A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1997 / While employee participation has existed in various forms since the late 19th century, the thinking behind terms like 'participative management' and 'stakeholding' began to take root after the second world war in some companies in the major industrial nations ...[No abstract provided. Information taken from first chapter] / MT2017

The use of performance appraisal systems for employees is far from new. It has been recognised that performance has to be managed in order for the organisation or government department to meet its goal effectively. The main objective of this system is to ensure that all employees or jobholders know and understand what is expected of them. It also includes managing poor or unacceptable performance by giving guidance where needed, while still recognising and awarding outstanding performance. However, do employees have a clear understanding of and information about the system and do they real benefit from the system? The researcher conducted this study in order to explore the perceptions of employees with regard to the effectiveness of the performance appraisal system within the Department of Social Development in two districts. Its aim was to make recommendations for improving the system in relation to the most important themes or aspects that the employees (appraisers and appraisees) have highlighted. The proposed research project adopted a qualitative research approach and was exploratory in nature. A multiple case study research design was used. Participants consisted of employees of the Department of Social Development from two districts in the Free State who are appraisers and appraisees. Purposive sampling, which is a type of non-probability sampling, was used to select appraisers, while convenience sampling was used to select appraisees. A semi-structured interview schedule was used in one-to-one interviews to explore issues and gather information. The main findings of the study are that Social Development employees understand the importance of implementing a performance appraisal system in the workplace. They revealed that they still want the system to continue in the Department. However, their main concern is the practical implementation of the system, and they reported that it needs to be improved. They have suggested many areas that need to be improved in order for the system to be more effective and to achieve its main purpose within the Department.

Lam Pik Ki. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-80). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; questionnaire in Chinese.

Ho Ching-sze. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-52). / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

The complexity of the business environment requires organisations to employ leaders with strong managerial skills. The leaders need to face all challenges in the business unit to ensure efficient productivity and business efficiency. The research problem is instability in management due to many changes in leadership positions, which then emphasises the need for business to assess leadership effectiveness. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the leadership effectiveness of the senior management of the business unit.

Employee retention of an organization's most talented and skilled employees is vital to success. A lack of managerial strategies for motivating teams and a lack of understanding employees' needs adds to an increased rate of employee turnover in banking organizations. Some bank managers do not possess the abilities and strategies required to reduce employee turnover. Grounded by the motivation-hygiene theory; the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore successful strategies some bank managers used to reduce employee turnover. The population consisted of 5 banking managers in 3 banking organizations located in Toronto GTA, Ontario Canada in which successful retention strategies have been implemented in the last 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews and employee handbooks. Member checking aided to assure the credibility of the analysis and interpretations. Data were analyzed by using coding techniques to identify keywords, phrases, and concepts. The process led to the following 4 themes: (a) the motivational effect to retain bank employees, (b) management traits to retain bank employees, (c) effective strategies to retain bank employees, and (d) trends shaping future retention of bank employees. The implications for social change include the potential to reduce turnover by improving the employee work experience and retaining talent by building a positive work environment and a positive customer experience.

Employee turnover is a significant contributor to the overall loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in profitability for many business organizations in the United States and abroad combined. Grounded in Maslow's theory of human motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee wages, number of employee referrals, and employee turnover intentions. The population was composed of employees working in the Southeastern region of the United States. A convenience sample of 92 participants answered questions regarding their wages, number of employee referrals, and completed the Turnover Intention Scale. Results of the multiple regression analysis indicated the model as a whole was able to significantly predict turnover intentions, F(2, 89) = 5.462, p = .006, R2 = .109. Within the final model, employee wages was a statistically significant predictor (t=-2.769, p=.007) and the number of employee referrals was not a statistically significant predictor (t=-1.712, p=.090). The knowledge gained from the findings in this study could have implications for social change among employees and consumers in society. Satisfied employees in low turnover work environments can provide the foundation for a more enjoyable customer experience. Both non-profit and for-profit organizations can implement business practices that will reduce turnover and increase job satisfaction among employees.

This research investigated employees' perceptions as 'recipients' of change. It did so by seeking to understand and represent their views regarding what influences effective change processes. The significance of this research was the focus on employee perceptions and not those of management. It was research conducted at a grass-roots level seeking to provide a voice for those least often heard or asked. The research was conducted using participants from two case study organisations in the local government sector of Western Australia employing approximately 200 staff each. Both organisations were metropolitan and had been experiencing change within their organisations for some time. Within this research it is recognised that the phenomenon of organisational change is by no means new. Since the early 1970s literature has emerged proposing that our world and the world of work, both internally and externally, are about to change. Management books and the history of management and organisational life have been filled for years with issues relating to change. These include changing management practices, new techniques for achieving change and dealing with threats of what nonchange may bring. As the research was seeking to interpret respondents' meaning relating to the phenomenon of organisational change, it was not concerned with quantification, but with understanding the phenomenon from the viewpoint of those experiencing the change. This research was based on the belief that human behaviour, unlike that of physical objects, cannot be understood without reference to the meanings and purposes attached by the human actors to their activities. The ontological assumption of a socially constructed reality underpinned this study. The realities experienced were those as interpreted by employees. The epistemological assumption was that of interpretivism. / The realities experienced by respondents were subjective and, accordingly, the research's findings were literally created as the investigation proceeded. The methodological assumption was of a qualitative framework for understanding how change impacts on employees. Both the researcher and the employees under investigation therefore interacted in the process of meaning construction and clarification. The constructivist paradigm was therefore adopted as it emphasises a qualitative methodological approach. It was supported by theories of symbolic interactionism and phenomenology, which focus on the interpretation of the meaning of the employees' experiences within the phenomenon of organisational change. Grounded theory principles were used within the constructivist paradigm to provide a framework for ensuring that data analysis remained interpretative and that all emergent categories earned their place through the practices of constant comparison, not the preconceptions of the researcher. To further enhance this method, a triangulated approach to data sources and data collection methods for analysis included documentation, change manager interviews, and the primary sources of focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews with employees. The findings are represented in a model identifying strategic efficiencies, organisational unity, skills and capabilities, humanistic application and relationship maintenance as the major factors as perceived by employees as influencing effective change. It presents both the what and the how of change as perceived by employees; i.e. what needs to be done and how. / The model presented within this research is recognised as a tentative model dependent on further investigation and study. It provides a useful perception of what employees believe would create effective organisational change, and it demands close and careful consideration by strategists and practitioners. The model is unique in its structure and representative in regard to its information source.

Despite the large number of studies of organisation culture, there are still gaps in the current literature, in particular concerning the way in which culture is defined, how values are disseminated and reinforced, and how employees contribute to culture change. This thesis examines these gaps via research carried out in two local councils in New South Wales, namely Wollondilly and Wingecarribee Shire Councils, specifically focusing on their tourism departments. The research reports on the following: how organisation culture is defined and shaped in an organisation; the values of an organisation and how they are disseminated and reinforced on a day-to-day basis; and, the contribution employees make to culture change. Moreover, the thesis will examine the organisational members own definition of culture as a way of examining some of the definitions in the literature. The data for this study comprises interviews, questionnaires, surveys, personal observation and secondary sources. The study demonstrates council staff’s views on culture, and how culture is defined by, and embedded in, an organisation. Through examining the organisation members’ own views of culture, values and their participation, the thesis aims to contribute to the literature on organisation culture by more closely aligning definitions from the literature with empirical data from case studies of organisations / Masters in Commerce (Honours)

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 57 p. Includes bibliographical references.