. The acting professionals’ normative role was relatively clear. In their existential role they introjected confusion, uncertainty, splits about their competence, doubt in their own authority, shame, and conflict in their view of the other. In their phenomenal role they received projections from the organisation about incompetence and denigration. The findings indicated how acting professionals experienced different kinds and intensities of anxiety. They got confused about their primary task, and the differences between their normative, existential and phenomenal roles caused high levels of performance anxiety. They struggled to manage their personal and work boundaries and the system de-authorised them by withholding information and feedback about their contribution to the organisation and their acting tenure. Acting professionals experienced being seduced by the power of the organisation, their careers being placed on hold, and being bullied by the systemic illness and toxicity in the organisational. It was concluded that the organisational system unconsciously uses acting positions as a psychodynamic container of organisational change anxiety. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / Ph.D. (Consulting Psychology)

Effective corporate governance of boards can become a sustainable competitive advantage for organisations. In the extant literature a number of reasons are cited for dysfunctional boards. Some of the reasons attributed to board failure relate to poor corporate governance, practice and oversight. Some of the reasons for board failure pertain to micromanaging of the organisation, an ineffective nominating committee, size of the board, non-functioning committee structure, absence of strategic plan, no orientation\induction plan and no rotational plan. Poor governance practises across all sectors has negatively tainted economic investment in South Africa consequentially affecting economic growth. Below South Africa’s competitive rating slipped from (52nd) in 2012-2013 to 53rd in 2013-2014 rating is given to show that marked improvement is needed in corporate governance. South Africa’s rating in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2012 was 43 and slipped to position 69 amongst 176 countries for the Corruption Perception Index, 2013. The trend analysis report of the Public Service Commission reported that In 2006/7, there were 1 042 cases of corruption, amounting to R130.6-million; in 2007/8, there were 868 cases, amounting to R21.7-million; in 2008/9, there were 1 204 cases, amounting to R100.1-million; in 2009/10, there were 1 135 cases, amounting to R346.5-million; in 2010/11, there were 1 035 cases, amounting to R932.3-million; in 2011/12, there were 1 243 cases, amounting to R229.9-million. Good governance frameworks, policies, procedures, processes and practices attract foreign direct investments. Better governance practices are critical for improved economic growth and development that will result in an improvement in the South Africa’s competitiveness and corruption perception index ratings. South Africa’s continued economic growth and development is dependent on attracting foreign direct investment. From 1994 corporate governance regimes were promulgated. Although there are a collection of corporate governance codes and guidelines that have been published, few specifically cover governance practices in public entities. Moreover, with better governance practices state-owned enterprises can significantly contribute to the economic transformation and development in South Africa. The purpose of the study is to establish that improved governance is a function of board structure and board process variables. With the presence of structural and process variables board activism will improve resulting in board decision quality. Independent directors without no conflict of interest, the requisite industry expertise and intelligence (functional area knowledge), the information to make decisions are adequate, accurate and timely (information quality), directors exert the needed effort (effort norms), directors robustly explore all dimensions and options (cognitive conflict) and the board functions optimally (cohesiveness) influence board decision quality. Boards which are configured optimally are able to execute their fiduciary responsibility optimally. In 2012 a budget of R845.5 billion was provisioned for infrastructural development to boost economic development. This budget allocation must be prudently and frugally managed in accordance with good governance practises to achieve economic development. In particular South Africa has to improve its competitiveness rating and corruption perception index to attract investments and continual growth. In terms of the research design, to address the research questions, a mixed research approach was selected for the study. The phenomenological (qualitative) and positivist (quantitative) philosophical paradigms were adopted with the purpose to obtain a greater understanding of board decision quality in the Public Entities in South Africa. The data collection instruments used in the study was in-depth interviews, focus group interviews and administration of a survey. The population for the qualitative research was 19 in-depth interviews and two focus group interviews. For the quantitative study a population of 215 public entity board members were selected for the study. A total of 104 board members of Public Entities completed the survey for the study. In relation to data analysis for the qualitative study Tesch’s coding, thematic analysis was used to analyse the in-depth and focus group interviews. For the quantitative study, SPSS was used to analyse responses from the surveys. The hypothesis was tested using inferential statistics, namely, factor analysis and multiple regression was used.. The findings generated from the first phase, the qualitative study that provided support for the positive relationship between board structure, board process variables and board decision quality. The following five variables are incorporated in a model that seeks to identify the strongest predictor of board decision quality: (1) board independence, (2) effort norms, (3) functional area knowledge and skill, (4) cognitive conflict and (5) information quality. The findings show that information quality is the strongest predictor of board decision quality followed by expert knowledge and skill. As expected, expert knowledge does not only increase the cognitive capacity of the board, but it also positively affects company competitiveness. The findings also show that cognitive conflict has a negative association with decision quality. The study argues that political influence exerted by board political appointees may explain the negative relationship between cognitive conflict and board decision quality. The major contribution of this study is that it provides a 28-item instrument that can be used practically by public entity boards in the reflective process to improve board decision quality. The study concludes by offering avenues for further research. The model suggests that board decision quality is a product of board structure (board independence), board process (functional area knowledge, information quality, and cognitive conflict and effort norms). / Business Management / D.B.L.