Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Also available in print.

Cette thèse explore le rôle de multiculturels dans les multinationales. Les multiculturels sont connus pour leur compétence et leur potentiel culturels susceptibles de contribuer à l’efficacité d’une organisation. Peu d’études à ce jour ont examiné les multiculturels dans les multinationales et pratiquement aucune recherche n’a essayé de comprendre le rôle des multiculturels dans la facilitation d’un processus de travail d’équipe efficace. En vue d’étudier un phénomène qui n’a pas été suffisamment scruté, cette dissertation a mobilisé un travail de terrain ethnographique dans deux multinationales importantes sur une période de 10 mois. Elle étudie les rôles de multiculturels dans des équipes mondiales en se référant à trois contextes : (1) la compétence multiculturelle et son impact sur l’efficacité de l’équipe ; (2) comment les multiculturels influencent les processus de travail d’équipe ; (3) en quoi et comment des facteurs liés au contexte affectent l’aptitude des multiculturels à jouer des rôles. / This dissertation explores multiculturals in global corporations. To date, limited research helps us understand the role of multicultural individuals in facilitating the effective functioning of global teams. To investigate this under-examined phenomenon, this dissertation presents the first empirical study of the roles of multiculturals in organizations by facilitating 10-month ethnographic field work in two MNCs: a leading cosmetic MNC and an auditing and consulting MNC. This dissertation comprises three papers. The first paper develops the theoretical model of bicultural competence and its impact on multicultural team effectiveness. I define bicultural competence, determine its antecedents, and identify two roles that bi/multiculturals might play in promoting multicultural team effectiveness: boundary spanner and conflict mediator. The second paper examines multiculturals’ cultural brokerage role for team work processes in global new product development teams: how multiculturals influence teams’ knowledge processes and handle cross-cultural conflicts (not only collocated but also virtual between corporate headquarters and local subsidiaries). Multiculturals play a critical role that influence knowledge processes and cross-cultural conflict management within global teams where cultural and national heterogeneity seems more complicated than organizational researchers have recognized to date. The third paper investigates boundary conditions and how they impact multiculturals to enact their roles. I compare and contrast multiculturals in two MNCs in different industries. In particular, I identify boundary conditions that have impact on multiculturals in three levels of analysis: organizational; team; individual. Furthermore, I propose what factors challenge or enable multiculturals and accordingly, how multiculturals overcome challenges and use given opportunities in order to perform effectively or yield such challenges in organizations

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / This study explores developing learner‟s language competence through literary and non-literary texts. The topic of the study: “Developing learner‟s language competence through literary and non-literary analysis is introduced. It is maintained that language educators‟ focus is on analyzing literary texts: poetry, novel, drama, folklore/folktale, short story and essay but not on designing their own texts. The learners should be encouraged to produce their own authentic texts. It is also assumed that non-literary texts are not analysed or developed. There is lack of emphasis on language: sentence construction, for when learners produce their own texts they should know how to construct a sentence. It is also maintained that language usage should also be emphasized because texts are assumed to have figures of speech, idiomatic expressions and proverbs. Learners should be encouraged to create their own texts and present them. Therefore the language competence through isiZulu literary and non-literary texts analysis should be developed. This discussion includes ways learners can develop their language competence through literary and non-literary texts analysis and the ways the language educators can teach learners language competence through literary and non-literary texts analysis. The research analyses different types of isiZulu literary texts to show how language competence can be developed through literary texts analysis. The novel, “Insila KaShaka,” poetry, short story, “Intando Kamufi,” essay, “Izifungo,” folktales and the drama, “Kudela Owaziyo” are analysed.

College and university administrators are interested in the development of their students. Developmental theorists, such as Chickering (1969), provide a lens through which to view developmental task, and issues facing those tasks. One influence on development is friendship and student communities including siblings. This study expanded the available knowledge based on siblings in general, and addresses gaps in the literature by looking at sense of competence among siblings in college. The purpose of this study is to explore the sense of competence between older and younger siblings who were both college students at the same institution during an overlapping period of time. As defined by Arthur W. Chickering (1969), sense of competence is a feeling of self-confidence about one's interpersonal and intellectual skills. The intellectual and interpersonal competence of students were evaluated through the Sense of Competence Scale (SCS) (Janosik, Creamer & Cross, 1987). The SCS consists of 20 questions that focus on the interpersonal or interpersonal skills of the respondents. Ten items from the SCS are assigned to the interpersonal competence subscale, and 10 items from the SCS are assigned to the intellectual competence subscale. I created a web-based version of the SCS to collect data from college students who had a sibling at the same college with them simultaneously. The population for this study consists of participants who are one of at least two non-twin siblings who are enrolled at the same institution of higher education at the time of data collection. Data was collected from three institutions located in the southwest region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The research found no statistically significant differences in the intellectual and interpersonal competency between older and younger siblings. Although the study examined a limited number of siblings, the results did not contradict the current research on sibling relationships, which suggests that older siblings demonstrate higher intellectual competence and younger siblings demonstrate higher interpersonal competence. / Master of Arts

This research is about the implementation of performance management system called Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in schools. Educators have always complained that IQMS is a waste of time and energy as well as too cumbersome. This research is intended to find about the feelings of educators about the system. how important the system is and if there is any need for the improvement thereof. The approach to the study has been one of quantitative method. A sample of some 226 participant was done and questionnaires were distributed. This sample had to be representative of all level of educators from the lowest level to the principal teachers. The result of the study are such that educators are positive about IQMS especially those with some status and higher qualifications but those in the lower level are not as positive. Another· interesting observation is that almost all participants feel that the system is not objective enough. Half the number of respondents felt that their principal do not know how to do appraisal. There needs to be an in-depth research on a much broader scale to find out why senior teacher are more positive about appraisal than their junior counter parts. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

This study investigates Korean and American students’ online discussion for intercultural learning in a class-to-class telecollaborative project from an ecological research perspective. The study addresses two questions. First, what constitutes the multiple systems in which students’ online discussion is nested and how do these systems interlock to shape online discourse? Second, how do students interact with this given learning environment to generate affordances for intercultural learning. The study involves a 12 week-long online discussion program between an undergraduate Korean language class in the US and a graduate TESOL methodology class in Korea. Data sources include the transcripts of naturally-occurring online interaction, interviews with students and teacher on the Korean side of the telecolalbortaion, and students’ course assignments such as reflective journals and papers. Multiple qualitative analytic methods were employed including constant comparison, discourse analysis and case studies analysis. The analysis revealed an ecological telecollaboration model as being multiple nested systems in which students’ online discourse (microsystem) was embedded in an institutional setting (mesosystem) and cultural values (macrosystem). The study revealed divergent participatory patterns between the American and Korean groups. Further, it showed how such differences were related to the defining components of each system. These included ideologies about ethnic, social, cultural identities; societal discourse about a specific topic; cross-cultural concepts of discussion; the way the telecollaboration project was incorporated into the course; and teacher instruction. Case study analysis of two American students and one Korean student indicates that these individual students approached the intercultural online discussion with a different “self” (Layder, 1993), understanding of the nature of culture and intercultural communication, positioning of self and others, and sense of agency. These influenced both their management of expectations and orientation toward the situated activity, and also shaped their participation. / text

Viewing sport coaching as complex and relational, this thesis used the writings of Harold Garfinkel, who developed ethnomethodological inquiry, as an alternative social theorist to better understand the activity. The aim of this study was to explore and deconstruct the everyday interactions of coaches, through paying specific attention to the context under which such behaviours occur. Accepting that coaching is a social activity, the purpose was to examine the ‘taken-for-granted’ social rules that the coaches and players of Bayside Rovers F.C. (pseudonym), a semi-professional football club, utilised to achieve desired ends. In doing so, the study adopted an ethnomethodologically informed ethnography to observe, participate and describe how the coaches managed, manipulated and influenced others through their ‘social competencies’ (Lemert, 1997). The data were collected over the course of a full domestic season (10 months). Through adopting an iterative approach, the data were subject to a light ethnomethodological analysis, principally drawing upon the work of Harold Garfinkel (1967, 2002, 2006). What is presented then, are four codes that were used to describe and explain the behaviour patterns observed. The codes included; ‘play well’, ‘fitting-in’, the ‘brotherhood’ and ‘respecting space’. More specifically, the ethnomethodological analysis demonstrated how coaches and players ‘actualised’ the codes (Wieder, 1974). In this respect, Garfinkel’s writings are used as a ‘respecification’ of some fundamental aspects of coaches’ everyday work that is ‘seen but unnoticed’ (Garfinkel, 1967). From this perspective, the findings contribute to the increasingly refined body of research acknowledging coaching as a social activity, further highlighting the principal link between sociology and sport coaching.

The need to manage, map and develop a companies employees competencies is constantly increasing in today’s rapidly growing market. It is therefore incredibly importantto have a broad understanding of what competencies one’s employees possess and whichcompetencies the company potentially lacks. This thesis investigates how to assess, evaluate and map employees competencies in the best possible manner, followed by the potential effects this can have on the individuals undergoing the assessment. Lastly the thesis identifies how a competency management system could be implemented and whichfunctionalities said system should contain. This study began with a systematic literaturereview, for me to get a better understanding of the competency concept and competency assessment. The literature study was followed by a questionnaire distributed to all Etteplansemployees in Linköping and Norrköping, and lastly four interviews were conducted withemployees at the office in Linköping. To get a clearer understanding of the employeesthoughts regarding competency and the implementation of a new competency management system. One of the most important factors to take into consideration when applyinga competency management procedure is that these implementations takes time and mustbe carefully planned and executed to generate the best possible results. All companies areunique and require their own competency management procedure to succeed.