Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The modern world of business has accepted the fact that true organisational competitive ability lies hidden in the depths of individual human beings and their commitment to deliver super standard outputs. The secret to outperforming competitors has become increasingly dependent on the levels of performance delivered by an organisation’s employees, and an age old burning question has yet again risen to the fore: What are the factors that influence employee work performance? This study presents the background to this question by clearly defining the problem and the relevant definitions of concepts and terms generally used in the arena of employee work performance. An overview of employee work performance is introduced by applying a suitable model to explain job performance where after the measurement of employee work performance is investigated. Consideration is given to the different types of performance measurement, the people responsible for measuring employee work performance as well as the reasons for measuring performance. Upon clearly establishing a proper frame of reference with regard to employee work performance, the factors influencing performance are discussed under the topics of motivation and rewards. Motivation and its influence on employee work performance is approached from a top down perspective considering in the first place the different groupings or categorisation of motivational theories, where after those motivational theories under consideration are discussed in more detail. Rewards, as a factor influencing employee work performance, is considered to be applied in the form of remunerative compensation and relational rewards, while constantly applying the concept of total rewards and it’s ability to influence employee work performance as a more recent approach to reward management. Remunerative compensation is first considered as applied by three theories of motivation upon which follows a more detailed discussion on the details of remunerative compensation rewards. Relational rewards are considered in different categories or groups with special emphasis on their role as applied to the total rewards approach. The study concludes by summarising the findings with regard to employee performance, employee motivation and rewards, and finally presents a discussion on different trends pertaining to reward management. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die moderne besigheidswêreld het reeds aanvaar dat die ware vermoë van ‘n maatskappy om te kompeteer in die diepte van individuele mense en hul toewyding tot bo-gemiddelde uitsette rus. ‘n Maatskappy se vermoë om suksesvol te kompeteer word meer-en-meer afhanklik van die vlakke van prestasie van die maatskappy se werknemers, en die oer-oue vraag kom daagliks weer na vore: Watter faktore beϊnvloed ‘n werknemer se werksprestasie? Die studie lewer die agtergrond tot hierdie vraag deur die probleem duidelik te identifiseer asook die relevante definisies van algemeen gebruikte konsepte en terme wat betrekking het op werknemer werksprestasie. ‘n Oorsig van werknemer werksprestasie word voorgestel deur die toepassing van ‘n gepaste model om werksprestasie te verduidelik waarna die meting van werksprestasie ondersoek word. Verskillende tipes prestasie-meting, die mense wat verantwoordelik is vir die meting van werknemer werksprestasie asook die redes vir die meting van werksprestasie word oorweeg. Nadat ‘n duidelike verwysingsraamwerk met betrekking tot werknemer werksprestasie daargestel is, word die faktore wat werksprestasie beϊnvloed onder die hoofde van motivering en vergoeding bespreek. Die invloed van motivering op werknemer werksprestasie word benader vanuit ‘n oorhoofse perspektief deur eers die verskillende groeperings en kategorieë van motiveringsteorieë te oorweeg, waarna die spesifieke motiveringsteorieë wat betrekking het op hierdie studie in meer detail bespreek word. Vergoeding, as ‘n faktor wat werknemer werksprestasie beϊnvloed, word beskou in die vorm van geldelike vergoeding asook verhoudings-vergoeding, terwyl die konsep van totale of algehele vergoeding en die invloed wat dit op werknemer werksprestasie het, deurentyd toegepas word as ‘n meer moderne benadering tot vergoedingsbestuur. Geldelike vergoeding word eerstens beskou uit die standpunt waar drie motiveringsteorieë respektiewelik daarop toegepas word, waarna ‘n meer gedetaileerde bepreking aangaande geldelike vergoeding volg. Verhoudingsvergoeding word beskou soos toegepas in verskillende groepe of kategorieë met spesiale fokus op die rol wat gespeel word in die totale of algehele vergoedingsbenadering. Die studie volstrek deur die bevindinge met betrekking tot werknemer werksprestasie, werknemers motivering en vergoeding op te som, waarna met ‘n finale bespreking van verskillende toekomspatrone met betrekking tot vergoedingsbestuur afgesluit word.