D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The problem of strikes in South Africa has infiltrated the whole work industry, and has led to the Municipalities also participating in strike action; this affects service delivery and often has a negative impact on the mental health of those who participate. The overall goal of this study is to develop and describe a psycho-educational model to be used as a framework of reference to facilitate the mental health of workers involved in strike action, before during and after strikes. The research also focused on developing guidelines for operationalisation of the model for impact and sustainability of the therapeutic interventions after the termination phase. Garber's (1972) (in Myburgh, Niehaus &Poggenpoel2000: 150-156) psychoeducational developmental model was employed as a departure premise to for this study in order to capacitate the workers with the skills to manage the effects of strike action. Focus groups as well as individual interviews were held with workers and worker representatives of a Metropolitan Municipality respectively to identify empirical evidence and the central concepts for the model. A theory generative design that is, qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was used to develop the model and the operational guidelines. The model was developed according to the approach of Chinn and Kramer (1991); Walker and Avant (1995) of theory generation, which embraces the following steps: Concept analysis which includes identification of the central concepts for the model through conducting a field study to explore and describe the lived experiences of the workers as well as the worker representatives ...

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

No description available.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: While the current trend among a number of organisations is to integrate performance appraisal with performance management systems or even 'replace' it with performance management systems, it is still an extremely highly utilised process. The probable reason for this, is that the major use of performance appraisal is as a management tool whereby the quality of personnel decisions can be enhanced when an effective system is in place. Ideally the use of a formal process, focused on objective, job orientated criteria, will empower management to make meaningful decisions which will not only be to the benefit of individual workers but will contribute to the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation. Apart from the fact that it is used as a management tool, other major objectives of performance appraisal are to determine the administrative and developmental needs of individuals in the interests of their own progress and development as well as that of the organisation. There are therefore, two fundamental parties involved in appraisal, being the appraisee and the appraiser and it is inevitable that the approach to, or the perception of the subject should be different in some, or many ways. Aspects such as utility, fairness, ethics, motivation, accuracy, validity, rating errors, effectiveness and feedback, should therefore be examined in more detail in order to determine where specific problem areas may lie. Serious perceptual differences concerning the process will surely create obstacles and eventually lead to an inefficient system. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which differing perceptions playa role in the acceptance or rejection of the appraisal system in general terms and specifically in terms of the aspects mentioned above, from the point of view of subordinates and supervisors. The diagnostic instrument used in this study was adapted from those of Mount (1983) (named the Leadership Analysis Questionnaire) and Ie Roux (1989) to include aspects which are more in line with features of the performance appraisal system unique to the participating organisation. Two different forms of questionnaires were used in this study. One was designed for completion by subordinates and the other by supervisors. These two groups were further subdivided into two groups referred to as achievers and nonachievers. The overall response to the questionnaires was very satisfactory in that 431 of the 600 questionnaires were returned (almost 72%) of which 44 were not usable. Of the 186 supervisors' responses which could be used for statistical analysis, 80 were categorised as achievers and of the 201 subordinates' responses which could be used for statistical analysis, 38 were categorised as achievers. The research revealed statistically significant differences in perception between different computations of all groups in respect of fairness, ethics, accuracy, rater error and administrative aspects. It is recommended that future research should be directed at the underlying reasons for perceptual differences between supervisors and subordinates, regarding the factors mentioned above, with the aim of improving communication and relationships. Another area would be to investigate the feasibility of organisations incorporating performance appraisal into a more integrated performance management system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoewel talle organisasies tans daartoe neig om prestasie-beoordeling by prestasiebestuur in te skakel of om dit selfs daardeur te vervang, is dit steeds 'n hoogs aangeskrewe proses. Die waarskynlikste rede hiervoor is dat prestasie-beoordeling hoofsaaklik dien as bestuurshulp ten opsigte van die verbetering van personeelbesluite waar 'n doeltreffende stelsel reeds bestaan. Die ideaal is dat die gebruik van 'n formele proses met objektiewe, werkgeoriënteerde kriteria as uitgangspunt, bestuur bemagtig om sinvolle besluite te neem wat nie net tot voordeel van die werker as individu strek nie, maar ook tot die algehele doeltreffendheid van die organisasie. Benewens prestasie-beoordeling se bestuurshulpfunksie, is 'n ander belangrike mikpunt daarvan om die administratiewe en ontwikkelingsbehoeftes van individue te help bepaal - nie net in die belang van hul eie vordering en ontwikkeling nie, maar ook in die belang van die organisasie s'n. Daarom is daar basies twee partye betrokke by prestasie-beoordeling, naamlik die beoordelaar en diegene wat beoordeel word. Dit is dus onvermydelik dat die benadering tot of waarneming van die onderwerp in 'n paar en dikwels selfs in talle opsigte sal verskil. Dit is dus belangrik dat aspekte soos bruikbaarheid, regverdigheid, etiek, motivering, akkuraatheid, geldigheid, beoordelingsfoute, doeltreffendheid en terugvoering in groter besonderhede ondersoek word om vas te stel waar probleemareas moontlik mag voorkom. Ernstige perseptuele verskille wat die proses betref, kan stuikelblokke veroorsaak en aanleiding gee tot 'n ondoeltreffende stelsel. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel in watter mate verskillende persepsies kan bydra tot die aanvaarding of verwerping van die beoordelingstelseloor die algemeen en in die besonder ten opsigte van bogenoemde aspekte soos beskou vanuit beide die toesighouer en die ondergeskikte se oogpunt. Die diagnostiese meetinstrument wat gebruik is, is 'n aanpassing van Mount (1983) se "Leadership Analysis Questionnaire" en dié van Le Roux (1989) en sluit aspekte in wat in 'n groter mate tred hou met die eienskappe van die beoordelingstelsel eie aan die deelnemende organisasie s'n. Twee verskillende vraelyste is gebruik vir toesighouers en onder-geskiktes. 'n Bykomende verdeling is gemaak tussen presteerders en niepresteerders. Die reaksie op die vraelyste was, op die keper beskou, baie bevredigend, aangesien 431 van die 600 vraelyste terugontvang is - bykans 72%. Hiervan was 44 onbruikbaar. Van die 186 toesighouersvraelyste wat gebruik kon word vir statistiese ontleding, is 80 as dié van presteerdes geklassifiseer, en van die 2010ndergeskiktes se vraelyste 38. Die ondersoek het in sy berekeninge statistiese beduidende verskille uitgewys ten opsigte van die verskillende groepe se persepsies van regverdigheid, etiek, akkuraatheid, beoordelingsfoute en administratiewe aspekte. Daar word aanbeveel dat toekomstige navorsing gerig word op die onderliggende,redes vir die perseptuele verskille tussen toesighouers en ondergeskiktes, met inagneming van bogenoemde faktore en met die mikpunt die verbetering van kommunikasie en verhoudinge. Nog navorsing sou ook gedoen kon word om te bepaal hoe uitvoerbaar dit vir 'n organisasie sou wees om prestasie-beoordeling in te skakel by 'n stelsel wat prestasiebestuurgerig is.

M.Phil. / A shortcoming which was identified in the developmental system of career officers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is the basis on which this study was executed. The SANDF expects career officers to comply with all the. Demands and criteria of being an officer as described in Project KINGSROW ("Report on the training and development of permanent force officers", 1987). The demands of being an officer are described under five headings viz. "personal dimension, management skills, communication abilities/skills, military knowledge or background and environmental knowledge" in Section 3 of Project KINGSROW. Only the above four categories are addressed by the formal developmental system of officers. The development of the personal dimension of career officers is not addressed in the formal developmental programme(s). In spite of the omission of the development of the personal dimension in formal programmes, the attributes that constitute this dimension are used as some of the selection criteria when evaluating officers for promotion. This study is aimed at meeting the need in the development of "the personal dimension", with specific reference to the coping skills or personal skills or competencies which function as the building blocks thereof. This can be achieved through the design of development centre(s) as an enabling system within the SANDF. Before any design of evelopmental centres can be undertaken, the categories of the personal dimension, or competencies, which require development need to be identified. The identification of competencies and development thereof, cannot be isolated from effective role behaviour of career officers within the SANDF and include the following organization specific categories of competencies : managerial, intra-personal, interpersonal, contextual mobility, cognitive mobility, leadership, professionalism, process orientation, values orientation, organization climate orientation and an academic development. Within the framework of a qualitative research approach, a constructivist-interpretivist research strategy was designed for this study. The first phase of the strategy includes the description of personal skills/abilities by means of the concept effective maturity and within the framework of the "psychology of personal constructs" (Kelly, 1963). Against this background, a systemic analyses of the SANDF is undertaken by means of the application of "Living System Theory" (Miller, 1978). The "Repertory Grid' technique was utilized as the gathering technique during structured interviews with selected participants. The result of this technique is the deliverance of the effectivity paradigm of participants with reference to their personal competencies which are deemed to be important for effective role fulfillment. These competencies/skills now form the focus areas of development centres as an enabling system in the organisational context of the SANDF, thereby filling the shortcomings in the developmental system for officers in the SANDF.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / The aim of the study was to investigate why it was deemed necessary to train and localise the public and private sectors by the Swaziland government. The efforts began shortly before Swaziland attained independence in 1968. Many of the initiative to localisation started in pre-colonial Swaziland in 1966 leading to independence. The study also examined the drawbacks to training and localisation and how these were overcome. Swaziland inherited and was strongly dependent upon a strongly entrenched cadre of top-level public service and private administrators who were expatriates. The study also examined how far localisation has gone to date. / South Africa

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / Training and development is an important issue in South African Local Government. These are related concepts. However, more emphasis is placed on training in this research report. Several authors argued that the majority of South African workers need new or significantly expanded skills to keep up with the demands of their jobs. Employee training and development (T&D) is seen as a key factor in meeting the employer’s strategic, business and operational goals. Others mentioned that the people who work in the public sector must constantly strive to act in a way that will lead to improvement of the quality of service delivery by public institutions. They also mentioned that training is aimed at the practical application of knowledge as well as the development of specific behavior patterns, attitudes and motives with a view to realizing goals (Carrell et al., 1999). The population increase leads to the expansion of organizations and their responsibilities. The changing constitutional and political dispensation of South Africa demands certain amendments and changes to be made by organizations. Increased pollution and shortage of natural resources demand certain strategies. The shortage of trained manpower causes higher demand to be made on the available manpower. All these shows needs and demands for training and development. Cloete and Mokgoro (1995:91) argued that the new government would have to rely heavily on the public service to implement new policy and facilitate development. They added that the council should develop broad guidelines for public sector training. Further these would relate to current and future human resource needs for the public service. In addition, such a policy would set standards for trainers and training programs (Cloete and Mokgoro, 1995). Training and development needs are examined in this research report to see how the Helderberg Municipality (Western Cape) has conducted its training. The study aims to identify the key obstacles for effective training. Some authors suggest that the simplest method of conducting a training survey is to go around asking managers and supervisors what they think are the training priorities in their department. The result obtained may be subjective but as long as the surveys are analyzed carefully, they would prove a useful starting point for analysis. The literature also suggests that the management and supervisors must feel involved from the beginning. This study focuses on the Helderberg Municipality. The researcher relied on the literature to gain more information about training and development, especially in the South African situation. Some interviews were conducted in the Helderberg Municipality. The study is based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. This researcher used the qualitative methods because she considered them as useful and that they would give her a wider scope. By contrast, the quantitative method would be useful hence figures are also provided. Some interviews were conducted with the Training Manager of the Helderberg Municipality. The study could help the Helderberg Municipality to rectify its weaknesses and deal with their current challenges of training and development. Policy makers and consultants could use the results of this study to formulate policies for municipalities. Lastly, students could also benefit from this study by using it as a source of reference. / South Africa

Several significant breaches of ethics in the past few years have created renewed interest in the study of moral judgment. The examples used in this study include sub-prime lending, the Madoff investment scandal, and the torture of suspects in U.S. custody. The Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) theory was developed by Lawrence Kohlberg in 1969. Effectively, Kohlberg determined there were clearly defined stages of moral development in children--how they develop a sense of right, wrong, and justice. He expanded his research to adults and determined that human beings progressed through each of the six stages without skipping a stage and without reverting to a previous stage. James Rest later developed a survey instrument, the Defining Issues Test (DIT), designed to assess the stages of development, or moral maturity, of an individual without the lengthy interview process employed by Kohlberg in his research. Over 1,000 studies have since used the DIT. The DIT will be used in combination with a demographic survey to test the variables of educational level, age, gender, and ethical training against moral maturity. Research has provided mixed results for these variables when applied to the public sector. This study will compare the moral maturity of elected officials with that of appointed city managers who serve at the will of these elected officials. This paper will provide a discussion of the ethical concerns facing elected officials and appointed city managers as well as the potential hazards to good decision-making presented by differences in moral maturity, if they exist. The relationship of moral maturity and the other variables will also be discussed. Recommendations for public administrators and future research will be presented.

No description available.