This study set out to examine the phenomenon of employee motivation in the North West Department of Education. The study argues that the performance of employees to achieve organisational goals is influenced by the level of employee motivation. The study identified that employees are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors have a positive or negative influence on the motivation of employees. The factors identified include the work environment, the performance management and development system, job design, employee involvement, organisational culture and commitment and human relations. A literature study was undertaken to provide a framework through which the importance of the study is highlighted. The literature study reviewed motivation theories that explain the effect of motivation on the behaviour of employees. The mixed research method of collecting and analysing the data, including the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, was used during the research process. The findings of the study show that the motivation levels of employees are varied in relation to factors that influence the motivation of employees. There is therefore evidence in the study that employees are motivated by different needs and therefore a more encompassing approach is required. The study also found that managers in the Department of Education did not put concerted efforts towards the motivation of employees, nor did they put effective programmes in place with regard to the same. In order to achieve the primary research objective, the study recommends that an integrated and comprehensive motivation strategy, that will influence the motivation of employees, be developed. The motivation strategy is perceived to address a number of challenges employees experience in the performance of their work. Recommendations for the implementation of the motivation strategy are presented in order to ensure an increase in the motivation of employees for effective and efficient employee performance. The study identifies areas for further research, which, if implemented, will increase the managers‟ knowledge of recognition schemes to enhance the performance levels of employees. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research stems out of the desire to uncover and learn the impact and influence of internal communication as a strategic function that enhances productivity, organisational growth, employee engagements and above all organisational success 1 . Internal communications is a body of knowledge that is gaining momentum throughout the world. It is a global discipline that organisations have adopted as their instrument to measure the effectiveness of their communication campaigns, programmes and strategies both internal and external. Internal communication has been forced to adjust to numerous changes in the workplace. Macleod and Clarke (2009) argue that good quality internal communication enhances engagement and emphasise that employees need clear communication from senior management to understand how their own roles correspond with the leadership vision. The overarching aim of this investigative study was to examine the influence of internal communication as a key driver of employee engagement and organisational performance. In doing so, the research study employed qualitative approach method to investigate the extent in which internal communication as a strategic function enhances employee engagement and promotes organisational performance. This qualitative exploratory study relied on the experiences, thoughts, behaviours, and the understanding of the research respondents to articulate their knowledge about the phenomenon under investigation; therefore data was collected by means of various processes, including semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. The study was carried out amongst employees of LG Electronics2 , Seoul in South Korea to establish the extent to which internal communication influences or drives employee engagement3. The study adopted content analysis as a well-tested method of data analysis to better understand the data collected. Through content analysis, thematic connections were made and data was categorised in different themes that emerged systematically from similar characteristics mentioned in the conversations with the respondents. Inferences were drawn from the similar characteristics and presented in the data analysis and interpretations chapter of the research study. The results revealed that a deep awareness of internal communication existed among the respondents of the study. They also revealed high levels of consciousness of factors that contribute immensely to internal communication as a strategic function that enhance engagement, organisational culture, goals and values. The results revealed that a strong sense of identification and ownership was given to employees as part of programmes that intensified employee's contributions, level of engagement and understanding of goals and culture of the organisation. The empirical findings further postulated that employees were incorporated into the dominant coalition of the organisation and were also regarded as change agents, through which their inputs and suggestions were valued and recognised. The empirical study also revealed that employees were engaged because of the organisational culture shared by the strong leadership and management philosophy; LG-way was implemented as a framework to guide open and transparent communication. The results indicated that there was no salary gap between males and females, employees were rewarded according to their performance targets and capabilities and were also encouraged through coaching to improve their targets where necessary for the successful growth of the organisation. Through the empirical findings, the study recommended that a well coordinated internal communication function which is aligned and guided by the fundamental principles of the organisation will produce rewarding results for the organisation. There is a greater need for the organisation to conduct an intensified research on the impact and contributions of proactive internal communication strategies. Such research will guide and direct the coordination and implementation of proper and relevant programmes to assist the organisation to be more engaged and embedded among employees. LG Electronics must also come to terms with the fact that internal stakeholders make or break the organisation. The organisation needs to treat all employees equally and monitor the value of employees in the organisational growth and success. Management needs to know that the internal stakeholders are important as they provide the foundation of the organisation as well as acting as the liaison between the organisation and the external stakeholders. / Thesis (M.A (Communication) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2014

This study set out to examine the phenomenon of employee motivation in the North West Department of Education. The study argues that the performance of employees to achieve organisational goals is influenced by the level of employee motivation. The study identified that employees are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors have a positive or negative influence on the motivation of employees. The factors identified include the work environment, the performance management and development system, job design, employee involvement, organisational culture and commitment and human relations. A literature study was undertaken to provide a framework through which the importance of the study is highlighted. The literature study reviewed motivation theories that explain the effect of motivation on the behaviour of employees. The mixed research method of collecting and analysing the data, including the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, was used during the research process. The findings of the study show that the motivation levels of employees are varied in relation to factors that influence the motivation of employees. There is therefore evidence in the study that employees are motivated by different needs and therefore a more encompassing approach is required. The study also found that managers in the Department of Education did not put concerted efforts towards the motivation of employees, nor did they put effective programmes in place with regard to the same. In order to achieve the primary research objective, the study recommends that an integrated and comprehensive motivation strategy, that will influence the motivation of employees, be developed. The motivation strategy is perceived to address a number of challenges employees experience in the performance of their work. Recommendations for the implementation of the motivation strategy are presented in order to ensure an increase in the motivation of employees for effective and efficient employee performance. The study identifies areas for further research, which, if implemented, will increase the managers‟ knowledge of recognition schemes to enhance the performance levels of employees. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

I syfte att undersöka vad som påverkar medarbetarattityder till en intervention, genomfördes en enkätstudie med 23 frågor inom två kommunala verksamhetsprocesser. Bland 137 besvarade enkäter och en svarsfrekvens på 77 procent var deltagarna mellan 22 och 64 år med olika utbildningsnivåer och omfattning på chefskontakt. Frågeställningen var: Hur påverkas medarbetarnas attityder av 1) chefens engagemang, 2) yrkes- och arbetsplatsfaktorer och 3) arbetsbelastning. Genom varians-, korrelations- och regressionsanalyser undersöktes de oberoende variablernas förhållande till medarbetarnas attityder till interventionen. Resultatet visade att medarbetarattityderna till interventionen var mer positiva när chefens engagemang uppfattades som högt. En negativ inställning till interventionen bland kollegorna på arbetsplatsen visade samband med en mer negativ medarbetarattityd. Studien gav inte stöd för något samband mellan arbetsbelastning och medarbetarattityd. Ett klusterurval hade eventuellt ökat validiteten och förbättrat könsfördelningen. Förslag till vidare forskning är att undersöka påverkan av upplevd nytta på sambandet mellan arbetsbelastning och attityd till förändring.

Published Article / In today's highly competitive business environment service delivery has become a key issue. Providing quality service could enhance an organisation's competitive advantage with beneficial financial implications. Service delivery requires the full cooperation and commitment of all the employees in the organisation, including management. The culture of the organisation supports this by eliciting a unified response from employees that supports the quality of service rendered to customers. In this regard the paper provides a statistical analysis of the impact of organisational culture on service delivery in a major South African private security company. Due to its applicability the Competing Values Framework (CVF) was instrumental in measuring the culture of the organisation and the award winning Baldrige Award Criteria in ascertaining its levels of service delivery.

The topic of emotional intelligence (EQ) and organisational culture has attracted considerable interest from both academics and practitioners for many years. Much of the interest in the two areas is based on explicit and implicit claims that both leader's emotional intelligence and organisational culture are linked to organisational performance. However, while the links between emotional intelligence and organisational performance and between organisational culture and organisational performance have been examined independently, few studies have investigated the association among the three concepts. This study examines the nature of this relationship and presents empirical evidence that suggests there is a complex relationship between emotional intelligence, organisational culture and organisational performance. The study concludes with implications for theory and practice. / Graduate SBL / D.B.L.

Using a grounded theory approach, two case studies were carried out in large organisations which have recently implemented family-friendly policies. The studies asked whether or not cultural change has taken place as a result of the implementation of these policies. Using Shein's (1992) three level model and definition of culture, attention was focused on underlying assumptions or 'root' facets of organisational culture (and conceptual distinctions made between culture, image and identity). After establishing which facets are present and how they exist in combination with each other, shifts which have taken place as a direct or indirect result of the introduction of policies were identified. Especial interest was taken in the way the primacy of work was expressed through the ideal worker type and the extent to which this type has been replaced by the integrated worker type (Rapoport et al 2002), which acknowledges that family and other commitments are as legitimate as occupational demands. Both studies conclude that, as yet, there have been only slight adjustments in the construction of this ideal worker type and that employees do not make a permanent shift towards the integrated worker type but `toggle' between these two types. Explanations are developed for shifts in other cultural facets, such as the importance of autonomy, emphases on equality or individuation, sense of entitlement and attitudes to change. The utility of the notion of purposive cultural change is considered, given that high levels of anxiety are released when unconscious and shared mental structures are destabilised in such processes of organizational learning. The merits of a more evolutionary model are explored.

This thesis examines the issue of marriage breakdown in the British Armed Forces in light of claims that rates are double that of the civilian population. The research is situated within the context of existing research on the relationship between the service family and the military organisation. This thesis is distinctive in that it employs Bacchi's (1999) method of critical analysis to problem framing in Governmental policy and existing discourses on service families. The objective is to show how the impact of military demands on marriage and family life are framed by the media, politicians, and academics as a problem for the military, in relation to a tension that exists between retention and divorce. Attention to the effects of service life on families is therefore embedded in policy directives, and framed by concerns over the retention and recruitment of military personnel as implications for operational effectiveness. By re-focusing attention to the implications of marriage breakdown for service families this thesis constructs new problem frames, a key question being: what is problematic about marriage and marital breakdown for military wives? The empirical areas explored through in-depth qualitative interviews with a sample of ex-service wives from across the tri-Services are women s experiences and perceptions of marriage and family life, and of marriage breakdown in the military. This methodological approach is unique in that previous studies of service wives have focused on a single community. The voices and experiences of ex-service wives are noticeably absent in previous research, representing neglected routes to experience and knowledge that are vital to a more holistic understanding of the impact of military demands on the family. This thesis highlights the role of emotion in the socialisation of service families which has not been made in the existing literature to date. It has been acknowledged that the conceptual boundaries between the public and private spheres are practically non-existent where the military and service families are concerned. The interface between work and home can be explained in terms of the invisible emotion work service wives perform in support of husbands careers and the institutional goals of the military. This thesis is also distinctive in that it defines wives work in relation to the military in terms of emotional labour and the two-person career. As wives receive little recompense for this labour, responding to role appropriate emotions can have implications for the well-being of military wives, and illustrates the complex picture that emerges as to the reasons why military marriages might end. Factors linked to issues of marital adversity were: infidelity, domestic violence and emotional and psychological abuse, the effects of a culture of alcohol, and the impact of post-operational stress. In addition, family separation was viewed as creating emotional distance between couples. Many women became very independent and adept at coping with the military lifestyle, which created problems for the reintegration of personnel into family life. Moreover, husbands that were perceived by women to be married to the military, in terms of an institutional and social identity, were less satisfied with their relationships. This thesis concludes that the construct of the service family is embedded in institutional rules and regulations regarding marriage and family life, therefore current problematisations of marriage breakdown fail to reveal the difficulties experienced by families in navigating post-divorce family life. Non-intact families are rendered operationally ineffective, hence there are a number of consequences experienced by service families, and women and children in particular, that represent a far-reaching problem of marriage breakdown in the UK Armed Forces.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The merger of organisations has been extensively utilised in many industries. This has occurred globally and locally. Some mergers have become successful while others have failed to achieve their goals. The failure of mergers could be attributed to insufficient attention to certain organisational elements. When institutions merged, they become vulnerable to diversity and conflict. They also experience human variability. Organisational mergers present challenges that could be associated with humanity. This could be precipitated by various beliefs, values and norms. Conflict and diversity could be reduced by implementing certain organisational elements. This study is based on the developments of structure and culture as remedial organisational elements to reduce instability in merged institutions. These elements serve as mechanisms in dealing with the repercussions of the merger. The special focus of this study is higher education mergers. The primary objective is to gain an insight into the ramification and the impact of the merger. This includes the effectiveness of the newly designed internal processes. In accomplishing this, the study has applied a cultural and structural model to merged institutions. It has also examined various types of culture and structural literature theory extensively. From this it has discovered that these elements play a crucial role in reducing organisational conflict in mergers. It has also been found that merger consequences are less severe in organisations with similar backgrounds.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.