In South Africa there is a shortage of systems engineers which is being addressed by a systems engineering (SE) development program. The purpose of this research was to design a selection method that could be used to select candidate systems engineers with potential thus increasing the probability of successful development of SE competencies. Based on literature and practical considerations, the following research question was formulated: Can a candidate’s SE competence potential can be predicted from personality preferences, cognition, and values (the SE Profile)? Design science research was used as the research methodology. The 15 Factor Questionnaire Plus was used to assess personality, the Cognitive Process Profile for cognition, and the Value Orientations to assess values. The 21 SE competencies were assessed using the INCOSE Systems Engineering Competencies framework. Specific values (high or low) on a combination of psychological measures are useful for predicting high competence and these vary between SE competencies. Thus psychological measures for SE as a whole cannot be identified as has been done in the literature. The number of engineers with high SE competence is inversely proportional to the number of SE competencies. Cognition measures seem more useful in identifying risk, but do not strongly predict SE competence for the given sample. From this research, no evidence was found that values have been considered previously in the SE selection literature, but values are useful for predicting high competence on at least 11 SE competencies. Because the various SE competencies require different profiles, there are few “super systems engineers”. SE competence required for the project can be achieved through a team rather than a single systems engineer. Assessment can be used as a tool for SE development by detecting anomalies and selecting candidates which have the potential for faster successful development. / Thesis (PhD (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

South Africans leaving their country of birth is not a new phenomenon. South Africa currently has a large shortage of engineers and the fact that engineers are seeking better opportunities abroad is worsening the skills shortage in South Africa. Engineers form a vital part of any manufacturing, design, supply or production entity and leave a large setback if a skilled, experienced engineer decides to emigrate. Official statistics from self-declared emigrants showed that 601 engineers out of the total 16,165 self-declared emigrants left the country in 2003. This figure can be double the given number of 601 if the multiplication factor of 2.0 is taken into consideration for people that do not complete the emigration forms at the airports. The focus of this study was to investigate the emigration potential of the skilled engineer along with the factors that might lead to emigration, and were classified into three distinctive groups, namely, economic, political and social. These aspects are generally referred to as "push" factors that drive people out of the country such as racism, crime and violence; as well as "pull" factors that attract people such as better work opportunities, better salaries and better education. An electronic survey questionnaire was used to determine the emigration potential of the engineers within a large mining organisation. The respondents had to indicate their emigration potential as well as the major factors that would contribute to them leaving South Africa. The overall measured potential for emigration within the specific mining organisation was significantly low. Only twenty percent of respondents agreed that they are planning to emigrate within the next five years and only two percent within the next year. Forty-six percent of respondents agreed that they would rather like to work in another country for only a few years than to emigrate permanently. Various reasons could have lead to the contradicting low measured emigration potential within this specific organisation. Literature has proven that there is a significant relationship between intention to emigrate and organisational commitment. Results also showed that emigration potential tend to increase the better the engineer is qualified; with the emigration potential amongst electrical and mechanical engineers higher than all other disciplines. Crime and violence were the number one factor impacting the respondent in terms of potential emigration. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The retention of artisans is becoming an increasingly important challenge faced by many organisations. The decision to intensify artisan retention strategies arises from the fact that there is currently a shortage of artisans in the country. This situation is aggravated by the fact that many of our country's current supply of artisans are being lured away to Canada and Australia by the highly competitive packages offered them. For effective retention of their artisans, organisations must be aware of the factors that artisans perceive as being important in the decision to remain with an organisation. The main research objective was, therefore, to establish the factors that are important for artisan retention. It was also decided to measure the level of intention to leave among a sample of artisans, as there were no results available from previous research. The research was explorative in nature and a mixed-methods design was used to achieve the objectives. The participants were selected by means of a judgement sample to consist only of participants who hold a formal qualification as an artisan, as prescribed by Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) standards. Employees were requested to take part voluntarily in the research and a total population of 14 employees responded (N = 14). A semi-structured interview was used as means of collecting the qualitative data, while the quantitative data were collected by means of questionnaires. The results indicated that remuneration had the highest rank of all the factors for the retention of artisans, closely followed by development opportunity in second place. Other factors that were also perceived as important for artisan retention by the participants included equality (ranked third), recognition (ranked fourth), management and the working environment (ranked fifth), working relationships (ranked sixth), while change management, job security, belongingness, the merit system, job satisfaction and employee wellness were all ranked jointly in seventh place. With regard to Turnover Intention, the results indicated a mean score of 2,38 out of 5,00; it can thus be concluded that the sample reported an average level of turnover intention. The spread of the scores was quite large, indicating that some artisans had a strong intention to continue working at the organisation, while others were likely to consider other offers. By way of conclusion, recommendations were made both for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The retention of artisans is becoming an increasingly important challenge faced by many organisations. The decision to intensify artisan retention strategies arises from the fact that there is currently a shortage of artisans in the country. This situation is aggravated by the fact that many of our country's current supply of artisans are being lured away to Canada and Australia by the highly competitive packages offered them. For effective retention of their artisans, organisations must be aware of the factors that artisans perceive as being important in the decision to remain with an organisation. The main research objective was, therefore, to establish the factors that are important for artisan retention. It was also decided to measure the level of intention to leave among a sample of artisans, as there were no results available from previous research. The research was explorative in nature and a mixed-methods design was used to achieve the objectives. The participants were selected by means of a judgement sample to consist only of participants who hold a formal qualification as an artisan, as prescribed by Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) standards. Employees were requested to take part voluntarily in the research and a total population of 14 employees responded (N = 14). A semi-structured interview was used as means of collecting the qualitative data, while the quantitative data were collected by means of questionnaires. The results indicated that remuneration had the highest rank of all the factors for the retention of artisans, closely followed by development opportunity in second place. Other factors that were also perceived as important for artisan retention by the participants included equality (ranked third), recognition (ranked fourth), management and the working environment (ranked fifth), working relationships (ranked sixth), while change management, job security, belongingness, the merit system, job satisfaction and employee wellness were all ranked jointly in seventh place. With regard to Turnover Intention, the results indicated a mean score of 2,38 out of 5,00; it can thus be concluded that the sample reported an average level of turnover intention. The spread of the scores was quite large, indicating that some artisans had a strong intention to continue working at the organisation, while others were likely to consider other offers. By way of conclusion, recommendations were made both for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

South Africans leaving their country of birth is not a new phenomenon. South Africa currently has a large shortage of engineers and the fact that engineers are seeking better opportunities abroad is worsening the skills shortage in South Africa. Engineers form a vital part of any manufacturing, design, supply or production entity and leave a large setback if a skilled, experienced engineer decides to emigrate. Official statistics from self-declared emigrants showed that 601 engineers out of the total 16,165 self-declared emigrants left the country in 2003. This figure can be double the given number of 601 if the multiplication factor of 2.0 is taken into consideration for people that do not complete the emigration forms at the airports. The focus of this study was to investigate the emigration potential of the skilled engineer along with the factors that might lead to emigration, and were classified into three distinctive groups, namely, economic, political and social. These aspects are generally referred to as "push" factors that drive people out of the country such as racism, crime and violence; as well as "pull" factors that attract people such as better work opportunities, better salaries and better education. An electronic survey questionnaire was used to determine the emigration potential of the engineers within a large mining organisation. The respondents had to indicate their emigration potential as well as the major factors that would contribute to them leaving South Africa. The overall measured potential for emigration within the specific mining organisation was significantly low. Only twenty percent of respondents agreed that they are planning to emigrate within the next five years and only two percent within the next year. Forty-six percent of respondents agreed that they would rather like to work in another country for only a few years than to emigrate permanently. Various reasons could have lead to the contradicting low measured emigration potential within this specific organisation. Literature has proven that there is a significant relationship between intention to emigrate and organisational commitment. Results also showed that emigration potential tend to increase the better the engineer is qualified; with the emigration potential amongst electrical and mechanical engineers higher than all other disciplines. Crime and violence were the number one factor impacting the respondent in terms of potential emigration. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The majority of Sweden’s municipalities have for the last decade reported a housing shortage. This housing shortage, created by a combination of low construction rates and a rapidly growing population, has resulted in the biggest building boom Sweden has seen since the Million Dwellings Program. Although building rates are high, there is a continuous trend of housing becoming increasingly expensive, and the housing shortage today is mainly that of affordable rental housing. During the great housing shortage of the 20th century, the allmännytta, Sweden’s public rental companies was created and their role has traditionally been to provide affordable rental housing for all. Since the 1990s this role has changed and in 2011 the allbolagen 2010:879 was implemented, requiring these previous non-profit companies to act according to business principles, in addition to being socially responsible. This thesis investigates the role of Swedish public rental companies in regards to the current housing shortage and in the light of this law change. This is done through the use of qualitative interviews with representatives of the municipality, the tenant’s association and the allmännytta in the cities of Uppsala, Västerås and Örebro. The study finds that the business principles of the allbolagen 2010:879 is interpreted in different ways by the different allmännytta companies. It further finds that the role of the allmännytta in regards to the housing shortage still is to build rental housing, but the limitations created by the requirement of business principles makes this increasingly difficult as the allmännytta cannot act in ways different from the private sector. Instead they try to take their role of being socially responsible through other, related projects and by housing a disproportionally large amount of those incapable of acquiring housing on their own. Affordability is also increasingly made difficult as the municipality set related goals for the allmännytta’s housing construction, such as sustainability, which pushes prices up. Originally created to deal with the housing shortage of the 20th century, the gradual changes of housing politics since the 1990s renders the allmännytta as neither responsible nor capable to deal with the housing shortage of today by providing and constructing affordable housing. The study finds that the role of the allmännytta in regards to the housing shortage is conflicting, as older ideals of the Folkhem and newer principles of neoliberalism are entangled.

The purpose of the study was to investigate why high school junior and senior students in the Jackson Purchase district of Kentucky choose to go or not to go into the profession of teaching Family and Consumer Sciences. The participants of the study were Family and Consumer Sciences teachers and junior and senior high school students enrolled in their classes. This study used a quantitative mode of inquiry. More specifically, two questionnaire instruments were developed and administered to participating teachers and students to answer the research questions. The questionnaire gathered data on the subject's perceptions of Family and Consumer Sciences education. In addition, demographics were derived from student participants. The study determined that students were predominantly college bound, mostly Caucasian, seniors, and female. The majority of students thought Family and Consumer Sciences was important and should be offered in high school. In addition, only 9.3% (10) have considered Family and Consumer Sciences education as a career, 63.7% have never thought of it as a possible career, and 17.8% indicated there was not enough available jobs. The study determined that most of the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher participants declared there was not a decline in enrollment in classes over the past ten years. Two of the seven teachers will be retiring within the next five years.

The study investigated the concept of the psychological contract and its influence on engineers’ worker engagement. The underlying rationale for this study was to address the shortage of engineers and specialised artisans (that is, the shortage of skilled people in two of the professions where such a shortage poses a threat to the economic growth of South Africa) by determining the worker engagement of engineers. The study also attempted to identify the true drivers of engagement for engineers which can then be used as a baseline for further development of business specific strategies. The sample was engineering personnel in the South African project engineering sector, and a combination of two existing questionnaires, the Psychological Contract Inventory (PCI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), was used to gather the data. It was concluded that generally engineers are loyal to the task at hand and not necessarily to the organisation that employs them. They are engaged in their work, but also indicate that they constantly seek to improve their education and experience to make future employment at other companies probable. A somewhat contradictory finding is that they claim to be satisfied with the employment offered to them, as well as the benefits they receive. To ensure the retention of skilled employees, the study proposes that employers of engineers diversify from time to time, or introduce some variation. Even internal shuffling can be used to continually challenge the engineers. It is further recommended that companies should ensure that there are clear career paths for engineering employees, combining secure employment with stable and realistic benefits. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

South Africa currently faces challenges such as high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty. The skills deficiency in South Africa is one of the biggest obstacles to finding employment and poverty reduction. According to McGrath (2012), the TVET sector needs to be strengthened in order to provide access to high quality technical vocational education for all. This dissertation investigates the potential of a TVET college as a catalytic public building to uplift its community through both secular and educational functions. Humans are makers, everything around us are either made by humans or nature. By possessing the necessary skills to shape things, we also have the skill to shape our futures. This project investigation will specifically look at skills as intangible heritage and how collaboration can empower communities in shaping their own futures in a resilient manner. / Suid-Afrika ervaar huidiglik uitdagings soos ho? vlakke van werkloosheid, ongelykheid en armoede. Die vaardighede tekort in Suid-Afrika is een van die grootste struikelblokke om werk te kry asook om armoede te bestry. Volgens McGrath (2012), moet die TVET sektor versterk word om toegang te voorsien tot ho? gehalte tegniese beroepsonderwys vir almal. Die verhandeling ondersoek die potensiaal van 'n TVET kollege, as 'n katalitiese openbare gebou, om sy gemeenskap op te hef deur beide sekul?re en opvoedkundige funksies. Mense is makers, alles rondom ons is of deur die mens of die natuur gemaak. Deur die nodige vaardighede te h? om te kan maak, het ons ook die vaardigheid om ons toekoms te vorm. Hierdie projek-ondersoek sal spesifiek kyk na vaardighede as ontasbare erfenis en hoe samewerking gemeenskappe kan bemagtig in die vorming van hul eie toekoms in 'n veerkragtige manier. / Mini Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Architecture / MArch (Prof) / Unrestricted

Bakgrund: Flertalet studier visar på hur sjuksköterskebristen är ett faktum världen över och att detta medför konsekvenser för kvaliteten på vården av patienten. Syfte: Syftet är att sammanställa kunskapsläget om kommunikation mellan patient och sjuksköterska påverkar patientsäkerheten och om sjuksköterskebristen har en inverkan på detta. Metod: En litteraturstudie utfördes för att besvara syftet. Artiklar söktes i databaserna Pubmed, Cinahl och Svemed och granskades sedan utifrån SBU´s kvalitetsmall. Artiklarna som bedömdes ha hög eller medelhög kvalitet användes i arbetet och de artiklar som bedömdes ha en låg kvalitet uteslöts från arbetet.Resultat: Resultatet visade att tung arbetsbelastning och tidsbrist bidrog till att kommunikationen med patienten inte prioriterades. Bristfällande kommunikation visade sig ha en direkt påverkan på patientsäkerheten då missförstånd uppstod, felaktiga diagnoser ställdes varpå patienten även i vissa fall fick fel behandling. Patienterna uppfattade sjuksköterskornas arbetsbelastning och kände sympati för dem samtidigt som många kände sig orättvist behandlade. Trots att många patienter berättade om bristfällande kommunikation samt en påverkad relation mellan sjuksköterskan och patienten var det emellertid några patienter som lyfte positiva möten och även möten som förstärkt patientens vilja att våga prata med sjuksköterskan om allting, inte enbart det medicinska. Slutsats: Resultatet visar på hur en bristfällig kommunikation kan leda till stora konsekvenser för patientsäkerheten. Ytterligare forskning och studier med fokus på patienternas synvinkel anses därav som en viktig aspekt för att visa på hur allvarsamt detta är. / Background: Several studies show how nursing shortage is a fact worldwide and that it implicates the quality of patient care.Aim: The aim is too gather information on wheter the communication between patient and nurse affects patient saftey and if nurse shortage has an impact on this.Method: A literature review was conducted. Articles were searched in the following three databases; Pubmed, Cinahl and Svemed and then reviewed based on SBU´s quality template. The articles that was estimated too a high or medium quality were included in the article and the articles whom were estimated too a low quality were omitted from the essay.Results: The results showed that heavy workload and lack of time contributed to unprioritizd communication with the patient. Defective communication was found to have a direct impact on patient safety when misunderstandings arose, incorrect diagnoses were made and in some cases, the patient received incorrect treatment. Patients perceived the workload of the nurses and felt sympathy for them while many felt unfairly treated. Although many patients talked about inadequate communication and an affected relationship between the nurse and the patient, nonetheless, there were some patients who raised positive meetings and also meetings that reinforced the patient's willingness to dare to talk to the nurse about everything, not just the medical aspects. Conclusion: The result shows what devastating consequences a lack of communication can contribute to. Further research and studies that focus on the patients view is considered an important aspect to show how serious it is.