This thesis addresses the problem of the influence of a control system on the behaviour of an actor in a social or socio-technical system. In particular, the influence of a performance measurement mechanism on the behaviour of an actor and on the development of workarounds is being studied. <br /><br /> Current literature on those topics generally addresses only selected and rather obvious reasons for the existence of dysfunctional behaviour or the workarounds. However, no precise models of the cognitive processes or the explanation of the mechanisms, which govern this problem, are proposed in a satisfactory manner. In addition, most researchers have focused only on the system?s point of view of the task, paying less attention to the actors? perception of that task. Furthermore, the existing body of work mainly uses a case study format to explain the phenomenon or to validate the proposed solutions and theories. <br /><br /> In this thesis, the problem of the influence control system on the behaviour of the actor is framed in terms of four major concepts: (1) the concept of complexity of the task not being fully captured by the performance measurement mechanism; (2) the concept of an actor perceiving that extra complexity is not being captured by the system and thus choosing alternate paths other than the system-prescribed path; (3) the concept of a network of valence forces associated with alternate paths; and finally, (4) the concept of similarity judgment between the alternative paths and the system-prescribed path based on the actor?s model of the control system?s point of view. <br /><br /> This thesis develops the theoretical framework for analyzing and understanding the issues of dysfunctional behaviour and workarounds. It also presents an empirical experimental study in support of the theoretical discussion and the hypothesis. The experiment examines subjects? rating of quality, defined as a degree of similarity to a target object, of several objects on a page under various performance measurement conditions. The stimulus used for experiment was made up of two dimensional quadrangle figures, including rectangle, parallelograms and trapezes, in various shades of red colour.

This dissertation provides a sociological description and explanatory account of the organisational transformation in the Durban Public Order Police (POP) unit following the transition to democratic governance in South Africa in the mid-1990s. In contrast to other more cursory commentary on police organisational change in South Africa, an in-depth case study is used to provide a close-in examination of the details of successes and limitations of particular aspects of the transformation project. Through the use of an ethnographic approach - supported by quantitative research methods - I explore the mechanisms that were used to bring about change in Durban POP and assess the extent to which this change process has been successful. Extending the work of Janet Chan and Edgar Schein, I argue that for police organisational change to take place, there needs to be a shift in both the field (objective, historical relations or the structural conditions of police work) but also in existing 'police culture' (basic assumptions and values). Police organisational transformation can only be partially brought about through conventional mechanisms of change such as new policies, revised training, or even new entrylevel recruitment programmes. Rather, fundamental shifts in assumptions and values requires a) changes in the way in which police work is structured and evaluated; b) daily experiences 'on the streets' that demonstrate that new policing responses achieve desired and positive outcomes; and c) a work environment that is supportive whereby all members feel acknowledged and where the diversity of members (and consequently of communities more broadly) is valued. To empirically validate this argument, three key areas of the organisational life of Durban POP are examined. First, the extent to which the behaviour of members of the unit toward the public has changed following the implementation of new training and policy is closely examined. I argue that mechanical change in police behaviour was not difficult to achieve. However, this behavioural change was only partly accompanied by more fundamental changes in the basic assumptions that police held about their work and their environment. Changed behaviour was, as a result, contingent on immediate circumstances and on the extent of supervision and gUidance provided to unit members by their officers. Second, in order to explain this low level of change, I examine the nature of management and supervision in the unit. Despite the emphasis in the South African public service legislation on participatory and professional management practices, police supervisors and managers had retained an autocratic management style. In addition, police supervisors and managers did not always provide sufficient direction to rank-and-file officers, much needed during times of police organisational change. Third, in further explanation of the limited level of change, the extent to which pre-existing social cleavages (based on race and gender) that existed within the unit have changed is explored. Despite affirmative action and equity legislation and programmes, the unit continued to be plagued by deep racial and gender divisions which were reinforced by the structural make-up of the unit and the inability of middle management to challenge them and to provide alternative ways of organizing and interacting within the unit. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal,Durban, 2002.

This research study examines the Job involvement among staff in the Faculty of Health Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal. The researcher conducted a literature review on how involved staff are in the their job, great turnover, remuneration and benefits. In a time where costs are mounting, budgets are shrinking and personnel shortages are common, it is increasingly important to provide a positive work situation to ensure work stability. Research indicates that job involvement and satisfaction are of a paramount importance to employees. This study examined the association of job involvement, job satisfaction, organizational culture and organizational commitment among staff in the Faculty of Health Science. The findings highlight the significance of these variables in relation to job involvement. This study revealed that staff are adequately pleased with their jobs, but continuously seek greener pastures, ensuring an increase in staff turnover. This has financial repercussions on the Schools as well as the Faculty at large. This study provides vital information and practical recommendations have been made.

Organisations are constantly evolving and the importance of their human capital is regularly brought to the fore. More and more companies are investigating issues such as organisational climate and job satisfaction in an effort to find ways to retain staff and increase productivity. However, this issue is not just limited to the private sector. The public sector is also feeling the effects of low job satisfaction among employees. One of the major contributing factors to employee happiness is the organisational climate and the manner in which this is perceived by staff. While research has been conducted in the private sector there is limited research available on organisational climate in the public sector. The aim of this study was to assess the organisational climate in a Government Department and to discover if there is a link between organisational climate and employee job satisfaction. The objectives were to identify the perceived nature of the organisational climate in a Government Department, to identify the level of job satisfaction of employees in the Department, to compare the employees’ perceptions of the organisational climate to that of the managers and to identify those factors of organisational climate which impacted most on employee job satisfaction. A questionnaire was developed using QuestionPro and was distributed to employees of the Department. Seventy employees responded. Overall it was found that there was a negative perception of the organisational climate in the Department. In terms of job satisfaction, the majority of employees indicated that they were dissatisfied. However, it was found that managers were more satisfied with the organisational climate than the junior staff. Overall it was found that there is a relationship between organisational climate and employee job satisfaction. A number of recommendations were developed such as team-building exercises and recognition by managers of performance by staff, involve staff in decision making, issues need to be resolved timeously, and performance assessment needs to become less intimidating to deal with some of the issues identified. This study was limited in that it only considered one department in KwaZulu-Natal. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the public sector across South Africa. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

As organisations grapple with change in an ever changing business environment at the centre of all are employees. More often than not the process is viewed in one dimension and that is, how best will the organisation implement the change process. Very little focus is given on the impact that changes have on the ability of employees to cope with the change and continue to deliver excellent quality of work and stay focused. Today’s business leaders are expected to go beyond managing the change process but to ensure that employees understand the need for the change. The case study evaluates how BPSA employees’ motivation and performance was impacted by changes in their organisation. The study also examines the impact of a clearly defined need for change, well defined change objectives and excellently communicated vision in motivating employees and leading to superior performance. Primary data was gathered by means of a structure quantitative questionnaire. A sample of 64 employees participated and responded to the questionnaire, the respondents were from diverse departments within BP Southern Africa. The study only focused on all the employees that were affected by the change process. Statistical analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation). Findings indicated that there was a negligible positive and insignificant relationship between motivation and organisational change. And there’s no correlation between performance and organisational change. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

Leadership and management can and should be differentiated. The differentiation gives insight in the nature of organisational practices, dynamics and cultures. By differentiating between management and leadership the need for leadership development to compliment the well established training practices of management skills and techniques, becomes clear. The focus on leadership development can furthermore be seen in the context of new challenges that organisations have to face. Challenges that need to be understood in a global context as well as new thinking paradigms that emerged in recent years . A holistic and transdisciplinary approach is followed in researching the challenges. Systems and complexity theories are essential to new understanding of organisational dynamics and change. The psychological dimension of working practices as a legacy from the industrial age is also reviewed in the study. The need to overcome the fragmentedness that we suffer from in the modern world is recognised. The research was taken to the practice field where interview data was collected. Here, the focus was on the experience, or lack of it, of leadership with regard to various processes in organisations. The need for leadership development and a process to facilitate such development came out strongly in the quantitative research. Promotion and successful development of leadership will, in the end, have an impact on the organisational culture. The process that is proposed for such development and change make use of the theories that are highlighted in the study. Concepts that are central to the study are: Holism, process, relationships, leadership development and culture. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This research seeks to identify what accountability frameworks were in place for the home and community care sector in the Canadian province of Ontario, how home and community care agencies in Ontario responded to accountability demands attached to government service funding (specifically through Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) contracts and Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Multi-Service Accountability Agreements (MSAAs) and what, if any, effect accountability frameworks had on service delivery. This study uses a multi-phase parallel mixed methods approach. First, an environmental scan and document analysis was conducted to identify accountability frameworks and identify key characteristics of accountability demands. Next, 114 home and community care agencies in Ontario were surveyed and 20 key informant interviews were conducted with executives from 13 home and community care agencies, two CCACs and two LHINs. Data from these different methods were combined in the analysis phase. Home and community care agencies face multiple accountability requirements from a variety of stakeholders. We found that government agencies relied most heavily on regulatory and expenditure policy instruments to hold home and community care organizations to account. Organizational size and financial dependence were significantly related to organizational compliance to accountability demands attached to CCAC contracts and MSAAs. In addition to the theorized potential organizational responses to external demands (compliance, compromise, avoidance and defiance), this study found that organizations engaged in internal modification where internal practices are changed to meet accountability requirements. Smaller, more poorly resourced organizations that were highly dependent on LHINs or CCACs were more likely to internally modify organizational practice to meet accountability demands. Although MSAAs and CCAC contracts supported a quality culture amongst organizations, internal organizational changes, such as redirecting time towards reporting requirements and away from care, and cutting innovative practices and programs, were reported to have a negative impact on the quality of service delivery. Government reliance on contract-based accountability for funded home and community care services, while politically advantageous, has the potential to seriously and negatively affect the quality of home and community services delivered. Policy makers need to carefully consider the potential impact on quality of service delivery when developing and implementing accountability policy.

This research seeks to identify what accountability frameworks were in place for the home and community care sector in the Canadian province of Ontario, how home and community care agencies in Ontario responded to accountability demands attached to government service funding (specifically through Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) contracts and Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Multi-Service Accountability Agreements (MSAAs) and what, if any, effect accountability frameworks had on service delivery. This study uses a multi-phase parallel mixed methods approach. First, an environmental scan and document analysis was conducted to identify accountability frameworks and identify key characteristics of accountability demands. Next, 114 home and community care agencies in Ontario were surveyed and 20 key informant interviews were conducted with executives from 13 home and community care agencies, two CCACs and two LHINs. Data from these different methods were combined in the analysis phase. Home and community care agencies face multiple accountability requirements from a variety of stakeholders. We found that government agencies relied most heavily on regulatory and expenditure policy instruments to hold home and community care organizations to account. Organizational size and financial dependence were significantly related to organizational compliance to accountability demands attached to CCAC contracts and MSAAs. In addition to the theorized potential organizational responses to external demands (compliance, compromise, avoidance and defiance), this study found that organizations engaged in internal modification where internal practices are changed to meet accountability requirements. Smaller, more poorly resourced organizations that were highly dependent on LHINs or CCACs were more likely to internally modify organizational practice to meet accountability demands. Although MSAAs and CCAC contracts supported a quality culture amongst organizations, internal organizational changes, such as redirecting time towards reporting requirements and away from care, and cutting innovative practices and programs, were reported to have a negative impact on the quality of service delivery. Government reliance on contract-based accountability for funded home and community care services, while politically advantageous, has the potential to seriously and negatively affect the quality of home and community services delivered. Policy makers need to carefully consider the potential impact on quality of service delivery when developing and implementing accountability policy.

With social structure and technology rapidly changing, business globalisation has been regarded as a worldwide trend. While there have been many cases and literature on management of culture integration for merger and acquisition from a Western perspective, few have discussed cultural integration in an Asian context. This study provides a case study of cultural integration strategies Lenovo has undertaken to manage employees from both teams after the M&A. It adopts a semi-structure face-to-face interview research method, which 5 participants were selected from the culture integration committee for interview. During the interview, each participant answered the questions from their perspective of the job position they are currently in. The method would enhance the quality of the research as it looks into the problems and strategy that Lenovo has encountered and undertaken from various points of view. However, as no employees from IBM PC-D on the committee were available to participate in the research, it might place some limitations on the research simply because IBM team’s opinions were not taken into account. After analysing the results obtained from the participants, the researcher found that there were several motives for Lenovo to acquire IBM PC-D, including: - 1) internationalization, 2) acquiring technology and skills, 3) acquiring a brand, 4) obtaining access to new customers, 5) increase bargaining position to suppliers. Among these five motives, acquiring brand was considered to be the most important motive. As Chinese product has always been marketed at the lower end of the product line with low costs and poor quality, acquiring IBM’s brand would enable Lenovo to boost its product image and to gain access to customers outside the Chinese market. In managing two teams within the organisation, Lenovo has taken very few steps to integrate two teams into one. Instead, a separate management mode was encouraged by Lenovo to allow IBM PC-D to maintain its own management system and procedures. In addition, a culture integration committee was voluntarily set up by employees from various departments to design initiatives to encourage communication between two teams. When problems arise due to the difference between two teams, Lenovo has adopted an accommodation strategy by making adjustments to the work schedule of its employee in the Lenovo team in order to accommodate employees in IBM team. As a result, it has increased the workload for staff in Lenovo team and this may thus lead to stress and work-life imbalance to its employees. Overall, the strategy that Lenovo has adopted to manage two teams seems to have worked well and the culture integration committee appears to have served well in encouraging the communication between two teams. On the other hand, as the participants in the interview were not directly involved with the designing and crafting the strategy of culture integration, that might have some limitation on the result. Therefore, it is suggested that further research can be done to capture the opinion from members that are directly involved in the design of culture integration strategy as well as teams from IBM PC-D in order to ensure a well provided empirical and consistent view.

Thesis (D. Phil. (Organisational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-204).