Magister Educationis - MEd / A mixed methods approach was employed and included a document study, questionnaires and a focus group interview. Participants included post level one teachers, and non-teaching staff and members of the school management team at one school in the Western Cape. Research findings indicated that the school management team only implemented IQMS to comply with departmental requirements and to ensure that teachers received pay progressions. It also emerged that planning was only done for compliance resulting in no real school development taking place at the school due to a number of constraints. It is recommended that the school management team employs a more balanced approach to school evaluation with a strong focus on both Developmental Appraisal (DA) and Performance Management (PM) as they employ whole school v development. It is further recommended that the school management team plans for school development with the intention to implement these in order to improve the conditions in the school. A final recommendation is that the Department of Education establish a directorate of school development in order to fund and assist schools with translating evaluation into school development. / South Africa

A global corporation values both profitability and social acceptance; its units mutually negotiate governance and represent a highly interdependent network where centers of excellence and high-potential employees are identified regardless of geographic locations. These companies try to build geocentric, or “world oriented” (Marquardt, 1999, p. 20), organizational cultures. Such culture “transcends cultural differences and establishes ‘beacons’ – values and attitudes – that are comprehensive and compelling” (Kets de Vries & Florent-Treacy, 2002, p. 299) for all employees, regardless of their national origins. Creating a geocentric organizational culture involves transforming each employee’s mindset, beliefs, and behaviors so that he/she can become “a world citizen in spite of having a national identity” (Marquardt, 1999, p. 47). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how employees with different national identities experience a geocentric organizational culture of a global corporation. Phenomenological research aims to understand “how people experience some phenomenon—how they perceive it, describe it, feel about it, judge it, remember it, make sense of it, and talk about it with others” (Patton, 2002, p. 104). Twelve participants were selected using criteria, convenience, and snow-ball sampling strategies. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data. Data were analyzed inductively, using Moustakas’s (1994) Modification of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen Method of Analysis of Phenomenological Data. The participants in this study experienced a geocentric organizational culture of a global corporation as on in which they felt connected, valued, and growing personally and professionally. The participants felt connected to the companies via business goals and social responsibility. The participants felt valued by the company because their creativity was welcomed and they could contribute to the corporation certain unique knowledge of the culture and language of their native countries. The participants felt growing personally and professionally due to the professional development opportunities, cross-cultural awareness, and perspective consciousness. Based on the findings from this study, a model of a geocentric organizational culture of a global corporation: An employee perspective is proposed. Implications for research and practice conclude this study.

This nonexperimental, correlational study (N = 283) examined the relation among job fit, affective commitment, psychological climate, discretionary effort, intention to turnover, and employee engagement. An internet-based self-report survey battery of six scales were administered to a heterogeneous sampling of organizations from the fields of service, technology, healthcare, retail, banking, nonprofit, and hospitality. Hypotheses were tested through correlational and hierarchical regression analytic procedures. Job fit, affective commitment, and psychological climate were all significantly related to employee engagement and employee engagement was significantly related to both discretionary effort and intention to turnover. For the discretionary effort model, the hierarchical regression analysis results suggested that the employees who reported experiencing a positive psychological climate were more likely to report higher levels of discretionary effort. As for the intention to turnover model, the hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that affective commitment and employee engagement predicted lower levels of an employee’s intention to turnover. The regression beta weights ranged from to .43 to .78, supporting the theoretical, empirical, and practical relevance of understanding the impact of employee engagement on organizational outcomes. Implications for HRD theory, research, and practice are highlighted as possible strategic leverage points for creating conditions that facilitate the development of employee engagement as a means for improving organizational performance.

The strategic environment of companies is divided in four domains. These domains are the known, knowable, complex and chaos domains. The known and knowable domains are characterised by order while the chaos and complex domains are characterised by unorder. The factors present in the chaos and complex domains are emergent in nature and are regarded as un-ordered. Executives and managers need to be prepared to manage in all four these domains in order to ensure the long-term competitiveness of companies. This implies that the training needs of executives and managers need to be identified and addressed in order to prepare them to manage in the four domains in the strategic environment of companies. Executives and managers are trained by means of traditional and/or strategic training. Traditional training prepares executives and managers to manage in the ordered domains while strategic training prepare executives and managers to manage in the domains characterised by un-order which are emergent in nature. Strategic training is “based on predictions of future job requirements” (Rothwell&Kazanas, 1994:425). Traditional training addresses the training needs of executives and managers as it flows from the current strategic orientation of the company while strategic training addresses the training needs of executives and managers as it flows from the emergent strategic orientation of the company. Knowledge management entails the establishment of an environment within which knowledge processes (creation, codification, sharing, organisation and use of knowledge) are performed through a variety of tools and techniques to the benefit of the company. Knowledge processes regarding the emergent strategic orientation of companies are performed during a strategic training process and therefore strategic training is regarded as a knowledge management technique. Strategic training enables executives and managers to learn as regards the emergent strategic orientation of the company. Ahmed, Kok and Loh (2002:23) state: “The objective of organizational learning and knowledge management is to create a motivated and energized work environment that supports the continuous creation, collection, use and reuse of both personal and organization knowledge in the pursuit of business success.” Furthermore, Ahmed, Kok and Loh (2002:23) explain that the ability of companies to capitalise on their knowledge assets defines their competitiveness. Knowledge management techniques such as strategic training should be used to ensure that the knowledge assets of companies contribute to the long-term competitiveness of companies. The literature on strategic training was studied and empirical research was conducted in a selection of 24 large South African companies in order to ascertain the nature and scope of training offered to executives and managers. The nature and scope of training in large South African companies were studied to ascertain whether these companies use a strategic training process to identify and address the strategic training needs of executives and managers and thus if companies perform knowledge processes regarding their emergent strategic orientation. It was ascertained that only a few of the 24 large South African companies which participated in the study use a strategic training process to identify and address the strategic training needs of executives and managers. A framework for the implementation of a cyclical strategic training process is therefore proposed as a guideline for companies that want to use a strategic training process. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Information Science / unrestricted

Globalisation is affecting all social sectors, including education in ways that was never thought of before. In South Africa the most changing environment is probably the education sector. Higher education institutions in particular are constantly forging ways to develop the human resource capital for the country despite the shrinking financial resources. The increased demand for quality education, greater efficiency, accountability and national viability constantly challenge academics such that they can no longer wait for management to provide them with the necessary skills and competences. The times are calling for academics to take initiatives to develop themselves for improved performance in their primary roles and in the education of the learners. This study was undertaken to determine the changing nature of radiography as a profession and field of specialization, the development needs of radiography educators and the preferred strategies that could be used to develop the necessary skills and competences. A qualitative research design was employed and data collected through the literature review and interviews. Unstructured questions were used in the interviews to obtain an in-depth understanding of the situation. Challenges faced by academic radiographers in South Africa were explored and new competences required by academe during the time of change explained. Focus was put on the primary functions of academe and that includes teaching, research, community service/service learning and learner supervision strategies that can be used to improve the role of academe were described. Conclusions and recommendations regarding human resource development of academe were drawn from the literature review and the empirical investigation. / Dissertation (MEd (Maximising Potential in Education and Training))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This master´s thesis deals with the analysis of recruitment and development process in company Desko, a.s. It contains the proposals for more effective implementation of current system of human ressource management, which helps company to achieve better economic results.

This diploma thesis provides a detailed analysis of human resources in the Karlova pekárna Ltd. company with the aim of decreasing the employee fluctuation. The analytical part contains information concerning the external and internal company environment and results of a sociological survey conducted among the company employees. The data obtained from the survey serve as a basis for change proposals related to the working environment, appraisal, motivation and career growth area.

The purpose of the study was to determine the developmental needs of HRD practitioners in selected departments of the South African Public Service. Developmental needs as an independent variable and the role of HRD practitioners – marketing HRD interventions, conducting training needs analyses, designing and developing HRD interventions, implementing HRD interventions, and monitoring, evaluating and giving feedback on HRD interventions - were investigated. A sample of seventy (70) HRD practitioners working in seven public service departments was drawn. The developmental needs to market HRD interventions, conduct training needs analyses, design and develop HRD interventions, implement HRD interventions, and monitor, evaluate and give feedback on HRD interventions were determined within and between HRD practitioners and public service departments to establish differences and similarities. Results averred that HRD practitioners have developmental needs to perform the abovementioned functions. However, compared to Blacks and Whites, Coloureds and Indians seem to have more developmental needs in marketing, conducting training needs analysis, implementing HRD interventions and generic HRD skills. HRD practitioners from the departments of Health and Transport seemed to have more developmental needs in conducting training needs analyses and designing and developing HRD interventions when compared to other public service departments. Females need more development in marketing and implementing HRD interventions than males. HRD practitioner developmental needs in implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and giving feedback on HRD interventions were the same for all age groups. HRD practitioners in the department of Health and Transport need more development in generic skills compared to other departments. However developmental needs on generic skills are the same for all age groups. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role ambiguity, role conflict, and job satisfaction perceptions among selected Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners. The study's target population was the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)—Dallas Chapter. The independent variables used in this study consisted of HRD practitioners' gender, age, length of HRD experience, educational level, and HRD role category.

Energy issues have always been on the global economics and geopolitics agenda, even though energy sources have been changing over time. In recent years, the awareness of Arctic offshore oil and natural gas development has escalated, yielding economic opportunities and incurring risks. The offshore Arctic is one of ‘edges’ of the global petroleum industry. The importance of these oil and natural gas resources extends beyond regional and national boarders and local economies, as these activities have become a key geopolitical, economic, and social concern. In an attempt to shed light on this growing issue, this thesis outlines the Arctic is a link in the global energy system and shows how it plays a special role. The aim of this research is to provide deeper insight into offshore hydrocarbon development activities in the Arctic. Historical approach is applied as a main conceptual framework to provide a critical link of past to the present in order to explore the origin and intensity of these activities in the Arctic. This licentiate thesis presents the results of an ongoing doctoral research project. The study provides several insights into Arctic offshore oil and natural gas resources development in the global context via an analysis of the relevant investments and technology from a country-by-country and historical perspective in the maximum period time frame between 1920 and 2025. The two papers included in this thesis explore the impact of investment and technology. This research project illustrates the importance of several factors influencing the Arctic offshore oil and natural gas production and highlights the most promising areas for cooperation at the industrial and global level. The implications of the study results can be useful for identifying and emphasizing the factors that influence offshore Arctic hydrocarbon resource development and investment trends, as well as making assumptions regarding future development. Topics for further research are discussed and refined relating to the ongoing study and the conceptual framework presented. / <p>QC 20150407</p>