M.Com. (Economics) / The training of adults within business organisations is frequently done according to principles and methods which could be described as outdated and even not applicable. This becomes more evident when these methods are tested against modern theories regarding adult learning behaviour. These theories indicate for example, that the traditional pedagogic techniques could not be applied to the training of adults as such. Wellknown authors on adult learning theory have postulated that the adult learner has certain unique characteristics which sets him apart from the typical child in a structured learning situation. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the application of some of the principles and methodologies of these theories will actually contribute to the personal development or growth of the managers within the organisation where the study was conducted. This organisation utilises assessment centres to determine the management potential of its managers. An important part of this process is the identification of the individual developmental needs of the participating manager. The process is structured in such a manner so as to provide for a learning experience which will result in helping the participant view himself objectively in terms of his managerial behaviour. The underlying assumption is that in order to get the manager involved in self-initiated learning activities, with self-development as the ultimate goal, self-awareness regarding weaknesses and strengths must first be developed. Effective mechanisms which provide feedback to the participant in the assessment centre is an important contributing factor in the development of this awareness...

M. Ed. (Educational Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Education Management) / A notable feature of the school principal as managerial leader's task is its comprehensive and complex nature. Behavior modification is a managerial skill, that should make the principal more effective in interpersonal relations and communication in the school as organisation. In this short dissertation the focus is on behavior modification as managerial task of the principal. Behavior modification has as its goals the explanation, prediction and control of. behavior. Behavior modification as described in this short dissertation relies extensively on the psychology of learning, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning and modelling. On managerial level classical conditioning has little or no application, consequently it will not receive much attention in this study. The use of operant conditioning is, however, discussed in detail emphasising the use of the positive aspects of operant conditioning. The principles of operant conditioning describe the relationship between behavior, and various environmental events (antecedents and consequences) that influence behavior. Although both antecedents and consequences can alter behavior, most applications of operant conditioning principles emphasize the consequences that follow behavior. In this short dissertation operant conditioning is divided into two sets of techniques to be used on managerial level: Techniques to alter unacceptable behavior and techniques or procedures for teaching acceptable behavior. Techniques to alter unacceptable behavior - punishment, extinction, saturation and counter conditioning - can all be used by the principal as managerial leader.

M.A. (Corporate Communication) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Com. (Business Management) / In the literature on industrial projects, very little attention is given to the administrative and project accounting aspects of project management. The emphasis falls on technical aspects and project management as a whole, and not specifically on the administrative duties as they are normally executed by a project accountant or project administrator. The purpose of this study is to investigate the administrative duties and the organisation and planning of- procedures as applicable to an industrial project, with particular reference to the professional project managing company in South Africa. In so doing, the more important aspects of project administration will be highlighted, so that the study could serve as a guide to interested parties. The motivation for the study is the importance of cost control, accurate records and accurate forecasting. These aspects are of prime importance if management is to maintain adequate and proper control over the project. The study is aimed at placing these tasks of the project accountant into perspective, in relation to project management as a whole. The study takes the form of a study of the available literature on the subject of project administration. Only the more important and relevant aspects of project administration will be discussed, as the scope of the study does not allow for all aspects to be discussed in detail and at great length...

M.Com. (Business Management) / Today's organizations are operating in a continually changing business environment. To be a growing and profitable business, it is important that management have a vision of where and how they want to direct the company to the desired future business outcome. Management must be in touch with both the internal and external factors that may influence the outcome of the changing environment. To be a profitable and growing company, it is important that the internal resources be utilized optimally, of which the human resources are the most valuable resource. Communication is seen as the instrument in the hands of management with which it can achieve these desired results.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / The Namibian educational system is confronted with the problem of a high failure rate. By analysing the situation, the following come to light: * The schools previously under the jurisdiction of the administration of Whites,· Coloureds and the - Rehoboth Basters, have the best qualified teachers as well as a very high pass rate. * The schools who were previously under the jurisdiction of the administration of the Ovambos, - Hereros, - Damaras,- Kavangos,- Namas and - Tswanas, have a high concentration of underqualified and unqualified teachers. The very high failure rate in these areas can, to a certain extent, be attributed to this phenomenon. If it is taken into account that 64% of the school-going population are situated in these areas, the situation can be described as a disaster. In view of the above it seems that there is a definite correlation between the professional competence of the teacher and the performance of the pupils under his care. For this very important reason everything possible must be done to enable the teacher to execute his or her duties in a professional and competent manner. In this regard the subject advisors have a vital role to play. The present role of subject advisors should be changed. Subject advisors should reallocate their services into areas where it is most needed. Subject advisors should focus their attention to the general improvement of the pedagogical and methodological ability of serving teachers. This can be done by implementing an effective staff development program. In order to succeed such an in-service training program has to be carefully and systematically planned and executed in accordance with each teachers individual needs, skills and capabilities as well as his level of academic and professional development. To enable the subject advisor to assess the need of the teachers under his control he will have to establish a climate of trust so that the teachers shall feel free to ask for advice without the fear that their difficulties shall become further known. To succesfully execute their management task, subject advisors should have a thorough knowledge of the management task they must perform. It is therefore necessary that subject advisors should undergo practical and theoretical training in educational management. It is clear that the present role of subject advisors should be changed. There ,should be a marked shift in emphasis from the controlling and supervisory function to an advisory function. The emphasis should be on staff development...

The modern workplace continues to transform at a radical and accelerated pace and successful and competitive organisations are able to turn their strategies into action faster, manage their processes more efficiently and maximise their employees’ contribution and commitment (Brewster, Carey, Grobler, Hollard and Wärnick, 2010:5). In addition, Vestal (2009:6) adds that one of the biggest challenges that managers face at the moment, is to find ways to engage employees in the organisation and build a sense of belonging that, hopefully, will support retention and long term commitment. This research study aimed to explore and describe the nature and extent of employee engagement among nursing employees working in private healthcare. This exploration also encompassed five facilitators which are considered to be crucial in the promotion of an engaged workforce. The identified facilitators include: leadership behaviour, working environment, communication, training and development and rewards and recognition. This was attained by using a quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research approach. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from nursing employees working in one of the private hospitals in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. From the data, the overall degree of employee engagement was established as well as the significance of the five identified facilitators in employee engagement. Based on the analysed data, guidelines for the advancement of employee engagement are proposed that can assist management in the development of employee engagement practices and strategy formulation.

Body-In-White business forms part of the automotive industry. The industry is highly specialized and usually operates under tremendous pressure due to the competition within the industry as a result of an oligopolistic market, limited resources, short lead times and the contractual nature of the industry. The selected business has grown steadily over the last five years in terms of the number of employees that have been employed. It is said that employees are a business’s most important asset. How effectively a business is managed during growth and the relationship management has with the employees during that period are critical to a business in maintaining a competitive advantage. Effective management and sound employee relations could ensure the longterm profitability and sustainability of the business. This paper is intended to analyse the selected business to determine how effectively the business is managed and the state of employee relations within the business. Various aspects to effective management and employee relations are presented through a literature study in order to identify the means required to manage effectively and to promote and maintain sound employee relations. A two-pronged approach was undertaken in the applied research. Firstly, a survey with the aid of a structured questionnaire was undertaken among the management of the selected business to gather information. A second survey also with the aid of a structured questionnaire was undertaken among all the employees. The purpose of the two different questionnaires was to make an analysis of the business and to determine whether management and the employees held the same views, or differed on related topics. Mostly management indicated that managerial effectiveness is critical to remaining competitive. Employees indicated that management does not plan and organise an orderly workflow and that employees rely on their overtime remuneration. There was a general agreement by management and employees that more than one person attends to human resource related issues. Effective human resource planning is not enforced to maintain a motivated workforce, as human resource policies and procedures do not pay special attention to employee relations. Among the main findings, the study revealed that while there are some aspects of effective management lacking in the business, the business is mostly managed effectively. However, not enough attention is paid to effective human resource management, as training and development programs for management and employees are lacking and certain human resource issues need to be addressed.

There is no question that effective talent management implementation requires a well-defined process. Talent management includes all talent management systems that are required to optimise the workforce within an organisation. The talent management system includes: talent planning, acquiring talent, developing talent, managing talent and retaining talent. Acquired talent should be developed to mould into the organisational culture so that they support the organisational objectives. The research objective of this study was to assess talent management implementation at Metrorail. To achieve this objective a comprehensive study was undertaken on Talent Management. The study involved conducting a literature review to understand the process that is necessary for talent management implementation in an organisation. An empirical study was later conducted to investigate whether the processes of talent management have been successfully implemented at Metrorail. The survey was compared to the literature review to establish whether the findings from Metrorail agreed or disagreed with the literature reviewed. As much as the empirical results showed a case of progress towards Employee Empowerment, Employee Engagement and Talent Retention, there were areas of concern with regard to Recruitment, Compensation and Rewards, Performance Management as well as Organisational Culture.