Thesis (M.Admin.(Public Administration))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

M.Inf.

D.Phil. / The restructuring of the South African Higher Education landscape in postapartheid era has been the scene of vast organisational change as numerous mergers between Higher Education Institutions have typified this transformation. One such a merger is the merger between the Technikon Witwatersrand, the Rand Afrikaans University and two campuses of Vista University (namely the East Rand and Soweto Campuses) into the University of Johannesburg. Announced on 31 May 2002 and intended to be effective as of 1 January 2005, this merger represents the birth of the largest residential university in South Africa and presents the opportunity of studying the effects of all-encompassing change on employees first hand. In terms of organisational change – with mergers representing a specific type of organisational change – it is apparent that the effect of change on staff members is not only a widely overlooked matter in practice, but also in organisational change literature (and in mergers and acquisitions literature in particular). This study explores the merger experiences of academic staff at the University of Johannesburg and also examines the role leadership has played in these experiences. Using an Interpretive, case study design, 40 academic staff members were interviewed. These research subjects were selected on a purposive basis from all faculties across all campuses. Using the Strauss and Corbin application of Grounded Theory, the collected data was analysed to construct the reality of academic staffs’ merger experiences and perceptions of the merger at the University of Johannesburg. In terms of the University of Johannesburg, findings indicate that institutional predisposition is a major contributor to shaping research subjects’ initial attitude toward the pending merger. Furthermore, the interim phase that the University found itself in directly after merger the date, was a cause of great discontent amongst academic staff and was seen as the greatest debilitating factor to the successful roll-out of the merger. The study indicates that academic staff relay their experiences and perceptions of the merger in three discernable time frames, or perspectives, each with its own unique dynamic. Collectively, these three perspectives constitute the Reflective Experience of Mergers (REM) theory, which examines how the merger experiences of academic staff shape their perceptions of and attitudes toward the merger over time. The REM-theory reiterates the temporal nature of change; it is a phenomenon that evolves over time in discernable stages. Furthermore the REM-theory also underscores the effect change has on the emotional and psychological well being of individuals over time. The REM-theory also highlights the important role leadership plays in a merger as, in the case of the University of Johannesburg, research subjects tended to be far more critical of deficiencies in leadership as opposed to deficiencies in management.

This study deals with the impact of Labour Relations Act (Act 66 of 1996) at Vista University (Mamelodi Campus) from the year 1981-2004. Vista University was an academic institution which was established in 1981 under the Vista University Act (Act 106 of 1981). The dissertation has convincingly argued that the management of Vista University needed to comply with the principles of the Labour Relations Act (Act 66 of 1995). The study has shown that the Act had a negative impact on the employee-management relationship. The study proposes and recommends that the management should create a good labour relationship, manage conflict between employers and employees, maintain effective communication, and promote ethical behaviour and collective bargaining. The study, further, notes that principles of conflict resolution subjected to the Labour Relations Act (Act 66 of 1995) should be applied in a fair way and the techniques for attainment of conflict such as avoidance, accommodation be applied to resolve a situation. / Dissertation (MAdmin (Public Administration))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

M.Ed. / Because of the current curriculum developments, it is important that universities begin assessing their status regarding environmental education. This study will therefore aim at determining the current level of environmental awareness of third year pre-service teacher trainees at Vista University in order to make recommendations as to what an environmental education course should contain for the pre-service teacher trainees of this institution. Vista University consists of seven campuses, each accessible to the areas they serve. The different campuses are: Bloemfontein Campus outside Bloemfontein, East Rand Campus near Daveyton on the East Rand, Mamelodi Campus near Silverton in Pretoria East, Port Elizabeth Campus outside Port Elizabeth, Sebokeng Campus near Vereeniging, Soweto Campus in Soweto, and Welkom Campus outside Welkom. Vista University also provides Distance Education, the campus of which is situated in Pretoria. The university's Head Office is situated in Pretoria. This study will limit itself to two campuses within Gauteng, namely East Rand Campus, and Mamelodi Campus, AIMS OF THE STUDY As already mentioned, this survey will be conducted amongst the third year education students on each of the above-mentioned campuses. In order to assess the current status of environmental literacy at Vista University, this study will aim at the following: • to set up a questionnaire to measure the four stages of environmental literacy as set out by Roth (1992: 18 - 19); to undertake the survey amongst the third year education students of the East Rand and Mamelodi Campuses; to analyse and evaluate the data in order to determine the level of environmental awareness of the target group; to generalise the result of the sample to the population; to make suggestions as to what information needs to be included in an environmental education course for pre-service teacher trainees at Vista University

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Public institutions require financial resources in order to deliver quality services to the community. The survival of each and every organisation primarily relies on the availability and proper management of financial resources in order to provide effective and efficient service to its clients. Section 195 (1) (b) of the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1996 , Act 108 of 1996 compels public institutions to promote and implement mechanisms that will promote efficient , economic and effective use of resources. South African Public Universities derives larger part of their revenue from the government. The South African government finances South African Universities on the basis of student enrolments. Funding for South African universities and technikons has increased from 10% in the 1996/1997 financialyear to 14% in the 2000/2001 budget. Despite the increase in the financing of the education sector, there were also significant changes in student enrolments at South African universities (Kulati, 2000: 27). Students are leaving from historically black universities for historically white ones and many more are enrolling at technikons than at universities. There are a number of reasons attributed to the decrease in student enrolment in former black universities. Black universities are perceived to be of inferior status as compared to former white universities in terms of their quality and resources. It is expected that government subsidies to historically black universities might fall by 26% over the next three years because of the projected decline in student enrolments. Taking into consideration the enrolment linked subsidy, changed enrolment patterns have drastically affected subsidy allocations by the government to most historically black universities such as Vista University. According to Caruna et al.,(1998: 55), tertiary educational institutions are required, like business firms, to monitor and adapt to the continuous changed taking place in the political, economic, social and the technological environment. The affected institutions are compelled to adapt their service delivery mechanisms if they are to remain financially viable in the near future. It is for this reason that the researcher will explore the use of privatisation as an alternative strategy to service delivery. This study investigate the manner in which activities of the technical services department within Vista University Welkom Campus can be contracted out with an aim of improving cost efficiency within the University. The study developed a normative model which can be used as a guideline in the process of contracting out services and also explain how such model can applied in the process of contracting out activities of the technical services department. The study further identified the responsibilities of different role players who will in one way or another be affected by the contracting process within the University. The study concluded that for the contracting out process to be cost effective, the University have to adopt a seasonally priced contract which reduces activities of the service producer in winter and concentrate activities of the service producer in summer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Openbare instellings benodig finasiele hulpbronne om 'n gehalte diens aan die gemeenskap te lewer. Die voortbestaan van elke organisasie berus primer op die beskikbaarheid en behoorlike bestuur van finansiele hulpbronne om 'n effektiewe en doeltreffende diens aan kliente te lewer. Afdeling 195 (1) (b) van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid Afrika, 1996, Wet 108 van 1996, verplig publieke instellings om meganismes te implimenteer en bevorder wat doeltreffende, ekonomiese en effektiewe gebruik van hulpbronne verseker. Suid Afrikaanse openbare universiteite verkry die grootste gedeelte van hulle inkomste vanaf die regering. Hierdie finansiering geskied volgens die aantal geregistreerde studente by die onderskeie universiteite. Bevondsing vir Suid Afrikaanse universiteite en technikons het gestyg van 10% in die 1996/1997 finansiele jaar tot 14% in die 2000/2001 begroting. Ten spyte van die finansiering van die opvoedkundige sektor, was daar beduidende veranderinge in die studente getalle by Suid Afrikaanse universiteite (Financial Mail, 3l.03.2000). Studente verlaat historiese swart universiteite om by histories blanke universiteite in te skryf en meer studente skryf by technikons in as by universiteite. Daar is 'n aantal redes waaraan die afname van registrasies by histories swart universiteite toegeskryf kan word. Voormalige swart universiteite word as minderwaardig betreffende gehalte en hulpbronne beskou, in vergelyking met voormalige blanke universiteite. Die verwagting is dat staat subsidies aan historiese swart universiteite met so veel as 26% oor die volgende drie jaar kan daal, as gevolg van die geprojekteerde daling in studente getalle. Gegewe die feit dat subsidie gekoppel is aan studente registrasies, het die verandering in studente registrasie patrone 'n drastiese invloed op die subsidie toewysing op meeste historiese swart universiteite, waaronder Vista Universiteit resorteer. Volgens Caruna et al.,(1998:55), word daar van tersiere instellings (net soos van besigheidsfirmas), verwag om by die veranderende politieke, eknomiese, sosiale en tegnologiese omgewings aan te pas. Die instellings wat geraak word, gedwing om hul diensleweringsmeganisme aan te pas om finansieel lewensvatbaar te bly. Om hierdie rede gaan die navorser privatisering as alternatiewe strategie tot dienslewering ondersoek. Hierdie studie ondersoek maniere om aktiwiteite van die Tegniese Dienste Departement uit te kontrakteur met die uitsluitlike doel om koste effektiwiteit binne die Vista Universiteit te bewerkstelling. Die studie poog ook om 'n normatiewe model te formuleer en te implementeer om bogenoemde aktiwiteite te rugsteun. Die studie verduidelik ook hoe so 'n model die uitkontrakteur van Tegniese Dienste lewering kan assisteer en komplimenteer. Die studie identifiseer ook verskeie rolspelers wat deel sal vorm van die voorgestelde proses en wat ook direk en indirek deur die proses geraak en geaffekteer sal word. Die studie kom tot die slotsom dat die proses van uitkontraktering van Tegniese Dienste, kostebesparings binne die universiteit sal bewerkstellig. Die universiteit moet 'n stelsel implementeer wat seisoensgebonde is asook prysgebonde strukture daar stel wat die aspek van koste effektiwiteit sal aanspreek.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study takes as starting point the observation in sensemaking theory that autonomic arousal is accompanied by a loss of existing frames and cues and the consequential cognitive implosion. Situations such as these are marked by a crisis in identity construction and the resultant loss of sense being made. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent this phenomenon is at play during a merger between two organizations. Specifically to what extent this phenomenon did manifest itself among the employees of the Central University of Technology in Welkom after the merger of the former Welkom Campus of Vista University and the Technikon Free State. The study starts with an overview of the literature on corporate mergers; focusing on research on effects with regards to (i) how the different gender groups of employees were affected by these interruptions, (ii) how employees with diverse levels of experience were affected, (iii) to what extent the qualifications of employees was a factor regarding the impact of this autonomic arousal and (iv) whether race was a factor in determining the extent of autonomic arousal. The above is followed by an explanation of the sensemaking perspective and the nature of and moment for autonomic arousal. It is argued that organizational mergers represent an interruption in the ongoing flow of sensemaking that could lead to autonomic arousal. Using sensemaking theory and autonomic arousal as a theoretical starting point, interviews were conducted with key figures in the specific merger between the Vista University Welkom Campus and the Technikon Free State. The respondents were selected using the snowballing sampling technique. The idea behind the interviews was to demonstrate how staff members were emotionally affected by the interruption of the merger and how it had an impact on their perceptions about their work. It was found that the flow of experience was interrupted and as cues and frames were reduced, the employees focussed more on personal issues. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie neem as vertrekpunt die observasie van singewingsteorie dat outonomiese aktivering gepaard gaan met 'n verlies aan bestaande raamwerke en aanduidings en die gevolglike kognitiewe implosie. Sulke situasies word gekenmerk deur 'n krisis in identiteitskonstruksie en gevolglike verlies aan sin. Die doel van hierdie studie was om uit te vind tot watter mate hierdie fenomeen plaasvind tydens 'n samesmelting van organisasies, en spesifiek hoe dit manifesteer onder die werknemers van die Sentrale Universiteit van Tegnologie in Welkom na die samesmelting van die Welkom-kampus van Vista Universiteit en die Technikon Vrystaat. Die studie begin met 'n oorsig van die literatuur oor korporatiewe samesmeltings en oomames, spesifiek oor daardie studies wat die effekte bestudeer met betrekking tot (i) hoe verskillend mans en vroue geraak is, (ii) die impak van verskillende vlakke van ervaring onder werknemers se persepsies oor die samesmelting, (iii) die mate waartoe die kwalifikasievlak van werknemers, asook (iv) ras 'n rol gespeel het in die vlak van outonomiese aktivering wat deur werknemers ervaar is. Daama word singewingsteorie en die aard en geleenthede van outonomiese aktivering uitgepak. Daar word argumenteer dat korporatiewe samesmelting 'n onderbreking in die vloei van sin veroorsaak wat tot outonomiese aktivering kan lei. Ge1ei deur singewingsteorie en outonomiese aktivering as teoretiese vertrekpunt is onderhoude gevoer met sleutelfigure in die spesifieke samesmelting tussen die Welkom kampus van Vista Universiteit en die Technikon Vrystaat om die outonomiese effek van die onderbreking te illustreer. Die respondente is deur die sneeubalmetode geselekteer. Die idee is om te toon hoe werknemers emosioneel getref is en hoedat dit 'n impak op hulle persepsies rondom hulle werk tot gevolg gehad het. Daar is bevind dat die vloei van sin deur die samesmelting onderbreek is, en dat werknemers soos te wagte, meer op persoonlik sake begin fokus. Dit dui op 'n vemouing van singewingsraamwerke en die verlies van lewensin.