M. Tech. Business Administration / The objective of this study was to identify factors that are responsible for employee absenteeism in Vodacom SA, which is the largest mobile cell phone company in South Africa. In the literature, it has been extensively reported that absenteeism is a major cause of loss of income and revenues among mobile cell phone operators in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to identify the root causes of absenteeism in the cellular phone industry in South Africa. Data was collected from a random sample of 120 employees of Vodacom SA working in Midrand.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 0915. Adviser: Benjamin C. Amick, III. Includes bibliographical references.

As the literature on work–family conflict grows and absenteeism increasingly comes into the spotlight, one cannot help but ask the question: “What is an acceptable absenteeism rate and how can an organisation control and manage absenteeism?” With current absenteeism rates as high as 12% and with an estimated R12 million lost per annum because of absenteeism, the idea of an on-site employer-sponsored childcare facility seems viable. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between absenteeism and on-site employer- sponsored childcare. The following dimensions of absenteeism will be examined over a period of a year: absence frequency, absence intensity, attitudinal absence and medical absence. The results of two companies, one with a facility and one without, will then be compared in order to establish the relationship between absenteeism and an on-site facility. To date, evidence remains mixed and the ongoing challenge of establishing real return on equity remains a major barrier to the support of on-site employer-sponsored childcare. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This quantitative explorative, descriptive study described factors that influenced absenteeism among nurses in a selected NHS hospital in London. The survey used self-completion questionnaires. Roy’s Adaptation Model was used to contextualise the results obtained from fifty completed questionnaires. Four modes used to categorise the data analysis were physiological needs, self-concept, and role function and interdependence relations. Minor ailments, upper respiratory tract infections and exhaustion as a result of working long hours were found to be the most important causes of absenteeism. Parental responsibilities and taking care of sick children/family members, further influenced rates of absenteeism, while a high workload was considered by respondents as a major contributing factor to their absence from work. Nurses who are often absent due to physical, social or psychological problems should receive counselling and be referred to appropriate resource persons such as occupational nurses, social workers or psychologists. Child care facilities should be provided within the workplace. The units should have adequate staff to cover each shift and workloads should be manageable. Units need ongoing monitoring of absenteeism so that factors contributing to absenteeism rates in specific units could be identified and addressed. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Attendance in the workplace is becoming a growing challenge for companies or organisations in general. Non-attendance has become a world-wide or international problem. According to Banks, Patel and Moola (2012) it is a common problem in all types of industries, minor or large, private or government. South African organisations are losing estimated billions of rand in cost annually due to poor attendance. These costs are having a negative effect on organisations’ revenue, effectiveness, health and safety. A satisfactory level of employee attendance at work is necessary to allow departments within organisations to achieve their objectives and targets. Research suggests many factors which influence employee attendance and these are investigated, analysed and discussed within this study. The aim of the study was to attempt to improve attendance at an automotive manufacturing company by investigating the influences of certain elements, namely motivation, leadership (supportive), job satisfaction and rewards. The literature study was done to investigate the relationship between these factors and elements and attendance. Through research the realisation of the importance of controlling absenteeism has become very imminent. The literature review has shown that these factors are related to attendance, some of them influencing the tendency to attend work positively and others having a negative influence causing employees to be absent from work. The study also investigates some of the common possible reasons and motives for non-attendance. The empirical part of the study was to determine the perception of workers with regard to attendance. A convenience sampling method was used to select the respondents and the size of the sample consisted of 198 respondents. A researched and well-designed questionnaire was used to gather the data. The information was analysed with the latest statistics software package. Independent tests and analysis of various techniques were used to determine the statistical significant differences in the relationship between attendance and the elements with regard to employee perception. These perceptions were grouped in biographical categories, namely race, age, shop, service length, marital status, gender, income and the number of days absent in the last three years. Through the study statistically no actual significant difference was found among these groups. The key findings within this study show that there are no significant relationships between the dependent variable (attendance) and the independent variables, (motivation, leadership, job satisfaction and rewards). This relation is highlighted by the statistical data which is discussed and analysed individually for this study The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations based on these findings are provided.

The research is a quantitative descriptive survey. The sample is a stratified random sampling of the workforce (n=4,010) of the four hospitals in Gauteng that fall under the jurisdiction of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg Metropolitan Councils. The research examines the extent of the impact of age, gender, occupation, salary level, tenure and race on workplace absenteeism. The data were collected in three phases involving auditing of hard copy files, structured interviews and information technology system. The findings of the research reflect high workplace absenteeism in females by 83.2%, age group between 45 to 49 years by 22.35%, salary range of 2 to 3 by 35.3%, African race group by 96.3%, tenure of 11 to 20 years by 44.3%, nurses by 20.8% and administration support by 35.4%. The research found that the mature employee in age and of higher year of tenure presented comparatively with lower rate of absenteeism. / Public Administration and Management / M.A. (Public Administration)

The purpose of this study was to explore the participatory management system used by the Tulsa Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Due to the size of the system and interest of the researcher, the middle schools were chosen as the units for investigation. A total of 535 (82%) of the teachers in the 17 middle schools responded to the survey. The major variables investigated were participatory management, job satisfaction, job-related tension, intention-to-leave the school or the profession, absenteeism, sex, and years of experience. Additional observations were made which were used as supporting qualitative data. The data were analyzed by using several statistical procedures: mean scores, analysis of variance, Pearson product-moment correlations, and t-tests. The findings not only confirmed participatory management to be the perceived mode of middle school governance in this system but determined that this management style was related to the majority of variables in the study. When the variables were analyzed separately, it was found that, in general, teachers were satisfied with their job, rarely felt tension related to their job, infrequently considered leaving their school or the profession, and maintained a high attendance rate. When these variables were examined in conjunction with participatory management, the variables of teacher job satisfaction and job-related tension were found to be correlated positively with teachers' perceptions of shared governance. In addition, teacher intent to leave and teacher absenteeism were lower when greater participation in the school's management was perceived. However, the sex of the teacher and the years of experience had no relationship with teachers perceived degree of involvement in the decision-making process. It can be concluded that participatory management practices may enhance teacher attitudes as noted by the analysis of the variables investigated in this study. Future research is needed to substantiate further these results by comparing the management system used by the Tulsa Public Schools with other educational systems throughout the nation. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

Quantitative, descriptive research was conducted to determine which factors contribute to absenteeism among nurses. A structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to the entire population of nurses who worked at a district hospital in the Limpopo Province. Statistical data analysis, involving factor analysis, frequencies and Chi-squares was performed. The findings revealed that various factors related to the characteristics of the nurse, characteristics of the manager, characteristics of the work and characteristics of the organisation contribute to absenteeism. Professional nurses and sub-professional nurses, as well as nurses younger than 40 and nurses who are 40 years and older, appeared to disagree on the extent to which various factors contribute to absenteeism in the workplace. This study was aimed at assisting organisations and managers in reducing absenteeism in the workplace, and by doing so, improving the quality of care. / Health Studies / MA (HEALTH STUDIES)

This research deals with personality and biographical factors in absenteeism. The literature review looks at personality traits and absenteeism. The following question must then be asked: Can the construct ”personality” be analysed and described within the context of the work environment, and can the relationship between personality, biographical factors and absenteeism be studied empirically. The empirical study focuses on measuring the relationship between personality and absenteeism. The construct ”personality” is presented within the dimensional or trait perspective. The empirical investigation is presented within the functionalistic paradigm (quantitative approach). The chosen measuring instrument, namely, the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF SA 92) was administered by means of a random sample to 72 Aviation Security Officers. The reliability of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was determined using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient method. To determine if personality is a predictor of absenteeism, stepwise regression analysis was done. The results indicate that the degree (category) of absenteeism is associated only with marital status and number of dependants. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)