The discrimination jurisprudence in South Africa has developed over the previous decade since the promulgation of the interim and final Constitutions. The Employment Equity Act of 1998 also gave impetus to the development of equality jurisprudence with reference to the workplace. In terms of both the Constitution and the Employment Equity Act, unfair discrimination is forbidden. Both the Constitution and Employment Equity Act list specific grounds on which discrimination would be regarded as unfair. Although discrimination on any of the listed grounds would be regarded as automatically unfair, there is realisation that this cannot be an absolute position. The Employment Equity Act makes provision that employers be able to justify discrimination even on the listed grounds where there are justifiable reasons. In terms of the EEA, it is not unfair discrimination to differentiate between employees on the basis of an inherent requirement of the particular job. It is this defence that is considered in the present treatise. The inherent requirements of the job as a defence in unfair discrimination cases is one, which needs to be carefully considered it in fact requires a clear understanding of what constitutes an inherent requirement. It is equally important to understand that although in one instance it may be justifiable to exclude certain employees on the basis of an inherent requirement of the job, a generalisation may give an employer difficulties under certain circumstances. An employer who is faced with a prospective employee who suffers from a particular illness that would make it impossible to do the job, could raise the defence of an inherent requirement of the job. However, the fact that a particular employee has the same illness as the previous one not employed does not give an employer an automatic right to exclude all prospective employees who suffer from the same illness without having had consideration of their circumstances as well as those of their illnesses. The defence of inherent requirements of the job is therefore valid only where the essence of the business would be undermined by employing or not employing people with certain attributes required or not required to do the job.

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Diplomová práce se zabývá navrhnutím Assessment centra pro pozici HR manažera ve vybraném výrobním podniku. V teoretických východiscích práce jsou uvedena témata, která souvisí s cílem diplomové práce. Dále je v práci provedena analýza pracovního místa, aby mohly být vytvořeny vhodné podmínky pro nastavení klíčových kompetencí HR manažera. Tyto klíčové kompetence slouží jako základ pro navrhnutí Assessment centra, které poté může být využito jako efektivní výběrová technika.

Social worker stress and burnout are pervasive problems that harm workers, organizations, and clients. Past research has identified burnout, a psychological response to work stress, as an important predictor of intent to leave and ultimate turnover. An emerging body of research has examined work engagement, considered to be the opposite of burnout, as a predictor of retention. The problem of burnout and turnover within organizations employing social workers has been addressed in the literature for many years. This dissertation responded to a call in the literature for a greater emphasis on burnout prevention and enhancement of workforce engagement and retention. The three goals of the study were: (1) to measure levels of work engagement; (2) to examine the psychometric properties of two new instruments that measure burnout and engagement; and (3) to use the Job Demands-Resources model to test a hypothesized model of the unique relationships between job demands, resources, burnout, engagement and intent to leave. Survey data were collected from 243 public child welfare workers employed with Oregon's Department of Human Services, Children, Adult and Families Division, Service Delivery Area 2 serving Multnomah County. Findings revealed that half of the workers were highly engaged and that engagement explained 18% of the variance of intent to remain employed. An alternative measure of burnout, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, demonstrated good internal consistency, convergent validity with the MBI, and explained 26% of the variance of intent to leave. A series of path analyses indicated support for a partially-mediated model. The findings demonstrate that burnout and engagement mediate the effects that demands and resources have on intent to leave. Supervisor support exerted both direct and indirect effects on intent to leave. The results support the inclusion of work engagement in burnout research, demonstrate the psychometric soundness of two new instruments to measure engagement and burnout, and support the applicability of the Job Demands Resources Model to a sample of social service workers employed in public child welfare. The findings indicate that job demands and resources play an important role in worker intent to leave. Research, education, policy, and practice implications are addressed.

This study investigated the relationships between personality, ability, biographical and sociographical factors on the one hand and criterion measures of job-relevant behaviour on the other. The aim of the study was to isolate success-predicting factors for a Personal Financial Advisor in a South African Bancassurance operation. The research was done by means of a criterion-related concurrent validation study. The sample consisted of 185 advisors with two years or longer sales tenure in the position. Predictor variables included measurement on a 20-dimension competency model, an ability assessment and 17 biographical and sociographical variables related to the position. Criterion variables included production figures and managerial ratings on advisor performance. Meaningful predictors for the success of financial advisors were found for personality, ability, biographical and sociographical variables, and the results confirmed the hypothesised competency model derived from a job analysis. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Human resources are the most important assets of any health system. In recent years it has been increasingly recognised that improving the performance of health personnel should be at the core of any sustainable solution to health system performance. However, it is widely acknowledged that health systems are not producing the desired output of health interventions due to factors such as insufficient skilled and experienced health personnel, demotivated health personnel, lack of management skills, poor working conditions and environment, and inadequate remuneration. This study explores the factors that affect performance of nurses in Namibia with the aim of providing a management framework for improving the performance of professional nurses. The study followed a quantitative research approach using an explorative descriptive design. A survey method using questionnaires was applied. The reaction to the study was positive as a response rate of 75.8% was obtained. Data analysis included identifying and comparing existence or absence of factors using the SSPS package. The target population included all professional nurses in Oshana, Otjozondjupa and Khomas regions. Baseline results revealed various factors which affect performance. The study revealed that hospitals currently have deficiencies in human resource management aspects such as recognition of employees who perform well, working conditions, implementation of performance appraisal systems, feedback on performance outcomes and management skills. These aspects are strongly associated with level of performance of health personnel. Based on the results, a management framework was proposed. The framework consists of activities for enhancing the nursing profession; strengthening knowledge and expertise, including management skills; improving performance; and generating knowledge through research. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.(Health Studies)

Recruitment consultants today are faced with considerable stress and challenges as a result of their work. They must cope effectively with these challenges in order to deliver effective job performance, which is crucial to an organisation’s survival. In this study the relationship between sense of coherence, self-efficacy and job performance amongst recruitment consultants was investigated. The Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Generalised Self-efficacy Scale and a job performance measure comprising key performance indicators were used. The study was conducted with 99 recruitment consultants at a national recruitment organisation in South Africa. While a theoretical relationship was determined, this was not supported by the empirical investigation. Relationships did, however, emerge for the comprehensibility component of sense of coherence to job performance total and for two of its dimensions (namely customer service and productivity). A regression model, comprising comprehensibility and meaningfulness, emerged as a significant predictor of total job performance. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Comm.(Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Technology Degree in Library and Information Studies in the Department of Information and Corporate Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2008. / This study investigated the job functions of university and university of technology graduates and diplomates in the staff structures of special libraries and engineering firms in KwaZulu-Natal. The objective of the study was to draw on possible trends and best practices in the latter for the Library and Information Services (LIS) work environment, as engineering like LIS draws its personnel from both traditional universities and universities of technology (UoT). Hence, the main target population for the study was university and UoT graduates and diplomates in special libraries and engineering firms in KZN. Graduates and diplomates were chosen for inclusion in the study using a census because of the smallness of the staff complements in these organizations. Two sets of self-administered questionnaires were distributed, one to graduates/diplomates and the other to employers in the selected organizations. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Findings of the study revealed inconsistencies with the National Diploma: Library and Information Studies (ND: LIS) where these diplomates occupy paraprofessional as well as professional positions in special libraries whilst engineering graduates and diplomates tend to occupy job titles according to their highest academic qualifications. In both special libraries as well as in the engineering environment there is much task overlap and downshifting of job functions between paraprofessional and professional university and UoT graduates and diplomates. This study has revealed a valuable best practice from the engineering discipline for the LIS profession, which is that of professional registration. Professional registration of engineering staff with the Engineering Council of South Africa is a statutory requirement in the engineering profession and allows for the growth and development of those in the profession. It is recommended that the LIS profession, and the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) specifically, investigate a mechanism for professional registration of library and information workers.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of professional behaviour is one of the core components of occupational therapy education. The assessment of professional behaviour poses a problem as the constructs and expectations are not clearly defined; this results in compromised inter-rater reliability. The purpose of the study was to investigate assessors’ understanding of the constructs and the expectations deployed during the assessment of professional behaviour of third and fourth year occupational therapy students during clinical practice. A case study design was used in the qualitative study. Clinical supervisors were involved in: (1) a focus group interview to scrutinise the usefulness of the current assessment instrument and (2) a participatory discussion to determine their understanding of the constructs of professional behaviour and the level of expectations to be set for third and fourth year students respectively. This study confirms that the development of effective assessment of professional behaviour entails a number of pivotal steps that include developing a shared definition of the constructs thereof and the expectations at different levels of undergraduate training, the refinement of the assessment instrument and training of assessors in the use of this assessment instrument. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van professionele gedrag is een van die kern komponente in arbeidsterapie opleiding. Die assessering daarvan bied egter uitdagings aangesien die konstrukte en verwagtings nie duidelik gedefinieer is nie; dit het gekompromiteerde geldigheid en betroubaarheid tot gevolg aangesien verskillende assessore die professionele gedrag van studente verskillend assesseer. Hierdie studie het die ondersoek van kliniese toesighouers se begrip van die konstrukte en hul verwagtings tydens die assessering van professionele gedrag van derde- en vierdejaar arbeidsterapiestudente tydens kliniese prakties ten doel gehad. ‘n Gevallestudie ontwerp het die basis van ‘n kwalitatiewe ondersoek gevorm. Kliniese toesighouers is betrek in: (1) ‘n fokusgroeponderhoud om die bruikbaarheid en gebruikersvriendelikheid van die huidige assesseringsinstrument te bepaal; en (2) ‘n deelnemende groepbespreking om hul begrip van die konstrukte van professionele gedrag en die verwagte vlakke van funksionering vir onderskeidelik derde- en vierdejaar studente te ondersoek. Hierdie studie bevestig dat die ontwikkeling van effektiewe assessering van professionele gedrag ‘n aantal essensiële stappe behels. Hierdie stappe sluit die ontwikkeling van ‘n gedeelde definisie van die konstrukte en verwagtinge van professionele gedrag in, asook die verskil in verwagtinge op die onderskeie vlakke van voorgraadse opleiding, die verfyning van die bestaande assesseringsinstrument en die opleiding van assessore in die gebruik daarvan.