The primary aim of the study was to verify vocabulary on the Language Development Survey, for typically developing toddlers who attend ethnolinguistically diverse nursery schools. This was investigated through parent report. The need for exploration of the vocabulary of this population stems from the diverse linguistic context to which toddlers are exposed on a day-to-day basis in South Africa. Many parents prefer English as the language of learning for their child, irrespective of whether or not their first language is an alternative vernacular. Thus, toddlers interact with ethnolinguistically diverse peers from a young age, usually within their nursery school. An adapted version of the Language Development Survey was presented to forty middle-class parents within the Emalahleni area. Vocabulary commonly used by toddlers was determined and a comparison of parent responses between the present study and the original American-based survey were drawn. As expected, results revealed that nouns were used most often by toddlers, in keeping with research on vocabulary acquisition. Comparisons drawn between parent responses from the two studies showed highly similar results. Parents reported that nouns, verbs, adjectives and other vocabulary were used similarly by toddlers, despite differences in their linguistic exposure. These findings verify the Language Development Survey as a valuable clinical resource for speech and language therapists managing toddlers within the South African context. Suggestions for future research are provided. AFRIKAANS : Die primêre doel van die studie was om die woordeskat wat in die Language Development Survey gebruik word te bevestig vir tipies ontwikkelende twee-jaar oue kleuters wat etnolinguisties diverse kleuterskole bywoon. Dit is ondersoek deur middel van ouer terugvoer. Die behoefte vir ‘n woordeskat ondersoek van hierdie populasie spruit uit die diverse linguistiese konteks waaraan kleuters op ‘n dag-tot-dag basis in Suid-Afrika blootgestel word. Baie ouers verkies Engels as die taal van onderig vir hul kind, ongeag of hulle moedertaal daarvan verskil of nie. Dit het die gevolg dat kleuters van jongs af met etno-linguisties diverse ouderdomsgenote interaksie het, gewoonlik in die kleuterskool. ‘n Aangepaste weergawe van die Language Development Survey is aan veertig middel-klas ouers in die Emalahleni area voorgelê. Daar is vasgestel watter woordeskat oor die algemeen deur die kleuters gebruik word, en ‘n vergelyking tussen die ouers se terugvoer in die huidige en die oorspronklike Amerikaanse studie is getref. Soos verwag, het die resultate gewys dat selfstandige naamwoorde die mees algemeen deur kleuters gebruik word, wat ooreenstem met navorsing in verband met die aanleer van woordeskat. Vergelykings tussen ouer terugvoer van die twee studies het hoogs ooreenstemmende resultate gelewer. Uit ouer terugvoer kon dit ook afgelei word dat selfstandige naamwoorde, werkwoorde, byvoeglike naamwoorde en ander woordtipes ooreenstemmend deur kleuters gebruik word, afgesien van verskille in linguistiese blootstelling. Hierdie bevindinge bevestig die Language Development Survey as ‘n waardevolle kliniese hulpbron vir spraak- taalterapeute wat in die Suid- Afrikaanse konteks met kleuters werk. Voorstelle vir moontlike toekomstige navorsing word in die studie verskaf. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication / unrestricted

Classroom observation - particularly the post observation conference - is one of the most important aspects of staff development. The headmaster should create the climate in which the teacher has scope for self-development. During and especially after the class observation, it is imperative that the headmaster provides a restful, relaxed atmosphere, particularly for the post observation conference. This conference is of the utmost importance, as it provides feedback to the teacher on how another knowledgeable person experiences his presentation of a lesson. This research initially focused on staff development, what it entails and how it can be utilized by headmasters in schools. A closer look was taken at the post observation conference after a classroom observation, a questionnaire was distributed among the headmasters of various schools and the paper closes with recommendations and definite guidelines to headmasters. It is important for the school to be a pleasant working environment, where mutual respect and trust should exist. In such a climate, it is possible for the headmaster, during the post observation conference, to make recommendations and give advice without causing any hurt-feelings, enabling the teacher to develop professionally. A staff development plan with clear goals and target dates should ultimately be compiled. / Skripsie (MEd (Onderwysbestuur))--PU vir CHO, 1996

Classroom observation - particularly the post observation conference - is one of the most important aspects of staff development. The headmaster should create the climate in which the teacher has scope for self-development. During and especially after the class observation, it is imperative that the headmaster provides a restful, relaxed atmosphere, particularly for the post observation conference. This conference is of the utmost importance, as it provides feedback to the teacher on how another knowledgeable person experiences his presentation of a lesson. This research initially focused on staff development, what it entails and how it can be utilized by headmasters in schools. A closer look was taken at the post observation conference after a classroom observation, a questionnaire was distributed among the headmasters of various schools and the paper closes with recommendations and definite guidelines to headmasters. It is important for the school to be a pleasant working environment, where mutual respect and trust should exist. In such a climate, it is possible for the headmaster, during the post observation conference, to make recommendations and give advice without causing any hurt-feelings, enabling the teacher to develop professionally. A staff development plan with clear goals and target dates should ultimately be compiled. / Skripsie (MEd (Onderwysbestuur))--PU vir CHO, 1996

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of manager behaviour on the turnover intentions of employees with scarce and critical skills in the mining industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A purposive sample (n = 505) was used to collect the data at a platinum operation. Questionnaires were given to employees with scarce and critical skills who fall within the C1 - D1 Patterson level range. Cronbach alpha coefficients were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments. All the factors relating to manager's behaviour proved reliable, with the exception of feedback, and recommendations were made to improve the reliability of this specific scale. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction, recognition, feedback, communication from the manager and supervisor support, while a lack of job satisfaction, recognition, feedback, communication from the manager and supervisor support could be applied to predict turnover intentions of employees with scarce and critical skills. The moderating effect of supervisor social support between levels of recognition and turnover intention was supported. Based on the results obtained, conclusions were made after which recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of manager behaviour on the turnover intentions of employees with scarce and critical skills in the mining industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A purposive sample (n = 505) was used to collect the data at a platinum operation. Questionnaires were given to employees with scarce and critical skills who fall within the C1 - D1 Patterson level range. Cronbach alpha coefficients were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments. All the factors relating to manager's behaviour proved reliable, with the exception of feedback, and recommendations were made to improve the reliability of this specific scale. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction, recognition, feedback, communication from the manager and supervisor support, while a lack of job satisfaction, recognition, feedback, communication from the manager and supervisor support could be applied to predict turnover intentions of employees with scarce and critical skills. The moderating effect of supervisor social support between levels of recognition and turnover intention was supported. Based on the results obtained, conclusions were made after which recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Job insecurity in the workplace has become an increasingly important trend in organisational research. The appraisal of job insecurity by individuals plays a significant part in how reactions manifest in the experiences of workplace stressors, job satisfaction, positive and negative work attributes and social support. However, there is a lack of research regarding specific workplace stressors at work leading to certain outcomes like safety behaviour, turnover intention and mental health, especially within a South African working context. Job insecurity has also been classified as a workplace stressor. The existence of other stressors tends to increase the ultimate effect of insecurity for the individual. The attempts from organisational management to manage this phenomenon are therefore crucial in decreasing the negative effects of job insecurity and increasing the productivity of the organisation. In order to measure the job insecurity levels of employees, it is important to make use of valid and reliable job insecurity measures. An absence of empirical research on validity and reliability studies in terms of job insecurity in South African is evident. The main objectives of this research were: 1) to establish the psychometric properties of a measure of job insecurity in a selected gold mining company in South Africa; 2) to determine the influence of job insecurity and work stress (i.e. role conflict, clarity and overload) on worker safety performance and if coping could moderate this; 3) to investigate the theoretical and empirical relationships between job stressors (task completion ambiguity and task quality ambiguity), competency demands, employability perceptions, job satisfaction and turnover intention over time, and 4) to investigate if social support has a mediating effect between positive interpersonal attributes, negative interpersonal attributes, job insecurity and subsequent health. To achieve the first objective, a cross-sectional design was used (N = 566), including various business units of a South African-based gold mining company. The assessment of the psychometric properties of a measure of quantitative and qualitative job insecurity for employees was determined through construct (structural) equivalence, exploratory factor analysis and multivariate analysis of variance to calculate the comparison of the factor structure for the different cultural groups. For qualitative job insecurity, the scale shows low equivalence for the African languages group. Statistically significant differences were found between the levels of job insecurity of employees in terms of gender. The second objective, concerning the investigation into the relationship of work stress and job insecurity with unsafe behaviour at work, was achieved with across-sectional survey design (N = 771). The hypothesised model included the influence of role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and job insecurity on unsafe work behaviour. Coping was introduced as a moderator in this relationship. The results indicated that when employees experience work stress and job insecurity, their safety compliance is low. This relationship was also moderated by a coping strategy of Avoidance. To achieve the third objective, a longitudinal study was conducted and data was gathered by means of an electronic survey, with 771 employees participating at Time 1, and 345 participating at Time 2. Results for predicting employees’ turnover intentions, experience of task completion and quality ambiguity, external employability and job satisfaction made a direct contribution in predicting their turnover intention. No mediating role of job satisfaction between job stressors, competency demands and employability perceptions on the one hand and turnover intentions on the other hand, were found. Addressing the fourth objective in investigating the moderating role of social support between the relationship of experiencing positive interpersonal (communication with the manager and feedback), negative interpersonal experiences (powerlessness and interpersonal conflict), job insecurity (quantitative and qualitative) and health, was met with a longitudinal random sample of employees in different business units in one selected multi-national mining company based in South Africa (N = 771). Results for these employees indicated that all the proposed variables, except feedback from the manager, were statistically significantly related to health. No moderating effect for social support could be found over time, but it was shown that interpersonal conflict at work is a longitudinal predictor of employee health. By way of conclusion, the implications of the research were discussed and recommendations for managers and for future research were made. / Thesis (PhD (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Job insecurity in the workplace has become an increasingly important trend in organisational research. The appraisal of job insecurity by individuals plays a significant part in how reactions manifest in the experiences of workplace stressors, job satisfaction, positive and negative work attributes and social support. However, there is a lack of research regarding specific workplace stressors at work leading to certain outcomes like safety behaviour, turnover intention and mental health, especially within a South African working context. Job insecurity has also been classified as a workplace stressor. The existence of other stressors tends to increase the ultimate effect of insecurity for the individual. The attempts from organisational management to manage this phenomenon are therefore crucial in decreasing the negative effects of job insecurity and increasing the productivity of the organisation. In order to measure the job insecurity levels of employees, it is important to make use of valid and reliable job insecurity measures. An absence of empirical research on validity and reliability studies in terms of job insecurity in South African is evident. The main objectives of this research were: 1) to establish the psychometric properties of a measure of job insecurity in a selected gold mining company in South Africa; 2) to determine the influence of job insecurity and work stress (i.e. role conflict, clarity and overload) on worker safety performance and if coping could moderate this; 3) to investigate the theoretical and empirical relationships between job stressors (task completion ambiguity and task quality ambiguity), competency demands, employability perceptions, job satisfaction and turnover intention over time, and 4) to investigate if social support has a mediating effect between positive interpersonal attributes, negative interpersonal attributes, job insecurity and subsequent health. To achieve the first objective, a cross-sectional design was used (N = 566), including various business units of a South African-based gold mining company. The assessment of the psychometric properties of a measure of quantitative and qualitative job insecurity for employees was determined through construct (structural) equivalence, exploratory factor analysis and multivariate analysis of variance to calculate the comparison of the factor structure for the different cultural groups. For qualitative job insecurity, the scale shows low equivalence for the African languages group. Statistically significant differences were found between the levels of job insecurity of employees in terms of gender. The second objective, concerning the investigation into the relationship of work stress and job insecurity with unsafe behaviour at work, was achieved with across-sectional survey design (N = 771). The hypothesised model included the influence of role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and job insecurity on unsafe work behaviour. Coping was introduced as a moderator in this relationship. The results indicated that when employees experience work stress and job insecurity, their safety compliance is low. This relationship was also moderated by a coping strategy of Avoidance. To achieve the third objective, a longitudinal study was conducted and data was gathered by means of an electronic survey, with 771 employees participating at Time 1, and 345 participating at Time 2. Results for predicting employees’ turnover intentions, experience of task completion and quality ambiguity, external employability and job satisfaction made a direct contribution in predicting their turnover intention. No mediating role of job satisfaction between job stressors, competency demands and employability perceptions on the one hand and turnover intentions on the other hand, were found. Addressing the fourth objective in investigating the moderating role of social support between the relationship of experiencing positive interpersonal (communication with the manager and feedback), negative interpersonal experiences (powerlessness and interpersonal conflict), job insecurity (quantitative and qualitative) and health, was met with a longitudinal random sample of employees in different business units in one selected multi-national mining company based in South Africa (N = 771). Results for these employees indicated that all the proposed variables, except feedback from the manager, were statistically significantly related to health. No moderating effect for social support could be found over time, but it was shown that interpersonal conflict at work is a longitudinal predictor of employee health. By way of conclusion, the implications of the research were discussed and recommendations for managers and for future research were made. / Thesis (PhD (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.