No description available.

Bibliography: leaves 115-127. / This study investigated variables which influence the transfer of training, in an organisational context. Transfer of training is defined as the application of knowledge and skills, learned in a training setting, to other non-training (i.e., work) contexts. It has been estimated that considerable amounts of money and effort are wasted due to trained skills not being transferred back to the workplace. This phenomenon is a well known issue in the field of organisational training and has generated research into the question of what variables in addition to the training itself influence the transfer of training. Three key categories of variables that are cited in the literature on transfer of training were used in the current study: (a) individual (i.e., the learner/trainee) characteristics, (b) training design, and (c) transfer situation (work environment) characteristics. These three categories were used as core elements in the conceptual design of the study.

No description available.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-43).

Over the past two decades, interest in the concept of mindfulness has exploded. Though many companies have started to implement mindfulness-based programmes, research on mindfulness in a workplace context is still in its infancy. This study therefore attempted to increase the evidence base for the utility of mindfulness in bringing about positive workplace outcomes. By empirically testing aspects of a mindfulness framework developed by Good et al. (2016), this study sought to determine the relationship between mindfulness and key workplace outcomes in the performance, relationship and wellbeing domain. White collar employees in South African organisations responded to a self-report survey (N = 211). Correlation analyses revealed that mindfulness was not statistically significantly correlated to either task performance or interpersonal organisational citizenship behaviours. In the relationship domain, preferred styles for handling conflict at the workplace were examined. As expected, mindfulness was significantly and positively related to only problem solving and negatively to most other conflict management styles. With regards to the wellbeing domain, work-life balance was examined as a mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and subjective wellbeing in the form of high positive affect, low negative affect, and high job satisfaction. Work-life balance was a partial mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and both negative affect and job satisfaction; yet it was not a significant mediator for positive affect. Lastly, theoretical and managerial implications as well as suggestions for future research and limitations associated with this study were discussed.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-40). / This study compares the similarities and differences in the attitudes of managers and students towards work-family issues such as the locus of responsibility for managing this interface, the perceived impact that children have on a working mother's career and traditional sex role stereotypes regarding women at work. Participants were 103 final year finance university students and 56 managers from three of the top accounting organisations in the Western Cape. There were strong significant attitudinal differences across gender, but few differences between managers and students. The most important contribution of this study is the understanding gained about the work-family attitudes of both male and female managers and future managers (current students) within the financial industry.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-94). / Many learners from disadvantaged schools struggle to obtain entrance into tertiary institutions. A Bridging Year Programme (BYP) designed by the South African Education and Environment Project (SAEP) seeks to address this problem by offering intensive tuition to post-high school learners who have failed to gain sufficient points for entry into a tertiary institution. The BYP prepares those learners to re-write core National Senior Certificate (NSC) subjects and assists them in applying for entrance into a university or college. A formative evaluation was conducted to assess whether the programme is designed and implemented as intended and whether programme design and delivery takes into account evidence based practices, established in the literature for programmes of this nature. A review of programme records was undertaken, interviews were conducted with the programme manager and programme coordinator, and selfreport questionnaires were administered to course tutors and programme beneficiaries. The results of the evaluation indicate that while the programme has the necessary potential to set high standards of participation for beneficiaries and provide them with personalised attention, and while learners are generally positive about their experience, a number of limitations are evident. These include in particular: the need for better monitoring of learner compliance with their contractual obligation, improved quality assurance with regard to the teaching and learning programme, and tutor preparation and training. Recommendations for improved programme implementation, as well as monitoring of programme standards, learner participation and performance, and tutor quality are provided.

In the past decade, human resource practitioners have focused their attention on employee retention. They have tried various practices in order to keep their employees in the organisation for longer. The research gap identified is in the graduate employees' intention to stay context. There has been even less research in this field within South Africa. This study aims to examine the extent to which career advancement opportunities and supervisor involvement contribute to graduate employees' intention to stay. In addition, this study focused on four factors namely, career progression, continuous learning, performance management and recognition in analysing the extent to which these four factors have contributed to graduate employees' intention to stay. Job satisfaction and affective commitment were also examined for their mediational effects on the relationship between career advancement opportunities, supervisor involvement and graduate employees' intention to stay. Graduate employees working in South African organisations participated in a self-report, quantitative survey (N = 357). Whilst the exploratory factor analysis of the intention to stay revealed a unidimensional factor, it was interesting to note that career progression and continuous learning loaded onto one distinct factor, labelled as career advancement opportunities. The multiple regression analysis indicated that career advancement opportunities and supervisor involvement were statistically significant predictors of intention to stay. Process mediation was used to test whether job satisfaction and affective commitment were mediators between career advancement opportunities, supervisor involvement and intention to stay. It was found that both job satisfaction and affective commitment were significant partial mediators in the abovementioned relationship. The study discusses suggestions for future research and the implications, both theoretical and practical, associated with the study.

South Africa's private security sector has become amongst the largest in the world. Research has shown that for the largest category of private security employees - security guards – employment tends to be insecure, wages low, working hours long and few have access to social benefits, such as pay for sick leave, unemployment, retirement, housing, education or family circumstances. This study aimed to investigate if job characteristics should be considered as an aspect relevant for creating decent work for security guards, thus allowing security guards to have a considerable degree of well-being through their work. Specifically, this study asked: Does adding meaningfulness created through a job's content as an indicator of decent work strengthen the relationship among decent work and well-being compared to current decent work indicators? Security guards around South Africa were asked to respond to a questionnaire which assessed job characteristics, decent work, and well-being levels. Analysis of the 98 response sets demonstrated that the job characteristics of security guards appear to have no influence on their perception of decent work nor their well-being, except for task identity which predicted well-being. Managers of private security companies may increase task identity by involving security guards in more aspects of work by enabling them take part in the planning, reporting, and evaluation of projects. This could be including the security guards in meetings with community forums so that they understand crime trends. Future research in the private security sector in South Africa is needed to create awareness of the unfavourable working conditions that many low-level security guards experience and how these can be ameliorated. This would allow private security companies to incorporate socially responsible practices regarding their employees' working conditions which are likely to increase security guards' job productivity at the same time.

Bibliography: leaves 82-99. / The study of organisational culture change is an important field of inquiry within the study of organisational behaviour and organisational culture. This study examined the effects of organisational culture change initiatives on employees, and how it impacted on their experiences as professionals in an academic healthcare environment. A qualitative case study methodology grounded in the phenomenological paradigm was operationalised. Twelve, open-ended, in depth interviews were conducted with health professionals of a university medical faculty. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Open-coding word based techniques were used to identify themes from the qualitative text. Qualitative analytical methods were employed to ensure internal consistency and validity. The thematic results are reported, discussed and integrated with previous literature.