Feeding ecology of organisms has a critical influence on ecosystem structure, function, and stability, but how feeding ecology of a single organism varies over multiple spatial and temporal scales in nature is unknown. Here, I characterize the factors driving and the implications of variability in feeding ecology of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) over multiple spatial and temporal scales using stable isotopes and stomach contents. Significant variation in juvenile Chinook salmon feeding ecology at the individual-level was found to occur off of the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) (British Columbia, Canada). This variation is correlated with a diet shift from feeding on invertebrates to feeding on fish, as the salmon increase in size. I developed a novel Bayesian stable isotope method to model this shift while taking into account the time-lag associated with isotopic turnover. I found that this model was able to replicate patterns seen in a simplified coastal food web, and that resource-use estimates from this stable isotope model somewhat diverged from a compilation of stomach content data. Next, I compared the feeding ecology of Chinook Salmon in one season and year along nearly their entire North American range. I found considerable spatial variation in ontogeny and feeding ecology, with individuals of the same size from different geographic regions having different δ13C, δ15N, and trophic levels. These differences likely corresponded to regional variability in sea surface temperature, ocean entry date and size, and growth rates. Subsequently, I quantified temporal shifts in the feeding ecology of Chinook Salmon from WCVI. I found that feeding ecology over winter was different from feeding ecology in the fall, and that this likely corresponds to shifts in the prey field. Finally, I found that WCVI juvenile Chinook Salmon showed significant interannual variability in feeding ecology, and that the interannual variability in the δ13C value of juvenile salmon (indicative of primary productivity or nutrient source) predicts their smolt survival. In turn, large-scale climate variability determines the δ13C values of salmon—thus mechanistically linking climate to survival through feeding ecology. These results suggest that qualities propagated upwards from the base of the food chain have a cascading influence that is detectable in salmon feeding ecology. I conclude that the feeding ecology of juvenile Chinook Salmon varies on individual, spatial, season and interannual scales, and that this variability has impacts on survival rates. These findings have implications for the understanding of ontogeny in natural systems in general, allowing for modelling of ontogeny in previously intractable ecological systems. Furthermore there may also be implications for Chinook Salmon management, considering that feeding ecology showed utility as a mechanistic leading indicator of survival rates. / Graduate

Finding and developing key talent is one of the toughest business challenges that executives face. The main problem of this study was to identify strategies that could be implemented by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) in order to retain key talent. To achieve this objective the following procedure was followed: - Talent management strategies that were used at that time to improve retention at the BoZ were presented and discussed. Four main strategies were identified; professional scales, promotions, cash awards and flexible working hours. - Data regarding the turnover of people with key talent at the BoZ was collected and analysed. Key talent was defined and key talent at the BoZ was identified. It emerged that a retention problem was experienced among employees with a first university degree or professional qualifications such as ACCA/CIMA. The employees were mainly employed at the middle management level. - A literature study was conducted to identify talent management strategies that organisations could use to manage key talent. The literature study focused on the talent management process as a whole. Attention was focused on who should take responsibility for talent management, the importance of talent management and talent management strategies related to motivation, leadership and human resource strategies were also highlighted. The three strategies were found to be inter-related. The theoretical study formed the basis for the development of a survey questionnaire to establish the extent to which the strategies revealed in literature were utilised at the bank. The survey was administered to a randomly selected group of middle management employees at BoZ 5 and BoZ 6 levels. iv The empirical results revealed that all the strategies identified were used but that there was room for improvement in some areas. It was evident that many respondents felt that talent management was not a business priority at the bank. Many respondents felt that human resources played an adequate role in talent management but that their direct supervisors and senior management should play a bigger role than was currently the case. It was also evident from the results that most respondents felt that the leadership style of supervisors at the BoZ was effective and supportive. The extent to which some of the human resource strategies were used could lead to low morale and dissatisfaction among people with key talent. Specifically, the results revealed that most respondents felt that performance appraisals were not fairly and consistently applied or linked to incentives. On the basis of the literature study and the results of the empirical study, a talent management model was developed for the effective implementation of retention strategies. However, the effectiveness of these strategies would depend on the support of management. Managers, supervisors and employees themselves have to be involved in talent management.

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.

South African nursing profession is in a crisis as professional nurses leave the country in search of lucrative work overseas. This exodus will have a catastrophic effect on the delivery of health care over the next decade. It is also clear that the shortages of staff due to the turnover problems in hospitals are also creating various other problems such as enormous pressure on existing employees, job stress and job dissatisfaction. Financial constraints to compete with international competitors, exchange rates, tax-free foreign money, the existence of many job opportunities overseas and the tendency that a person’s career is enriched with overseas experience, makes the retention of professional nurses almost uncontrollable for nursing employers in South Africa. The question was therefore asked whether employers should not rather focus their retention strategies on things they can control internally to retain their employees. An alternative approach, to build strategies around the needs and work circumstances of professional nurses, was therefore proposed. The focus of this study was to develop a predictive model with organisational culture and the selected mediating variables, namely knowledge sharing, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship and job satisfaction, as well as various demographic variables (sub-cultures, tenure, age, level of education, gender, race, home language, level of seniority, marital status, number of dependents) of turnover intentions. A General Linear Model approach was adopted to answer the research question. The relationship between organisational culture and turnover intentions was determined, followed by the independent and/or interdependent role of the demographic variables in predicting firstly, organisational culture and secondly, turnover intentions on a bivariate and a multivariate level. Thereafter, the objective was to determine the independent and/or interactive role of the independent variable (organisational culture) and the selected mediating variables (knowledge sharing, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction) in explaining turnover intentions. The next objective was to determine whether knowledge sharing, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour and job satisfaction mediates the relationship between organisational culture and turnover intentions. The final objective was to determine a most parsimonious model by entering all demographic variables, the independent variable and the mediating variables simultaneously into an equation to determine which variables independently and/or interactively emerged to predict turnover intentions. The most important finding was that 49% of the variance in turnover intentions was explained by the proposed model when all the variables were simultaneously entered into the equation. Organisational commitment emerged as the only independent predictor in the final most parsimonious model of turnover intentions. This result support theoretical evidence of the importance of organisational commitment as predictor of turnover intentions. Organisational culture, in interaction with knowledge sharing and job satisfaction, emerged as predictors in the final model decreasing turnover intentions, while organisational culture in interaction with organisational citizenship behaviour increases turnover intentions of professional nurses. Organisational culture also emerged in interaction with white professional nurses, as demographic variable, decreasing turnover intentions. Organisational culture is therefore an important concept in determining turnover intentions, clearly emphasising the responsibility of nursing employers to seriously embark on internal strategies to prevent turnover amongst professional nurses. Various other demographic variables also emerged in interaction to determine turnover intentions in the final model. They are professional nurses in ICU/casualties and 50 years and older, 1-5 years in unit and an incumbent of a chief professional nurse position, 11 years and more in the current hospital and no dependents above 18, being married/co-habitating and no dependents above 18, 50 years and older and no dependents under 18 and working in ICU/Casualties and in possession of a degree. Finally, knowledge sharing, organisational commitment and job satisfaction mediated the relationship between organisational culture and turnover intentions, although only partially, while OCB’s did not mediated this relationship. Various conclusions and recommendations, theoretically, methodologically and empirically, were made as a result of this study. Further theoretical development of the concepts, especially knowledge sharing, the value of General Linear Modelling and further development of turnover models amongst professional nurses and other health professional alike, were recommended. / Prof. Gert Roodt

M.A. / This study aims to investigate career maturity and career developmental tasks of cabin crew and ground personnel in an airline. This study set out to measure the level of career maturity as well as the mastery of different career developmental tasks. Fifty-one subjects partook in the study of which 30 persons are ground staff and 21 cabin crew. By taking career maturity and the mastery of certain career developmental tasks into consideration, the researcher can make certain assumptions about the turnover of personnel. The measuring instruments that will be used in this study include the Career Mastery Inventory (Crites, 1990), the Self-Directed Search (Holland, 1985) and the Career Development Questionnaire (Langley, 1989). Research questions that will be part of this study includes: • what level of career maturity was achieved in each of the occupations; • what developmental tasks were achieved, like organizational ability, position performance, work habits and attitudes, advancement, career choice and plans and co-worker relationships; and • what coping mechanisms like adjustive, integrative and non-adjustive coping skills were used in the solving of problems within the organization. These factors will be taken into consideration to research the possible effect on personnel turnover.

The healthcare workforce throughout the world is experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers and various strategies, processes and programs exist today of which nursing manager’s use to not only recruit nursing staff, but to retain these scarce resources. This research aims specifically to examine how career anchors and job compatibility influences the levels of job satisfaction of professional nurses. This study measured career anchors and job satisfaction to determine whether those whose job type and career anchor matched reported higher satisfaction than those whose job type and career anchor did not match. Results suggested that significant differences exist between functional nurses and managerial nurses. Specifically, the nursing group placed importance on lifestyle and service/dedication to a cause, while the managerial group places importance on functional competence and lifestyle. Finally, results indicated that job type and career anchor compatibility on their own might not be adequate predictors of job satisfaction. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Purpose In South Africa 48% of all quantity surveyors are identified as generation Y, a generation born between 1981–2000. This highlights the importance of generation Y to the quantity surveying profession as they are the future upon which this profession will build. Employers in the quantity surveying industry need to know what makes the workplace attractive and satisfying for this generation in order to effectively recruit and retain the talent of generation Y. A literature review done on job satisfaction of quantity surveyors indicated that very little research has been conducted on the subject in general and no research was found specifically on job satisfaction of generation Y quantity surveyors. The purpose of this study was to investigate if generation Y quantity surveyors are experiencing job satisfaction. Methodology The research approach for this study consists of a comprehensive literature review and substantiated empirical research. Various sources of literature were reviewed including books, articles, reports and papers. The literature review examined information with regards to generational theory, the relation between motivation, job satisfaction and employee turnover and lastly aspects about the quantity surveying industry in South Africa. Empirical research was conducted making use of focus groups as qualitative research method. Research participants were generation Y quantity surveyors who were profiled according to gender, race and experience to ensure diversity within the focus groups. Findings It was found that the majority of generation Y quantity surveyors are experiencing job satisfaction within their current working environment. This was only achieved once the correct “employee-employer fit” was found. It was also established that generation Y quantity surveyors are motivated by growth opportunities, rewards/bonuses, recognition, appreciation, support/help/mentorship and being part of the team/business. It was further found that these workplace factors also affect employee turnover among this generation. Research limitations The focus of this study was limited to the quantity surveying profession in South Africa with a specific focus on generation Y quantity surveyors. Research informants were limited to generation Y quantity surveyors born during 1980–1990 and included both candidate and professional quantity surveyors. What is original / value The findings of this paper will be of value to employers in the quantity surveying profession, as job satisfaction of generation Y employees has not previously been addressed. Adapting management strategies according to the findings may result in higher job satisfaction, lower employee turnover and increased profitability. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Construction Economics / MSc / unrestricted

Essa dissertação apresenta uma análise dos temas de absenteísmo e rotatividade em uma Unidade de Tratamento de Sementes, de uma empresa multinacional, localizada em Primavera do Leste – MT. A pesquisa desenvolvida para a análise percorreu duas fases: na primeira fase foi conduzido um diagnóstico com base em pesquisa documental, entrevistas com os gestores da empresa e uma análise da literatura. O resultado desta fase foi a identificação de 13 Hipóteses sobre as possíveis causas segundo as fontes levantadas na etapa anterior. As Hipóteses foram verificadas por meio de dados históricos existentes na empresa e por uma pesquisa com dados primários coletados no estudo de caso. A partir dos resultados da primeira fase, conduziu-se uma pesquisa quantitativa junto aos funcionários da empresa para atestar sobre possíveis causas do absenteísmo e rotatividade. Os resultados para o absenteísmo empresarial apontam valores altos (4%) relativos aos índices considerados ideais pelo mercado nacional e internacional (2,5%) e, é mais predominante entre funcionários do sexo feminimo e indivíduos efetivos. Cada hipótese identificada na primeira fase foi testada a partir da pesquisa realizada e algumas conclusões puderam ser tecidas. O absenteismo é, principalmente, estimulado pela necessidade de cuidado com os filhos, oportunidades de emprego ou de aumento salarial. A rotatividade da empresa tem como causa o tipo de contrato por prazo determinado, a busca de empregos estáveis e melhores salários. O pacote de benefícios não se mostrou ineficiente para reduzir o absenteísmo mas, eficiente para a intenção de permanecer. Como diretrizes recomenda-se o alinhamento da estratégia organizacional às atividades táticas e operacionais e que se estabeleçam indicadores de desempenho para medir a efetividade do plano de benefícios. Destaca-se ainda, mais atenção em programas igualitários do trabalhador, reconhecimento pelo bom desempenho, possibilidade de crescimento profissional oportunizando a todos os empregados a participação em projetos de maior escopo produtivo e estreitamento do setor jurídico ao setor administrativo. / This thesis presents an analysis of the issues of absenteeism and turnover in a seeds treatment unit of a multinational company located in Primavera do Leste - MT. The research developed for the analysis had two phases: on the first phase we conducted a diagnosis based on file research, interviews with company managers and a review of literature. The result of this phase was the identification of 13 hypotheses about the possible causes raised according to sources in the previous step. The hypotheses have been verified by existing historical data in the company and a survey of primary data among the staff. From the results of the first phase, we conducted a quantitative survey of company employees to testify on possible causes of absenteeism and turnover. The results of corporate absenteeism indicate high values ( 4 % ) for the indices considered ideal in domestic and international markets ( 2.5 % ), and it is more prevalent among female employees and effective individuals. Each hypothesis identified in the first phase was tested from the survey and some conclusions could be taken. Absenteeism is mainly driven by the need for child care, job opportunities or salary increase. The turnover of the company is caused by the type of contract for a definite term, and the search for stable jobs and better wages. The benefits package was not efficient to absenteeism and turnover. As guidelines we recommend the alignment of organizational strategy to tactics and operational activities, and the establishment of performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of the benefit plan. What stands out even more is attention on egalitarian worker programs, recognition for good performance, possibility of professional growth providing opportunities for all employees to participate in projects of greater scope and productive connection of the legal and the administrative sector.

Employee turnover is a persistent problem contributing to financial issues and declining productivity in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits cannot fulfill their core missions of providing services to people in need when managing staffing disruptions. Measuring employee turnover intention can determine the probability of employee turnover, and a potential predictor of turnover intention is emotional intelligence, an area unstudied in the nonprofit sector. This study was designed to explore this relationship, in addition to the employee's commitment to the organization. The population consisted of 273 nonprofit employees older than 18 years, working in a nonsupervisory capacity. They completed an online survey consisting of measures of emotional intelligence, turnover intention, and commitment. The findings of this study showed no relationship between total emotional intelligence and turnover intention; however, there were significant relationships with the 4 predictors of emotional intelligence, as well as the scales of commitment. The results of this study can be used to better understand how to strengthen a nonprofit employees' commitment to his or her organizations through better understanding of commitment levels themselves, as well as to the emotional intelligent that informs such commitment. With such understanding, organizations could potentially better retain the talent of their workforces, and in turn better serve their communities without as many interruptions to their services. Retaining employees is essential to organizational health to ensure consistent and excellent services are provided to those in need.

Healthcare managers who are unaware of the various strategies that exist for reducing turnover could adversely affect patient care, organizational morale and performance, and the achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies healthcare supervisors used to reduce employee turnover. The participants comprised 3 senior healthcare managers located in central Texas responsible for hiring, firing, training, supervising, and successfully using strategies to reduce employee turnover. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory provided the conceptual framework. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in 5 emergent themes: peer-to-peer feedback, valuing employees, rewards and incentives, opportunities for growth, and training programs. The results of this study might contribute to social change by enhancing healthcare managers' understanding of the strategies that can be used to reduce employee turnover and improve existing conditions among patients, their families, staff, communities, and organizations.