<p>Background: Employees are the human capital which contributes to the success and de-velopment of a company to a great extent. Thus, these days, companies do not see them only as factors of production from the classical perspective, but have started to value them as stakeholders and partners with whom long-term goals are achieved together.</p><p>Problem Discussion & Purpose: Researchers realized the need of companies to deal with employees, and for that reason, there has been great time and effort spent on studies con-cerning the relation between job satisfaction and job performance. However, the authors of the thesis came to conclusion that the link between job satisfaction and job performance was still a vague one. Therefore, the thesis is focused on the concept of well-being. The study concentrates on blue-collar workers, and the purpose is to explore and understand the relation between job-related well-being and employees’ job performance in the context of stress caused by following environmental factors: working tools, workload, heat, noise, and safety.</p><p>Theoretical Framework: The theories used for this study are concerning job perform-ance, well-being, and stress. An emphasis is given on the work environmental stressors, which are working tools, workload, safety, heat, and noise.</p><p>Methodology: To make this study, the researchers applied qualitative approach and used 8 semi-structured interviews to collect the data. The authors have conducted personal “face-to-face” interviews. All of them were tape-recorded to provide the maximum accuracy of received data. Information was gathered within one company.</p><p>Conclusion: After conducting research, acquiring empirical findings, and making analysis of data, the thesis authors suggest that there is a link between job performance and job-related well-being via the work environment stressors. The authors of the thesis assume that probably the relationship between well-being and performance can look as a “circle-” or “spiral”-like model, where well-being and performance influence each other mutually, however, in different ways at different stages of the model. The influence of well-being on job performance via researched work environment stressors can be either direct or indirect.</p><p>The study is of a great importance because it gives good insight of seeing well-being as a link to performance which previously was not done by any other research. Being aware of the influence of the environmental factors, managers can better realize how these factors contribute to the performance and well-being of their employees, and find ways how to improve working environment in order to increase workers’ job performance and job-related well-being.</p>

Thesis (DPhil(Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-70). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71577.

Arbetsmotivation är ett viktigt ämne att studera eftersom hög motivation hos medarbetarna leder till hög tillfredställelse och en bra prestation. De flesta teoretiker använder sig av yttre och inre motivation för att förklara begreppet. Syftet var att hitta de faktorer i den psykosociala arbetsmiljön som bäst förklarade arbetsmotivationen hos medarbetarna på ett lager. Deltagarna var 69 lagerarbetare mellan 20 och 65 år. En enkät delades ut till medarbetarna, baserat på General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at work (QPS Nordic), innehållande 11 delar som kan kopplas till motivation. Resultatet redovisades genom Pearsons korrelationer, ett t-test för beroende mätningar samt en multipel regressionsanalys, vilket visade att positiva utmaningar kunde predicera inre motivation och uppmuntrande ledarskap kunde predicera yttre motivation. Eftersom yrkesgruppen är mycket outforskad bidrar studien till viktig kunskap för att främja motivationen hos lagerarbetare samt en bra grund till framtida forskning.

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The purpose of this study is to examine the work environment of research and development (R & D) subsystems and ascertain the relationship between technological innovation and the work environment. The focus of the study is the semiconductor industry, (SIC 3674), which is a prime example of a rapid growth, research intensive industry. The industry, in the past decade, has been characterized by very rapid technological advances with a subsequent high growth rate for most firms in the industry. Two instruments were developed to measure technological innovation. The first instrument, the innovation index, estimated the actual innovations developed by each company since 1970. The index consisted of a comprehensive list of technological innovations that could have been adopted and developed by the companies in the industry. The second instrument, the perceived innovativeness questionnaire, assessed company innovativeness as perceived by the R & D personnel. The R & D work environment was assessed with the work climate questionnaire which consisted of ten work climate dimensions, selected for their theoretical relevance and importance in the light of prior research on innovation. These dimensions were: autonomy, cooperation, supportiveness, structure, level of reward, performance-reward dependency, achievement motivation, status polarization, flexibility and decision centralization. Interviews were conducted as part of the research study to provide information on the development of innovations in the semiconductor industry and, secondly, to determine what changes, if any, had occurred in the nature of the work environment of the R & D subsystems of the semiconductor companies. Data for the study were collected from eight semiconductor companies (SIC 3674). Respondents included all the vice presidents for the R & D subsystems of the companies and a total of 136 research and development personnel from the eight companies. Content analysis of the interviews suggests that: (1) innovation development in the semiconductor industry is perceived as a multiphased process rather than a single event. This process consists of three stages: idea generation and evaluation (initiation stage); approval and adoption stage; and development and implementation stage; and (2) the work environment of the R & D subsystem is characterized by relative stability of work climate over a period of time. Statistical analyses of the data offer some support for the view that technological innovation is related to the R & D subsystem work climate. Significant positive relations were found between technological innovation and the work climate dimensions of performance-reward dependency, flexibility, achievement motivation, autonomy, cooperation, supportiveness and perceived innovativeness; significant negative relationship was found between technological innovation and decision centralization. Work climate differences between the high innovative group and low innovative group showed significant differences between the two groups in the work climate dimensions of autonomy, performance-reward dependency, achievement motivation, flexibility, decision centralization and perceived innovativeness. The results of the study suggest that: (1) technological innovation is related to R & D subsystem work climate; (2) the nature of work climate that characterizes the R & D subsystems of highly innovative companies is different from that which characterizes their less innovative counterparts.

ABSTRACT There has been a change in the nature of work over recent decades with an increase in the use of non-standard forms of work. Non-standard work includes for example the use of contractors and sub-contractors. These forms of employment lead to a greater vulnerability of the workforce. These workers are missing out on union representation, training opportunities and basic employment protection. This directly impacts the safety of the workers due to the confusing legislation over duty of care. It is often unclear who is responsible for providing occupational health and safety (OHS) training for these workers. It is for this reason the following report will attempt to gain a better understanding of the policies and regulations surrounding OHS in two countries. Sweden and New Zealand have been chosen as a focus for this research because they represent two different governing systems. The aim of this research was to describe what structures and policies regulate occupational health and safety matters in Sweden and New Zealand comparatively. It was also the aim of this research to seek insight into the policy conversation around OHS training in both Sweden and New Zealand. Three research questions have been used throughout the report to guide the researcher when selecting relevant documents collating the main themes and overall ensuring that the research stays on track. The questions are as follows: What structures and policies regulate occupational health and safety matters in Sweden and New Zealand? What characterises both the Swedish and the New Zealand work environment? What is the policy conversation around OHS training in Sweden and New Zealand? The methodology choosen for this research was a qualitative approach because greater in-depth  understanding for OHS matters were sought after. The research was focused around policy documents from both Sweden and New Zealand. The documents from each country were chosen because of their current and topical relevance to each country. The main findings from this research were grouped into five themes based on key termes identified in both countries documents. The five themes are as follows:  Work Environment and Regulation OHS Training and Attitudes Worker Participation OHS Research Longer Working Life Conclusions were made based on these themes. OHS regulation was found to be adequate in Sweden in contrast to New Zealand. In New Zealand there is a call for major reforms to be made to the OHS legislation because due to its lack of adequate coverage for the current workforce. The term work environment is used in Sweden and includes a more holistic view, compared to the term occupational health and safety which is used in New Zealand and focuses more on safety and the prevention of work-related harm. Inadequate training for safety representatives were found to be an issue both in Sweden and New Zealand. In Sweden safety representatives are entitled to sufficient paid leave to fulfill their duties including training, in contrast to New Zealand where the safety representatives are entitled to only two days paid leave annualy. OHS training was suggested to be a necessary component in many tertiary education programs both in Sweden and New Zealand. The suggestion was made to better prepare prospective managers who will have OHS responsibilities. Worker participation was found to be a necessary component of a well functioning OHS scheme in both the countries. It was not adequately regulated in New Zealand until the implementation of the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Act 2002. In both Sweden and New Zealand new OHS research functions were suggested to be established. The changing nature of work is highlighted as a concern in both countries, because legislation does not adequately cover the new forms of work and is not conducive to OHS.

The current legislation in South Africa, namely the White Paper on Transformation of the Public Sector published on the 15 November 1995 by the Department of Public Service and Administration, addresses the need for transformation in the delivery of Public Services. The aim of this transformation process is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the way in which public services should be rendered, with the emphasis on customer focused ways of working. The South African Military Health Services (SAMHS) as a public service healthcare organisation within the South African Department of Defence (SANDF) is also governed by the White Paper on transformation, and is constantly reminded of the call for improved service delivery to its clientele. According to Schenke (2001:8) it is critical to understand that an interdependent relationship exists between employee satisfaction and customer satisfection, and therefore an organisation would need to focus on both these assets. An integral part of optimising service delivery in the SAMHS and improving customer satisfection, would be to ensure job satisfection among the healthcare professionals who render the services. Spytak, Marsland and Ulmer (1999:26) noted that satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative and committed to their jobs. A study was therefore undertaken to review job satisfection among health care professionals in a sample population in the SAMHS. The study examined the main contributing factors that affected job satisfection, and determined if there were differences in terms of job satisfection across the demographic variables of age, gender, marital status, employees with or without children and tenure. Finally it explored the correlation between job satisfection levels and intention to leave. The study constituted a comparative cross-sectional study of 61 healthcare professionals based at Area Military Health Unit KwaZulu Natal (AMHU KZN). The research methodology adopted in this study was a quantitative survey. Statistical analyses were completed using ANOVA'S, Pearson's Correlations and Factor Analysis. The results of the study indicated that there were four major contributing factors affecting job satisfection and these included, career management, strategic management and support, the nature of the work itself and interpersonal dynamics. There were no differences noted in job satisfection across the demographic variables of age, gender, marital status, employees with or without children and tenure. However results did indicate that there was a strong correlation between total job satisfaction and propensity to leave. A strong correlation was also found with each of the four main components affecting job satisfection, namely career management, strategic management and support, the nature of the work itself, interpersonal dynamics, and propensity to leave. Recommendations were made to the SAMHS with regard to job enrichment, compensation systems, staffing and promotions, and management style. The implementation of these recommendations could assist in improving the levels of job satisfection among health care professionals. The study also recommended further research to better understand issues that could impact on job satisfection of health care professionals in the military environment. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Many women have taken up higher positions in their companies in recent times both in South Africa and all over the world. Many more women are taking professional courses and will definitely find a place in the leadership position in the big companies (Sekaran, et al. 1992). As a result there is big change and there will be more changes in the demography of labour force. These changes make it essential that leaders understand how to capture the synergy for the emerging diverse group of employees. The best and brightest workers, whom we all seek, are coming out of a labour pool that is increasingly made of women. The aspirations of women have been changing dramatically as a result of civil rights movement and women movements and South Africa is a good example of the countries in the world where women have better opportunities of leading big organisations (Watson, et al. 2004). The inclusion of women in the leadership position of many companies has aroused the interest to investigate if there is a difference in the way women and men lead. This is important because the role of leadership and the style of leadership have been identified as the primary factors in determining organisational performance and competitiveness (Rechardson, et al. 2008). A major part of this study discussed and analysed the leadership style differences of men and women leaders. The study also took into cognisance of the importance of agents of socialisation such as the family (husband and wife), the media, religion and education on gender role in the society. We discussed the gender role ascribed to male and female in the society and how this has influenced the perception of their leadership styles. Males and females received different orientation from the media, religion, schools and colleges on how men and women suppose to behave. And how these orientations influence perception, interaction, and ultimately the leadership styles is an interesting area of study and somewhat more difficult to define (Rechardson, et al. 2008). A review of such differences serves as a starting point in the study of gender differences in behaviour and in the leadership styles; and why women may offer unique strengths essential to healthy growth and operation in an organization. The results of this study did not show much difference in the leadership styles of men and women leaders but there are a few differences in the leadership dimensions of the transformational and transactional leadership style. The Asian female leaders score higher in charisma than their male counterpart. Within positions female frontline (supervisors) scored higher on motivation (idealised influence), while the male middle managers scored higher on task oriented leadership behaviour. However insignificant the differences may be, it is wise to mention that women scored slightly higher than men in the leadership styles traditionally ascribed to women. For example, the results of table 26 show women leaders scored slightly higher than men in the participative/democratic and transformational leadership styles and they equally scored slightly higher in some dimensions of transformational leadership, intellectually stimulating, charisma, and motivation. Men scored slightly higher in autocratic, transactional and delegate leadership styles. Men also scored slightly higher in other dimensions like management by exemption and task oriented behaviours. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2010.

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