Thesis (M.Tech)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141).

M.Comm. / This dissertation is an investigation into the changing role, task and utility of the secretary as a resource for the manager in Technikon SA(TSA). In today's office, a secretary can no longer offer just technical skills and personal attributes alone. The secretary must be involved as an energetic and vital member of the group. The secretary must appreciate the possibilities of making an increased contribution to the success of the manager by managing the time available to the secretary more effectively. The secretary has to understand the factors which operate in inter-personal work relations. The secretary must be a skilled communicator and organiser. The secretary needs a talent for detailed administration. The secretary often has a controlling and planning function. Secretaries have a significant role to play in maintaining good relations with all within the organisation, and in creating a favourable image to those outside. A secretary should be able to lubricate the wheels of the manager's work and exercise intelligent anticipation by thinking for and with the manager. The first part of this study exists of a literature overview of the secretary in die business world. Special attention is given to the role of the secretary and the need for a secretary; the changing office environment; the changing role of the secretary; the impact of technology and the changing role of the secretary and the secretary's role in the upcoming virtual office. The changing career path of the secretary is also addressed. The literature overview ends with an overview of the utilisation of the secretary and the establishment of an optimal work relationship between secretary and manager and the training and development of the secretary. The last part of the study exists of the results of a questionnaire compiled and distributed to all the secretaries in TSA and interviews with some managers in TSA. The secretary's in TSA perform basic secretarial functions. The nature of the secretary's work is determined by the specific department where the secretary is working. TSA secretary's uses the most up to date technology in the execution of their work. Secretaries have limited authority and responsibility regarding their work but they can almost always influence there manager's decisions regarding office related issues. There is no real career path for the secretary in TSA, which is a big frustration for the secretaries. Because there is a not a definite career path and no distinction between for example a junior secretary, secretary, senior secretary etc, some secretaries tend to be over and others under utilised. The nature of the secretary's work can determine that a secretary is more involved with aspects such as project management, budgeting and scheduling. These secretaries do not get the recognition they deserve and is still on the same level as all the other secretaries in TSA. The secretaries in TSA is equipped with the write training, development and experience to fulfil work with more authority and responsibility. The role of the secretary in TSA will definitely change in future. Both managers and secretaries see the role of the secretary to be changed to that of a personal assistant with the necessary authority and responsibility to handle lower level management work. The secretary will have more decision power in the execution of the Technikon's policy and procedures an better utilised.

M.Tech.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / On title page: Master of Philosophy in Hypermedia for Language Learning. Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Tech.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M. Tech.)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141).

AIM OF THE STUDY - The general aim of the study is to design a selection test battery that can be used to screen students for the diploma courses in Management practice and Personnel management before the enrolment at the Witwatersrand Technikon. The specific aims are twofold: namely theoretical and empirical. The theoretical aim is firstly to give some perspective as far as the use of psychometric tests in the selection procedure, and secondly to give an overview of those factors that affect academic performance. The empirical aim consists of three objectives: To determine which factors are significantly related to academic performance of first year students for the Management practice and the Personnel management courses, respectively. To determine those factors that reflect a significant difference between the successful and unsuccessful students in both diploma courses. To develop a profile of the successful and unsuccessful groups' test performances for selection purposes. METHOD OF INVESTIGATION - A study of the relevant literature was undertaken concerning the role of psychometric tests in the selection procedure, as well as the effect of different cognitive and non-cognitive factors on academic performance. As a result of the limited number of first year students in these two courses, the total first year student group was involved in this study. The psychometric tests used in this study are the 19 Field Interest Inventory, the Structured Objective Rorschach test (SORT), The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA), the 16 Personality factor questionnaire {16PF), the subtest Mental Alertness of the Intermediate Battery and the Academic Achievement Battery. RESULTS OF THE MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS - The test that shows the highest correlation with academic performance for both groups is the 16PF. In the case of the Management practice group, the correlation is 0,62 and for the Personnel management group, the correlation is 0,77. The Management practice group also reflected correlations between academic performance and previous performance (r=0,48) and between academic performance and interest (r=0,63). On the other hand, correlations were also found between academic performance and the SSHA ( r=O, 5 9) and between academic performance and mental alertness (r=0,42) concerning the Personnel management group. The 16PF therefore showed the highest correlation with academic performance for both groups. As a result of these findings and the relatively small population group used in this study it was decided, for the remainder of the investigation to combine the two groups. The new combined group was then subdivided into a successful and an unsuccessful group. RESULTS OF THE PROFILE ANALYSIS - The successful group obtained average scores which were higher than those of the unsuccessful group on eight factors of the 16PF. These eight factors are: A(Sociality), B (Intelligence), E(Dominance), F(Carefreeness), H (Social venturesomeness), L(Suspiciousness), N(Astuteness) and Ql(Radicalism). Of these eight factors, the differences for the last three are very insignificant. The unsuccessful group obtained higher average scores on the remaining eight factors but once again these differences are insignificant. RESULTS OF THE t-TEST - Significant differences were found between the successful and unsuccessful groups with regard to factors A(Sociality), B(Intelligence) and F(Carefreeness) on the 0,01-level while significant differences on the 0,05-level were obtained on factors E(Dominance) and Q3(Self-control). These results can be summarised as follows: * The successful group• is definitely more social, in other words more outgoing, carefree and more participative than the unsuccessful group. * The successful group has a greater mental ability than the unsuccessful group, is more independent and shows more enthusiasm. * The unsuccessful group shows a greater degree of self-control than the successful group with the result that they experience more anxiety in the process. According to this study, personality factors seem to play a more significant role than any other factors as measured in this particular case. Biographical data should also be considered in a study like this as this might possibly lead to other factors that influence academic performance. / Skripsie (MA)--PU vir CHO, 1987

The problems existing at the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering may be linked to that fact that its organisational culture has not been diagnosed. Some of the issues facing the line managers at the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering are the low morale of staff; high staff turnover rates and tension within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering. In addition, with the proposed merger between TWR, Rand Afrikaans University and Vista University, the current culture may need to change. Hence, the core focus of this study was to identify the existing organisational culture within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering with a view to assist line managers in enhancing its effectiveness. The Competing Values Framework, together with the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), was used to diagnose the culture within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering. It was found that within the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering at present, the dominant culture is the hierarchy type culture and the preferred dominant culture should be the market type culture. The hierarchy type culture focuses on internal maintenance with a need for stability and control whilst the market type culture has an external focus with a need for stability and control. It was recommended that the School of Process and Mechanical Engineering change its current hierarchy culture towards the market type culture. The study was concluded by providing recommendations in order to facilitate a smooth transition from a hierarchy type culture to a market type culture. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

Against the backdrop of the challenges that confront our business organizations today, it seems that the concept of organizational learning has passed the sell-by date. Against the backdrop of entrenched underdevelopment in certain sectors of our communities, the inadequacy of the necessary structures to deal with these challenges, and the lack of required competencies for systemic development, challenges are posed on the Higher Education Sector, in general, and the so-called Historically Disadvantaged Institutions, in particular, for their role to alleviate the prevailing situation. With organization development as a strategy, the study employed the models of impact assessment and sustainable development to reflect and evaluate the Tertiary Education Linkages Project (TELP) programme on Academic Development at the Eastern Cape Technikon. The research study was aimed at assessing the extent to which the Technikon responded to the programme especially on issues of impact and sustainable development. The action research study, designed and conducted parallel to programme management, would also reveal issues of practice-theory both in organization development, the intervention strategy, and in academic development, the field of practice. The study yielded the following 3 major outcomes: The value of ensuring impact and sustainability development in the capacity development efforts that are characterizing HDls. The value of academic development as the mechanism for enhancing organizational learning in the higher education sector. The value of organization development in capacitating the institutions of higher learning to deal with the challenges of transformation. The following constituted the main conclusions: Against the background of structural and historical challenges that confront Historically Disadvantaged Institutions today, intervention strategies should promote the critical and the humanistic issues of awareness, emancipation, action, self-determination, autonomy, and social responsibility. There is an urgent need for demonstrable and visible leadership at all performance levels for sustaining the results of organizational interventions. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

AIM OF THE STUDY - The general aim of the study is to design a selection test battery that can be used to screen students for the diploma courses in Management practice and Personnel management before the enrolment at the Witwatersrand Technikon. The specific aims are twofold: namely theoretical and empirical. The theoretical aim is firstly to give some perspective as far as the use of psychometric tests in the selection procedure, and secondly to give an overview of those factors that affect academic performance. The empirical aim consists of three objectives: To determine which factors are significantly related to academic performance of first year students for the Management practice and the Personnel management courses, respectively. To determine those factors that reflect a significant difference between the successful and unsuccessful students in both diploma courses. To develop a profile of the successful and unsuccessful groups' test performances for selection purposes. METHOD OF INVESTIGATION - A study of the relevant literature was undertaken concerning the role of psychometric tests in the selection procedure, as well as the effect of different cognitive and non-cognitive factors on academic performance. As a result of the limited number of first year students in these two courses, the total first year student group was involved in this study. The psychometric tests used in this study are the 19 Field Interest Inventory, the Structured Objective Rorschach test (SORT), The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA), the 16 Personality factor questionnaire {16PF), the subtest Mental Alertness of the Intermediate Battery and the Academic Achievement Battery. RESULTS OF THE MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS - The test that shows the highest correlation with academic performance for both groups is the 16PF. In the case of the Management practice group, the correlation is 0,62 and for the Personnel management group, the correlation is 0,77. The Management practice group also reflected correlations between academic performance and previous performance (r=0,48) and between academic performance and interest (r=0,63). On the other hand, correlations were also found between academic performance and the SSHA ( r=O, 5 9) and between academic performance and mental alertness (r=0,42) concerning the Personnel management group. The 16PF therefore showed the highest correlation with academic performance for both groups. As a result of these findings and the relatively small population group used in this study it was decided, for the remainder of the investigation to combine the two groups. The new combined group was then subdivided into a successful and an unsuccessful group. RESULTS OF THE PROFILE ANALYSIS - The successful group obtained average scores which were higher than those of the unsuccessful group on eight factors of the 16PF. These eight factors are: A(Sociality), B (Intelligence), E(Dominance), F(Carefreeness), H (Social venturesomeness), L(Suspiciousness), N(Astuteness) and Ql(Radicalism). Of these eight factors, the differences for the last three are very insignificant. The unsuccessful group obtained higher average scores on the remaining eight factors but once again these differences are insignificant. RESULTS OF THE t-TEST - Significant differences were found between the successful and unsuccessful groups with regard to factors A(Sociality), B(Intelligence) and F(Carefreeness) on the 0,01-level while significant differences on the 0,05-level were obtained on factors E(Dominance) and Q3(Self-control). These results can be summarised as follows: * The successful group• is definitely more social, in other words more outgoing, carefree and more participative than the unsuccessful group. * The successful group has a greater mental ability than the unsuccessful group, is more independent and shows more enthusiasm. * The unsuccessful group shows a greater degree of self-control than the successful group with the result that they experience more anxiety in the process. According to this study, personality factors seem to play a more significant role than any other factors as measured in this particular case. Biographical data should also be considered in a study like this as this might possibly lead to other factors that influence academic performance. / Skripsie (MA)--PU vir CHO, 1987