In the past 30 years, the emphasis on the human relations aspects of management has greatly increased. As a result, new management theories have been advanced, acclaimed and criticized. The purpose of this empirical study was to determine what effect, if any, the biographical factors of age, education and rank had on managerial attitudes in a particular plant and whether the managerial personnel tended to identify with the assumption of Douglas McGregor's widely publicized managerial theories, known as Theories X and Y. Data for the study were gathered by means of attitude questionnaires which were mailed to randomly selected managerial personnel who represented all levels of plant management. The responses were tabulated and statistically analyzed for significance. Based upon the results of this statistical analysis and prudent logic and inference, certain findings were noted and conclusions drawn. The major finding was that in the plant studied, age, education, and rank were relatively unimportant determinants of managerial attitudes. The principal conclusion drawn was that the nature of the work performed and certain, local economic factors, rather than biographical factors, probably accounted for the particular managerial response patterns. / M.S.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: ABSTRACT: "People are our most valuable asset" is a cliché that no member of any senior management team would disagree with. Yet, the reality for many organisations is that their people remain under-valued, under-trained and under-utilised. The rate of change facing organisations has never been greater and organisations must absorb and manage change at a must faster rate than in the past. In order to implement a successful business strategy to face these challenges, organisations, large and small, must ensure that they have the right people and strategy in place to deliver the right people at the right time at the right cost. It has become clear over the last two to three years that a major problem is developing within the Human Resources management in Bank Windhoek. The opportunity to address this problem in an effective and objective way did not however present itself until late in 1999 when the then relatively new Managing Director tried to convince the Board Manpower Committee to appoint a senior Human Resources manager, a position, as will be seen in the forthcoming discussion, that has been absent for a number of years. The request was turned down with reasons that the size of the staff complement in the bank did not justify such a senior appointment. When the Managing Director was then approached for permission to do a study relating to the repositioning of Human Resources in Bank Windhoek, it was immediately granted. The goals for the study were multifarious. In the first place the actual state of affairs were to be determined, from a management perspective as well as from a client perspective. Secondly the aim was to determine what the ultimate Human Resources department should look like, in the process identifying the existing gaps. The next goal was to make recommendations to reengineer the department in order for it to start functioning effectively and to all the parties' content. The final goal was to implement systems to constantly monitor the Human Resources department's performance and make continuous adjustments to keep it on track. Bank Windhoek has come to a crossroad where certain decisions pertaining to its Human Resource management have to be made. This paper will endeavour to make facts clearer to facilitate the best decision-making and propose actions to be taken in this very important facet of the bank's overall strategy and management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "Mense is 'n maatskappy se waardevolste bate" is 'n uitdrukking waarmee alle bestuurders sal saamstem. Die werklikheid is egter dat personeel by die meerderheid organisasies onderwaardeer, onopgeleid en onder-benut is. Die spoed van verandering wat organisasies deesdae in die gesig staar was nog nooit meer intens as nou nie, en organisasies moet hierdie veranderinge absorbeer en bestuur teen 'n vinniger pas as ooit vantevore. Ten einde 'n suksesvolle besigheid-strategie te implementeer om sodoende hierdie uitdagings die hoof te kan bied, moet besighede, klein en groot, verseker dat hulle die regte personeel en strategieë in plek het om die regte mense op die regte plekke teen die ideale koste te kan plaas. Dit het oor die afgelope twee tot drie jaar duidelik geword dat 'n grootse probleem besig was om in die Menslike Hulpbronne bestuur van Bank Windhoek te ontstaan. Die geleentheid om hierdie probleem objektief en effektief aan te spreek het eers in die laaste helfte van 1999 ontstaan toe die nuwe Besturende Direkteur gepoog het om die Mannekrag Komitee te oortuig om 'n senior bestuurder Menslike Hulpbronne aan te stel. 'n Aanstelling wat ons in hierdie bespreking sal merk, afwesig was vir 'n hele aantal jare. Sy voorstel was summier afgeskiet aangesien, volgens die komitee, die aantal personeel in die bank nie 'n senior aanstelling regverdig het nie. Toe die Besturende Direkteur genader is om toestemming ten einde 'n ondersoek te doen oor die herposisionering van die Menslike Hulpbron afdeling in die bank, is dit dadelik toegestaan. Die doelwitte van hierdie ondersoek was velerlei. In die eerste plek was dit nodig om die ware toedrag van sake rakende die bestuur van Menslike Hulpbronne in die bank te bepaal, vanuit 'n bestuurs- sowel as 'n kliënte oogpunt. Tweedens was dit die doel om te bepaal hoe die ideale Menslike Hulpbronne afdeling daaruit moet sien. Gedurende hierdie proses is bestaande gapings dan geïdentifiseer. Derdens was dit nodig om aanbevelings te maak om die afdeling tot so 'n mate te herstruktureer om tot alle betrokke partye se voordeel te kan funksioneer. Verder was dit ook nodig om stelsels te implementeer om die Menslike Hulpbronne prestasie te kan evalueer asook om voortdurende aanpassings te maak om die afdeling op die regte spoor te kan hou. Bank Windhoek het by 'n kruispad gekom waar sekere besluite rondom Menslike Hulpbronne geneem moet word. Hierdie werkstuk sal poog om feite duideliker te stel rondom die beste besluitneming en voorgestelde aksies wat geïmplementeer moet word in hierdie belangrike aspek van die bank se oorhoofse strategie en bestuur.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

by To Kar-man, Stanley. / Bibliography : leaf 76 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

by Mok Mo-Yin. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iv / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background --- p.2 / Literature Review --- p.10 / Chapter II. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.13 / Time of Measurement / Area Of Measurement --- p.13 / Measurement Tool and Sample --- p.15 / Design of Questionnaire --- p.15 / Chapter III. --- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS --- p.17 / Response Rate --- p.17 / Characteristics Of The Survey Respondents --- p.17 / General Analysis Of The Results --- p.19 / Detailed Discussion Of Survey Results --- p.25 / Chapter IV. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.30 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSION --- p.33 / APPENDIX --- p.35 / REFERENCES --- p.50 / BIBLOGRAPHY --- p.51

Wei Liqun. / "Auguest 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 193-213). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

by Chow Chiu Mei, Loletta, Fok Hoi Yun, Irene. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [67-70]). / ABSTRACT --- p.i -ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii -iv / CHAPTERS / Chapter 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1-5 / Chapter 2. --- ARTHUR ANDERSEN & CO --- p.6 -15 / Chapter 2.1 --- Vision and Mission --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Arthur Andersen Strategic Framework --- p.7-15 / Chapter 3. --- RESOURCE-BASED FRAMEWORK --- p.16 -30 / Chapter 3.1 --- Firm Resources --- p.16-18 / Chapter 3.2 --- Competitive Advantage and Sustained Competitive Advantage --- p.18-19 / Chapter 3.3 --- Resource Homogeneity and Mobility and Sustained Competitive Advantage --- p.20 -21 / Chapter 3.4 --- Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage --- p.21 -27 / Chapter 3.5 --- Applications of Resource-based Approach --- p.27 -30 / Chapter 4. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.31-33 / Chapter 4.1 --- Data Sources --- p.31 -32 / Chapter 4.2 --- Measurement --- p.32 / Chapter 4.3 --- Method of Analysis --- p.33 / Chapter 5. --- FINDINGS --- p.34 -47 / Chapter 5.1 --- Valuable --- p.35 -39 / Chapter 5.2 --- Rareness --- p.39 -45 / Chapter 5.3 --- Imperfectly Imitable --- p.45-46 / Chapter 5.4 --- Substitutability --- p.46-47 / Chapter 6. --- DISCUSSIONS --- p.48-52 / Chapter 7. --- CONCLUSION --- p.53-54 / Chapter 7.1 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.54 / APPENDICES / Chapter A. --- Big-Six Accounting Firms Comparative Data / Chapter B. --- Andersen Worldwide Facts1996 / Chapter C. --- Structure of Andersen Worldwide / Chapter D. --- Arthur Andersen Strategic Framework / Chapter E. --- Arthur Andersen Range of Services / Chapter F. --- 1996 Manpower Survey Report of Accountancy / REFERENCES

[Truncated abstract] The commercial developments of the late 20th and early 21st centuries have come to signify profound and far-reaching change in the way that goods and services are designed, produced, marketed and delivered to customers in the world's international and domestic markets. In order to respond to a more intensively competitive trading environment that demands ever-increasing levels of product quality, customer service, organisational efficiency and business performance, the management of business entities has undergone fundamental alteration in form and content. It is within this context that two traditionally disparate business disciplines have emerged to play an important role in the new economic commercial order, that of small business management and that of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). Historically eclipsed by the large and powerful mass-producing corporations, the small business sector has been more recently viewed as playing an increasingly prominent part in the creation of national and regional prosperity within the developed countries. The unprecedented interest in smaller firms and the desire to see them fulfill their economic and social potential have resulted in legislative reform and widespread initiatives by governments and other institutions designed to support and protect the smaller operators in their commercial endeavours. Similarly, in the post-industrial knowledge economy people have risen in prominence over other organisational resources as a key source of competitive commercial advantage. The role of intellectual capital in securing business success has fuelled the development of management technology and methods designed to enhance the contribution of human resources to business performance. Heralded by many as the defining managerial approach for enterprises that wish to build sustainable competitive advantage in the markets of today and the future, SHRM has come to the fore as a means to re-evaluate the importance of human contribution to business outcomes and guide management practice in leveraging the latent potential of a company's human assets. ... In general, the management of business strategy was found to possess low levels of structure and formality, effectively merging into the collective activities associated with owning and operating a small business. Similarly, when compared with the key elements of a strategic human resource management framework constructed specifically for this study, the data indicated that the strategic management of people is prevalent in smaller firms but that this again represents only partial adoption of normative models as commonly promoted for the larger business management context. It was concluded that the theoretical principles and concepts of SHRM demonstrate relevance for small companies on account of the status of the contemporary external commercial environment in which they must compete as well as the range of managerial benefits associated with strategic methodology and practice. However, currently there exist no suitable models of practice with supporting guidelines that respond to the unique contextual and operational needs and experiences typical of smaller firm owner-managers.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration