The aim of this research was to investigate staff turnover in the Mabopane area serviced by a well-established insurance company. This area is comprised of three different offices; Brits, Kudube and Mabopane. The offices are of the insurance company in the Mabopane area and over the years they have experienced high staff turnover. This research examined factors that contribute to the problem of high staff turnover. The primary instrument used to acquire information for this study was a questionnaire. This questionnaire has sections that require information about demographics, staff turnover factors, perspectives of respondents and a section for yes or no answering. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to 60 participants who were currently employed, newly employed, those who worked outside the Mabopane area and others who no longer worked in the Insurance Company's offices. Through this method a lot of data was acquired and it helped give a clearer picture. The findings were that high staff turnover generally occurred between managers and financial advisers. Managers handled staff turnover and the high staff turnover mainly occurred after 1994. The employees agree that those who are behind with their workload are not willing to work over weekends. Since there are hardworking personal financial advisers (PFAs) among the employees according to the findings, the company should remedy the situation by concentrating on hiring those who are willing to work overtime, and are not overwhelmed by their job. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

Retention of key employees is becoming an increasingly important challenge faced by many organisations. With every employee that leaves the company, cost of recruitment and appointment, as well as training and development cost subsequent to that, are lost. The situation is aggravated by the fact that it is usually the higher performing employee who is more mobile from a career point of view, or the employee who has completed his/her training and who is more marketable, that is lost to the organisation. To effectively retain workers, employers must know which factors motivate their employees to stay on and which factors cause them to leave. The general research objective was to determine variables that influence the retention of designated employees within a platinum mine. A qualitative research design was used. Twenty four designated employees were selected randomly from the following occupations in the mining career path, namely Crew Captain in training, Crew Captain, Learner Official and Shift Supervisor. A qualitative measuring instrument, based on the phenomenological paradigm, was used to determine employees' perceptions of retention of designated employees. Content analysis was used to analyse, quantify, and interpret the research data. The results indicated that designated employees are poached by competitor companies; that designated employees leave for better payment or benefits; that they value opportunities for growth and development; that the Crew Captain title, job content and job category cause employees to be unhappy; that designated employees leave after receiving training and development; that they do not feel valued or listened to; that they are unhappy with accommodation benefits and the bonus system; that they are managed by fear; that job security makes designated employees to stay; that they leave due to poor benefits; that they are in general dissatisfied with the company; that work and safety conditions are good; that designated employees experience a lot of work pressure; that they value family responsibility; that designated employees with limited education stay; and that they experience racial discrimination. Recommendations for future research are also made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

We live in the age of the informed consumer creating a business climate of increasing competition, which implies that all companies need to be as efficient as possible at every level, and this includes inventory management. For many businesses, inventory is the largest asset on the balance sheet at any given time and therefore needs to be efficiently managed. A large amount of a company's costs can be attributed to the amount it invests in inventory and associated holding, transportation, and management costs; management of inventory is thus critical to an SME's profitability. Therefore, it is important to investigate the models for effective inventory management in SMEs. Inventory management entails more than simply the forecasting and replenishment of inventory; it also demands the management of inventory to optimise services and profit. The main objective of the study was to investigate the standard inventory theories and models used to help management in small to medium-sized enterprises in keeping costs down while still meeting customer service requirements. Organisational effectiveness was defined in terms of the effectiveness of the internal processes of an organisation. While accountants and senior managers tend to measure results of most, if not all, organisational activities in monetary terms, so it is no surprise that many organisations rely on financial measures such as ROI or ROA to measure effectiveness. However, effectiveness was defined as the ability to achieve stated inventory levels, judged in terms of financial measures like inventory turnover for this study. This study posits that the effectiveness of a given SME may be ascertained from the effectiveness of the inventory management decisions made by its management. Modern inventory management systems are based on well-recognised inventory models and even though the methods were developed many years ago they still perform well from a theoretical point of view. Inventory models like economic order quantity (EOQ), activity-based costing (ABC), analysis for inventory and just-in-time (JIT) that form the bases of modern inventory systems are still commonly used in the industry today. Modern inventory management systems like MRP/MRPII and ERP systems offer a complete inventory management system to SMEs, but despite the rapid development of ERP systems, little research can be found in evaluating the extent to which ERP could create a competitive advantage for SMEs. Safety inventory protects against inventory uncertainty by ensuring there are enough products available to maintain desired service levels. Based on this, safety inventory can be expressed as the quantity of inventory that has to be reserved in order to protect the system from random variables such as inventory-outs, which may occur as a result of either forecast errors or deviations from normal demand during average lead times. Supply chain management (SCM) is a set of approaches utilized to effectively incorporate suppliers, manufacturers, logistics, and consumers to place the right amount of inventory at the right places at the right time. Since inventories represent a significant investment by many businesses, the challenge, however, is to determine the lowest amount of inventory required to accomplish all of the service-level targets. Inventory costs are relevant to most liquidity, asset management and liability management ratios and only once a balance is found between service levels, costs of holding inventory and cost of manufacture, which, once achieved, will it lead to increased profitability. Inventory is a measure of both liquidity and in -service efficiency just like receivable turnover. These methods produce an overall level of inventory that senior management typically judges in terms of an inventory turnover ratio (annual sales / average inventory) or a total asset level. A literature study was conducted with the aid of a computer-based search, using the keywords identified, databases and search engines such as Google Search, Google Scholar, Business Source Premier, Emerald and EBSCO Host. The empirical research describes a process whereby data or facts on a specific issue were gathered and analysed. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to gather information from the defined population for this study. This study used a structured questionnaire as well as an open-ended and semi-structured interview with some of the population sample to collect empirical data. The sample tested consisted of 60 managers, owners or responsible persons for inventory management in small to medium enterprises in Gauteng, South Africa. The results of the questionnaires were submitted for statistical analyses at the Statistical Department of the North-West University. The results of the statistical analysis were interpreted by closer investigation of the correlations, cross tabulations and frequency analysis done with the aid of SSPS. After the statistical analysis the conclusion could be drawn that more than half of all questioned SMEs in the study were not effective in their inventory management and this is most probably the result of most respondents' lack of theoretical knowledge about inventory management theories. Furthermore, it was concluded that most small and medium businesses have experienced inventory shortages as a result of JIT ordering, but still chose not to hold safety inventories because of the cost associated with holding inventories. This also made them and their customers reliant on their suppliers' supply chain management for efficient service delivery. Furthermore, it was also found that ERP systems like SAP were too expensive to implement in small and very small businesses. Therefore, many small and medium businesses adopt the Pastel solution at a fraction of the price of the standard ERP systems to manage their inventories. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

We live in the age of the informed consumer creating a business climate of increasing competition, which implies that all companies need to be as efficient as possible at every level, and this includes inventory management. For many businesses, inventory is the largest asset on the balance sheet at any given time and therefore needs to be efficiently managed. A large amount of a company's costs can be attributed to the amount it invests in inventory and associated holding, transportation, and management costs; management of inventory is thus critical to an SME's profitability. Therefore, it is important to investigate the models for effective inventory management in SMEs. Inventory management entails more than simply the forecasting and replenishment of inventory; it also demands the management of inventory to optimise services and profit. The main objective of the study was to investigate the standard inventory theories and models used to help management in small to medium-sized enterprises in keeping costs down while still meeting customer service requirements. Organisational effectiveness was defined in terms of the effectiveness of the internal processes of an organisation. While accountants and senior managers tend to measure results of most, if not all, organisational activities in monetary terms, so it is no surprise that many organisations rely on financial measures such as ROI or ROA to measure effectiveness. However, effectiveness was defined as the ability to achieve stated inventory levels, judged in terms of financial measures like inventory turnover for this study. This study posits that the effectiveness of a given SME may be ascertained from the effectiveness of the inventory management decisions made by its management. Modern inventory management systems are based on well-recognised inventory models and even though the methods were developed many years ago they still perform well from a theoretical point of view. Inventory models like economic order quantity (EOQ), activity-based costing (ABC), analysis for inventory and just-in-time (JIT) that form the bases of modern inventory systems are still commonly used in the industry today. Modern inventory management systems like MRP/MRPII and ERP systems offer a complete inventory management system to SMEs, but despite the rapid development of ERP systems, little research can be found in evaluating the extent to which ERP could create a competitive advantage for SMEs. Safety inventory protects against inventory uncertainty by ensuring there are enough products available to maintain desired service levels. Based on this, safety inventory can be expressed as the quantity of inventory that has to be reserved in order to protect the system from random variables such as inventory-outs, which may occur as a result of either forecast errors or deviations from normal demand during average lead times. Supply chain management (SCM) is a set of approaches utilized to effectively incorporate suppliers, manufacturers, logistics, and consumers to place the right amount of inventory at the right places at the right time. Since inventories represent a significant investment by many businesses, the challenge, however, is to determine the lowest amount of inventory required to accomplish all of the service-level targets. Inventory costs are relevant to most liquidity, asset management and liability management ratios and only once a balance is found between service levels, costs of holding inventory and cost of manufacture, which, once achieved, will it lead to increased profitability. Inventory is a measure of both liquidity and in -service efficiency just like receivable turnover. These methods produce an overall level of inventory that senior management typically judges in terms of an inventory turnover ratio (annual sales / average inventory) or a total asset level. A literature study was conducted with the aid of a computer-based search, using the keywords identified, databases and search engines such as Google Search, Google Scholar, Business Source Premier, Emerald and EBSCO Host. The empirical research describes a process whereby data or facts on a specific issue were gathered and analysed. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to gather information from the defined population for this study. This study used a structured questionnaire as well as an open-ended and semi-structured interview with some of the population sample to collect empirical data. The sample tested consisted of 60 managers, owners or responsible persons for inventory management in small to medium enterprises in Gauteng, South Africa. The results of the questionnaires were submitted for statistical analyses at the Statistical Department of the North-West University. The results of the statistical analysis were interpreted by closer investigation of the correlations, cross tabulations and frequency analysis done with the aid of SSPS. After the statistical analysis the conclusion could be drawn that more than half of all questioned SMEs in the study were not effective in their inventory management and this is most probably the result of most respondents' lack of theoretical knowledge about inventory management theories. Furthermore, it was concluded that most small and medium businesses have experienced inventory shortages as a result of JIT ordering, but still chose not to hold safety inventories because of the cost associated with holding inventories. This also made them and their customers reliant on their suppliers' supply chain management for efficient service delivery. Furthermore, it was also found that ERP systems like SAP were too expensive to implement in small and very small businesses. Therefore, many small and medium businesses adopt the Pastel solution at a fraction of the price of the standard ERP systems to manage their inventories. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

No description available.

The precise mechanism regulating focal adhesion disassembly has yet to be elucidated. Recently, we have implicated the Ste20-like kinase SLK in mediating efficient focal adhesion turnover and cell migration in a Rac-1 and FAK-dependent manner. Although an indirect association of this kinase with the microtubule network has been determined, the exact involvement of SLK in the disassembly of the adhesion complex remains unclear. With the identification of the focal adhesion protein paxillin as a substrate of SLK, we show that SLK regulates adhesion turnover through its phosphorylation at S250. Mutation of S250 to a threonine residue ablates SLK phosphorylation of paxillin in vitro and results in reduced adhesion turnover and migration in vivo. Additionally, our studies demonstrate that overexpression of the paxillin S250T mutation prevents the redistribution of paxillin to the membrane ruffle in migrating cells. The complete loss of polyubiquitylation in the S250T mutant, combined with no observed reduction in S250T protein expression, suggests that S250 phosphorylation is required for a ubiquitin-mediated modification that regulates paxillin redistribution within the cell. Moreover, we show that phosphorylation of S250 is required for paxillin to interact with FAK. An observed accumulation of phospho-FAKY397 in cells overexpressing the paxillin S250T mutant suggests that phosphorylation of S250 is involved in regulating FAK-dependent focal adhesion dynamics. Consequently, our data suggests that SLK regulates adhesion turnover through the phosphorylation of paxillin at S250.

Commercial buildings are among the largest consumers of energy. In an attempt to control and reduce operating expenses, building owners and organizations leasing commercial space are pursuing energy efficiency measures to generate a higher return on investment. In this study, an extensive literature review is used to identify and discuss energy efficiency considerations for medium-size building owners and how savings from these measures may benefit organizations through employee satisfaction and retention. For the purpose of this study, the specific topics related to commercial building energy efficiency that were investigated include (1) outcomes of building retrofits (2) corporate social responsibility and performance; (3) performance of energy efficient buildings; (4) employee commitment, satisfaction productivity and organizational profitability; (5) green companies and employee attraction; (6) the cost of turnover. There is little literature specifically focused on the impact that energy efficient buildings have on medium-sized building owners and no literature that quantifies the financial benefits through a reduction in employee turnover or attrition. Facility managers of all building sizes will benefit from gaining (1) a broad understanding of the impact of energy efficiency measures on employees (2) the ability to articulate the impact of the building’s role on employee productivity, turnover and other HR related issues (3) the insight needed to contribute to strategic discussions within their organization about how facilities can benefit organizational profitability. This research does not attempt to claim or determine a causal relationship between energy efficiency and employee turnover however it does discuss issues that that could affect employee attrition.. Further research to determine this causality would benefit the study of energy efficiency and its total impact on organizations.

Perceived job insecurity is receiving increasing recognition as an important determinant of employee work outcomes. Empirical research consistently shows that job insecurity perceptions are associated with adverse reactions by employees, in terms of reduced psychological well-being (De Witte, 1999), job satisfaction (O'Quin & LoTempio, 1998), and organisational commitment (Rosenblatt & Ruvio, 1996). Turnover intentions for the job-insecure are higher (Tivendell & Bourbonnai, 2000) as well. It is therefore important to understand what may increase or decrease such detrimental effects of job insecurity. Even so, it was not until the late 1990s that much academic literature was published in the field (De Witte & Näswall, 2003). Employees not only worry about their assessment of the likelihood of job loss, but also about the consequences of such an occurrence (Burchell, 2002). This dissertation argues that perceived job insecurity is a function of what an individual believes is an acceptable risk of job loss given their individual circumstances. Based on the literature, a model is developed proposing a number of moderators of the effects of job insecurity. One of those moderators is temporary job status. Little research is available that examines how job insecurity influences the work attitudes and behaviours of temporaries (De Witte, 1999; Kinnuen & Nätti, 1994; Sloboda, 1999). Few studies compare temporaries' reactions to those of traditional, permanent employees. Study one examined whether temporaries had higher job insecurity than permanents in a sample of three hundred and ninety-one employees (122 temporary and 269 permanent) in low to medium level non-academic positions at two Australian universities. No significant differences were found. However, temporaries and permanents reacted differently to job insecurity when a number of individual differences were also considered. The temporary employment literature consistently shows that individuals that prefer temporary work have more positive work outcomes (Feldman, 1990, 1995). Thus the extent of choice temporaries had in their job status was chosen as a potential moderator of job insecurity relationships. Findings indicate that choice in job status differentially influenced the contextual performance, continuance commitment, and turnover intentions of temporaries and permanents, as predicted. For example, when temporaries preferred temporary work and felt secure, they had similar turnover intentions to permanents. Explanations why individuals involuntarily accept temporary work include a lack of job alternatives. Thus another moderator tested was employability, concerning perceptions about finding comparable employment in the event of job loss. Employability influenced the continuance commitment and intention to change job status of temporaries and permanents differently. In particular, the findings suggest that the negative effects of job insecurity worsened for highly employable temporaries, decreasing their continuance commitment, since when secure, highly employable temporaries and permanents had similar continuance commitment levels. Subjective job dependency, as a moderator of job insecurity, affected temporaries and permanents in the same way. Specifically, the more insecure and the less dependent the employee was the lower was their contextual performance. Two sources of social support were also tested in study one. One source, social support from supervisors and co-workers was shown to differentially influence the contextual performance of temporaries and permanents. Specifically, the negative effects of job insecurity were alleviated for temporaries with high organisational social support, such that their contextual performance was higher than that of permanents. Family social support and temporary job status also moderated the relationship between job insecurity and job satisfaction, though not as predicted. For temporaries, the level of family social support did not influence the effects of job insecurity on job satisfaction. For permanents though, family social support alleviated the effects of job insecurity, such that the more family social support experienced the higher the job satisfaction. A follow-up study (n = 116) was conducted one year later. The longitudinal effects of job insecurity were examined. Of the work outcomes assessed, only continuance commitment was predicted by Time 1 job insecurity, once prior levels of the outcome variables were controlled. A second purpose of study two was to test job embeddedness - a measure of employee retention - as a moderator of the relationship between job insecurity and work outcomes. The results indicate that the negative effects of job insecurity were exacerbated when employees perceived their organisation-related sacrifices to be great, lessening both their affective commitment and contextual performance contributions. Theoretical and practical implications of the results of both studies are discussed. For instance, these findings suggest that temporary job status should not be used as a proxy measure of job insecurity. Finally, directions for future research are proposed.