Absenteeism in the workplace is a longstanding challenge practised by employees for various reasons. It persists despite the numerous efforts undertaken to curb it. The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is concerned with excessive employee absenteeism. Present research evaluates the City of Tshwane’s human resources policy for managing absenteeism. Causes of absenteeism are critically examined, particular attention being paid to the different leave-types that impinge on service delivery within the City of Tshwane. Within a qualitative research framework, personal semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from staff members of the Leave Capturing Office of the City of Tshwane. The targeted office is responsible for leave management, which includes capturing, recording and encashment of leave. In addition to the questionnaire, the leave management policy as well as sick-leave statistics were brought to bear on this study of absenteeism at the City of Tshwane. Study findings highlighted factors such as job dissatisfaction, unpleasant working relations, favouritism, low wages, lack of resources, stress at the workplace alongside boredom with routine unchallenging tasks as significant causes of absenteeism. The study also found sick-leave to be the form of reported absence most misused by employees. In general, employees take two days sick leave, which is the maximum an employee can take without requiring a medical certificate. Recommendations include that management should invest in a total process that can control and mitigate absenteeism related risks that may adversely affect operations at the City of Tshwane. / Public Administration / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

University of Macau / Faculty of Business Administration / Department of Management and Marketing

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School. / Only a minority of companies invest resources in the task of creating an effective repatriation programme, even though repatriation is more challenging than expatriation. A qualitative method was chosen and was conducted on two South African multinational companies (MNCs), AEL and Telkom to establish the extent to which these companies' repatriation programmes comply with international models of repatriation. The conclusions drawn from this study are that the two South African MNCs do not have formal repatriation programmes and management of repatriates needs to be further implemented within the company. For example an articulated process consisting of the three different steps: before, during and after the assignment should be elaborated for the company to reduce anxiety and repatriation turnover.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This Extended Research Assignment discusses the information systems found in HBR Personnel. The discussion, based on the research problems, proposes steps in which the systems of HBR can be integrated so that they add the most value. Furthermore, a review of Corporate Portals is undertaken to show the potential impact it may have on organisational efficiencies and knowledge. The Assignment, according to the methodologies given, analyses the HBR information system for system incompatibilities and bottlenecks and proposes solutions for these problems. The solutions include changing core system databases and computer systems, together with a portal to fully integrate HBR Personnel’s information systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie Uitgebreide Navorsingsopdrag bespreek die informasiestelsels gevind in HBR Personnel. Die bespreking, gebaseer op die navorsingsprobleme, stel stappe voor waardeur die stelsels van HBR geïntegreer kan word om die meeste waarde toe te voeg. Verder word ‘n oorsig gedoen van Korporatiewe Portale om te wys watter potensiële impak dit kan hê op organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en kennis. Na aanleiding van die gegewe metodologieë analiseer die opdrag HBR se informasiestelsel vir sistemiese probleme en bottelnekke en stel oplossings voor vir hierdie probleme. Die oplossings sluit in ‘n verandering van kern-sisteem databasisse en rekenaarstelsels, tesame met ‘n portaal om HBR Personnel se informasiestelsels ten volle te integreer.

This research empirically investigates Locke's (1997) model of work motivation by means of quantitative research. The OCQ consisting of three tiered questionnaires was constructed based on Locke's model. OCQ-Tierl deals with core components of Locke's model. OCQ-Tier2 determines which factors caused the incidence of dissatisfaction in OCQ-Tierl. OCQ-Tier3 enables the identification of corrective actions. The OCQ was administered to financial services employees. The results were analysed and Locke's model was tested by means of structural equation modelling using the AMOS graphics programme. The results indicated that the model, suggesting causal links between components within OCQ-Tierl, could not be confirmed. A better fit was found at OCQ-Tier2 and OCQ-Tier3. In testing the causal links across the three tiers per component, the models did not fit the data for "personal actualisation" and "goal achievement". Moderate confirmation of the models was found in the case of "goal setting" and "goal behaviour" across the three tiers after some adaptations were made to the models on the basis of "modification indices", suggested by AMOS. A reasonably good fit was found for the models across the three tiers for "quality of work life". The level of correlation between factors was high because of this, and in some cases some of the factors were merged. Modification indices in the statistical output suggested that improvement was possible if covariance between error terms in the model was allowed. This suggested possible systematic sources of covariance between items not accounted for by the factors in the models. As confirmed by the Cronbach Alpha coefficients within tiers and across tiers, the general level of internal consistency was very high. Possibly response set and response style were the cause of this. This made the testing of models difficult in the present study. So too was it difficult to draw a conclusion about the internal consistency reliability of the measurement of each component across the three tiers, because the high Cronbach coefficients may to some extent be due to the indiscriminate high correlations between items / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / 'n Sentrale tema van strategiese bestuur is dat ondememings voortdurend moet pas by hulle snelveranderende eksteme omgewings. Die eksteme omgewing van SuidAfrikaanse ondememings ondergaan tans verreikende veranderings. Die sukses van hierdie ondememings word nie alleen bemvloed deur die kompeterendheid van 'n toenemend gemtemasionaliseerde markomgewing nie, maar veral ook deur die eise wat gestel word deur die nuwe politieke bestel in Suid-Afrika. Die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid is verbind tot die daarstelling van 'n mensgesentreerde gemeenskap. Nuwe arbeidswetgewing wat vakbonde bemagtig word in 1996 van krag en belangrike bestuursuitdagings wat verband hou met die "menslik:e dimensie" van ondernemingsbestuur spruit voort uit hierdie veranderende omgewing. Ten einde Suid-Afrikaanse ondememings onder hierdie omstandighede strategies te bestuur, moet strategiese bestuursbesluite geneem word oor die diensverhouding. Dit impliseer die behoefte aan 'n strategiese be adering tot menslik:ehulpbron- en arbeidsverhoudingebestuur binne ondememingsverband. In hierdie ondersoek word aspekte van algemene en strategiese bestuur toegepas op die "menslik:e dimensie" van ondememingsbestuur. Die fokus is op langtermynbesluite en -aksies insake beplanning, organisering, leiding en beheeruitoefening ten opsigte van aspekte wat verband hou met die diensverhouding. Die noodsaaklik:heid van vertikale en horisontale integrasie by die bestuur van die diensverhouding word beklemtoon. Laasgenoemde dui op die noodsaaklik:heid om die individuele en kollektiewe dimensies van diensverhoudingebestuur, oftewel menslik:ehulpbronen arbeidsverhoudingebestuur, te integreer. Vertikale integrasie verwys na menslik: ehulpbron- en arbeidsverhoudingebestuur wat 'n integrale deel van algemene bestuur behoort te wees. Die resultate van 'n tweeledige empiriese ondersoek word gemtegreer met 'n literatuurstudie om 'n bestuurswetenskaplik:e raamwerk daar te stel wat die proses van strategiese diensverhoudingebestuur konseptualiseer. 'n Matriks word ook ontwerp wat bestuursbesluitneming oor die inhoud van diensverhoudingestrategie kan fasiliteer. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings word ook gemaak oor die praktyk van strategiese diensverhoudingebestuur by Telkom SA Bpk en by groot Suid-Afrikaanse mynbouen vervaardigingsondememings, sowel as oor navorsing en ond~rrig ten opsigte van hierdie onderwerp van Sakebestuur ( oftewel Bedryfsekonomie, Ondernemingsbestuur of Bestuurswese ). / A central theme of strategic management is that organisations should constantly match or fit their fast-changing external environments. The external environment of South African organisations is currently undergoing far-reaching changes. The success of these organisations is not only influenced by the competitiveness of an increasingly internationalised market environment, but especially by the demands resulting from the new political dispensation in the country. The Government of National Unity is committed to establish a people-centred society. New labour legislation which empowers trade unions will be in force in 1996. Important challenges regarding the "human dimension" of management stem from this changing environment. In order to manage South African organisations strategically under these circumstances it is necessary to make strategic management decisions regarding the employment relationship. This implies the need for a strategic approach to human resource and labour relations management within organisational context. In this investigation aspects of general and strategic management are applied to the "human dimension" of management. The focus is on long-term decisions and actions regarding the planning, organising, leading and control of aspects relating to the employment relationship. The importance of vertical and horizontal integration in the management of the employment relationship is emphasised. The latter refers to the necessity of integrating the individual and collective dimensions of employment relations management, in other words the integration of human resource and labour relations management. Vertical integration relates to human resource and labour relations management which ought to be an integral part of general management. The results of a dual empirical investigation are integrated with a literature survey to devise a managerial framework that conceptualises the process of strategic employment relations management. A matrix is also devised that can facilitate management decision making regarding the content of employment relations strategy. Conclusions and recommendations are also made regarding strategic employment relations management practice at Telkom SA Ltd and large South African mining and manufacturing organisations, as well as regarding research and tuition mrespect of this topic of Business Management (or Business Economics). / Economic and Management Sciences / D.Com.

The South African government has attempted to find a balance of interests between the employer and the employee by the introduction of the Labour Relations Act in 1995 and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act in 1997. It is critical to the health of the South African economy that these labour laws do not impact small businesses to the extent that the Gross Domestic Product of the country is negatively affected. There are conflicting reports as to how these labour laws affect small businesses. It is therefore important for government to be able to understand, define and measure the impact of its labour laws on small businesses, in order for it to strategise corrective measures, which may include reconsidering the application of the legislative directive, regulated flexibility, if required. The study was limited in the sense that it was solely based on evidence collected from employers. An interpretivist approach was applied as a research methodology to data collected through in-depth interviews. The main findings of the empirical analysis demonstrate that labour legislation does not heavily impact small firms. It was thus determined that extensive measures were not needed with regard to correcting the framework of regulated flexibility.

The main objective of this thesis is to monitor and analyse the HR management currently applied in the Japanese small and medium-sized companies located in the Czech Republic. The thesis clarifies to the reader how these companies approach the HR management and compares their approaches with the ones from the best practices. Among others, the discussed areas further include standardised interviews and long-term experience of the Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic. In general, the thesis not only provides a comprehensive view of HR management in small and medium-sized enterprises, but it also focuses on the characteristics of the HR management in the selected Japanese small and medium-sized companies. The hypothesis of the thesis is that these companies have adapted their HR management to the conditions on the Czech market and they have adjusted to the local business environment. The hypothesis was proven based on the available documents and conducted interviews.

This thesis focuses on evaluating the performance appraisal system of Filiz Gida, a small food processing company that is located in Turkey. Filiz Gida was established by Dogus Holding in Bolu, and currently employs 284 individuals. Filiz Gida is dedicated to fair and respectful treatment of all workers, offering voluntary benefits in housing programs, health care, education for worker's children, and professional child care services. The importance of quality in production at Filiz Gida is reflected by its receipt of ISO 9002 certification in 1994. In 2003 the Barilla Group, which is one of the giants in the pasta business, acquired Filiz Gida due to financial interests that have not been well documented by public media.