Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-65).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Social Work) / From the onset of his involvement with social work practice in industry, candidate found himself reflecting upon the position and resulting characteristic functions of social work practitioners within an industrial context. The search for clarity in this regard led to the perusal of reading matter and the consideration of past experiences and encounters. This culminated in a desire to investigate the positioning of industrial social work in order to effect a compromise between the promotion of the objectives of industry viz. financial gain and human resource development. The main research issue or problem of the study, therefore centres around the positioning of industrial social work, and consequently the title of this dissertation is "The positioning of social work in the labour milieu". The purpose of this study is the placement of industrial social work within the context of meaningful work, work environment, influences from within industrial enterprises on man as worker, human resource activities in industrial enterprises, the course of industrial social work in industrial enterprises, the embodiment of social work in industrial enterprises and the provision of guidelines for social workers to position their profession most effectively in industrial enterprises. The study is exploratory-descriptive in nature, since the domain of study (industrial social work) is still being regarded as fairly unfamiliar and relatively less researched as compared to other branches of generic social work. Methodologically viewed, the study, the outcome of which is documented in this dissertation, was undertaken by marshalling practice experience into expertise mainly by interacting it with an eclectic literature study, a conceptual analysis of certain concepts and constructs central to the management of industrial social work, and systematising impressionistic wisdom while collecting information and gaining insight. In addition to the study of literature, information was collected by studying official documents of various industrial enterprises, consultations with various colleagues and attending seminars, courses and workshops, whilst regular consultations with my promotor took place and in the process progressing from an argumentative phase to guidelines for practice. In the study the following main conclusions were drawn: Although only partially, man's work and his work environment offer opportunities and challenges in reply to his quest for a meaningful life. An industrial enterprise co-ordinates the occupational activities of people rendering certain goods and services at specific venues. People, material, machines, means, markets and management, are utilised in the work environment as resources for the production of goods and the rendering of services to industry, its employers and the community. Man as employee is subject to influences from within industrial organisations but also reflects certain distinct characteristics. Organisationally, industrial social work is a manpower managment function, whilst industrial social services usually form part of the enterprise's manpower department. Industrial social work ensures from the corporate social responsibility of industrial enterprises. This responsibility is external (concerning the community in general) and internal (concerning employees and their families). The latter enables employees to contribute optimally to the production process and the realisation of business objectives and in compliance with their individual abilities and potential, to develop in human beings with a commitment to work. The establishing of an industrial social service usually develops from a micro to a macro level, from a peripheric to an integrated component of the enterprise. A typology of composite industrial social work models illustrates this statement in the dissertation. The general aim of industrial social work is to contribute to the realisation of corporate objectives by rendering professional services to employees. The components of the strategic planning of industrial social work are similar to those of any management planning. The study is concluded with guidelines for the positioning of industrial social work in industrial enterprises.

In an era of diminishing public funds, the profession of social work is looking more and more toward the private sector as an arena for social work practice. Social work has had a long-standing interest in the impact of work and the workplace on the individual. This study was developed in response to the lack of documentation of non-work-related services in Oregon's businesses and industries. The research team set out to discover what non-work-related services are available to employees at or through the workplace in the TriCounty area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties) of Oregon. This study was exploratory, similar to one done by Hans Spiegel and colleagues in 1974, through Hunter College in New York City.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present functioning of occupational social work at local governments in the Cape Peninsula. In order to realise this aim, an exploratory study was undertaken. In this study the historical development of occupational social work, internationally as well as in the South African context, was investigated. From the investigation it became apparent that there is a difference in the pattern between the historical development of occupational social work internationally and in the South African context. In South Africa industrialization occurred almost a century later than in the European countries and the development of occupational social work was further hampered by the political system of separate development. The organizational context of occupational social work practice as well as the roles, functions, knowledge and skills of the occupational social worker were discussed. It is essential that the occupational social worker should not only have insight into the structural and functional aspects of organizations, but should also have the know how to apply this knowledge base to promote social work services in the workplace. Although the roles, functions, knowledge and skills of the occupational social worker are relatively similar to those of social workers in other fields of practice, it is also evident that this field requires more specialized skills and knowledge. Attention was given to social work supervision and management in the occupational context and it became apparent that in the occupational context, social work supervision and management are influenced by a variety of organizational factors. Supervision is extremely important to local governments because it provides the opportunity for these organizations to guide the service delivery of the social workers in a scientific and responsible manner. Lastly the structure and functioning of local governments were discussed with specific reference to occupational social work. The emergence of occupational social work at local governments in the Cape Peninsula as well as the Employee Assistance Program policy and the substance dependency treatment policy of local governments were also discussed. An empirical investigation was undertaken after the literature study, in which eight occupational social workers as well as their six managers at local governments in the Cape Peninsula participated. The questionnaire was used as the technique for data collection. On the basis of the conclusion and findings of this study, certain recommendations on the practical implementation of occupational social work policy and the process of supervision for local governments in the Cape Peninsula are made at the end of the report. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die huidige funksionering van bedryfsmaatskaplike werk by plaaslike owerhede in die Kaapse Skiereiland te ondersoek. Om hierdie doel te bereik is 'n verkennende studie onderneem. In die studie is die historiese ontwikkeling van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk internasionaal sowel as in Suid-Afrika ondersoek. Uit die ondersoek blyk dit dat die historiese ontwikkeling van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk internasionaal en in Suid-Afrika, nie dieselfde patroon gevolg het nie. In Suid-Afrika het industrialisasie bykans 'n eeu later as in die Europese lande plaasgevind en is die ontwikkeling van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk verder ook gestrem deur 'n politieke stelsel van afsondering. Die organisatoriese konteks van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk praktyk en die rolle, funksies, kennis en vaardighede van die bedryfs-maatskaplike werker is bespreek. Dit is noodsaaklik dat die bedryfs-maatskaplike werker nie slegs oor insig van die strukturele en funksionele aspekte van organisasies moet beskik nie, maar behoort hy veel eerder te weet hoe om hierdie insig en kennis-basis te benut ten einde maatskaplike werk in die werkomgewing te bevorder. Alhoewel die rolle, funksies, kennis en vaardighede van die bedryfs-maatskaplike werker tot 'n groot mate met maatskaplike werkers in ander velde ooreenstem, is dit ook duidelik dat hierdie veld meer gespesialiseerde vaardighede en kennis verg. Daar is aandag geskenk aan maatskaplike werk supervisie en bestuur in die bedryfsopset en het dit uit die studie duidelik geword dat maatskaplike werk supervisie en bestuur in die bedryfsopset deur verskeie organisatoriese faktore beïnvloed word. Supervisie is van besondere belang vir plaaslike owerhede, aangesien 'n program vir supervisie aan dié organisasies die geleentheid bied om op 'n wetenskaplike, verantwoordbare wyse met die maatskaplike werkers te kommunikeer en kontrole oor hulle dienslewering en doelbereiking uit te oefen. Laastens is die struktuur en funksionering van plaaslike owerhede met spesifieke verwysing na bedryfs-maatskaplike werk bespreek. Die ontstaan van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk by plaaslike owerhede in die Kaapse Skiereiland en plaaslike owerhede se werknemer hulpprogrambeleid en middele-afhanklikheid behandelingsbeleid is ook bespreek. 'n Empiriese ondersoek is na die literatuurstudie onderneem, waraan agt bedryfs-maatskaplike werkers by plaaslike owerhede in die Kaapse Skiereiland sowel as hul ses bestuurders deelgeneem het. Die vraelys is as tegniek van inligtinginsameling gebruik. Gegrond op die gevolgtrekkings en bevindings van hierdie studie, word daar aan die einde van die verslag bepaalde aanbevelings ten opsigte van die praktiese implementering van bedryfs-maatskaplike werk beleid en die proses van supervisie vir plaaslike owerhede in die Kaapse Skiereiland gemaak.

Thesis (M SD)--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [123-131]).

M. Tech. Human Resources Management / It is important to acknowledge that employees need to be physically and mentally healthy in order to be productive, thus boosting the profitability of the organisation. According to resources, employee assistance programmes have the potential of enhancing the profitability of the company by reducing absenteeism, staff turnover, tardiness, accidents and medical claims. The problem statement of this study involves the uncertainty about the perceptions of the employees in the coal mines within the Nkangala region about the outsourced employee assistance programmes. It is only one coal mining company and an Employee Assistance Programmes service provider that granted permission to conduct the research at their organisations. This research project aims to evaluate the perceptions of the employees of the coal mine within the Nkangala region in South Africa, about the outsourced employee assistance programmes. The objectives of the study are to determine if the perceptions of demographic groups differ and also to determine if there are relationships between the theoretically envisaged subscales or dimensions.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (MSD(Social Work Management)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Phil. (Labour relations))-University of Pretoria, 2005. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-118). Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.