Legislation regarding education in South Africa has changed significantly since 1994. One aspect that has changed is language policy and language of learning and teaching at schools. The number of schools that have changed their language policy from single medium to parallel- and dual medium has increased significantly. This change had an impact on the management of schools. The head of department as an instructional leader in his or her department plays an important role in managing this change. The research aims to investigate and describe the instructional leadership role of heads of departments at parallel medium primary schools. Furthermore, this study would also focus on the impact of the leadership role of department heads when the language policy at their respective schools has changed. With the focus on instructional leadership of the heads of departments this case study investigated the challenges experienced by this department heads. The study was conducted at three parallel medium primary schools in Pretoria. This is a qualitative study which interprets data collected by three techniques. The three data collection instruments were observations, interviews and document analysis. The data were analyzed using content analysis. My findings indicate the following: First, a school's language policy has a significant influence on the instructional leadership of heads of departments at parallel medium schools. Second, more specifically, the heads of departments must do tasks and duties in both languages of learning and teaching. This implies a tremendous increase in their workload that includes planning, meetings and communication. Finally, legislation and case law forms the framework within which the heads of departments as instructional leader has to fulfill their tasks. It seems that the participants' have a limited knowledge of the legal framework. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Retention strategies in the nursing profession have been a significant subject among researchers for decades. The current shortages of these skilled professionals have reached an alarming extent globally, making it difficult for organisations to retain these workers, also in South Africa. It has become evident that nursing professionals from South Africa emigrate to other countries for more lucrative remuneration, sophisticated work resources and better career opportunities, impacting the South African economy and nursing workforce negatively. The general objective of the research was to determine whether a relationship exists between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention among a group of South African healthcare workers in the private healthcare sector. Specifically of interest was also to see if nurses’ turnover intention could be predicted by the other variables. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 152 healthcare workers was obtained from three private hospitals in the Gauteng and North-West provinces. A measuring instrument for intrinsic and extrinsic rewards was adapted from a previous study, and applied with measures of job satisfaction, affective organisational commitment and turnover intention. Results indicated that the measure of rewards did not present with sufficient reliability, and it was subjected to factor analysis. This delivered two reliable factors, which were labelled Objective experience of rewards and Perceived lacking organisational support. Objective experience of rewards showed to be significantly related to job satisfaction and inversely to turnover intention, and Perceived lacking organisational support was significantly negatively related to job satisfaction and positively to turnover intention. It was also seen that both job satisfaction and objective experience of rewards showed predictive value in terms of nurses’ turnover intention. Conclusions and limitations regarding this study were made, and recommendations regarding the profession and future research are made. / Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Retention strategies in the nursing profession have been a significant subject among researchers for decades. The current shortages of these skilled professionals have reached an alarming extent globally, making it difficult for organisations to retain these workers, also in South Africa. It has become evident that nursing professionals from South Africa emigrate to other countries for more lucrative remuneration, sophisticated work resources and better career opportunities, impacting the South African economy and nursing workforce negatively. The general objective of the research was to determine whether a relationship exists between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention among a group of South African healthcare workers in the private healthcare sector. Specifically of interest was also to see if nurses’ turnover intention could be predicted by the other variables. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 152 healthcare workers was obtained from three private hospitals in the Gauteng and North-West provinces. A measuring instrument for intrinsic and extrinsic rewards was adapted from a previous study, and applied with measures of job satisfaction, affective organisational commitment and turnover intention. Results indicated that the measure of rewards did not present with sufficient reliability, and it was subjected to factor analysis. This delivered two reliable factors, which were labelled Objective experience of rewards and Perceived lacking organisational support. Objective experience of rewards showed to be significantly related to job satisfaction and inversely to turnover intention, and Perceived lacking organisational support was significantly negatively related to job satisfaction and positively to turnover intention. It was also seen that both job satisfaction and objective experience of rewards showed predictive value in terms of nurses’ turnover intention. Conclusions and limitations regarding this study were made, and recommendations regarding the profession and future research are made. / Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.