Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-166).

The recruitment and retention of personnel plays an important role in assisting organisations to adapt and remain competitive, thus ensuring their financial sustainability and becoming a leader in the market. It is also a crucial element in assisting organisations in reaching their long and short term goals. The employment and retention of highly skilled employees is a costly exercise and staff turnover impacts negatively, not only on a financial level but also on the organisation as a whole. The immediate implementation of specific strategies that ensures the recruitment and retention of these employees will guarantee a reduction in employee turnover thus ensuring organisational competitiveness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the organisational factors impacting on employee retention at Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). The population group for the study included 34 TFR employees from the G graded salary scale. The response rate for the questionnaire was 100% with the Likert scale instrument consisting of 27 questions divided into two sections: Section one explored the demographic profile of the respondents; Section two focused on getting responses on the five organisational factors impacting on employee retention namely: organisational association; monetary compensation; work satisfaction; work enrichment; career development. The following research design was adopted: Step 1: A literature review was conducted to determine the various organisational factors impacting on employee retention. Step 2: From the literature review the researcher structured the research questionnaire. Step 3: The results of the survey were analysed and interpreted. Step 4: Conclusions and recommendations were done.

The South African Revenue Services (SARS) is an amalgamation of the former Departments of Customs and Excise, and the Receiver of Revenue. SARS obtained full autonomy from the Government in October 1997 in order for it to administer its own affairs. SARS has since made great strides in transforming its people and technology, although some growing pains are recently being experienced, i.e. the “retention question”. The problem statement, “What strategies can be implemented for retaining skilled employees within SARS Customs” is derived from a multitude of problematic issues currently being experienced world wide. Problem areas particular to South Africa, include: the mass exodus of white skilled labour; baby-boomers (aged 60 – 65) nearing retirement, affirmative action, employment equity, and a general lack of skills in the employment industry. An employee engagement survey (2007) conducted at SARS, shows figures that further exacerbates the problem. The objectives of the research were therefore, to conduct a literature study of employee retention strategies, investigate the research strategies currently being employed at SARS, the reasons for the low levels of employee engagement and to develop a strategic model for employee retention for use at SARS Customs in the Eastern Cape Region of South Africa The study takes the form of a case study, using quantitative and qualitative methods of research. A questionnaire was distributed to respondents, the results of which were analysed and presented. The findings show that SARS Customs is in a good position with regards to pay and benefits. Areas that require attention though are training, development and career management, effective supervision, and day-to-day activities.

The benefit of organizations that invest in the people who work for them has been shown in numerous academic publications. Some of these human capacity investments are amongst other the Employee Assistance Program. These programmes are designed to assist employees who in the course of their work encounter personal or interpersonal problems that may or may not influence the work environment. Departments can also make use of Employee Assistance Program (EAP’s) in their bid to offer help to employees. EAP is a program aimed at addressing quality of life and quality of work life of employees. When the mental, physical and emotional capacities are disturbed, the enthusiasm to work seems to decrease and hence economical implications are unavoidable. Good interpersonal relations, quality of supervision, improved working conditions in the workplace are important tasks that can contribute significantly to social factors influencing employee well-being. To make headway on these tasks, a study was conducted with the employees at the Department of Social Development, Germiston Office in Gauteng Province. The aim of this research study was to measure social factors influencing employee well-being at the Department of Social Development, Germiston. The objectives of the study were: • To draw up a profile of employee well-being at the Department of Social Development. • To review literature on social factors influencing employee well-being. • To select and prepare suitable instrumentation for the collection of quantitative data. • To analyze data and determine most suitable indicators of employee well-being. • Data will be interpreted for the purpose of drawing conclusions that reflect the interests, ideas and theories that initiated the inquiry. • To establish relationships between social factors and employees. • To draw conclusions and make recommendations. The findings of this study showed that the problems of the respondents that needed attention of the management are as follows: • Home language is an important determinant that can be associated with equality. English/Afrikaans respondents are less likely to be given equal opportunities to advance in their careers than African-language-speaking respondents. • Home language is an important determinant that can be associated with job satisfaction. African respondents are more likely to experience job satisfaction than English/Afrikaans respondents. • Home language is an important determinant that can be associated with expectation. African respondents are more optimistic about the future than the English/Afrikaans respondents. • Home language is an important determinant that can be associated with energy. English/Afrikaans-speaking respondents are less likely to enjoy the things that they are doing than African respondents. • Home language is an important determinant of that can be associated with responsibility. African respondents are more likely to get what they want if they work hard than English/Afrikaans respondents. There is statistically significant difference between family income of the respondents and energy. Family income is an important determinant that can be associated with energy. The respondents earning more than R6 000 or more per month are less likely to enjoy life than the respondents who are earning less than R5 999 per month. Home language is an important determinant of medical aid. English/Afrikaans respondents have a greater need for medical aid than African respondents. The study has shown that African employees at the organization are generally more contempt in their work than Afrikaans and English speaking employees. One can only speculate as to what may contribute to this marked difference in opinion. Environmental factors may be included in these findings. The study does show however that expectations and perceptions amongst various cultural groups of employees are different and that English and Afrikaans employees are less optimistic about the future than the African group. It is significant to note however that expectations regarding aspects such as access to a medical aid may contribute to a sense of well - being as well. It is important for management to conduct surveys which research how employees are feeling and what the morale is in an organization. The findings will help management in structuring a performance appraisal system, team building as well as developing career development programs and improving factors that have an impact on the well-being of the employees. / Dr. W. Roestenburg

In recent years, organizations have invested increasing financial and labor-related resources on employee training. The assumption is that training will benefit the organization through improved performance which will result in greater efficiency, greater customer satisfaction and, ultimately, increased revenue and profits. Further, employees are assumed to benefit because their improved performance should lead to career advancement and increased compensation. However, measuring the effect of training on employee performance has been problematic due to the difficulty of isolating the effect of training from other human resource management practices and environmental and organizational influences. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to test a model for predicting merit pay increase, job promotion and performance ratings from measures of general and finance training, as well as employee tenure, gender, educational level and organizational level. It was found that while significant contributions (i.e., betas) were made by finance and general training for performance ratings, promotion and merit pay increase, they did not increase the variance accounted for by tenure, organizational level and gender.

The purpose of this study was to analyse staff turnover at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). formed during merger of institutions of higher learning of South Africa in 2904. A Total of 324 employees of the institution participated in this study by completing questionnaires. Results of the study showed that employees of the institution who have experienced the aftermath of the merger are dissatisfied with the current working conditions of the institution and majority of the respondents more than 70% agreed that the merger had an effect on numerous resignations. The study further found out that other factors other than the merger had an effect on resignations in the institution. Employees sometimes think of leaving the institution and are scanning newspapers looking for jobs. The study provides new avenues for conducting further future research in other merged institutions including the one being investigated by including other satellite campuses and other contributory factors that were not investigated in this study and therefore increase the sample size. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

This study highlights the importance of retaining employees and indicates how strategies can effectively, efficiently and economically affect the Department of Health. Employees are looking for an opportunity to learn on the job, learn from the more experienced. in good working conditions, rewarded accordingly financially or otherwise and if that opportunity is not there they may look for better opportunities. Areas examined include strategies and theories that have historically been identified and used to retain personnel as well as current data pertaining to employee retention and indicators that show whether the organisation has a strong retention strategy in place. The research method was quantitative and the general design of the study is analytical, as the researcher analysed the data collected from the respondents. The tool used in the collection of data. was a questionnaire. The population that was targeted was from the Department of Health. Forty respondents participated in this study. The study revealed that there are currently used strategies for retention but they are not effective enough. there are areas that need management attention such as remuneration and lack of resources. The study results shows that all the respondents do not have the right tools to do their job, furthermore half of them are not financially rewarded in accordance with their contribution and performance. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2011

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Cheung Lin Shing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-146). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.I / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.III / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.IV / LIST OF TABLES --- p.VI / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.VII / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Empowerment - What is it? A Literature Review --- p.6 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Empowerment as a Process --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Antecedents of empowerment --- p.34 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- The Process of Change --- p.46 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- The Results of the Empowerment Process --- p.56 / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- Research Design --- p.61 / Chapter CHAPTER 8 --- Data Analysis --- p.68 / Chapter CHAPTER 9 --- Hypothesis Testing --- p.78 / Chapter CHAPTER 10 --- Discussion and Conclusions --- p.101 / APPENDIX 1 Summary of the Literature Review of Empowerment --- p.119 / APPENDIX 2 Questionnaire Design --- p.135 / REFERENCES --- p.141