Rapid changes in the business environment as a result of globalisation, mergers and acquisitions, skills shortages and demographic changes in the workplace have led to a greater realisation of the importance of talent management and its role in ensuring a sustainable and successful organisation. Attracting and retaining talent has become one of the most important activities for organisations in order to ensure their competitive advantage. Companies must now differentiate themselves from competitors by offering current and potential employees an employment offering that they value. The employee value proposition (EVP) communicates to the internal and external workforce why they should work for and remain with a particular organisation. Identifying the attributes that employees' value is important in attracting and retaining the best talent. The aim of the study was therefore to identify the EVP drivers that a) attract and b) retain employees as well as those attributes that drive both attraction and retention. The influence of demographic variables, such as age and gender, on attracting and retaining employees was also explored. A structured questionnaire, based on the Corporate Leadership Council‟s EVP model, was developed and respondents were asked to indicate the importance they attach to each EVP attribute. A total of 204 respondents from 13 medium-sized to large-sized organisations in South Africa, participated in the study. The results showed that the quality of senior leadership, quality of managers and the organisation's reputation for managing people were the most important EVP drivers of both attraction and retention. The size of the organisation's workforce was the least important attribute for both attraction and retention. In addition, the results revealed there were no significant differences between EVP attributes that attract and retain males and those that attract and retain females. Furthermore, age plays a significant role in attracting and retaining talent. These results have significant implications for companies as they should design their EVP‟s based on what employees' value and deem to be the most important to them. Organisations need to start focusing on the generational differences that are present in today's business and adapt their EVP‟s accordingly.

The aim of this research study was to conduct an investigation to establish whether a performance management system would facilitate the achievement of the organisation’s strategic goals and objectives. The organisation used as a case study in this research uses a performance appraisal process which is not effective in facilitating the organisation’s strategic goals and objectives. Hence, this study has been undertaken against the above background. The researcher has utilised a positivist paradigm in this research. This means that the researcher has used a quantitative methodology in the process of data collection. A random sampling technique was used with an aim of including critical elements of the population of this study. More particularly, 50 employees of the organisation were electronically presented with a questionnaire based on important key elements of performance management. Moreover, the questionnaire included a Likert type scale consisting of closed and opened-end questions. Questionnaires were received from 35 employees, of which one was from senior management, 13 project managers, 12 from supervisory staff and 9 from support staff. Statistica was used in this research as a software program for the quantification of the data. This study revealed that the transition to a performance management will help the selected company achieve their strategic goals and objectives. Recommendations are made for the role of line management and the role of human resources in performance management.

The research problem addressed in this study is to determine what effect current labour legislation has on small and medium enterprises (SME’s), in particular with regard to handling conflict and disciplinary procedures in the workplace. To achieve this objective a literature study was undertaken to ascertain what labour relations practices are recommended and/or enforced by law. The literature study included a look at the effect of conflict on the workforce and the resultant cause and effect of the stress that conflict causes. The literature study was then used to develop a questionnaire to test the degree to which small to medium sized business managers, in the coastal city of George in the Western Cape, complied with the law and application of the necessary regulations governing labour relations. The empirical study results indicated a healthy adherence to labour legislation in general. The results indicated that the role-players, namely owners and managers of small to medium sized businesses, had valid arguments both for and against the weight of the labour legislation imposed on small businesses. Those businesses that had not indicated a strict adherence to regulation run the risk of costly fines and penalties being imposed on them. Such enterprises would do well to employ an independent consultant to “audit” and update employee records on a regular (6 monthly) basis. Failure to take the time to have all the correct documentation prepared could result in costly labour disputes and government intervention, which far outweighs the cost of a professional ensuring that all the necessary paperwork is correct and in place

The diploma thesis is focused on the employee appraisal and its using in company personnel management. The aim is to analyse the current appraisal which is used in particular company and to offer possible recommendation of its improvement.

The aim of the thesis is to analyze the specific tools of personnel management, mystery shopping. This tool represents a fresh approach applied in the process stage of personnel management; however, it has a close connection with the marketing research, from which the data is based. For the purpose of analyzing the sub-segments of the market of services, sub-market analyses are handled, out which the main output of this work is drawn from. The obtained data are the bearers of information on the perception of the customer purchase decision process. Their further processing is performed as to deliver primary information value for the management of the organization.

Hoër onderwys in SA ondergaan tans ingrypende veranderinge. Groter toeganklikheid, veranderinge in die demografiese profiel van leerders en diversiteit asook die samesmeltings tussen verskeie hoër onderwysinstellings het die landskap van hoër onderwys beïnvloed. Die proses van transformasie en die gepaardgaande paradigmaskuif na uitkomsgebaseerde onderwys hou verskeie implikasies vir die assessering van leer in. Die doel van die studie is om ‘n assesseringsraamwerk vir die vakgebied Menslike Hulpbronbestuur aan universiteite van tegnologie (voorheen technikons) wat kontakonderrig verskaf, te ontwikkel. Met hierdie doel voor oë, is ‘n omvattende literatuurstudie oor assessering gedoen. Dit het gedien as ‘n teoretiese grondslag vir die assesseringsraamwerk. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering tot die studie is gevolg. Fokusgroeponderhoude met die leerders en dosente aan verskillende universiteite van tegnologie is gevoer. Dit is opgevolg met individuele onderhoude met die departementshoofde en beleidsmakers (dekane en vise-rektore). Deelnemers in die industrie wat direk werk met die leerders gedurende hulle tydperk van ervaringsleer as deel van koöperatiewe onderwys in die werkomgewing, is ook genader. Temas oor die verskillende datastelle is ontwikkel waaruit verskeie implikasies en bevindinge na vore getree het en geïnterpreteer is. Van die vernaamste bevindinge dui op die strategiese en oppervlakkige leerbenadering van die leerders; oorbeklemtoning van praktiese bevoegdheid ten koste van toegepaste bevoegdheid asook die onderbeklemtoning van kontinue assessering en die onderbeklemtoning van formatiewe assesseringsmetodes. Groot klasse lei daartoe dat die dosente en departementshoofde assesseringsmetodes kies wat maklik toegepas kan word en wat in die verlede sukses getoon het. Wanneer groepassessering toegepas word, verkies die dosente dit dat die leerders die punte toeken. ‘n Gebrek aan assesseringskriteria lei tot onsekerheid oor wat gedoen moet word in take en in die industrie tydens ervaringsleer. Volgens die data is die industrie ten gunste van betrokkenheid by die assessering van ervaringsleer. Hulle benodig uitkomsgebaseerde riglyne vir die assessering daarvan. Na die eksplisitering en integrasie van al die datastelle, is die assesseringsraamwerk vir Menslike Hulpbronbestuur ontwikkel. Dit sluit ‘n doel en omvang, rasionaal, begripsverklaring, rigtinggewende beginsels en die praktiese implementering daarvan en aanbevelings of voorvereistes waaronder die raamwerk geïmplementeer kan word, in. Die raamwerk gee erkenning aan toegepaste bevoegdheid, assessering wat ‘n integrale deel van leer vorm en praktiese metodes soos oopboekassessering, gevalstudies en aanbiedings. Metodes van assessering wat tot dusver nagelaat is soos joernale, portefeuljes, uitstallings en plakkaataanbiedings is ingesluit in die raamwerk. Variasie in die toepassing van spesifieke assesseringsmetodes word aanbeveel. Die industrie dien as ‘n vennoot in die assessering van die leerders. Die studie eindig met voorstelle rakende verdere navorsing. / Prof. H.C. Geyser

M.Phil. / In an interview with Harvard Business review Gary Hamel (Allio, 2009) noted: “Management is the single largest constraint on business performance.” Current management models and practices need to be reviewed because managers do not seem to be able to add significant value to their organisations anymore. In 2007 the Hay group conducted a study and showed that middle managers in the United Kingdom cost the economy approximately £220 billion per annum (Paton, 2007). According to a Towers Perrin Global Workforce study (2007) it showed overall employee engagement in organisations across the world was 21% whilst disengaged employees was 38%. The Towers study further showed that managers are playing an enormous role in the statistics above. The present study focuses on the concept of creating a management value chain for management, to ensure consistent application of enabling management practices in order to contribute to the improvement of employee engagement and ultimately organisational performance.

M.Phil. (Education Management) / At present the Republic of South Africa is experiencing a unique set of circumstances which will challenge educational leaders in the optimal use of human resources. The importance of vocational training is stressed in the document, Educational Renewal Strategy (1991) since technical colleges are presently poised for meaningful growth. Principals, as the leaders of technical colleges, will have to meet various challenges. To ensure effective management behaviour the principal requires a balanced personality as well as other qualities. The individual's self concept which forms an integral part of his personality, determines his pattern of behaviour in his environment. Very little is known about the self concept of the principals of technical colleges. The chief aim of this research is therefore to establish the relationship between the self concept and management behaviour of principals of technical colleges. In particular this study aims to establish whether the self concept of the principals of technical colleges can or should be regarded as a determinant in their management behaviour.

M.Com. (Business Management) / As insignificant as it might be considered, career management is a vital framework for human capital utilisation in any organisation. This relatively new concept, especially in the South African public service context, has moderately proved to enable organisations to achieve a competitive advantage in the modern global business landscape. Theoretically, many organisations regard employees as the most important asset and strive to position themselves as the employer of choice in the labour market. However, it seems this ideology has not been implemented as well it could have been in public service, through career management practices and programmes, which were the focus of this research. The purpose of the study was thus to explore the value proposition of career management practices in a government department through the implementation process. A literature study was conducted in an effort to gain an understanding of career management as well as related human resource management concepts underpinning people utilisation. As an empirical study, the research employed both quantitative and qualitative methodological data collection techniques. The mixed method approach enabled data to be triangulated. Through the usage of the research methodology, primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a self-administered questionnaire. The questions were aligned with the aim and objectives of the research. An analysis of the data revealed a severe lack of understanding of the value proposition of career management efforts. There is a need to review current policies and programmes, which are in place. The sentiments expressed by the interviewed respondents in the management hierarchy were echoed by those respondents on salary levels one to 12 in the data obtained through the questionnaire.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the internal communication at Raiffeisenbank a.s., identify strengths and weaknesses and suggest measures to streamline the communication process between the target groups of internal communication. Theoretical bases are prepared using available literature and Internet resources devoted to internal communication. The practical part is to evaluate the results of the survey made among the selected employees of the bank.