Abstract in English with Afrikaans and SeSotho translations / Employee engagement is a phenomenon that has gained increasingly more attention in organisational communication studies and also in the postmodern organisational context. In the postmodern organisational environment, employee engagement focuses more on building relationships with employees than on individual performance. However, the value of internal communication practices to enhance employee engagement within a postmodern organisation has still not fully been explored. The study thus investigated, in accordance with what the literature suggests, a single case to test which internal communication practices are perceived as strengthening employee engagement within a postmodern organisation. Consequently, the study adopted a mixed method research approach utilising three research methods, namely a survey, a focus group and semi-structured interviews, to establish which internal communication practices the management of the organisation must adopt to strengthen employee engagement. The worldview adopted for this study was both the positivist and interpretivist research paradigms. Findings indicate that because the organisation’s employees’ views are heard, responded to and even form part of the solution, employees become more engaged. In addition, having too many internal communication tools and implementing them without a strategy in place can lead to employees becoming less engaged. Overall, the findings indicate that having a supportive management style, meeting employees’ needs and providing enough opportunities for employees to participate in problem-solving are deemed important for employee engagement. Interestingly, the findings show no correlation between the importance of establishing a good organisational culture and enhancing employee engagement in the organisation. Although the findings cannot be generalised to the larger population, the insight gained could serve as a heuristic for similar organisations to strengthen their employee engagement. / Werknemerbetrokkenheid is ’n verskynsel wat al hoe meer aandag kry in organisatoriese kommunikasiestudies en ook in die postmoderne organisatoriese konteks. In laasgenoemde konteks word daar meer met werknemerbetrokkenheid gefokus op die bou van verhoudings met werknemers as op individuele prestasie. Die waarde van interne kommunikasiepraktyke om werknemerbetrokkenheid binne ’n postmoderne organisasie te bevorder, is nog steeds nie ten volle ondersoek nie. Daar is dus in die studie, in ooreenstemming met wat die literatuur suggereer, ’n enkele gevallestudie ondersoek om te bepaal watter interne kommunikasiepraktyke beskou word as praktyke wat werknemerbetrokkenheid binne ’n postmoderne organisasie bevorder. Gevolglik is daar in die studie ’n gemengdemetode-navorsingsbenadering aangeneem wat drie navorsingsmetodes insluit, naamlik ’n opname, fokusgroep en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, met die doel om vas te stel watter interne kommunikasiepraktyke die bestuur van die organisasie moet aanneem om werknemerbetrokkenheid te bevorder. Die wêreldbeskouing wat vir hierdie studie aangeneem is, is sowel die positivistiese as vertolkende navorsingsparadigmas. Bevindinge dui daarop dat omrede die werknemers van die organisasie se sienings aangehoor word, daarop gereageer word en dit selfs deel van die oplossing uitmaak, werknemers meer betrokke raak. Daarbenewens kan te veel interne kommunikasie-middels en die implementering daarvan sonder ’n strategie daartoe lei dat werknemers minder betrokke raak. Oor die algemeen dui die bevindinge daarop dat ’n ondersteunende bestuurstyl, voldoening aan werknemers se behoeftes en die verskaffing van genoegsame geleenthede vir werknemers om aan probleemoplossing deel te neem, as belangrik geag word vir werknemerbetrokkenheid. Interessant genoeg wys die bevindinge geen korrelasie tussen die belangrikheid daarvan om ’n goeie organisatoriese kultuur te vestig en om werknemerbetrokkenheid in die organisasie te bevorder nie. Hoewel die bevindinge nie veralgemeen kan word om die groter bevolking in te sluit nie, kan die insig wat verkry word as ’n leerproses gebruik word vir soorgelyke organisasies om hulle werknemerbetrokkenheid te bevorder. / Bonkakarolo ba basebetsi ke ntho e hapileng tlhokomelo e eketsehileng dithutong tsa puisano tsa mekgatlo hape le maemong a morao-rao a mekgatlo. Tikolohong ya morao-rao ya mekgatlo, onkakarolo ba basebetsi bo shebana haholo le ho haha dikamano le basebetsi ho fapana le tshebetso ya motho ka mong. Leha ho le jwalo, boleng ba ditlwaelo tsa puisano tsa kahare ba ho ntlafatsa bonkakarolo ba basebetsi kahara mekgatlo ya morao-rao ha bo so ka bo hlahlojwa ka botlalo. Kahoo, phuputso e fupuditse ho latela seo dingodilweng di se supang, tlhahlobisiso e le nngwe ya ho lekola hore na ke mekgwa efe ya puisano ya kahare e nkuwang e matlafatsa bonkakarolo ba asebetsi kahara mokgatlo wa kamora nako ya morao-rao. Ka lebaka leo, phuputso e ile ya sebedisa mokgwa o tswakilweng wa dipatlisiso o sebedisang mekgwa e meraro ya dipatlisiso, e leng phuputso, sehlopha seo ho shebanweng le sona le dipuisano tse batlang di hlophisitswe hantle, ho sheba hore na ke mekgwa efe ya puisano ya kahare eo tsamaiso e lokelang ho e amohela ho matlafatsa bonkakarolo ba asebetsi. Maikutlo a lefatshe a amohetsweng phuputsong ena e ne e le a dipatlisiso a bontshang hore tlhokomelo le lebaka ke mekgwa ya kutlwisiso ya boitshwaro ba batho le a dipatlisiso tsa botoloki. Diphumano di bontsha hore hobane maikutlo a basebetsi ba mokgatlo a utluwa, a arabelwa ebile a etsa karolo ya tharollo, basebetsi ba kakgela ka setotswana le hofeta. Ntle le moo, ho ba le disebediswa tse ngata haholo tsa puisano tsa kahare le ho di kenya tshebetsong ntle le leano ho ka etsa hore basebetsi ba se ke ba sebetsa hantle. Ka kakaretso, diphumano di bontsha hore ho ba le mokgwa wa botsamaisi o tshehetsang, ho fihlela ditlhoko tsa basebetsi le ho fana ka menyetla e lekaneng ho basebetsi ya ho nka karolo tharollong ya mathata ho nkuwa ho le bohlokwa bakeng sa ho nka karolo ha basebetsi. Ho kgahlisang ke hore diphumano ha di bontshe kamano dipakeng tsa bohlokwa ba ho theha setso se hantle sa mokgatlo le ho matlafatsa bonkakarolo ba basebetsi mokgatlong. Leha diphumano e ke ke ya ba tse akaretsang ho batho ba bangata, temohisiso e fumanweng e ka sebetsa e le leano la mekgatlo e tshwanang ho matlafatsa bonkakarolo ba basebetsi ba yona. Mantswe a sehlooho: bonkakarolo ba basebetsi, puisano ya kahare, mekgwa ya puisano ya kahare, puisano ya mokgatlo, tshebediso e nang le sepheo ya puisano / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication Science)

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Southern Sotho / Middle managers are tasked with supporting new initiatives and change, while at the same time experiencing challenges in making sense of the strategic initiative and giving sense to other members of the organisation. This dissonance experienced by middle managers tasked with change informed the topic of the research. The current study explores the strategising of middle managers through sensemaking and sensegiving during a strategic initiative in a single case study within a financial services provider in South Africa. The study seeks to examine the phenomenon through the theoretical lenses of the strategy-as-practice perspective, middle manager perspective and the theory of sensemaking and sensegiving. The study adopted a qualitative-exploratory design which involved collecting data through semi-structured in-depth individual faceto-face interviews. Data was analysed through coding, using thematic analysis and the categorisation and interpretation of common themes. Three main themes emerged from the study which were categorised as middle manager dissonance, middle manager sensemaking and sensegiving actions and middle manager practices in sensemaking and sensegiving. These themes offer insight into middle manager strategising, sensemaking and sensegiving during a new strategic initiative. The study concludes that when the organisation introduced a new strategic initiative middle managers’ knowledge was disturbed. These middle managers experienced various emotions as they were trying to make sense of the changes while giving sense to other members of the organisation. Findings confirmed delays in implementation due to lack of understanding of the change by middle managers. The study also concludes that although middle managers experienced challenges initially, they moved into a task of “selling” the new initiative through sensemaking and sensegiving. Middle managers got involved in various practices such as team discussions and information sharing sessions as they make sense and give sense to other team members. Through this interaction, middle managers aligned others and created common understanding while they influence them through sensegiving. Findings of the current study may offer valuable knowledge to organisations in the financial sector and practitioners tasked with v new strategic initiatives. The study also responds to calls for more research using the strategy-as-practice perspective and the theory of sensemaking and sensegiving. / Abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi banikezwe umsebenzi wokuxhasa imizamo emisha kanye nezinguquko, kanti ngesikhathi esisodwa bahlangabezana nezinselele ekwenzeni imizamo yamasu ukuthi izwakale kwamanye amalungu enhlangano. Le nkinga ihlangabezana nabaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi abanikezwe umsebenzi wezinguquko ezinomthelela kwisihloko socwaningo. Isifundo socwaningo siphenyisisa ukusetshenziswa kwamasu ngabaphathi abasesigabeni esimaphakathi ngokuveza umbono ozwakalayo kanye nokunikeza umbono ozwakalayo ngesikhathi kunohlelo lwemizamo yamasu kwisibonelo esisodwa ngaphakathi kwezinhlangano ezihlinzekana ngezimali eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningo lunqume ukubukisisa lolu daba ngamehlo omqondo wengqubo yamasu, ngomqondo wabaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi kanye nethiyori yokwenza umqondo uzwakale kanye neyokunikeza umqondo. Uhlelo lwedizayini ehlolisisayo (qualitative-exploratory design) lwamuke lwa, kanti lona lwaluxuba ukuqoqwa kwedatha ngokusebenzisa indlela embaxambili ejulile yenhlolovo yokuxoxisana kwabantu ubuso nobuso. Idatha yahlaziywa ngokuphawula, ngokusebenzisa izindlela zokuchaza indikimba kanye nokwehlukanisa izindikimba kanye nokuchaza izindikimba ezejwayelekile. Kuye kwavela izindikimba ezisemqoka ezintathu ngaphakathi kocwaningo, okuyizindikimba ezehlukaniswe njengokungavumelani kwesigaba sabaphathi esimaphakathi, izenzo zabaphathi abasesigabeni esimaphakathi ezinomqondo ozwakalayo kanye nezinikeza umqondo. Lezi zindikimba zinikeza ulwazi olungaphakathi mayelana nohlelo lokuphatha lwesigaba esimaphakathi ekuhleleni amasu, umqondo ozwakalayo kanye nokunikeza umqondo ngesikhathi sokuhlela amasu amasha. Isifundo socwaningo siye saphetha ngokuthi uma inhlangano yethula isu elisha, ulwazi lwabaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi luyaphazamiseka. Laba baphathi besigaba esimaphakathi bahlangabezana nemizwa eyahlukahlukene ngesikhathi bezama ukwenza izinguquko ukuba zibe nomqondo ozwakalayo kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi lezi zinguquko zinikeze amanye amalungu enhlangano umbono ozwakalayo. Ulwazi olutholakele luyaqinisekisa ukuthi kuye kwabakhona ukubambezeleka ekusetshenzisweni kohlelo ngenxa yokuthi abaphathi besigaba esimaphakathi abazwisisanga izinguquko. Ucwaningo futhi luye lwaphetha ngokuthiyize abaphathi besigaba esiphakathi behlangabezene nezingqinamba ekuqaleni, kodwa bangene emsebenzini “wokuthengisa” imizamo emisha ngokukwenza izinguquko zizwakale futhi zilethe umqondo ozwakalayo. Abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi baye babandakanyeka ezenzweni ezahlukahlukene ezinjengezingxoxo zeqembu kanye nezithangameni zokwabelana ngolwazi njengoba benza umqondo ozwakalayo futhi bebenikeza umqondo ozwakalayo kwamanye amalungu eqembu. Ngalokhu kuhlangana, abaphathi abasesigabeni esiphakathi bahlanganisa abanye futhi bakhe ulwazi olufanayo njengoba bebaguqula ngohlelo lokunikezwa kolwazi. Ulwazi olutholakele locwaningo lwamanje lunganikeza ulwazi olubalulekile kwinhlangano emkhakheni wezezimali kanti nabasebenzi ngezimali banikezwe umsebenzi wokucabanga eminye imizamo yamasu amasha. Ucwaningo nalo luphendula ngokucela ukuthi kwenziwe ucwaningo oluningi ngokusebenzisa umqondo wamasu njengezingqubo kanye nethiyoriyokwenza umqondo ozwakalayo nokunikeza umqondo ozwakalayo. / Batsamaisi ba bohareng ba filwe mosebetsi wa ho tshehetsa merero e metjha le phetoho, empa ba ntse ba kopana le diphephetso tsa ho utlwisisa mekgwa e sebediswang ho fihlela dipheo le ho etsa hore ditho tse ding di utlwisise se etsahalang kgwebong. Ho se dumellane hona ha mehopolo ya batsamaisi ba bohareng ba filweng mosebetsi wa phetoho ke hona ho entseng hore phuputso e etswe ka sehlooho sena. Phuputso e batlisisitse ka mawa ao batsamaisi ba bohareng ba tlang ka oona ka ho tlameha hore bona ba bontshe kutlwisiso ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore baokamedi ba bona le ditho tse ding di utlwisise, nakong eo ho tluwang ka mekgwa e ka sebediswang ho fihlela dipheo, phuputsong e le nngwe e ithutang ka tsela eo bankakarolo ba palo e nyane ba etsang dintho ka yona phanong ya ditshebeletso tsa ditjhelete Aforika Borwa. Phuputso e hlahloba ketsahalo ena ka kgopolo ya tshebediso ya lewa, ho ya ka mohopolo wa motsamaisi ya bohareng le mohopolokakaretso wa ho utlwisisa le ho etsa hore baokamedi le ditho tse ding di utlwisise se etsahalang kgwebong. Mokgwa wa ho fuputsa e bile wa ho botsa dipotso ka botebo ho fumana dintlha ka botlalo ka ho bokella datha ka ho tshwara diinthaviu tsa molomo le molomo. Datha ena e ile ya sekasekwa ka hloko, e fetoletswe khoutung e sebedisetswang ho e hlopha ho ya ka mookotaba o utlwisisehang. Phuputso e bile le mookaba e meraro e ka sehloohong, e hlophisitsweng ho ya diphapano tsa menahano ya batsamaisi ba bohareng, diketso tsa batsamaisi ba bohareng tse bontshang kutlwisiso ya boemo boo ba leng ho bona le dintho tse etsahalang hore ba kgone ho nka diqeto tse loketseng le diketso bontshang bokgoni ba ho etsa hore baokamedi le ditho tse ding di utlwisise. Mookataba ena e fana ka kutlwisiso mererong e etswang ka hloko, kutlwisisong ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore ba bang ba utlwisise diqeto tse nkwang nakong eo ho tluwang ka mokgwa o motjha wa ho fihlela dipheo. Phethelo ya phuputso ena e bile hore ha kgwebo e qala ho sebedisa mokgwa o motjha wa ho fihlela dipheo tsa yona, batsamaisi ba bohareng ba a kgathatseha. Batsamaisi bana ba bohareng ba eba le maikutlo a fapaneng ha ba leka ho utlwisisa diphetoho tsena ba ntse ba lokela ho etsa hore basebetsi ba bang ba utlwisisa se etsahalang kgwebong. Ho fihletswe hore moralo ona wa phetoho o dieha ho sebetsa ka ha batsamaisi ba bohareng ba sa o utlwisise. Hape phuputso e phethetse ka hore le ha batsamaisi ba bohareng ba e ba le diphephetso tse itseng ha ba qala, ba qetella ba etsa hore moralo o motjha “o amohelehe” ka hore bona ba bontshe kutlwisiso ya oona mme ba tsebe ho nka diqeto tse tla etsa hore baokamedi le basebetsi ba bang le bona ba utlwisise. Basebetsi ba bohareng ba nka karolo dinthong tse fapaneng tse jwalo ka dipuisano tsa dihlopha tsa tshebetso le dikopanong tseo ho hlahlellanwang ho tsona ha ba ntse ba bontsha kutlwisiso le ho etsa hore basebetsi ba bang ba a utlwisisa. Ka dipuisano tsena, basebetsi ba bohareng ba etsa hore ditho tse ding di be le kutlwisiso eo bohle ba nang le yona ha ba ntse ba etsa hore le bona ba utlwisise. Diphihlelo tsa phuputso ya jwale di ka fa dikgwebo tse leng lekaleng la ditjhelete lesedi la bohlokwa mmoho le basebetsi ba lokelang ho etsa mesebetsi e hlokang tshebediso ya mekgwa e metjha ya ho tlisa phetoho tshebetsong. Hape, phuputso e fana ka karabo tlhokehong ya dipatlisiso tse ding tsa mohopolo wa ho sebedisa lewa le mohopolokakaretso wa ho bontsha kutlwisiso ya se etsahalang le ho etsa hore ditho tse ding di utlwisise. / M. Com. (Business Management)