The aim of this thesis is to study the influence that the human resource allocation process carried out at ALLEGION has over the employee satisfaction level of its employees. ALLEGION is an international manufacturing project-oriented company based in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, which operates with over 8,500 employees. Up until the development of this thesis, ALLEGION had never contemplated the job satisfaction level of its employees as a result of the human resource allocation process carried out in the company. Some studies have previously paid attention to the impact that best practices in human resource management have in employee performance, however, to our knowledge, it has never been discussed how the allocation of the human resources in a company can influence job satisfaction. For this reason, we believe is pertinent to conduct a study focusing on this topic. This thesis is presented as a case study of ALLEGION which follows a qualitative method and an inductive approach, where we as researchers, explored the influence that the current method followed by the company to allocate its human resources to projects has over the job satisfaction level of its employees. The first section of this thesis is dedicated to discuss the background of our research topic and to examine relevant literature focused in the subjects of human resource allocation and employee satisfaction. As part of this section, we encountered that four factors are consistently mentioned in the literature related to these core topics having an intrinsic relationship among them. We found that these factors were utilised by some scholars in the development of models to optimise the human resource allocation process and also during the measurement of employee satisfaction in different contexts. The four factors are: personal qualifications –referring to skills utilisation and expertise–, personal aspirations –referring to career development and personal growth–, group relationships –referring to personal relationships with co-workers and managers–, and finally, personal motivations –referring to job motivations–. At the end of this section we present a theoretical model that summarises our findings and highlights the correlations of the factors we identified from the literature. The central part of this thesis focuses on our practical method which comprised nine interviews with employees and project managers of ALLEGION. Our interviews were aimed to discover the relationship and influence that the human resource allocation process implemented in the company had over the job satisfaction level in its employees respectively. As part of our findings we discovered that four elements were contributors to such influence and simultaneously were related to the findings obtained during our literature review. Based upon these four factors, we drew our conclusions for the study. As a conclusion of this thesis, we found that the human resource allocation process conducted at ALLEGION holds a significant influence in the job satisfaction of its employees working in projects, and that four distinct factors should be taken into consideration during the process that functional managers carry out when they have to allocate their human resources to a certain project. These factors are: skills utilisation, career development, individual relationships of the employees with their co-workers and managers, and finally, job motivations. We concluded that the extent to which these elements are considered as part of the decision-making involved in the human resource allocation process will bring as a result a positive or negative outcome in terms of employee satisfaction among the projects of the organisation.

Published Article / Many large organisations tend to focus on their external communication in order to project a positive image to potential clients. However the role of internal communication with employees has often been overlooked, although it remains one of the most important areas of organisational communication. This article focuses on specific findings of the Master's dissertation, Supervisory Communication and its Effect on Employee Satisfaction at the Central University of Technology, Welkom Campus. The research results that employees' views about their own organisation impact on how external clients view that particular organisation. The research found that in order for employees to become advocates of their own organisation, supervisors of different operational units should develop and manage their internal communication activities in a way that motivates and stimulates employee enthusiasm for meeting organisational goals. Once employees are satisfied with the state of supervisory communication in their respective units, they should be able to identify with their organisation and endeavour to attain organisational goals.

In this study intelligence is perceived as a primary variable in explaining the needs, motivations and behaviour of individuals in society in general, and in the organisation specifically. A distinction is made between IQ, which is perceived as a rational intelligence that has its roots in Newtonian physics, EQ, which is perceived as an adaptive and emotional intelligence that enables an individual to adapt to changing circumstances, and SQ, which is perceived as a spiritual intelligence that enables an individual to recontextualise a situation towards a meaningful and holistic experience. It is argued that changes and developments in society during the 20th and 21st centuries can be related to a growing awareness and understanding of intelligence in society from IQ to SQ. This argument is supported by various discussions regarding different time periods from the 20th century to the 21st century, and societal members¡¦ reactions to changes in the environment during these time periods. It is also maintained that changes in society impact significantly on the organisation since the employee is a member of both society and the organisation. As such, any changes in the needs, motivations and behaviour of societal members will also reflect in the organisation. Based on an in-depth literature review, and descriptive, explanatory and exploratory descriptions in this study, it is maintained from the results obtained in Chapter 4 regarding the SQ-needs and motivations of the new employee that organisational management need to recognise the spiritual-related intelligence behind the changing needs and motivations of the new employee as meaning-seeking individual. This is especially important as a means of merging the SQ-needs and behaviour of employees, thus limiting the occurrence of anomie, conflict and workplace resistance in the organisation. The argument of this study is that the manner in which most organisational and managerial practices, communication, and employees, are approached in the modern organisation, is unable to provide meaning or purpose. It is argued that it is not through the process of control, prediction or mere adaptation to a changing environment, but through an emergence into a ¡¥new reality¡¦ that meaning is established. This emergence into a new reality requires a spiritual intelligent leadership approach through which the SQ-needs and motivations of the new employee can be addressed. Most important is that organisations need to provide a channel for employees through which they can express newly acquired values, needs and motivations, such as a well-defined and well-developed communication system. Zohar (1997) argues that the most effective means of recognising and implementing SQ in the organisation would be through the process of communication. A point of departure in meeting the needs and motivations of the new employee would therefore be through the process of spiritual intelligent communication in which the sender (manager or leader) recognises the meaning-seeking needs and motivations of the receiver (employee) to such an extent that they can both negotiate a shared meaning regarding organisational practices due to a new understanding between them. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate such a communication model by exploring the need for a spiritual intelligent transactional model of organisational communication. Based on the new-found knowledge gained with regards to the application of SQ in the organisational context, this study has identified the following potential topics for future research: ,,X Empirical research could be conducted to test the viability of the proposed spiritual intelligent transactional model of organisational communication. ,,X SQ as a primary and determinant variable in organisational behaviour, employee or managerial development, and organisational success, can be researched. ,,X Further research studies can be conducted to determine the SQ-related needs of employees in large and small organisations. Studies like these could contribute significantly to methods and means of addressing the growing problems of anomie, poor management and communication practices, conflict, and resistance in the modern organisation. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil.(Communication)

The purpose of the research is to investigate the impact of constant change on the motivation and satisfaction of employees involved in a strategic alliance environment. The conclusions highlighted that employees wholly understand the need for the organisation to change; however, employees note that employee involvement, communication and effective leadership were poorly implemented during the change process. Furthermore, the existence of various sub-cultures led to cultural differences that had an impact on the success of the change initiatives. Despite these challenges, the results showed the motivation and job satisfaction levels of employees were high and employee commitment to the organisation was positive. Employees considered the following as crucial to their support, namely, strong, consistent and inspiring leadership, urgency around decision-making, and honest and frequent communication. The report is concluded with recommendations to assist the organisation in managing future changes. It is recommended the organisation change its culture to one more conducive to change in the strategic direction of the organisation. It is further recommended future organisational change be preceded by explicit and ongoing communication. It is critical managers be fully equipped to handle change management and able to provide strong, inspiring leadership amidst the uncertainties and insecurities that arise when change is implemented.

Fysisk aktivitet, stress och psykosocial arbetsmiljö är viktiga faktorer på och utanför arbetsplatsen. Tidigare forskning har visat att fysisk aktivitet kan påverka den subjektiva stressupplevelsen. En arbetsmiljö präglad av höga krav, för lite kontroll och socialt stöd kan leda till negativa känslor och stress. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka deltagarnas träningsgrad och dess betydelse för upplevelse av allmän stress och fysisk aktivitet. Psykosocial miljö undersöks och sätts i relation till stressupplevelse, anställningstid, ålder och träningsgrad genom multipla regressionsanalyser. Deltagare i undersökningen var 82 anställda, varav 54 kvinnor. Resultaten visade bland annat att träningsgrad har betydelse för den allmänna upplevelsen av stress och fysisk aktivitet. Slutsatsen att psykosocial arbetsmiljö, stress och fysisk aktivitet kan interagera med varandra är av värde att lyfta fram. Detta kan bidra till ökad medvetenhet för organisationer och vara ett hälsofrämjande verktyg för att minska negativt upplevd stress på och utanför arbetsplatsen.

Background- CSR is a highly relevant subject for corporations today, since there is an increased stakeholder demand to report corporate social, economic and environmental performance. CSR may convey numerous benefits for a firm, such as a competitive advantage, increased trust and improved corporate image, as well as many outcomes related to the employee. The automotive industry is facing high external pressures to lower their carbon footprint, and to become more sustainable, consequently, this industry is a suitable context for CSR research.   Purpose- The purpose of this study is to investigate different characteristics of employee’s and their perceptions and expectations of CSR, to find the most important aspects of the phenomena from an employee’s perspective, and thereby, engaging them in a company’s CSR initiatives. By investigating this field, it will be possible for companies to improve their CSR communication and meet the employee’s expectations. An effort will be made to distinguish different types of employees, to find out their main differences in terms of preferences and willingness to engage, and by that, find the most efficient ways to get them involved in CSR activities. These insights could help companies to successfully implement CSR programmes internally throughout their organization.   Method- A mixed method was used to fulfil the purpose of the study. A quantitative online survey was conducted and provided responses from 350 employees at a single automotive company. To acquire deeper insights, qualitative interviews with ten employees and observations as complete observers were used in a complementary manner at the same company.   Results and Conclusion- The main conclusions from the empirical results and theoretical background showed that the willingness to engage in CSR activities might diverge depending on the location and the functional area of the employee. The CSR aspect that the employees perceived as most important was an economic aspect “maintaining a solid financial performance”, followed by “providing product innovations that get ahead of market and customer needs”, and “satisfying customer needs in a measurable way”. The most efficient ways to engage the employees appeared to be mainly through training, community engagement, and accurate communication.   Practical Implications- The findings from this study provides implications and recommendations to both managers and marketers on how to market the CSR programme internally, which aspects of CSR to emphasise and how to get the employees involved. This will consequently strengthen corporation’s CSR programme and thus, benefit the society.   Keywords - CSR, Employee Engagement, Internal Marketing, Stakeholder

Syftet med rapporten är ta reda på vad som motiverar de anställda till kompetensutveckling, genom att titta på teoretisk och praktisk kunskap och motivation i samband med kompetensutveckling. De teoretiska och praktiska perspektivet utgår från begreppen techne, fronesis och episteme. Fokusen i rapporten ligger på inre och yttre motivation och är definierat utifrån Herzberg och Ellströms definition på motivation. Rapporten är av kvalitativ karaktär med intervjuer som undersökningsmetod. Intervjuerna är genomförda på sex medarbetare i en statlig organisation. Resultatet av rapporten visade att de inre faktorerna, som till exempel, den egna personliga utvecklingen gjorde medarbetarna motiverade, medan yttre faktorer som till exempel lön, hade mindre påverkan och att den praktiska kunskapen inom utbildningar är vad som motiverar de anställda mest.

Recent theories of democracy agree in rejecting the 'classical' theory and in giving only a minor place to popular participation. Attempts to defend the 'classical' theory have failed to show that the rejection is unjustified given the empirical evidence of the political apathy of the ordinary man. Chapter 1. The theory of a very influential forerunner of recent theorists, Schumpeter, is discussed. The work of Mayo, Dahl and Sartori, theorists concerned to establish the defining characteristics of democracy, is examined. They agree that the essential feature is the electoral competition of leaders. So long as a certain minimum of the electorate periodically vote nothing further is required of them. Sartori argues that apathy is "nobody's fault". Three theories of stable democracy, complementary to those of the first group of writers, are discussed. Berelson, Almond and Verba, and Eckstein are concerned with the attributes of the citizen and the forms of non-political authority structures required for a stable democratic system. It is argued that all the writers considered adhere to a common theory of democracy: the contemporary theory. The critics of this theory argue a) that despite claims to the contrary, a new normative theory has been produced: b) that the 'classical' theory has been misunderstood. Chapter II. It is argued that although facts and values can be distinguished from each other there is no unbridgeable, logical gulf between tnem; rather a two-way relationship exists and values are 'vulnerable' to facts. Further it is argued that it is not possible for political theorists to use certain key terms, e.g. political equality, in a purely descriptive sense. An evaluative background is needed to make particular interpretations intelligible. The evaluative framework of the contemporary theory of democracy, which includes a model of tne ideal (private) citizen, is discussed. The notion of one 'classical' theory of democracy is shown to be a myth. The contemporary theory descends from 'classical' theorists (e.g. Bentham) who held the sane narrow, protective view of participation. Other 'classical' theorists held a very different view of participation. Chapter III. On the basis of a discussion of the participatory theories of two 'classical' theorists, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and J.S. Mill, and one twentieth century theorist, G.D.H. Cole, it is argued that the significant contribution to democratic theory of the theorists of participation is the recognition of an inter- relationship between the form of, and operation of, political institutions and the attributes of individuals interacting within them. The major hypothesis of these theorists is that participation is educative, in the widest sense of that term. The psychological impact of participation, and the political control it gives to citizens, means that the more men participate the better able they are to do so; the political system becomes self-sustaining. In Mill's and Cole's theories it is argued that if citizens are to participate at national level then they need 'practice' in more familiar spheres. Cole argues that the most important area for such participation is industry, so that industrial authority structures must therefore be democratised. Chapter IV. Despite criticisms of the contemporary theory of democracy no attempt has been made to provide even the beginnings of a modern participatory theory of democracy that retains the essentials of the earlier theories. It is argued that the crucial variable in the political socialisation process is the authority structures of familiar spheres of social life, the most important area being industry. The democratisation of this area makes possible the transformation of the existing political culture. The evaluative framework of a modern participatory theory of democracy is discussed, including its wide definition of the 'political' itself. The theory argues that all men are potentially political animals; what is missing at present is the institutional setting to develop this potentiality. Chapter V. Recent "empirical" democratic theory has ignored the important fact that the existing pattern of political participation is linked to class position. Furthermore, the social and psychological characteristics correlated with low rates of participation are not a random collection of items but form a non-participation syndrome; a syndrome having both cognitive and psychological aspects. The empirical data in The Civic Culture support the argument of the participatory theory that the workplace is crucial for political socialisation. Other important, but neglected, evidence on this point is reviewed. It is argued that the typical social- isatlon process of the working class citizen, culminating, crucially, in socialisation in the workplace, accounts for the psychological aspect of the syndrome. The (inter-related) cognitive aspect of the syndrome is that apathy arises becaude participation in the existing system seems pointless to the ordinary citizen. This aspect of the explanation is supported by a reinterpretation of working class respondents' replies to scales designed to ensure political efficacy, and "authoritarianism" in the sense of commitment to democratic norms. Chapter VI. The available evidence on participation in industry has been neglected by students of political socialisation and democracy. The argument that leisure is now more important than work is shown to be unconvincing. Participation at the lower (shop floor) level and the higher management level must be distinguished. Ihere is a good deal of evidence to show both that the ordinary worker wants more participation at the lower level and that it is feasible. Evidence on experiments with participation at this level, and the collective contract in the mining and automobile industries is reviewed. The arguments of the participatory theory is also supported by experiments with small groups and by the writings of many modern management theorists who argue that lower level participation is essential for real efficiency in the enterprise. Chapter VII. Most definitions of participation in industry are very imprecise, and 'participation' and 'democracy' are often used as synonyms, so that clarification is necessary. Pseudo-participation and two forms of participation (in decision making) are distinguished: partial and full participation. The claim that democracy in industry already exists is rejected. It is shown that it is a mistake to equate 'democracy' and 'participation'. To influence both aspects of the non-participation syndrome higher level participation is required. Three British examples of higher level participation are discussed, at Glacier Metal, John Lewis Partnership, and the Scott Bader Commonwealth. In general this, and other evidence, indicates that workers have little interest in higher level participation. But too hasty a conclusion should not be drawn, as evidence also indicates that the lower level in the enterprise acts as a 'training ground' for the higher, so that a system combining opportunities at both levels would be required for the maximum interest and activity. Chapter VIII. For an example of an attempt to democratize industry over a whole economy one has to turn to the Yugoslav system of workers' self management. One major problem in assessing the system is the role of the Communist League. It is argued that though important this does not completely nullify the self-management structure. Another important factor is the economic reforms of 1965, especially since they have helped to increase the influence of 'experts' within the enterprise and within the workers' council itself.

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.

This study assessed the importance of the first-line supervisor's knowledge of his subordinates' work. The impact of the supervisor's style of leadership served as a basis for comparatively evaluating the importance of the supervisor's knowledge. The criteria variables used were morale and productivity. Supervisors and subordinates representing routine and nonroutine work groups were tested. The routine group was represented by postal clerks and the nonroutine group by computer programmers. All subjects were chosen as a convenience sample and were U.S. Army personnel stationed in West Germany. Test results of seventy-eight subordinates and their supervisors were used in the analysis. The test to measure the job knowledge of postal workers was the only test which had to be specially prepared for this study. Internal consistency reliabilities indicated the test would be appropriate. Supervisors both ranked and rated their subordinates' productivity. Various other standard tests were used. The primary hypothesis of the study was that the first-line supervisor's knowledge of his subordinates' jobs has a greater impact on productivity and morale than the supervisor's leadership style. It was hypothesized that increases in the supervisor's knowledge would have favorable effects. Path analysis was employed as the method of evaluating the hypothesis. The layout of path diagrams reflect various other hypotheses of the researcher. The first path analysis model examined indicated additional variables should be considered. An expanded model indicated that knowledge is likely positively related to productivity though negatively related to morale. That portion of the hypothesis specifying that knowledge would have a greater impact than leadership style could not be justified by the analysis and interpretation of the diagrams. The participative style of leadership appeared to be more positively, causally related to productivity than the supervisor's knowledge.