Co-located group information management (GIM) is a form of groupware with the aim of enabling users to collaboratively find, store, maintain, organise and share personal and/or group information in support of a group activity. Existing systems aimed at partially supporting GIM activities have been implemented on single user devices. These systems make use of asynchronous communication that may hinder collaboration by misinterpretation, information leaks, etc. Few systems exist, with limited functionality, that support co-located GIM. Multi-touch tabletop interaction has given rise to a new approach for supporting Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Multi-touch tabletops allow multiple users to naturally interact with a computer device using a shared display and gesture interaction. The tabletop environment also enables users to sit in a natural environment and synchronously communicate without bulky desktops or laptops. Multi-touch tabletops provide the hardware necessary to support co-located GIM. Existing multi-touch interaction techniques were analysed and proved insufficient to support the advanced functional requirements of GIM. The goal of this research was therefore to support co-located GIM by designing new multi-touch tabletop interaction techniques. An architecture was proposed to support co-located GIM with new multi-touch interaction techniques. A software prototype was developed based on the proposed architecture to facilitate the main activities of GIM and to collaboratively compile documents. The prototype was named CollaGIM (Colla – collaborative, GIM – group information management). CollaGIM supports the main activities of GIM using natural gesture interaction on a multi-touch tabletop. An evaluation of the software was conducted by means of a user study where 15 teams of two people participated. High task success rates and user satisfaction results were achieved, which showed that CollaGIM was capable of supporting co-located GIM using the new multi-touch tabletop interaction techniques. CollaGIM also positively supported collaboration between users.

Recent accounts of workplace union representation have emphasised the exclusion of shop stewards from management decision-making processes, and have posited a shift in shop steward activity away from dealing with collective issues through bargaining, towards dealing with individual issues through casework, as part of the wider decline of union influence. This thesis challenges those accounts by showing that they utilise a problematic conceptual framework and rest upon questionable empirical foundations. An alternative framework is proposed which incorporates a clearly conceptualised definition of bargaining - something missing from previous accounts - and which develops and synthesises conceptual elements from Marxist-influenced sociologies of work, bargaining theory, and industrial relations scholarship. It is shown that efforts to influence management decision making and to restrict managerial prerogatives continue to figure prominently in shop steward activity, even though the reduction of union influence is undeniable and formal arrangements for union-management relations have been recast. Moreover, these efforts are often to some extent successful. This analysis is supported by considerable evidence from two detailed workplace studies, including an innovative use of diaries, which contribute important new insights into the activity of contemporary shop stewards. This thesis argues that the persistence of shop steward bargaining is best understood in relation to underlying dynamics of conflict and exploitation within the employment relationship under capitalism. Bargaining processes are explored in terms of changing patterns of bargaining opportunities and bargaining resources, which are linked to changing management practices. While the form and location of bargaining processes have changed, the prevalence of issues around the effort bargain and frontier of control demonstrate the continuing influence of the dynamics of workplace relations on patterns of shop steward activity. While further research is required, the theoretical and conceptual framework developed in this thesis suggests that similar processes are likely to be found elsewhere.

This study examines management and organizational models, specifically the Healthy Organization and High-Performing Workplace (HPW) models. Because a HPW can also be a Healthy Organization, the models are joined to create the Healthy High-Performing Workplace (HHPW) model. The experience of members within a particular organization, known herein as Company X, is examined. The study addresses the questions: does Company X display HHPW qualities? If Company X does display HHPW qualities, does it always exercise HHPW practices? Finally, what does this mean in terms of the workforce? Organizational culture theory is used to explain how expectations, norms, behaviours, and values are constructed and transmitted, and how organizational structures influence the environment and the employee experience. Data consists of interviews (n=12) and secondary sources. The findings support that Company X displays HHPW characteristics. However, when project deadlines are near or overdue and profit is at risk, certain HHPW practices are ignored.

M.Phil. / In this study, diversity management is introduced as an issue of global concern. Based on the assumption that diversity, if well-managed, can be beneficial to organizations, a positive approach to diversity is strongly supported. Diversity management has an important role to play in South Africa for mainly two reasons. Firstly, because of South Africa's rich cultural history and apartheid legacy, diversity management issues arise as a concern more often than in other countries. Secondly, due to apartheid, South Africa was internationally isolated for many years, which gives issues around global competitiveness even more significance. In the South African context, the engineering sector is regarded as a motor for the country's development, in which the management of diverse workforces is highly relevant. This has to be seen in light of a serious challenge facing the sector, where diversity management requirements have to be reconciled with a skills shortage that seems to afflict the engineering sector in particular. All of these issues are illustrated by a case study. The practice of diversity management in Siemens South Africa serves to demonstrate that diversity management in South Africa is clearly centred on the contexts of race and race relations. Furthermore, the case study presents a comprehensive example of how a diverse workforce can be managed in a South African engineering company.

The present study examined the perceptions of teams and managers on team potency levels as a function of stage of team development. Drawing from the power and influence literature, potency was established as a means by which to assess team's internal dynamics. Stage of team development was separated into four categories including pseudo, potential, real and high performance teams. Archival data included 45 teams and managers gathered from the manufacturing and service industries. Results indicated a significant linear relationship between team perceptions of team potency and stage of team development. Additionally, potency perceptions of teams significantly differentiated between the four stages of team development. Manager perceptions of team potency produced non-significant results. Possible explanations of the results as well as implications for practice and future research are provided.

The purpose of this exploratory research was to explore the causes of gender stereotyping in the workplace. The study sought to gain insights on stereotyping, particularly factors that cause the development of stereotypes and the role played by organisations in promoting stereotyping.In this qualitative study, thirteen purposefully selected participants were interviewed through in-depth face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Data was analysed using content, narrative and frequency analysis methods.Understanding of stereotyping and gender stereotyping was tested and confirmed amongst participants. Similarities in defining stereotyping and gender stereotyping were found, which implied an automatic association of stereotypes to gender. The study found evidence of the existence of stereotypes in the workplace; however stereotypes are formed in childhood, particularly in the school and home environments. Finally, the study found that the workplace plays a role in the formation of gender stereotypes through comments made by its employees, employee behaviours such as awarding special privileges to female employees, and through work social settings such as sports events, particularly where alcohol is served. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

No / Background/Aims This article investigates the representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in NHS disciplinary proceedings. Methods The study involved an in-depth knowledge review and analysis of literature on the representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic staff in NHS disciplinary proceedings from 2008 to 2017, as well as semi-structured interviews with 15 key stakeholders. Participants were stakeholders from both primary and secondary care and included equality and diversity leads, human resource professionals, NHS service managers, representatives of trade unions and health professional regulatory council representatives. Findings The knowledge review indicates that to date, black, Asian and minority ethnic staff are disproportionately represented in NHS disciplinary proceedings. Evidence gathered demonstrates the continuation of inappropriate individual disciplinary action and failure to address organisational shortcomings against black, Asian and minority ethnic members of staff. Conclusions Overall, six factors were identified as underpinning the disproportionate representation of black minority ethnic staff in disciplinaries: closed culture and climate; subjective attitudes and behaviour; inconclusive disciplinary data; unfair decision making; poor disciplinary support; and disciplinary policy misapplication.

Workplace bullying is repeated, aggressive action towards a victim, which especially affects new graduate nurses and can inhibit growth and lead to nursing burnout and staff turnover. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop a clinical resource educational module. The case scenarios were developed using literature on workplace bullying and lateral violence. Clegg's circuits of power theory was applied to frame the organizational authoritative nursing power struggles that exist as a circular flow between different nursing group members, and the American Nurses Association (ANA) Practice Standards and Code of Ethics guided the assertive communication. The case scenarios consisted of 3 vignettes, terms and definitions, a summary of the ANA practice and code of ethical standards, the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument, Workplace Bullying Inventory, Organizational Predictors and Consequences of Bullying Scale, flip cards, and content readability evaluation forms. The AGREE II instrument is a 7-point Likert scale for evaluating clinical guidelines with a threshold standard of 70%. The results of advisory committee members' rigor scores (mean = 50.8, median = 31, SD = 3.03) were compared with the scores of nurse evaluators (mean = 50, median = 31, SD = 4). The AGREE II reliability score is 0.93, with similar results found for the advisory members (0.939) and the nurse evaluators (0.941). The overall findings suggest that the AGREE II is a viable instrument for evaluating case scenarios, which can be used to improve the workplace environment for nurses by addressing workplace bullying.

The aim of the master's thesis is to suggest a workplace for finishing and fiting parts in TOS Kuřim company. To try optimize the quality, time and costs in production of these parts and to set up this production with new CNC machine. Find a suitable option through evaluation of the costs.

The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the causes and effects of gender discrimination in the Thai workplace. The research focuses on gender differences related to recruitment, occupational segregation, compensation, pay raises, promotion opportunities, fringe benefits, and personnel policies and practices. Three hundred employees and ten supervisors of "Grarui and So Co., Ltd. participated in the study. Also, personnel policies and regulations were reviewed and evaluated. The findings showed female workers were more satisfied with fringe benefits and the practices of their supervisors, than were their male counterparts. Moreover, male workers perceived that their female coworkers were treated better by supervisors, especially in regard to compensation, pay raises and promotions. Traditional Thai social value and culture may be at the root of these unexpected findings / Master of Urban and Regional Planning