Submitted in full compliance with the requirements for the Degree of Master Management Sciences: Human Resource Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / This study focused on an investigation into talent management and employee retention in the higher education sector of South Africa- a case study of the Durban University of Technology. Since the end of apartheid, South African higher education has been through many challenges, including how to attract, managing and retain a new breed of academics who will be able to assist in the development of a new transformed society. According to a report presented by Higher Education South Africa (2009:7), higher education institutions are facing a real crisis regarding their ability to attract and retain academic staff of a suitable calibre. This has led to the steady loss of academic expertise and the loss of senior and more experienced academic staff, thereby setting higher education Institutions back in terms of research output (Mapesela and Strydom 2004: 2). The concern is that there are insufficient numbers, particularly amongst Black African academics in the existing academic and postgraduate pipelines to replace them (Higher Education South Africa 2011:1). Consequently, talent management is becoming a central management challenge as it becomes more difficult to retain key and competent academic staff (Barkhuizen Roodt and Schutte 2014: 141). If attention is not paid to this issue, in the years to come the quality of graduates and the research outputs of universities will be severely debilitated (Badat 2009:12). The main aim of this study was to investigate how talent management and employee retention is addressed at the Durban University of Technology strategically, as well as the processes and practices that underpin such strategies. The quantitative research design was adopted and data was collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire. This study was conducted at the Durban University of Technology with a sample of 65 academic staff, including senior academic staff like professors, lecturers and junior lecturers. The target population was grouped into different strata and the sample elements were selected from each group. Findings from the study revealed that talent management is not a strategic element and it is not fully implemented in the higher education sector. Recommendations were made on the review of talent management practices of academic staff in the higher education sector. This study established that there were some elements of talent management principles and practices in place at the University. However, these were often the traditional functions for example recruitment, selection, training and development. It was evident that there needed to be a strategic focus on the entire talent management process. There also needed to be a lot more holistic approach with greater attention being paid to the process from the time academic staff are recruited through to the process of the development of their careers. Retention is another facet that should be focused on, especially in respect of up and coming Black academics as this is in its infancy. / M

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been present for several decades and has grown to include several areas in an organisation. The concept has gone on to gain significant importance around the world and has an impact on different sectors within and outside an organisation. This thesis aims to understand how the concept of CSR plays a role in the employer attractiveness and branding of an organisation in the Czech Republic. By analysing the perceptions and opinions of students pursuing a masters program and recent graduates, the publication intends to identify those factors that prospective candidates look out in their future employers. It also gives a set of strategic recommendations to companies intending to recruit new candidates in the future.

The thesis is divided into theoretical, methodological and practical part. The theoretical part deals with the development of management considering HR aspects, the development of the concept of HR work with detail on the models of human resource management and the importance of human resources. In the methodological part, the methods of research are presented. The research itself, its results and subsequent recommendations for HR professionals are described in the practical part of the thesis. First, the key challenges in human resource management are identified and characterized. These challenges are subjected to qualitative and quantitative researches and then the results are compared to Europe-wide survey by The Boston Consulting Group. The final chapter gives practical recommendations to HR professionals and executive managers how to work with the most key HR challenges so that HR professionals are treated as the business partners and the future competitiveness of a company in the market is ensured.

This master thesis focuses on actual topic of talent management. The thesis is divided into two parts, theoretic and practical one. The first one covers basic terms of talent management, evaluation, development and motivation, career management and retention of talented employees within company. In order to obtain necessary information secondary data were used. In second part there is an analysis of current state of human resources management in the company. The analysis is based on empiric research which consists of interviews with concerned people in company management and investigation of internal methodical materials. As a next step there is an analysis of employee's satisfaction which was realised through questionnaires. Thank to those data I suggested possible corrective measures to improve level of particular activities of human resources management in order to set up talent management, which is the main goal of my thesis. Based on previous findings and recommendations I also suggested complex solution of talent management's set-up in the company. Final part sums up results and recommendations for the company.

The aim of this thesis is to compile a manual guide for choosing an appropriate information system to support the company e-learning process. I solved this particular problem by conducting both the analysis of the company and of the current trends in e-learning applications. I also assessed the existing situation and determined system requirements of the company. By carrying out my own survey I found out that implementing the optimal software helps to educate employees more effectively and brings savings and potential profits for the whole firm. The outcome of the thesis is a set of recommendations for the right choice of e-learning software as well as critical factors for the e-learning implementation project.

Orientation: Perceived Talent Management Practices, Perceived Organizational Support and Perceived Supervisor Support are distinct but related constructs, and all of them appear to influence an employee’s intention to quit an organization. Research Purpose – The objective of this study was to investigate Generation Y’s perception of an organization’s talent management practices and to determine how it relates to their intention to quit the organization. In essence, the study aims to establish possible relationships of four constructs: Perceived Talent Management Practices, Perceived Organizational Support (POS), Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS) and Intention to Quit. The mediating/moderating characteristics of POS and PSS on the relationship between Perceived Talent Management Practices and Intention to Quit are also investigated. Motivation for the study – Talent is the new tipping point in corporate success. It has the potential to be the origin of an organisation’s demise or the reason for its continuous success. A concept that exuberates this much potential for both disaster and prosperity validates some examination into its protection. Research design, approach and method – Four Instruments (HCI Assessment of Talent Practices (HCI), Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS), Survey of Perceived Supervisor Support and an Intention to Quit Scale) was administered to a convenience sample of 135 employees from a population of 450 employees working in three provinces in which the organization was operational. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis and Multiple Regression analysis were used to investigate the structure of the integrated conceptual model on Perceived Talent Management Practices, POS, PSS and Intention to Quit. Main findings - The findings of this study indicates a strong practically significant positive correlation (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) = 0.724, large effect). between Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS). A strong practically significant positive relationship (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) = 0.640, large effect) was found between Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and the employee’s perception of the organization’s Talent Practices. The study confirmed a strong practically significant negative relationship (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) =-0.569, large effect) between Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and the employee’s Intention to Quit. A medium practically significant negative relationship (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) = -0.436, medium effect) was established between Intention to Quit and Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS). This study determined a medium practically significant positive correlation (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) = 0.471, medium effect) between Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS) and the employee’s perception of the organization’s Talent Practices. The findings also establishes a medium practically significant negative relationship (r(df = 135; p < 0.001) = -0.477, medium effect) exists between employees’ perception of the organization’s Talent Practices and their intention to quit the organization. Multiple regression confirmed that neither POS nor PSS mediates/moderates the relationship between Perceived Talent Management Practices and Intention to Quit. Practical/Managerial Implications - Cappelli (2008) stated that paradigms only come undone when they ”encounter problems that they cannot address. But before the old paradigm is overthrown, there must be an alternative, one that describes new developments better than the old one does” (Cappelli, 2008). This study provides evidence that management can use paradigm shifts as a talent retention strategy where the creation of a high perception of talent management practices will result in a lower intent to leave the organization. Contribution: The findings of this study indicate a positive relationship between perceived talent management practices, POS and PSS. The study also established a positive relationship between POS and PSS. A negative relationship was confirmed between POS, PSS and Perceived Talent Management Practices in relation to Intention to Quit. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

De senaste åren har präglats av högkonjunktur vilket har medfört en stor rörlighet på arbetsmarknaden. En hög personalomsättning är resurskrävande för arbetsgivare i form av både tid och pengar. För att möta dessa utmaningar implementerar företag olika strategier för att få sin personal att trivas och stanna kvar i organisationen. Syftet med denna studie var att analysera faktorer som påverkar medarbetarnas benägenhet att stanna kvar hos sin arbetsgivare. En inledande intervju genomfördes med en organisations HR-chef för att ta reda på deras starkaste insatser för att behålla medarbetare. Därefter genomfördes en enkätundersökning för att mäta medarbetarnas upplevelser av dessa insatser samt analysera eventuella skillnader mellan medarbetargrupper. Resultatet visar att medarbetarna överlag skattade insatserna högt samt att 86% av medarbetarna troligt ser sig själva på företaget om fem år. De upplever bland annat att företagets värderingar i hög grad stämmer överens med deras egna och de upplever en stark tillit från deras närmaste chef. Medarbetarna upplever också en stolthet över att arbeta på företaget. Det går även att se vissa skillnader mellan olika medarbetargruppers upplevelser, där de medarbetargrupper som skattat faktorerna högre än övriga var kvinnor, medarbetare i åldrarna 16–25 år samt medarbetare som arbetar heltid. De högt skattade insatserna i kombination med att en majoritet av medarbetarna ser sig långsiktigt i organisationen visar på ett framgångsrikt trivselarbete. Detta skapar en organisation som förblir konkurrenskraftig, genom att behålla nöjda och kompetenta medarbetare inom organisationen.

La rentabilidad de los proyectos del talento humano sigue siendo una tarea pendiente en el Perú. Por ello, la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo general analizar las prácticas de gestión del talento humano que impactan en el ROI de los empleados en el área de ventas en tiendas retail de mejoramiento del hogar en la ciudad de Arequipa. En esta perspectiva, se empleó una investigación cuantitativa basada en un diseño no experimental descriptivo-correlacional y transversal. A tal fin, se apoyó en el marco teórico del Proceso ROI y la gestión del talento humano, los cuales sirvieron de sustento para diseñar dos cuestionarios que fueron aplicados de forma virtual a una muestra de 106 colaboradores del área de ventas y dos gerentes de esas tiendas respectivamente. Los cuestionarios fueron validados y reportaron niveles de confiablidad alta (alfa>0.9). Para el análisis de datos se utilizaron baremos de logro cualitativos, estimaciones del proceso ROI de un proceso de capacitación promedio, además de pruebas no paramétricas como la Chi-cuadrado y binomial. Los hallazgos sugieren que los conjuntos de prácticas de gestión del talento humano impactan de forma significativa en el ROI de los empleados del área de ventas de tiendas retail de mejoramiento del hogar en la ciudad de Arequipa (p≤0.05). Se estimó que un programa de capacitación promedio en el área de ventas en tiendas retail de mejoramiento del hogar en la ciudad de Arequipa produciría un ROI de 46.19, lo cual demuestra junto con los beneficios tangibles la factibilidad de la propuesta. / The profitability of human talent projects is still a pending task in Peru. Therefore, the general objective of this research was to analyze the human talent management practices that have an impact on the ROI of employees in the sales area of home improvement retail stores in the city of Arequipa. In this perspective, a quantitative research based on a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional non-experimental design was used. To this end, it was supported by the theoretical framework of the ROI Process and human talent management, which served as a basis for designing two questionnaires that were applied virtually to a sample of 106 collaborators in the sales area and two store managers, respectively. The questionnaires were validated and reported high levels of reliability (alpha>0.9). Qualitative achievement scales, estimation of the ROI of an average training process, as well as non-parametric tests such as Chi-square and binomial tests were used for data analysis. The findings suggest that the set of human talent management practices significantly impact the ROI of employees in the sales area in home improvement retail stores in the city of Arequipa (p≤0.05). It was estimated that an average training program in the sales area in home improvement retail stores in the city of Arequipa would produce an ROI of 46.19, which demonstrates along with the tangible benefits the feasibility of the proposal. / Tesis

El presente texto se enmarca en las investigaciones de liderazgo pedagógico, estas señalan que el rol de los directivos es de un alto efecto positivo en el logro escolar. En el Perú, se han establecido, en los últimos años, reformas para los equipos de gestión de la escuela como evaluaciones de acceso, desempeño y ascenso, así como programas formativos. En ese escenario de cambios, llama la atención que, dentro de los documentos oficiales, no se delimitan las funciones de los directores y subdirectores. De acuerdo a la teoría de la gestión del talento y del liderazgo distribuido aplicado al ámbito escolar, identificar qué hace cada miembro de un equipo fortalece a las organizaciones. Considerando estos aspectos teóricos, surge el interés de identificar, en percepciones de directivos, cómo se percibe el tema de la distribución de funciones y, por ello, en esta investigación, se identifican las percepciones de directores y subdirectores de Instituciones Educativas Públicas de Lima Metropolitana sobre la distribución de funciones del equipo de gestión y su impacto en el espacio escolar. Para ello, se planteó una investigación de enfoque cualitativo con aproximaciones fenomenológicas. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas que indagan en las percepciones de seis directivos que laboran en el sistema educativo peruano en escuela pública y el criterio de selección fue su experiencia en el cargo. Los resultados de la investigación son los siguientes: se identifica que, por un lado, no es clara la distinción de funciones entre el director y el subdirector, pues se reconocen funciones similares. Por otro lado, en algunos casos, se atribuye al director acciones asociadas a la gestión global de la IE y, por otro lado, al subdirector se lo percibe como responsable del aspecto pedagógico. Otro resultado es la duplicidad de las funciones atribuidas a cada directivo. A partir de estos hallazgos, se considera relevante fomentar más análisis en la distribución de funciones del equipo directivo para garantizar que exista liderazgo distribuido. / This text is part of pedagogical leadership research, which indicates that the role of managers has a high positive effect on school achievement. In Peru, reforms have been established in recent years for school management teams such as access, performance and promotion evaluations, as well as training programs. In this scenario of changes, it is striking that, within the official documents, the functions of the directors and deputy directors are not delimited. According to the theory of talent management and distributed leadership applied to the school environment, identifying what each member of a team does strengthens organizations. Considering these theoretical aspects, the interest arises to identify, in managers' perceptions, how the issue of the distribution of functions is perceived and, therefore, in this research, the perceptions of directors and deputy directors of Public Educational Institutions of Metropolitan Lima are identified on the distribution of functions of the management team and its impact on the school space. For this, a qualitative approach research with phenomenological approaches was proposed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted that inquire into the perceptions of six directors who work in the Peruvian educational system in public schools and the selection criteria was their experience in office. The results of the investigation are as follows: it is identified that, on the one hand, the distinction of functions between the director and the deputy director is not clear, since similar functions are recognized. On the other hand, in some cases, actions associated with the overall management of EI are attributed to the director and, on the other hand, the deputy director is perceived as responsible for the pedagogical aspect. Another result is the duplication of the functions attributed to each manager. Based on these findings, it is considered relevant to promote more analysis in the distribution of functions of the management team to ensure that there is distributed leadership. / Tesis

The literature falls short in examining talent management (TM) and knowledge management (KM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In response to this research gap, a case study was motivated to explore how SMEs perform TM and KM activities. As this master thesis had the rare opportunity of conducting interviewees with all the employees and the CEO of a mature small firm located in Sweden, the purpose of this study became to investigate the applicability of existing TM and KM frameworks and identify additional perspectives to adapt the frameworks to the context of mature small firms. The methodology of this case study involved interviews with the CEO and employees of the mature small firm (the case company) and utilised existing TM and KM frameworks as the underlying structure for the interview questions and analysis. The empirical findings were presented in terms of themes, strengths and weaknesses, and issues with respect to TM and KM. The findings were further analysed and compared to previous research in the discussion, as well as recommended focus areas were derived to create a more holistic guidance of TM and KM for mature small firms. In conclusion, the findings of this master thesis corroborated existing literature and did not refute any previous research directly. However, as the empirical findings presented aspects of TM and KM not previously mentioned in literature, additional TM and KM perspectives for mature small firms were suggested to expand and refine the TM and KM frameworks utilised in this study. Additionally, this study has provided more exploration to TM and KM issues in SMEs, which is largely absent in previous research. This master thesis has also contributed guidance for firms (in particular mature small firms) to approach challenges with respect to TM and KM, as well as contributed to the literature with empirical research about TM and KM in SMEs. / Den befintliga litteraturen brister i att undersöka talanghantering (eng. "talent management", TM) och kunskapshantering (eng. "knowledge management", KM) i små och medelstora företag (eng. "small and medium-sized enterprises", SMEs). Som svar på denna forskningslucka motiverades en fallstudie för att undersöka hur SMEs genomför TM- och KM-aktiviteter. Eftersom denna master uppsats hade den sällsynta möjligheten att genomföra intervjuer med samtliga anställda och VD:n för ett moget småföretag beläget i Sverige, blev syftet med denna studie att undersöka tillämpligheten hos befintliga TM- och KM-ramverk samt identifiera ytterligare perspektiv för att anpassa ramverken till kontexten för mogna småföretag. Metodologin för denna fallstudie involverade intervjuer med VD:n och de anställda på det mogna småföretaget (fallföretaget) och utnyttjade befintliga TM- och KM-ramverk som underliggande struktur för intervjufrågor och analys. De empiriska resultaten presenterades med avseende på teman, styrkor och svagheter, samt utmaningar relaterade till TM och KM. Resultaten analyserades vidare och jämfördes med tidigareforskning i diskussionen, och rekommenderade fokusområden identifierades för att skapa en mer holistisk vägledning i TM och KM för mogna småföretag. Sammanfattningsvis bekräftade resultaten av denna master uppsats befintlig litteratur och motsade inte direkt någon tidigare forskning. Dock presenterade de empiriska resultaten aspekter av TM och KM som inte tidigare nämnts i litteraturen, vilket ledde till att ytterligare TM- och KM-perspektiv för mogna småföretag föreslogs för att utvidga och förbättra de TM- och KM-ramverk som använts i denna studie. Dessutom har denna studie bidragit med ytterligare forskning av TM- och KM-utmaningar i SMEs, vilket i stor utsträckning saknas i tidigare forskning. Denna uppsats har också bidragit med vägledning för företag (särskilt mogna småföretag) i att hantera utmaningar med avseende på TM och KM, samt bidragit till litteraturen med empirisk forskning om TM och KM i SMEs.