Aim This study contends and explains why discrimination in the workforce is a growing problem that has affected thousands of organisations, large and small, operating in today's global marketplace. The research is aimed at describing the perceived experiences of discrimination as well as its effects on employees within the organisation. Method Using a qualitative research design, interviews were used to facilitate the informal sharing of experiences amongst employees. The purpose of this was to understand the different experiences employees had and the impact discrimination had on the individual performance within the organisation. Results Results reveal that employees experience three broad categories of activities that led to experiences of discrimination, namely activities that relates to management and supervision, daily interaction between various groups from diverse backgrounds and unfair general human resource functions. Conclusion The results of the empirical study were discussed according to the themes of Supervision/ Management, Human Resources/ Employee relations and Interactions. It was found that employees were exposed to different types of discrimination, which are explored in the literature review. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

This study aims through a qualitative approach to study how agile methods are practised in a Swedish bank. The aim of the study is to understand the motives behind the choice to implement the agile methods, how the change process has been practised and finally what effects it gives to the employees in the company. Interviews with both the employees and the management of the bank has led to an understanding of their different views on the agile way of working through their individual experiences. Observations has visualised how the method is practiced, which contributed to a wider perspective. As analytical tools, theoretical concepts such as organizational recipes, the stakeholder model, process change, resistance, cynefin, human relations and efficiency are used. The result of the study shows that there has been both internal and external factors as the basis for the implementation of agile methods. The bank has intended for the change process to be agile with constant improvement as a goal. Uncertainty is an effect of the agile methods and is explained by a difficulty in applying the method throughout the business. The primary effect is increased efficiency, which is the management's main goal. How it affects the employees positively is through increased well-being for those motivated by the agile way of working and negative for those who is not. The study's conclusion is that it is difficult to implement a working method that generates positive effects for all employees. / Denna uppsats studerar, genom ett kvalitativt angreppssätt, hur agila metoder som arbetssätt tillämpas på en bank. Syftet med studien är att förstå motivet bakom att implementera metoderna, hur förändringsprocessen har genomförts och vilka effekter det ger på de anställda i företaget. Intervjuer av både medarbetare och ledning har genomförts och deras individuella erfarenheter har genererat i en förståelse för att det finns olika uppfattningar om arbetssättet. Observationer har synliggjort hur arbetssättet praktiseras, vilket har bidragit till ett större helhetsperspektiv. Som analysverktyg används teoretiska begrepp som organisationsrecept, intressentmodellen, processförändring, motstånd, cynefin, human relations och effektivitet. Studiens resultat visar på att både interna och externa faktorer utgjort motiv till implementeringen av agila metoder. Banken har ämnat genomföra förändringsprocessen agilt med ständig förbättring som mål. Osäkerhet är en effekt av implementationen och kan förklaras av en svårighet att tillämpa metoden i hela verksamheten. Den största effekten av arbetssättet är ökad effektivitet, vilket är ledningens främsta mål. Hur det påverkar de anställda positivt är genom ökad trivsel för de som motiveras av arbetssättet och negativt för de som inte gör det. Studiens slutsats pekar på svårigheten att implementera ett arbetssätt som genererar positiva effekter för samtliga anställda.