<p><font face="ArialMT"> <p align="left">The study recommends that performance management has to be approached from an integrated perspective. The process of the design of performance management must include a thorough consultation with major stakeholders. The implementation of the system has to be supported and driven by top leadership and management. The change management process should be supported by a proactive communication strategy and it should be managed strategically and by competent staff. A reward system that distinguishes high from mediocre performance should be put in place. Programmes must be implemented to ensure high levels of staff motivation. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms must be put in place to ensure implementation of sustainable performance management systems. These recommendations led to the design of an integrated performance management system. The study concludes that integrated performance management, as a multidisciplinary methodology related to organisational strategy, structure, culture, systems and processes, should be regarded as a critical tool for improving motivation and performance of individuals, teams, departments and the public service as a whole.</p> </font></p>

Stress is a condition which causes the body to react in response to a threat or a challenge, and where the outcome is important to the individual. Stress can be both physical and psychological. Physical stress can be the result of having too much to do, and psychological stress can be the result of an emotionally disturbing or devastating event. There are several origins of these causes of stress, and this dissertation has attempted to explore the main and most common ones: the various possible factors (stressors) which can arise from the workplace and factors outside the workplace. Everyone experiences stress differently because of various reasons and reacts differently to stress in face of the same stressor. Stressors produce different stress levels in different people: combined with the external factors of stress (potential stressors) it has been found that how one is affected by that stressor depends on how one perceive this stressor, based on its relative importance to the person and the traits and characteristics of the person e.g. reactions in face of a challenge or threat. As an effect of stress, the one reacts physically, psychologically and behaviourally, and has negative consequences rather than positive consequences, which affect both physical and mental well-being and performance at work. These have serious implications for businesses, especially in this highly competitive and dynamic environment. In a research carried out in, it has been found that there is relatively low incidence of stress the airline industry in Durban but some recommendations for stress management have been made to bring knowledge about the problem and to be proactive in face of an otherwise increasing problem. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

In the nineties, the new political dispensation in South Africa ushered in an era where power and relationship structures of government would be people centered. Section 23 of the Constitution provides for fair labour practices, and subsequent employment laws gives effect to these constitutional rights. Laws introduced new structures and procedures that required greater cooperation. This required a change in mental models, while transcending past unfair labour practices and moving towards more harmonious relationships. Labour Relations is a relatively closed system, because the rule of law is specific about the outcome of a particular action. The Labour Relations Officer is only required to mechanically apply the legislation and policies when providing guidance and support in the organisation. The success of the Labour Relations Officer may be measured by the degree to which they make themselves redundant; that is the extent to which policies, structures, systems and processes instituted and the advice given, allow other managers and supervisors to manage their people on their own. While the transactional role and competencies for Human Resources practice are easy to define, the substantive issues like labour relations are less clear and there is no consistency in the manner in which labour relations is structured, practiced and managed. Prior to the new employment laws, government departments operated on a staff rotation system. Employees were placed in labour relations through the rotation and placement exercise. As a result Labour Relations was staffed with administrators without the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience. Labour Relations is located within the Human Resources Section in the Government Departments in KwaZulu Natal. At the commencement of this study I was employed by the Provincial Department of Housing as an Assistant Manager. The employer and employee relationship was poor, and this was evident by the number of grievances and disputes. Advice was not provided timeously by Labour Relations and advice was also not accepted by management, thereby resulting in disputes. Unions complained that they were not consulted on matters of mutual interest and Labour Relations was accused of being rigid around employment issues. Labour Relations Officials were also viewed as being "partial" because they actively participated in the discipline and arbitration process. The Department of Housing fell under the jurisdiction of the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council, and even collective bargaining was entrenched in the "us and them " mentality. Issues for negotiation were on the agenda for months as the parties were not willing to compromise. The purpose of this study is to explore the emerging set of competencies for Labour Relations Officers operating within the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Chamber in KwaZulu- Natal. Competencies refer to the set of knowledge, skills, abilities and behavior. This qualitative study was undertaken through conversation interviews with Labour Relations Officers, employees and unionists that operate within the jurisdiction of the Bargaining Chamber. The intention of this study is to add value to the practice of labour relations, by assisting Labour Relations Officers to re-invent themselves as the champions of transformation. Furthermore this research would be of value to labour relation's and Human Resource Management staff and students. NOTE: 1. For the purpose of this study the title of Labour Relations Officer and Labour Relations Practitioner are taken to mean the same thing. 2. Reference to the Labour Relations Officer in this study is in the masculine. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Although higher educational institutions the world over are beginning to recognize the importance of knowledge management, such institutions are still on the “very first steps of the long ladder” in addressing, evaluating and implementing the benefits of knowledge management with particular reference to the human resource management sector. Knowledge management is a viable means through which higher educational institutions could gainfully capitalize on its intellectual and social capital. Implementing knowledge management principles could bring about improved human resource efficiency and effectiveness and a resultant improved performance at higher educational institutions fostering a culture of excellence. Institutions of higher learning should therefore embrace knowledge management principles and practices in order to adequately address the challenges in a society that is becoming increasingly knowledge based. Relevant knowledge for human resource managers could be located at three different places. Individual knowledge is acquired through personal work experiences. Secondary knowledge could be attained through others insights, experiences and perceptions. Finally, much valued codified knowledge could be found in knowledge repositories. The realistic value of knowledge could be derived through the combination of all three approaches. Against this backdrop, this study explores knowledge management as a strategic tool for human resource management in higher educational institutions. Specifically, the dimensions such as organizational culture, organizational performance, technology, management support, and the institutions mission and vision will be evaluated to understand knowledge management within higher educational institutions. A questionnaire/survey was administered to a sample representing senior, middle and junior human resource managers at selected higher educational institutions in South Africa, Mauritius and India. In addition, a semi-structured interview was conducted with executive managers responsible for the human resource function in the higher educational institutions. The study investigated the impact of policies, systems and processes that the higher educational institutions implemented in support of knowledge management and knowledge sharing. A triangulated research approach was adopted through the administration of survey questionnaires amongst human resource managers, conducting semistructured interviews with executive managers, and a comprehensive literature review backed up with a review of the findings of similar studies. The outcomes of the study demonstrate that significant benefits could be derived by HEI’s in adopting an integrative approach between the human resource and knowledge management functions. The research results provide convincing arguments to support the integration of human resource management and knowledge management initiatives in HEI’s and affirms the assumption that these two disciplines are mutually inclusive. Whilst the HRM function at HEI’s have demonstrated that they have the capability and resources to implement knowledge management initiatives, the results reflect that much ground needs to be covered to realize the full benefits of this endeavour. The research culminates in providing important recommendations and guidelines, as well as the development of an integrated normative model on how human resource departments at higher educational institutions could embrace knowledge management as a strategic human resource management tool. The study confirms that an effective knowledge management strategy for human resource management that is aligned to the organizations’ strategic objectives is imperative in the 21st century organizational era, and more specifically for higher educational institutions in South Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville,

This thesis was designed to determine Fortune 500 communicators' opinions about objectives for employee communications. The study compared communicators' opinions about stated objectives for employee communications objectives to their opinion about how their corporations implement the same stated objectives.An opinion questionnaire was mailed to directors of employee communication or equivalent titles at all Fortune 500 companies. Of the 500 instruments mailed, 129 or 25.8 percent were returned and used for data.Participants' responses were analyzed by mean scores, t-tests, confidence interval ratings and rank-order correlation tests. Demographic data was collected concerning budget sizes, staffdemographic data was cross tabulated with 40 statements of objectives the existence of written objectives, and types of activities used. The for employee communications activities to further describe Fortune 500 communicators.The study found a significant difference between the communicators' opinions toward employee communications objectives and the employee communications activities implemented within their corporations. The study also found companies with and without objectives for employee communications both implement similar employee activities. / Department of Journalism

The primary purpose of this study was to design an instrument, the Professional Support Survey (PSS), to assess one's extent of world view thinking relating to wellness programming. The secondary purpose was to use the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) and the PSS to determine if a relationship exists between HR professionals' personal wellness and their support for wellness programs in the work place. Face and content validity was established for the PSS, test-retest analysis confirmed significant reliability («T, = 0.9239 and «T2 = 0.9464), and a significance test found - = 0.846 and adjusted - = 0.8662. The study found that HR professionals' levels of personal wellness are reflected in their decisions to support wellness programs. Further, the more exposure HR professionals have to wellness management issues (i.e., the company having a formal program, the number of activities, and budget allocations for programming), the more likely they are to support wellness programs from a programmatic standpoint. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

The major purpose of the study was directed toward improvement of administration of public school custodial programs. The study was designed to: (1) provide Indiana custodial administrators with an overview of perceptions of Indiana custodial administrators generally regarding use and soundness of selected custodial management practices; (2) provide information that would be beneficial in developing or revising custodial program policies and administrative procedures; (3) provide information about custodial management practices employed in school corporations of comparable size; (4) provide information concerning the impact of employee union affiliation on the use and soundness of custodial management practices; and (5) provide institutions which prepare administrative personnel with information regarding current custodial management practices.The literature was reviewed concerning the management functions of planning, organizing, controlling, coordinating, directing, staffing, and evaluating. Literature was also reviewed concerning custodial management practices and then integrated under appropriate management functions. A list of selected custodial management practices was developed, validated, modified, and finally placed in questionnaire format.The questionnaire was distributed to sixty-selected Indiana school corporations categorized as large, medium, and small. Respondents reported use, non-use, or questioned use to each of eighty-five practices. Secondly, respondents reported each practice to be sound, unsound, or of questioned soundness. Thirdly, respondents reported reasons for non-use of practices judged to be sound but not used.Major conclusions drawn from the study included:1. Broad usage of custodial management practices described in the questionnaire was observed.2. Over 75 per cent of the selected custodial management practices were judged to be sound by school administrators.3. There was a strong relationship between size of school districts and the degree to which custodial management practices were used.4. There was a strong relationship between size of school districts and the degree to which custodial management practices were judged to be sound.5. Large school districts used more selected practices and judged more practices to be sound than medium and small school districts.6. Lack of time to implement practices was the reason reported most often for practices not used but judged to be sound.7. There was a significant relationship between union affiliation and use and soundness of selected custodial management practices.Several implications were suggested:1. Careful assignment of time priorities can improve the managerial process related to custodial programs.2. Small and medium school districts might improve custodial programs by adopting practices used by large school districts.3. Efficiency of custodial programs might be increased by utilizing cost control measures.4. Institutions that prepare administrators might improve long-range administration of custodial programs by devoting instructional efforts to management theory, organizational behavior, and business management functions.Several recommendations were made:1. Appropriate state agencies should provide leadership in procuring and disseminating information concerning the need for providing efficiency in operation of custodial programs.2. Appropriate state agencies should provide leadership in developing methods, techniques, and procedures to facilitate the improvement of custodialprograms.3. College and university professors of educational administration should provide leadership in designing programs aimed at preparing administrators who can dealeffectively and efficiently with management of custodial programs.4. The inquiry instrument should be refined and improved for use in further research at local, state, and national levels to enhance the improvement of the administration of custodial programs in educational institutions.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors which caused teacher job stress as perceived by junior high/ middle school teachers. An additional purpose of the study was to determine what strategies junior high/middle school principals used to alleviate or manage teacher job stress.A teacher questionnaire was developed for use in the study involving teachers. Three-hundred and eight teachers responded to a fifty-four item questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed for the combined responses and for discrepancies between respondent sub-groups, i.e., tenure, non-tenure, male, female.An open-ended questionnaire was developed for use in the study involving junior high/middle school principals. Sixty-four principals responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a ranked list of forty-seven job stressors. The principals were asked to review the list of job stressors and to indicate ways they alleviated or managed teacher job stress.The two most stressful teacher job stressors, with a rank of ore and two of forty-seven job stressors, were caused by students. The remaining eight of the ten top causal factors of teacher job stress were: (1) uncooperative parents, (2) maintaining self-control when angry, (3) too much paperwork, (4) lack of public faith and support, (5) misunderstanding or misinterpretation resulting from ineffective communication, (6) verbal abuse by students, (7) too much time required on activities unrelated to actual teaching, and (8) conflict of concurrent demands of home and job responsibilities.Of the job stressors ranked eleven to twenty of the forty-seven job stressors, four were caused by management, three job stressors were caused by students, two job stressors were caused by colleagues, and one was caused by job task requirements.Specific activities, procedures, or policies frequently reported by principals respondents for alleviating or managing teacher job stress were reported. In general, the activities were: (1) staff cooperation, (2) inservice on stress and time management, (3) good student discipline, (4) good administrative organization and planning, (5) principal visibility, interaction, and accessibility, (6) elimination of some tasks at school, (7) good principal and staff communication, (8) principal and staff team effort, (9) parent support, and (19) an identification and understanding of causal factors of teacher job stress.The review of related literature placed more emphasis than did principals on the need of each individual teacher to develop a personalized approach in acquiring stress coping skills. Some examples of individual coping skills included: C1) good health and exercise, (2) regularity in life, (3) good attitude, (4) changing life style if current life style was not conducive to stress, (5) gain experience and work towards mastery of tasks, (6) good person qualities, (7) assign priorities and establish goals, (8) being cooperative with others, (9) establishing good social interactions, and (10) develop stress buffers and stress relievers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and report selected Indiana public school principals' perceptions of differentiated staffing as a viable method of school personnel organization. The research was designed to examine Indiana school principals' perceptions of the differentiated staffing concept and the possible affects it may have on principals, classroom teachers, and students. The data obtained revealed the beliefs of those principals sampled concerning the relationship of differentiated staffing and school personnel organization. The original study population included 300 Indiana school principals who had been randomly sampled from the 1969-70 Indiana School Directory. Of the original sample, 100 were elementary principals (K-6, 1-6), 100 were junior high principals (7-8, 7-9), and 100 were high school principals (9-12, 10-12). A Principal's Response Instrument was designed from a review of the literature on differentiated staffing. The questionnaire was mailed to the selected principals and from this mailing, a total of 240 questionnaires were returned. This represented an eighty per cent return. Of the total number returned, eighty-five were from elementary principals, seventy-nine were from junior high principals, and seventy-six were from high school principals. Review of the data led to the following conclusions: Elementary principals, junior high school principals, and senior high school principals tended to respond in a fairly consistent pattern that did not produce a highly distinguishable difference between the three levels of school principals represented in the study.Seventy per cent of the Indiana principals perceived differentiated staffing to be a better method of school personnel organization than traditional staffing methods. They indicated that the differentiated staffing concept would need to develop the skills necessary to become specialists in group process, organization management, and human relations. Principals felt that the concept would permit the principals to be the instructional leader in the school. Principals did not feel that teachers would be in favor of differentiated staffing. However, they did feel that the concept would permit better utilization of teacher resources and would recognize a career ladder for teachers. They felt that the concept would foster good teaching techniques and that teachers' individual needs, interests, and aptitudes could be met under differentiated staffing. Principals perceived differentiated staffing as providing more meaningful educational opportunities for learners than traditional staffing patterns while meeting student individual interests, needs, and abilities. Principals favored the establishment of learning resource centers in the schools and the implementation of more individualized curriculum for students. Principals were overwhelmingly supportive to the notion that the primary concern of differentiated staffing is to promote more effective learning for students.Principals strongly favored the implementation of experimental models of differentiated staffing in the public schools in Indiana. They felt that local communities, and local, state, and national teachers organizations should be involved in planning differentiated staffing projects.

Abstract available from the pdf file. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.