Globally competitive businesses have gone through a lot of change over the last few years, even decades. Organisations need to keep abreast with what is happening around them in order for them to reach their strategic targets. Over the past few years, many organisations realised that their most valuable assets are their employees and the knowledge that they possess. The main key to retaining employees is nested in a positive employment relationship. Current organisations, and more specifically mining organisations, are encountering great difficulty in maintaining a positive relationship with their employees; the numerous strikes bearing testimony to this. Some of these strikes lasted for long periods and one even ended in lives being lost. These days, many mining companies find themselves in escalating financial turmoil, due to human capital problems resulting in labour unrest and subsequent inoperativeness. Therefore, establishing and maintaining a positive employment relationship is of cardinal importance in recruiting and retaining quality employees who will give the organisation a competitive edge. One factor that contributes greatly to a positive employment relationship which is conducive towards promoting positive individual and organisational outcomes is the psychological contract. Fulfilment of the psychological contract where employers offer employees opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and a supportive work environment will lead to employees experiencing job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and propensity to remain with the organisation. Violation of the psychological contract, however, will lead to discontent, resulting in increased turnover propensity. The way in which employees perceive their own employability might also have an effect on their decision whether or not to stay with the organisation that has violated their psychological contracts. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the psychological contract and employability in a mining organisation and to determine the outcomes thereof. A quantitative approach was used to gather data. The questionnaires were distributed to employees (N = 205) across all levels within a mining organisation. The measuring instruments used were the Psychological Contract Inventory, Violations of Psychological Contract Questionnaire, Employability Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Results in Article 1 (Chapter 2) showed that job satisfaction displayed a strong, positive relationship with psychological contract fulfilment and with organisational citizenship behaviour. Job dissatisfaction impacted turnover intention negatively. Furthermore, psychological contract fulfilment had an indirect positive impact on low turnover intention and organisational citizenship behaviour via job satisfaction. Article 2 (Chapter 3) showed that external employability displayed a strong, positive relationship with internal employability; whereas psychological contract violation had a significant positive relationship with turnover intention. It was further found that external employability moderated the relationship between psychological contract violation and turnover intention. / MCom (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

This Bachelor thesis is about digital tools for event organisers. The platforms offered by companies serve as digital backchannels that among other things facilitate interactions between audience and stage, for example during live Q&A sessions. This work focuses on the tasks and challenges of moderators on site and aims to develop a system that will optimise their workflows. Therefore, a tool is developed that allows moderators to conduct a Q&A session independently without having to rely on the assistance of an event organiser operating a desktop based platform simultaneously. The analysis addresses the moderator's role and tasks. It turns out that the functions of the platform relevant to the moderator can be combined in a mobile interface that is linked to it. Using a semi- structured expert interview, the feedback from clients of the start-up "Happenn" is gathered, which use the already existing platform of the company. Their platform "Happenn Live" serves as case study for this thesis. On the basis of the findings of the methods adapted to Lean UX, a solution approach in the form of a redesign of the platform and a corresponding mobile application for moderators is conceptualised. The structure and visual design of the platform follows the general design standards for desktop- and mobile-based interfaces. In this way, an improved usability can be achieved by making the platform more user-friendly for the user.

Esta dissertação se dedica ao estudo dos processos comunicacionais mediados pelo tutor a distância junto a cursos oferecidos na modalidade de EAD, por meio de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, que fazem uso de várias ferramentas digitais de comunicação, tendo como principal objetivo verificar se esse agente educacional pode ser chamado de educomunicador. Partimos da revisão de duas teorias emergentes da EAD surgidas em países como Canadá, Estados Unidos e Reino Unido que fundamentam e consolidam as práticas voltadas ao estabelecimento da comunicação dialógica dentro desses espaços virtuais, práticas essas edificadas na adoção de processos ligados à gestão da comunicação e que são desenvolvidas por esse tutor a distância, para que pudéssemos mapear indicadores que fossem comuns também às práticas educomunicativas. Valemo-nos também da análise de estudos sobre programas de EAD já implementados na França e na Austrália, que têm esse tutor a distância como um dos pilares dessa modalidade de ensino. A possibilidade de aproximação da EAD com a Educomunicação nas práticas desse agente educacional foi verificada a partir da realização de um estudo de caso como pesquisa de campo junto ao programa FGV Online. Uma das conclusões foi que esse tutor a distância ou professor tutor, como denominado pela referida instituição, pode ser chamado de educomunicador, posto que houve a identificação de atividades voltadas à comunicação dialógica e ao estímulo do protagonismo dos alunos conjuntamente com esses educadores virtuais, enfatizando que se observou a ocorrência desse contexto por conta da opção de abordagem metodológica focada em tais práticas pelo programa de EAD da instituição e quando há uma formação prévia desse agente educacional sobre as práticas educomunicativas voltadas à gestão da comunicação e à formação de ecossistemas comunicativos. / This dissertation is dedicated to the study of communication processes mediated by the e-moderator at distance education courses, through virtual learning environments that use various digital communication tools, to verify if this agent might be called educommunicator (educomunicador). We developed a review of some key recent theories of Distance Education emerged in countries like Canada, USA and UK, along these last 20-30 years, which underpin and consolidate practices of dialogical communication in these virtual spaces, built in processes linked to communication management, which are developed by the e-mentoring, so we could map indicators which were also common to the new educommunication practices. We have also analysed studies on distance education programs already implemented in France and Australia, that have this e-mentoring as one of the pillars of this context. In order to verify the possibility of rapprochement between Distance Education and Educommunication based on the practices of that education agent, we adopted the method of case study in conducting our field research near FGV Online Program. One of the conclusions reached was that the e-moderator may be called educomunicador according to dialogic communication and leadership traits of the students along with this virtual environments, since the program of distance education institution adopts the use of such practices and this agent attends a previous course on specific communicative practices focused on communication management and training of communication ecosystems.

Alors que jusqu'à présent les recherches sur la RSE se sont principalement situées à un niveau macroéconomique, s'intéresser aux conséquences de ces politiques sur les employés (la micro RSE) représente une approche novatrice (Rupp et al., 2006). En effet, les employés sont le noyau fonctionnel dans la réussite de la politique de RSE. Ils sont susceptibles d'évaluer et de réagir aux activités de RSE. Pour cela, la RSE peut être envisagée sous l'angle des théories de la justice organisationnelle (Rupp, 2011) afin d’explorer la nature de ces évaluations et de ces réactions. Plus particulièrement, grâce aux recherches sur la justice envers des tiers (DeCremer et van Hiel, 2006, Skarlicki et Kulik, 2005), il est possible d'étudier les perceptions des employés de la politique de leur entreprise envers les parties prenantes externes. Les employés peuvent ainsi juger la justice distributive, procédurale et interactionnelle de leur entreprise (Colquitt et al., 2001).L'objet de cette thèse est précisément d'étudier les conséquences des perceptions de justice envers les parties prenantes externes sur les attitudes et comportements des employés, notamment l'engagement organisationnel. Il est également important de comprendre les mécanismes sous-jacents qui lient perception de justice des employés et leurs réactions attitudinales et comportementales car chaque employé est unique dans ses propres réactions psychologiques. Nous proposons ainsi d’intégrer la justice déontique avec d’autres mécanismes psychologiques en médiation ou en modération pour mieux expliquer l’engagement organisationnel. / While research on CSR has so far been largely developed at the macro level, looking at the impact of these policies on employees (individual level of analysis or micro CSR) is an innovative approach (Rupp et al., 2006). Indeed, the employees are the functional core in the success of the CSR policy. They are more likely to evaluate and react to CSR activities. CSR can be considered from the perspective of organizational justice theories (Rupp, 2011). In particular, through third-party justice research (DeCremer and van Hiel, 2006, Skarlicki and Kulik, 2005), it is possible to examine employees' perceptions of their organization's policy towards external stakeholders. Employees can judge the distributive, procedural and interactional justice of their organization (Colquitt et al., 2001).The purpose of this thesis is precisely to study the consequences of justice perceptions towards external stakeholders on employee attitudes and behaviors, including organizational commitment. It is also important to understand the mechanisms that link employees' perception of justice with their attitudinal and behavioral responses because each employee is unique in his own psychological reactions. We propose to integrate the deontic justice with other psychological mechanisms in mediation or moderation to better explain organizational commitment.

Given that public television is involved in the public and political life of our society, we believe that it should be necessary to study the debating skills of moderators and especially their role in stimulating public discussion. We explored the role of the moderator, socio-professional aspects of the profession, with emphasis on the study of verbal expression and specific speech acts, which are used in specific discourse. The aim of the study of the public television moderator's communication strategies is to focus on language skills, competences and facilities in terms of moderators defending the public interest - start from the Act on Czech Television and Czech Television Codex. We focused on specific techniques and strategies of the moderator's discourse. We investigated how the induction of the host achieves cooperation and clarity in communication, as well as how the moderator achieves a minimum of manipulative or persuasive communication. Moderators should in particular avoid any signs of manipulative or persuasive rhetoric, and they should be able to recognise this. For this they may use the entire system of the language and all types of speech acts.

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti IX-XI klasių mokinių asmenybės bruožų ir motyvacinės orientacijos sąsajas su kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliais. Tyrime dalyvavo 199 Kauno Antano Smetonos vidurinės mokyklos ir Neveronių vidurinės mokyklos IX-XI klasių mokiniai (berniukai ir mergaitės). Tyrime buvo naudojamas F. E. Williams Kūrybiškumo įvertinimo testas (angl., The Creativity Assessment Packet), R. R. McCrae ir P. T. Costos Asmenybės bruožų klausimynas (angl., BIG5) ir T. M. Amabile, K. G. Hill, B. A. Hennessey, E. M. Tighe Motyvacijos skalė (angl., Work Preference Inventory (Student Form)). Tyrimo duomenų analizė parodė, jog didėjant mokinių atvirumo patyrimui rodikliams, didėja jų kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliai – originalumas, išbaigtumas, pavadinimas. Didėjant mokinių ekstraversijos ir neurotiškumo rodikliams, didėja vienas kūrybinio mąstymo rodiklis pavadinimas. Tuo tarpu 2 mokinių asmenybės bruožai: sutariamumas bei sąmoningumas nėra susiję nei su vienu kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliu. Darbe patvirtinta prielaida, jog didėjant mokinių vidinei motyvacijai veikti, didėja jų kūrybinio mąstymo rodikliai – originalumas, išbaigtumas, pavadinimas. O didėjant mokinių išorinės motyvacijos pripažinimo subskalei, mažėja vienas iš kūrybinio mąstymo rodiklių - išbaigtumas. Taip pat iš tyrimo rezultatų matyti, kad vidinė motyvacija veikti veikia, kaip mediatorius, kūrybinio mąstymo ir 3 asmenybės bruožų - atvirumo patyrimui, ekstraversijos ir sąmoningumo - ryšyje. Tačiau išorinė motyvacija nėra asmenybės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study was to assess relationship among students personality Traits, Motivational Orientations and indicators of Creative Thinking in IX through XI grades. 199 students from IX-XI grades in Kaunas Antanas Smetona and Neveronys secondary schools participated in the study. F. E. Williams The Creativity Assessment Packet was used to measure indicators of Creative Thinking. R. R. McCrae and P. T. Costos BIG5 Questionnaire was used for personality traits evaluation. T. M. Amabile, K. G. Hill, B. A. Hennessey, E. M. Tighe Work Preference Inventory (Student Form) was used to measure motivational orientation. The statistic analysis showed that Creative Thinking indicators originality, elaboration and title increase when students openness to experience indexes grow. When students extraversion and neuroticism increase, their indicator for Creative Thinking - title - grows. Student Personalily Traits: agreeableness and conscientiousness are not related to any indicator of Creative Thinking. An assumption that when students intrinsic motivation to work increases, indicators originality, elaboration, title of Creative Thinking go up, was sustained. And when the outward scale of extrinsic motivation increases, students indicator for elaboration decreases. The results showed that intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between Creative Thinking and openness to experience, Creative Thinking and extraversion, Creative Thinking and conscientiousness. But extrinsic... [to full text]

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Emergency work is considered to be one of the most demanding occupations with significant social, physical and psychological consequences for the well-being of the emergency worker. Burnout, as well as its antithesis, work engagement, are two possible transactional outcomes impacting on the well-being of the emergency worker. Measurement of burnout and work engagement requires valid, reliable and culturally fair measuring instruments. However, research on burnout and work engagement in South Africa are characterised by poorly designed studies, a lack of sophisticated statistical analyses and poorly controlled studies. Furthermore, research paucity in terms of burnout and work engagement seems to prevail in the multicultural South African emergency worker context. A lack of norms for the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) makes the identification of burnout and engagement in the emergency services difficult. Consequently, investigating the reliability, validity, equivalence and bias would result in the standardisation of the MBI-HSS and the UWES, suitable for use in the multicultural emergency work setting. Amongst the factors that could play a role in the prevalence of burnout and work engagement are stress because of the demands of a job, a lack of job resources, as well as dispositional variables such as affect and situational variables, such as coping strategies. The operationalisation of occupational stress for emergency workers as well as information in terms of the standardisation of measurement of coping strategies for emergency workers in the South African context are lacking in the literature. The objectives of this research were to standardise the MBI-HSS, UWES and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) and to develop a valid and reliable occupational stress measure for emergency workers in South Africa. Another objective of the current study was to develop and test a causal model of burnout and work engagement of emergency workers, including occupational stress, coping strategies and affect. Finally, moderating effects of coping strategies and affect with regards to burnout and work engagement were tested for. The research method was by means of five separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. An accidental sample of emergency workers in Gauteng (N = 405) was used. The MBI-HSS, UWES, Emergency Worker Stress Inventory (EWSI), COPE, Affectometer 2 (AFM) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlations, principal component factor extraction, exploratory factor analysis with target rotations, canonical analysis, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used. Structural equation modelling confirmed 3-factor models of burnout (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment) as well as work engagement (Vigour, Dedication and Absorption). Internal consistency for the MBI-HSS and UWES was confirmed. Construct inequivalence was found for the Nguni group but not for the Afrikaans, English and Sotho groups. Item bias analysis revealed evidence of both uniform and no uniform bias for some items of the MBI-HSS, while no uniform bias was found for the UWES. In terms of the EWSI, a 3-factor structure was obtained by means of principal factor extraction with varimax rotation, namely lack of resources, job demands and inherent emergency work stressors. Principal factor extraction on the COPE revealed four factors, namely problem-focused coping, seeking social support, passive coping and turning to religion. Both the EWSI and COPE were found to be internally consistent. Construct equivalence was obtained for the Afrikaans, English and Sotho groups, but not for the Nguni group. Evidence of uniform bias was found for the EWSI, whereas no uniform bias was found for the COPE. Structural equation analysis showed that the lack of resources predicted the core of burnout, namely emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. Problem-focused coping predicted personal accomplishment, while positive affect predicted emotional exhaustion. Work engagement was related to low burnout scores. Depersonalisation was associated with work engagement. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.

Emergency work is considered to be one of the most demanding occupations with significant social, physical and psychological consequences for the well-being of the emergency worker. Burnout, as well as its antithesis, work engagement, are two possible transactional outcomes impacting on the well-being of the emergency worker. Measurement of burnout and work engagement requires valid, reliable and culturally fair measuring instruments. However, research on burnout and work engagement in South Africa are characterised by poorly designed studies, a lack of sophisticated statistical analyses and poorly controlled studies. Furthermore, research paucity in terms of burnout and work engagement seems to prevail in the multicultural South African emergency worker context. A lack of norms for the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) makes the identification of burnout and engagement in the emergency services difficult. Consequently, investigating the reliability, validity, equivalence and bias would result in the standardisation of the MBI-HSS and the UWES, suitable for use in the multicultural emergency work setting. Amongst the factors that could play a role in the prevalence of burnout and work engagement are stress because of the demands of a job, a lack of job resources, as well as dispositional variables such as affect and situational variables, such as coping strategies. The operationalisation of occupational stress for emergency workers as well as information in terms of the standardisation of measurement of coping strategies for emergency workers in the South African context are lacking in the literature. The objectives of this research were to standardise the MBI-HSS, UWES and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) and to develop a valid and reliable occupational stress measure for emergency workers in South Africa. Another objective of the current study was to develop and test a causal model of burnout and work engagement of emergency workers, including occupational stress, coping strategies and affect. Finally, moderating effects of coping strategies and affect with regards to burnout and work engagement were tested for. The research method was by means of five separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. An accidental sample of emergency workers in Gauteng (N = 405) was used. The MBI-HSS, UWES, Emergency Worker Stress Inventory (EWSI), COPE, Affectometer 2 (AFM) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlations, principal component factor extraction, exploratory factor analysis with target rotations, canonical analysis, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used. Structural equation modelling confirmed 3-factor models of burnout (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment) as well as work engagement (Vigour, Dedication and Absorption). Internal consistency for the MBI-HSS and UWES was confirmed. Construct inequivalence was found for the Nguni group but not for the Afrikaans, English and Sotho groups. Item bias analysis revealed evidence of both uniform and no uniform bias for some items of the MBI-HSS, while no uniform bias was found for the UWES. In terms of the EWSI, a 3-factor structure was obtained by means of principal factor extraction with varimax rotation, namely lack of resources, job demands and inherent emergency work stressors. Principal factor extraction on the COPE revealed four factors, namely problem-focused coping, seeking social support, passive coping and turning to religion. Both the EWSI and COPE were found to be internally consistent. Construct equivalence was obtained for the Afrikaans, English and Sotho groups, but not for the Nguni group. Evidence of uniform bias was found for the EWSI, whereas no uniform bias was found for the COPE. Structural equation analysis showed that the lack of resources predicted the core of burnout, namely emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. Problem-focused coping predicted personal accomplishment, while positive affect predicted emotional exhaustion. Work engagement was related to low burnout scores. Depersonalisation was associated with work engagement. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.