Job satisfaction has effects that touch both the employee and employer, these effects include career success, work-family facilitation, turnover intentions, engagement, absenteeism, and quality of work. Having work flexibility measures in the work place can lead to improved job satisfaction. In this dissertation, we study the relationship between work flexibility and job satisfaction through investigating the mediating role of employee empowerment. Building on extant theories, a partial least square structural model is developed to study the relationships between work flexibility, empowerment, and job satisfaction. Perceptions of pay and turnover intentions are included in the model as dependent constructs. The model shows strong links between work flexibility and job satisfaction. Also, it is concluded that empowerment plays an important role in mediating the relationship between work flexibility and job satisfaction. It is observed that empowerment leads to improved perceptions of pay and that improved perceptions of pay together with job satisfaction lead to lower turnover intentions.

Application of low hierarchy structures are becoming increasingly popular by enhancing job satisfaction and productivity of employees. On the other hand formation of hierarchy appears to be natural and beneficial in many cases. This study explores how low hierarchies could become and where the boundaries regarding job satisfaction lie as well as how these differ depending on formal position of employees. The inquiry is undertaken with a focus is on medium-sized companies in manufacturing industry in Germany where job satisfaction and productivity via such applications is vital. Extensive qualitative data was collected with a single-case approach; analysis was conducted qualitatively likewise. The lower limits of hierarchy are discovered to lie in various aspects mainly relating to supervision, recognition of good performance and promotion opportunities and to differ significantly with formal position. The study is believed to be unique and assist in shedding light into the area of beneficial and practical low hierarchy applications.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite workplace bullying becoming more prevalent today, limited focus has been placed on this phenomenon within the organisational research context. It is important to note that this particular field of study still seems to be fairly new. Preventative measures for workplace bullying have focused on organisations taking responsibility through revisiting organisational leadership and culture, implementing policies and programmes, one of which includes coaching interventions. The present study set out to state that through effective and well-directed coaching interventions, awareness regarding workplace bullying can be created on both an individual and organisational level. The main objective of the study was to explore what coaching interventions and techniques can be used in coaching to address workplace bullying in South Africa. This study, positioned in the interpretivist paradigm, explored the personal experiences of 13 qualified and registered business coaches with COMENSA in South Africa, regarding their understanding, experience and knowledge of coaching related to workplace bullying from the sample group, through qualitative data. The sample group participated in individual semi-structured interviews relaying their experiences by answering specific questions, formulated as guidelines to the study. The questions were grouped into four categories, in order to analyse the qualitative data by using the content analysis method. The study found that coaches are increasingly faced with the responsibility to coach individuals related to workplace bullying, that it is a definite problem in South African organisations, but that organisations are currently not addressing it. The sample group in general had an average understanding of the concept of workplace bullying. However, their experience in workplace bullying contributed to insight on a number of factors, not obtained from literature. This also included the identification of several approaches, techniques and tools, which have been used with great effectiveness, whether coaching bullies or individuals being bullied. The sample group also emphasised a number of critical areas that coaches need to be aware of, including the importance of coaching supervision, proper contracting with clients and the effect that workplace bullying have on the coach himself, to mention just a few. The study focused on discussing the findings of this study by analysing and comparing the specific results, with previous literature, research and studies. The literature mentioned a number of theoretical underpinnings that can be used in workplace bullying coaching, but the study found more value in the processes followed by the coaches regarding effective coaching interventions, combined with approaches, tools and techniques, which are indicated specifically in the study. It was also found that an effective workplace bullying coach should have a good knowledge of organisations, organisational culture and the dynamics in business. In relation to South Africa’s focus on workplace bullying, the study found that this is greatly lacking, and special attempts should be made to create awareness of the topic in South African organisations. Investigations are proposed to incorporate workplace bullying into the South African labour legislation and to establish a Workplace Bullying Body to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate and regulate workplace bullying in South Africa.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a sample of adults with an intellectual disability uses information and communication technologies (ICT), and to see whether these people can be strengthened in their everyday life through ICT. To get answers to the questions posed in this paper interviews were made. The interviews are semi-structured so that the context to some extent is bounded. Questions which highlights the more widely aspects of ICT are set with the help of subject areas. The results show that these people in many ways are strengthened in their use of ICT. There's perceived difficulties in the usage, but there are mainly opportunities expressed in the narratives. For example, one person uses ICT to bridge the problems that arise when difficulties to read and write exists. The social aspects of ICT is mentioned as important in this study by most informants.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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<p>Empowerment is a catchword that has recently entered current development debate. Development is largely perceived as a process of building capacities hence empowering people to be able to handle their affairs. As such it is a concept highly espoused by prominent development actors and mainly Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The study attempted to examine the theoretical and empirical aspects of community empowerment from a critical perspective by surveying activities of three NGOs in Ethiopia. A recent framework developed by a working group of the World Bank for measuring and structuring analysis was used for analyzing findings. Conceptualization and practices of empowerment seem to be at a nascent stage and tools for measuring it as well / that is what the findings of the study indicate. Despite the rhetoric surrounding the concept, the experience of surveyed NGOs also shows disparities between theory and practice.</p>

Studien hade som syfte att belysa det arbete som skolor utför inom området mobbning, vi valde att lägga fokus på insatser och förebyggande arbete. I studien valde vi även att se närmare på vilka handlingsplaner som finns utformade inom skolan samt hur synen på mobbning ser ut hos skolpersonal. Studien belyser relevant tidigare forskning och teorier samt grundar sig på en kvalitativ metod. Intervjuer med skolpersonal genomfördes för att kunna visa på ett tydligt resultat i hur arbetet med mobbning ser ut i praktiken. Resultatet visade på att skolpersonal hade en betydande roll och det var av intresse att undersöka hur deras verklighet ser ut i praktiken. I studien framgick det även att alla skolor utgick från olika handlingsplaner och att det förebyggande arbetet hade en stark koppling med det samarbete som fanns med andra verksamheter. Slutligen förs en avslutande diskussion där paralleller dras med resultatet samt förtydligas egna åsikter inom området.

This paper explores the ways in which Nike's 2010 'Make Yourself' campaign claims to promote 'female empowerment', when in actuality it supports beauty standards that serve to disempower and devalue women. This paper uses various semiotic and deconstructive techniques to explore this issue, including close readings of both the film and photographic texts of the campaign.

This article focuses on the development of guidelines to empower parents with adolescent children to have a better relationship with their adolescent children. A qualitative research method within the context of intervention research was followed to develop the guidelines. Three major themes and some sub-themes were identified from two focus groups with the parents and two focus groups with the adolescents. The main themes are parent-adolescent relationships, conflict and communication. Sub-themes include characteristics of a good relationship, time spend together, times of crisis, reasons for conflict, resolving conflict, effectiveness of conflict, aspects of good communication, coping with sensitive issues and dealing with unacceptable friendships. Empowerment involves the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals, families and communities can take action to improve their situations. The Strengths perspective subscribes to the notion that people have a reserve of abilities that can be expressed. When this reserve of inner power is enhanced, individuals, families or communities develop their potential, mastery and self-actualization. To empower the parents with adolescent children it is necessary for a practitioner helping the family to understand how to focus on the present and to incorporate a vision of the future in the guideline developed for parents with adolescent children. The integration of empowerment mandates parents with adolescent children, to move towards emphasizing strengths and to create solutions that incorporate elements of social action to improve their situations. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.