Restructuring and widespread workplace closures have exposed white-collar workers to unprecedented levels of job insecurity and unemployment. This thesis describes two studies which examined effects on health of job insecurity and job loss in a longitudinal study of 10,308 white-collar British civil servants. Study 1 examined the consequences of short and long-term job insecurity generated by the transfer of work to agencies which were periodically under threat of privatisation. Relative to unaffected controls, self-reported morbidity increased significantly among respondents expecting transfer to an agency. Physiological measurements, such as blood pressure and body mass index, deteriorated significantly among respondents working in an agency. Increases in morbidity were greater in men than women. Study 2 examined the effects of job insecurity and job loss for respondents in one complete Civil Service department sold to the private sector. Data from three time points were analysed: 2 years pre-privatisation (anticipation phase); 3 months pre-privatisation (pretermination phase); and Ilh years post-privatisation. During the anticipation phase, compared with controls, respondents from the department undergoing privatisation experienced an overall increase in self-reported morbidity. By the pre-termination phase adverse changes were also seen in physiological measures. Postprivatisation, respondents were stratified by employment status. Overall, respondents in secure employment enjoyed better self-reported health than those in any other group. Unemployed men and insecurely employed women had the poorest self-reported health. Psychological disorder was significantly associated with insecure employment in both sexes and unemployment in men. Some evidence of health selection out of the workforce was found, but adjustment for preexisting morbidity demonstrated adverse effects on health in excess of those attributable to selection. Changes in work characteristics and health-related behaviours explained little of the effect of employment status on health. Further research on the employment statushealth relationship is required.

This dissertation recasts how historians and scholars have come to understand bound labor in eighteenth-century Virginia. Servants—including indentured servants, customary servants, convicts, Virginia-born servants, and apprentices—remained a part of Virginia’s work force throughout the eighteenth century. Servants were a people between and navigated the worlds of freedom and unfreedom on a daily basis, working alongside slaves, negotiating with their masters, and attempting to make sense of their place in Virginia society as an alternative source of bound labor. Some historians, however, dismiss servants, claiming that by the end of the seventeenth century they had all but disappeared and that a general solidarity existed between all whites by the early eighteenth century. Other scholars acknowledge the presence of servants after the turn of the century, but rarely discuss their significance outside of economic analyses or migration studies. Throughout the eighteenth century Virginia masters failed to find common cause with this white labor force—despite its largely European origins and temporary bondage—and servants were constantly ensnared in the power relationships dictated by race, gender, and labor in colonial Virginia. The presence of servants throughout the eighteenth century suggests a need to reconsider colonial society not only across the lines of color but also along the lines of condition.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The provision of quality services is important for the overall welfare of South Africans. However, the Apartheid legacy appears to have long lasting effects on the provision of quality services at local level, with a range of undesirable effects, especially for ordinary people at grassroots level. Nevertheless, this concern has been made possible the legacy of apartheid, which makes it practically impossible to address the immediate needs of ordinary South Africans. For over a decade, South African local government has been condemned for poor service delivery, which is as a result of inefficiency, unproductiveness and incompetency of the public servants. These factors have hindered the prospect of delivering quality services at the most efficient and effective level, hence the introduction of a long- term plan by the South African government to improve the productiveness of the local government, and this plan is known as Performance Management System (PMS). The introduction of performance management system is critical because it ensures that plans are being implemented, that they are having the desired development impact and that resources are being used efficiently.This thesis critically analyzes the implementation processes of Performance Management System at O.R. Tambo District Municipality. Its principal aims is to investigate the factors that hinder the effective implementation of performance management system at local government in South Africa, to assess the effectiveness of PMS at ORTDM, to identify and explore different theories on performance management system. This thesis also seeks to be a guide to effective public policy implementation and provide recommendation and clear analysis of the municipal activities which can help improve the current state of affairs at O.R Tambo District Municipality. This thesis therefore looks at the challenges that are faced by the Section 57 employees (i.e. Municipal manager, directors and assistant directors) in the implementation of Performance Management System within the O.R. Tambo District Municipality. It uses qualitative research methods to assess patterns of PMS in ORTDM. This enquiry produces descriptive data, based on the written and spoken words of the interviewees. This method allows the researcher to see the world from participant‟s point of view.This thesis begins by introducing the subject of Performance Management, giving the historical background of performance management, as well as the current state of O.R. Tambo District. The introduction of the topic is followed by a theoretical overview of the subject of performance management. This is followed by the research methodology used in this study. The findings are presented in the chapter following the research methodology chapter, giving a synopsis of what the interviewees disclosed during the interview process. The last chapter provides conclusions and recommendations on how do the municipality ensure that performance management is effectively implemented and it has desired outcomes.