Literacy expectations on elementary classrooms are intensifying with each outcry for accountability by the public and by educational policy makers (Hoffman & Pearson, 2001). Many states, including Georgia, have developed new performance-based curricula in response to expectations for academic performance (Georgia Performance Standards, 2005). However, few researchers have focused on how teachers interpret these performance standards in their local classroom settings. This collective case study research, established within a social constructivist theoretical frame (Vygotsky, 1978), provided an in-depth examination of how the mandated language arts policy of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) influenced teachers’ thoughts and decisions about daily literacy instruction. Specific guiding questions for the study were: (1) What literacy expectations do three second-grade teachers have for their students’ literacy development? (2) Where do these expectations originate? (3) How do these three teachers craft and implement instruction in light of their expectations? (4) How do the state mandates constrain or provide opportunities for these three teachers to develop their expectations and implement instruction for their students’ literacy development? Multiple data sources included interviews, classroom observations and field notes, verbal protocols, classroom artifacts and documents, and the researcher’s journal. Data analysis utilized constant comparison and grounded theory analysis within and across cases (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Trustworthiness and rigor were established through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Guba & Lincoln, 1985). This study was designed to give voice to the teachers at the forefront of increasing accountability measures in Georgia’s public elementary school classrooms. Findings revealed that study participants used different funds of knowledge in complex ways to establish literacy expectations and implement instruction and that a fund of knowledge related to mandated accountability measures was influential in the participants’ instructional decision-making processes. When the delivery model of training for the GPS included opportunities to discuss student learning outcomes and reflect on instructional practices, the GPS directly influenced writing instruction. Implications for action from this study are grounded in the study’s key findings and conclusions and hold relevance for the fields of preservice teacher education, professional learning for teachers, school and county administration, and state and federal educational policy making.

This study evaluates the implementation of a performance management system within a division of a company operating in the pulp and paper manufacturing industry. The research has been carried out in order to establish the perceived effectiveness of a performance management system as well as to identify areas where the system can be improved upon. An empirical study was carried out in the form of an e-mailed questionnaire to approximately 350 employees at Paterson grading level Upper C to Upper 0 across all mills, covering all aspects of the performance management system which included the process of establishing individual performance agreements, performance feedback as well as performance rewards. An analysis on the relationship between salary, salary increase percentage and performance positioning was also carried out. The survey data showed an overall positive level of satisfaction with the performance management system. A shortcoming, however, was found in the link between performance and pay, which very few of the employees surveyed were satisfied with. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1993.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1993.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / To access data please use IBM SPS Statistics software. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The human resource function attempts to proactively and reactively affect the work performance of employees through advice, diagnosis and interventions in a manner that will benefit the quality of the product and service an organisation provides to the market. In this study a generic performance construct (that can be applied to non-managerial, individual positions), was defined based on previous studies in the area of generic performance. A South African performance measure was designed accordingly that can be used to obtain multi-rater assessments of the generic, non-managerial, individual performance construct. This questionnaire was validated by evaluating the fit of the measurement model, using confirmatory factor analysis. Most of the data for this study was obtained from OK Furniture. A few questionnaires were completed by a non-probability sample of non-managerial personnel from a variety of organisations. The total sample size comprised of 205 respondents. Item and dimensionality analysis was performed on the 12 subscales to assess the success with which they represented the underlying performance constructs. In the item analysis two items were identified as somewhat problematic but both were judged not to be sufficiently problematic to delete them from the GPQ. Results from the dimensionality analysis showed satisfactory evidence that the items of each subscale reflect a common underlying factor. A spectrum of goodness-of-fit statistics was used to assess the measurement model fit. The hypothesis of exact fit was rejected but the hypothesis of close fit could not be rejected (p>.05). The position that the measurement model fits the data closely in the population was found to be a tenable position. The fit indices reflected good model fit in the sample. The measurement model parameter estimates indicated that the indicator variables represented the latent performance dimensions satisfactorily. Discriminant validity was investigated. Mixed evidence on discriminant validity was obtained. The sample size of this study was satisfactory when viewed from the perspective of statistical power given the method of item parcelling that was used, but a larger and more representative sample would have been preferable in that it would have allowed the GPQ measurement model to be fitted with individual items as indicator variables. Another limitation seemed to have been the language of the questionnaire. Informal feedback suggested that some respondents, especially those that are not fluent in English, struggled to fully understand all the questions. Recommendations for future research are made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die menslike hulpbronfunksie in organisasies poog om die kwaliteit van die produk of diens wat die organisasie aan die mark lewer te verbeter deur werknemers se werksprestasie proaktief en reaktief te beïnvloed deur middel van menslike hulpbronbestuursadvies, -diagnose en -intervensies. In hierdie studie is 'n generiese prestasiekonstruk gedefinieer (gerig op individuele nie-bestuursposte) gebaseer op vorige studies van generiese prestasie. Dit is hoofsaaklik gemik op individuele nie-bestuursvlak poste. ‘n Suid Afrikaanse prestasiemeetinstrument is ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word om multi-beoordelaar assesserings van die generiese nie-bestuursprestasiekonstruk te verkry. Die vraelys is gevalideer deur, met behulp van bevestigende faktorontleding, die pasgehalte van die metingsmodel te ondersoek. Die meerderheid data vir hierdie studie is verkry vanaf die OK Furniture-kettingwinkelgroep. Enkele vraelyste is ook voltooi deur 'n nie-waarskynlikheid steekproef van nie-bestuurspersoneel van ander organisasies. Die totale steekproefgrootte het bestaan uit 205 respondente. Item- en dimensionaliteit-analise is uitgevoer op die 12 subskale om die sukses waarmee hulle die onderliggende prestasiekonstrukte verteenwoordig te evalueer. In die item-analise is twee items geïdentifiseer wat moontlik problematies kan wees maar nie sodanig problematies dat dit hul verwydering uit die GPQ regverdig het nie. Die resultate van die dimensionaliteit-analise het aangetoon dat die items van elke subskaal inderdaad redelik bevredigend ’n gemeenskaplike onderliggende faktor reflekteer. 'n Spektrum van pasgehaltestatistiek is gebruik om die pasgehalte van die metingsmodel te beoordeel. Die hipotese dat die model die data perfek pas is verwerp, maar die hipotese van benaderde passing kon nie verwerp word nie (p>.05). Die pasgehalte maatstawwe dui op goeie modelpassing in die steekproef. Die skattings van die metingsmodelparameters dui daarop dat die aanwyserveranderlikes die prestasie-dimensies bevredigend verteenwoordig. Diskriminantgeldigheid is ondersoek. Gemengde bewyse van diskriminantgeldigheid is verkry. Beskou vanuit die perspektief van statistiese krag was die steekproefgrootte van hierdie studie bevredigende (gegewe die gebruik van item pakkies) ‘n Groter en meer verteenwoordigende steekproef sou egter wenslik gewees het insoverre dit die passing van die GPQ metingsmodel met individuele items sou toelaat. ‘n Verdere oënskynlike beperking was die vraelys se taalgebruik. Informele terugvoer dui daarop dat sommige respondente, veral dié wat nie vlot Engels praat nie, gesukkel het om sommige vrae te verstaan. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing word gemaak.

In response to challenging situations physiological and psychological adaptations result in elevated levels of arousal and when these levels are 'optimal' performance is enhanced. There are however, limitations to the amount of physiological and mental stimulation one can tolerate, with cumulative fatigue effects being the outcome when stressful conditions are imposed on the individual over an extended period of time. As a result of the extreme physical and cognitive demands placed on military forces while in combat, with soldiers being thrust into battle and required to make critical life-or-death determining decisions followed by appropriate motor responses, the physical and psychological capabilities of the troops are pushed to maximal limits, often resulting in undesirable decrements in physical and mental performance, with consequential human and materiel losses. Thirty-two soldiers participated in a battery of combat-related field and laboratory tests, first under 'normal' conditions with no prior physical activity and then immediately after the participation of an intensive bout of exercise. Physiological and perceptual responses plus standard of performance were measured at various stages of testing. Results of the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Body Discomfort Scale and heart rate responses revealed significantly higher levels of psychophysical strai,n in response to the strenuous physical activity. Despite these findings, the electromyographic (EMG) activity and efficiency of the combat-related skills were not negatively affected. Rather, nominal improvements in post-activity performance were noted, specifically response time, and this was attributed to elevated arousal and activation as a result of the exercise that was of sufficient duration to enhance arousal without imposing long term cumulative fatigue effects.

Most school management teams (SMTs) do not do their tasks either due to lack of time or inability to fulfil this obligation. Should this be true for South African schools, it would reflect negatively on the SMT job performance. This led to undertaking research in order to ascertain the fit between organisational policies of induction, mentoring, curriculum assessment training and curriculum supervision and the SMT job performance by way of establishing the effect of organisation policy on SMTs’ job performance. The research adopted a descriptive survey research design of the correlational type. Two sets of questionnaires, one for independent variables and the other for the dependent variable, were used to elicit information from the respondents. Some of the findings show that aspiring SMT members need some training so as to know what will be expected of them to do once they get selected as SMT members. It was further proven that common tests that are normally set at the provincial and district and/or school based levels are invariably not of the standard that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) prescribes nationally. The foregoing led to the conclusion that the SMT job practice is invariably not informed by the relevant organisational policies. Hence a cascade model of SMT training is recommended, as is the notion that training toward organisational policies under review should be done cohesively.

This research was conducted with the intention of accomplishing effective property management (PM) in order for public sector properties in South Africa (SA) SA to fulfil more remarkably, public sector property stakeholders’ requirements. In particular, this study was concluded within a South African municipal environment with the specific purpose of alleviating South African municipalities from problems associated with overall poor operational performance, dissatisfied public sector property stakeholders, and inadequacies in competitiveness and global alignment. The primary objective of this study was to develop a performance model deemed necessary for the effective management of public sector properties in SA. This was achieved by developing a performance model for effective management of public sector properties, a model to systematically monitor, measure and control current expectations and changes within a public sector property management function. Herewith, performance model for effective management of public sector properties in South Africa. At the time of conducting this study, there was no conceptual model developed for performance management of public sector properties. In order to develop the performance model, the conceptual model identified key elements that included: 1) obsolescence and strategic factors; 2) global alignment; 3) finance and cost control; 4) PESTEL impact; 5) transformation and sustainability; 6) leadership and governance; and 7) monitoring, measurement and control as influences that directly impact a perceived successful management of public sector properties in SA. The study also took the form of a quantitative research project that included a formal survey of the identified population sample. The main statistical procedure employed was Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Originally, the study offered 24 hypotheses; however, only 11 hypotheses could be confirmed by SEM measurement. Therefore, through SEM, the significance of the relationships between variables could be tested. Appropriate quantitative data were collected from public and private South African Built Environment professionals, students and other academics. The research made use of snowball sampling through questionnaires, with a sample size of 171. It is anticipated that findings of this study will be acknowledged by public sector PM in an effort to resolve PM problems through the incorporation of pertinent recommendations. Likewise, since the performance model for effective management of public sector properties was not extant prior to this study, this research is cutting-edge and therefore pioneering to PM, especially within the public sector.

This study deals with the employee fairness perceptions of their performance management system in a South African organisation. The concept of justice, with particular reference to procedural, distributive and interactional justice, is used as a guide in assessing employee perceptions of fairness of the organisations’ performance management system. A qualitative approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding of employee perceptions of fairness based on their personal experiences of the organisation’s performance management system. Data was obtained through extensive semi structured interviews with 20 employees who had been with the organisation and participated in the performance management system for 5 or more years. All interviews were transcribed and assessed using a thematic analysis. The overall findings show that there are negative fairness perceptions of the performance management system as assessed according to the three organisational justice factors of procedural, distributive and interactional justice. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology) / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

An essential blend between competencies, personality and skill is sought after for successful branch managers in today’s banking world in order to achieve a high level of quality, on-time delivery, as well as customer and employee satisfaction and loyalty. In this study the predictive relationship between competencies (as a portrayal of personality and abilities) and work performance was investigated among the branch managers. The scores on the essential Universal Competency Framework competencies, the Person- Job Match and performance data for three years were used to conduct correlation and regression analyses. The study was conducted among 95 branch managers at a banking institution in South Africa. A theoretical relationship was determined, and this was supported by the significant relationship that was evident between the identified essential competencies of the branch managers and their work performance. The regression model summary indicated significance when using all essential competencies combined against the overall criterion score. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)