Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Disruptive behaviour among health care providers in high stress areas such as the perioperative setting has been linked to negative patient safety. Conflicts of power, role and personality lead to communication failure, which are identified as the leading root cause of medication errors and wrong site surgery. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the factors underlying registered nurse (RN) interactions in a tertiary healthcare perioperative area. A non-experimental, descriptive, exploratory study with self-administered survey using a quantitative approach was used. The total population of N=52 participants working in the perioperative area of a Middle Eastern tertiary healthcare centre were invited to participate in the study and the response rate was n=44, 85%. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Reliability and validity was assured by means of a pilot study and consultation with nursing experts and a statistician. The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch approved the study. Permission for the study to be done in the tertiary care centre was obtained from the Internal Ethical Review Board and the Nursing Executive. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants. Anonymity and confidentiality was respected. The data was analysed with the assistance of a statistician and presented in frequencies, tables and histograms. The responses were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal- Wallis ANOVA and Spearman’s Rank correlation, on a 95% confidence level. Only one factor showed a significant result, following Spearman’s Rank correlation that an association exists between work experience and lateral violence (p≤0.045239). The open-ended questions were categorized into themes and respect and communication emerged as factors necessary in teamwork and task management The level of respect and open communication between RNs were seen as important factors for interacting with colleagues in the workplace and if poor, affects team work. An area of concern was the high number of neutral responses to the statements on morale and conflict. Underpinned by the literature and the outcomes of this study, it is recommended that strong leadership is required to implement regular team building activities. Furthermore, perioperative staff should be monitored for emotional fatigue which results from conflict situations in order to avert adverse patient care events. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Steurende gedrag onder gesondheidsorgwerkers in hoë gespanne areas soos in die perioperatiewe omgewing, word gekoppel aan negatiewe pasiënt veiligheid. Konflikte van mag, rol en persoonlikheid lei tot mislukking van kommunikasie wat geïdentifiseer word as die hoofoorsaak van foute by die toediening van medikasie en verkeerde plek vir chirurgie. Die doel van die studie was om die faktore te ondersoek en te beskryf wat onderliggend is aan geregistreerde verpleeg (GV) interaksies in ’n tersiêre gesondheidsorg perioperatiewe area. ’n Nie-eksperimentele, beskrywende, ondersoekende studie met ’n self-administrerende opname deur ’n kwantitatiewe benadering, was gebruik. Die totale populasie van N=52 deelnemers wat in die perioperatiewe area van ’n Midde-Oosterse tersiêre gesondheidsorgsentrum werk, was uitgenooi om deel te neem aan hierdie studie en die responskoers was n=44, 85%. ’n Gestruktureerde self-administrerende vraelys was gebruik om die data te kollekteer. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid was verseker deur die gebruik van ’n loodsprojek en konsultasie met verpleegdeskundiges, asook ’n statistikus. Die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het die studie goedgekeur. Toestemming vir die uitvoer van die studie by die tersiêre gesondheidssentrum was verkry van die Interne Etiese Oorsigraad en die Uitvoerende Verplegingsbestuur. Ingeligte geskrewe toestemming was verkry van die deelnemers. Anonimiteit en vertroulikheid was gerespekteer. Die data was geanaliseer met die hulp van ’n statistikus en aangebied in frekwensies, tafels en histogramme. Die response was vergelyk deur van Mann-Whitney U-toets, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA of Spearman se Rangkorrelasie op ’n 95% vertroulikheidsvlak gebruik te maak. Slegs een faktor het ’n beduidende resultaat getoon, dat daar ’n assosiasie bestaan tussen werkservaring en laterale geweld (p≤0.045239), deur Spearman se Rangkorrelasie te volg. Die ope-vrae was gekategoriseer in temas. Respek en kommunikasie het as noodsaaklike faktore vir spanwerk en taakbestuur na vore gekom. Die vlak van respek en ope kommunikasie tussen geregistreerde verpleegsters was gesien as belangrike faktore vir interaksie met kollegas in die werkplek en indien dit swak is, affekteer dit spanwerk. ’n Area van besorgdheid was die hoë aantal neutrale response op die stellings oor moraal en konflik. Ondersteun deur die literatuur en die uitkomste van die studie, word dit aanbeveel dat sterk leierskap vereis word om gereelde spanbou aktiwiteite te implementeer. Verder behoort perioperatiewe personeel gemonitor te word vir emosionele moegheid wat spruit uit konfliksituasies, ten einde nadelige pasiëntsorg af te weer.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / South Africa is regarded as a developing economy which means there is a great potential for growth in the years to come. This has attracted attention of multinationals to set up operations in South Africa so as to benefit from growth opportunities. Setting up operations for multinationals present risks and one of these risks revolves around attracting and retaining talented personnel. Multinational and local organisations rely on local talented managers to oversee operations for them to be competitive. The talent they all seek resides in different races, age groups, gender, culture, sex orientation, and religion which make the pool diverse. To effectively manage talent an organisation need to manage diversity. It therefore follows that managing diversity and managing talent is related. If talent is not managed correctly the impact is felt in the organisations. It was on this relationship that this study was formulated. The study is conducted within a multinational that operates in the energy sector and is one of the leading oil majors in the world. The study was limited to South Africa organisation of a multinational. The organisation chosen for the study is struggling to retain key personnel although having the best programs in place such as graduate programs and diversity and inclusiveness programs. The study’s objective was to investigate who (group) is likely to leave an organisation and also gain an understanding which diversity management element had an influence on personnel’s decision to leave an organisation. The findings of the study highlighted that middle management, namely males with less than 10-2 years of service and aged 49-30 years, are likely to leave the organisation. This group in the survey showed to be mostly dissatisfied. The study also revealed that the diversity element that is resulting in people leaving the organisation was that of, not feeling free to speak their mind in the organisation and also doubt about having equal chances to grow and develop in the organisation. The frustration of not being heard and not able to make changes through new ideas results in them seeking employment outside the organisation. The study further highlighted that the other element that results in people leaving the organisation is around compensation. Personnel having a view that compensation is not enough seek alternative employment to improve their income. The limitation of the study was that it took a snapshot of what is currently happening in a specific organisation. The study did not evaluate programmes already implemented and project the outcome in future. There is an opportunity of a further study looking at and predicting whether the programmes and reforms currently being implemented will yield positive results in future around diversity management.

M.Ing. (Engineering Management) / Construction project success is the number one goal for every client, stakeholders and for project team members who are involved with construction projects. However, construction projects often exceed the stipulated budget, are completed beyond the scheduled period and are not even to the required quality. Despite its poor record, the construction industry contributes a lot to the country’s economy and as such, it should be ensured that it performs better than it has currently. Besides the technical issues/factors which are a norm for influencing construction project performance, recent studies have shown that other factors relating to people and how they interact in teams may in fact have a significant influence on project performance. Consequently, culture and cultural differences seem to be one of the important issues that need to be dealt with and managed properly if projects are to be successful; given the nature of contracting, where joint ventures and partnerships seem to be prevalent (Kivrak et.al, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of cultural differences on construction project performance. Because culture is seen as a ‘soft’ issue, it makes it hard to be measured empirically (Ankrah, 2007), and therefore requires to be assessed through the perceptions of the individuals who operate within that particular culture (Palmer, Cooper and Burns, 2010). Five dimensions of culture, namely: age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational background and organisational culture background were investigated and chosen to be measured against the three traditional project outcomes, namely: time, cost and quality, while taking into account safety and productivity. A questionnaire was issued to 310 participants drawn from construction projects across South Africa, and 109 responses were received, giving a response rate of 35.16%. The study reviewed that the construction industry’s performance is poor and it can also be attributed to differences in individuals’ cultural background because culture affects one’s mind in terms of behaviour and decision making. Findings from the study showed that a relationship existed between culture and project performance, and that cultural differences had an impact on construction project performance.

This investigation was conducted in response to the need for effective diversity awareness programs to help employers create intergenerational-friendly work environments. An experimental pre- and post-test control group randomized block design was employed to answer two research questions about the effects of a simulation game on knowledge and attitudes about age-related changes in learning and work behaviors of older workers. Participants were assessed immediately prior to and following the treatment, followed by a third assessment 60 days later. Necessary measures were taken to control for threats to the study's internal validity. An applicant pool comprised of human resource management and development practitioners and senior undergraduate students enrolled in human resource management courses yielded a sample of 65 participants. Chapter one introduces the study. Chapter two provides a review and summary of relevant literature on ageism in the workplace, training older workers, and simulation games. Chapter three describes the procedures and methods used to answer the research questions. Chapter four presents the results of all analytic procedures related to the investigation. Chapter five provides the conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of this investigation. In this investigation, the treatment group did not score significantly higher on their knowledge of age-related changes in learning and work behaviors of older workers than the control group following treatment. The attitudinal change experienced by the treatment group did not differ significantly from the attitudinal change experienced by the control group. Recommendations for further research include the following: (a) the disordinal interactive effect of the control group's performance on the knowledge measure during the 60-day interval between post assessments warrants further investigation, (b) the statistically significant change in attitude that occurred within each group during the 60-day interval following treatment warrants further investigation, and (c) more reliable instruments need to be developed for measuring the effects of heightened awareness following diversity interventions.

Look at the challenge of gender equity and global trends and its impact on Eskom / Women form 52 percent of the adult population in South Africa, the majority of the population, but their status in the workplace is marginalized. The Commission of Employment Equity 2003 report revealed that women represent only 37% of the total workforce and 21% of all senior management positions and only 14% of top management positions. The study firstly investigates if gender barriers are creating obstacles for the advancement of women to senior management positions. The evidence of the research indicates that barriers do exist and the most prominent of these barriers included organizational culture, men not supporting women in the organization, division of labour, lack of after care facilities and women not supporting each other. Organizations need to admit that barriers do exist before any meaningful change can be made to the working environment of women. Secondly the study investigates the impact of gender equity targets as some organizations are attempting to increase the number of women in their business. Although gender targets results in an increase of women in the workplace it has negatively impacted the morale of men. Lastly the effectiveness of some of the strategies like mentorship, training and development, networking, flexible work policies are examined. These strategies will only be effective if the organizations are committed in ensuring a balanced workforce. Organizations needs to realize that diversity should be seen as a great opportunity to be encouraged and nurtured. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Cape Town, 2018. / The demand for project management specialists grows worldwide. Traditionally, certain industries have been more project-oriented than others. However, nowadays, organisations in both private and public sector have embraced Project Management as the ideal means of managing projects with the hopes of ensuring the intended benefit delivery. Project management is a skill that is in high demand in South Africa. Project managers play a vital role in the economic growth of a developing country. This has resulted in organisations investing considerable resources to ensure that they build the capacity needed to effectively manage projects. South Africa is a diverse country in terms of age, culture, education, gender, race and religion amongst a group of people living or working together. Globalization has increased diversity within the workplace which is challenging and worsened knowing the country’s history. The attributes required to be a successful project manager include excellent interpersonal, communication skills, project management skills, adept problem solving and the ability to work well under pressure, whilst being highly adaptable and logical thinker. Confidence, strong negotiating skills and being able to motivate a team in order to achieve the goals is necessary; a project manager is a leader and a skilled delegator. Managers have diverse team to manage which speaks to the need for people of the different social dispositions to be able to co-exist. In the workplace, there is generally an organisational culture that speaks largely to how things are done. The culture observed by the outside world is largely because of the coming together of all the different people, with different origins, different tastes and different objectives. In this study, a construct was developed to identify the perceptions of the subordinates about the environment they work in and to identify the exact differences – things or behaviours that are perceived to be alien to their expectations.

Issues of diversity are receiving significant attention within the National Park Service recently, due in large part to a growing awareness that its future as a relevant and viable agency is dependent upon improving its response to and management of diversity. A diversity assessment of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site was undertaken to assist the site in its diversification efforts involving three interrelated areas: historical interpretation, visitor services, and workforce management. Data from research and semi-formal interviews with staff and volunteers were analyzed to identify appropriate, site-specific strategies for expanding dynamic interpretation of diverse groups within the historical context, improving the quality of visitation for diverse audiences, and more fully utilizing personnel and community organizations to strengthen the two topics outlined above. Historical interpretation is the main focus of the analysis, not only because it forms the fundamental duty of the historic site, but also because diversifying an interpretive program carries the most potential for forming emotional and intellectual connections with diverse visitors, thus increasing participation, financial security, and continued relevance. / Graduation date: 2000

College campuses are becoming more diverse now than ever before. Campuses, however, are not as prepared as they should be for the new students that are arriving. Changes need to be made to status quo processes and procedures, event planning, and classroom education in order to best serve current students. In order for changes to happen, professionals need to participate in diversity related professional development to examine their own biases and assumptions, to learn more about people different from themselves, and to become equipped with tools that will enable a more inclusive campus climate. A mixed methods study was utilized to participants of a single-campus-based diversity summit to capture participants' learning and perceived tools and knowledge with which to return to campus. Findings suggest that there needs to be a community in which participants can grow through relationships, both individually and as a collective; participants of the summit had personal growth of knowledge and understanding in diverse areas, and participants desired to create change in departments, organizations, and in the campus at large. / Graduation date: 2012

At present we are living in a global market economy. As a result, international business and cooperation between two or more counties is a growing phenomenon. Global business managers and leaders are challenged to broaden their minds to create new methods of leading and managing what has become an increasingly diverse and cross-cultural workforce. This workforce will bring with it both advantages and disadvantages to global organisations. In general, the global leaders and managers will face the challenge of how to cope with workers from diverse cultures, whilst at the same time respecting the needs of workers from their own culture. There is also the problem of dealing not only with the workforce, but also with partners, competitors and customers from diverse cultural backgrounds. In global organisations the biggest challenge is how to effectively organize, lead, manage and monitor diversity in a cross-cultural workforce. More and more leaders and top managers are becoming aware of the importance of learning about various cultures, different languages, cross-cultural communication and negotiation skills in a global context. The global business environment influences the development of Chinese businesses; more and more Chinese companies are exploring foreign markets, and in recent years many Chinese investment organisations have invested in and are thriving in the South African market. Most of these are operating in the clothing or textile companies. Starting up a business in a foreign country is a difficult task for any manager or leader. They face many barriers including having to cope with different languages and with differences in culture, politics and social environments. This is especially true of the situation in South Africa, as South Africa is a richly multi-cultural country with many cultures and subcultures that observe different religions, that use different languages and that display different habits. This study will investigate how Chinese managers and leaders can be led to a better understanding of these differences so that they can formulate new organisational cultures that maximize their companies’ success in a global environment. In these case studies the sample selected will be the Chinese clothing and textile industries in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Although the leaders and managers of Chinese investment organisations in KZN have attempted to increase their awareness of the local management culture and have tried to learn more about local political, social and economic structures, they still have not placed sufficient emphasis on language training and cross-cultural knowledge acquisition. Despite the fact that they already have basic language, communication and negotiation skills with which to deal in some measure with a cross-cultural workforce, this study shows that Chinese managers and leaders have to further improve their understanding and their communication skills. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

Cultural diversity is affecting every aspect of society today and nurses need to be able to provide culturally competent care to remain relevant, and useful, within the current climate. Cultural immersion experiences are one of the teaching strategies that have been incorporated in an attempt to prepare nurses to be culturally competent in practice. However, there are only a few research studies that have been conducted, within the discipline of nursing, to empirically document the process and outcomes of a cultural immersion experience. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine factors that facilitate a meaningful cultural immersion experience during a nursing program, as well as the short-term effects of such experiences on personal and professional growth and cultural awareness. The theoretical framework for the study was Leininger's theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality.This study identified factors that were relevant and important in facilitating a meaningful cultural immersion experience within the categories of situational predetermining factors, modifying factors, and transitional factors (adjustment strategies). Situational predetermining factors identified as relevant included prior personal and professional experiences, prior attitudes and values, preparation before departure, andprior cultural knowledge. Modifying factors identified as relevant included the perception of living in another world, and being "stuck there," as well as the type of location, type of nursing experience, and people met on site. Transitional factors identified as relevant included social support from classmates and the use of coping responses such as humor, self-reliance, personal strength/faith, as well as adjustment of communication style to be able to talk with host-nationals. Finally, personal and professional growth and changes in cultural awareness were identified as outcomes of the immersion experience. Further research on the process and outcomes of cultural immersion is needed to continue to generate a base of nursing knowledge related to cultural immersion, and to assist nurse educators in the planning and execution of such experiences. / School of Nursing