Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-198).

M.Com. (Business Management) / A high level of productivity is of utmost importance to any nation seeking economical growth and stability. However, South Africa has fallen behind its most important trading partners regarding levels of productivity. This decline in productivity started during the late 1960's and has resulted in a subsequent decline in competitiveness. Even more alarming is the fact that some third world countries have overtaken South Africa regarding productivity, and are currently maintaining economical growth rates in excess of five percent per annum. Another trend of modern times is the rapid growth in the number of white-collar workers (including knowledge workers). This rise of the knowledge worker is a result of the swing towards technology- and service organizations. It is thus clear that. the importance of knowledge worker productivity cannot be underestimated. There are however a number of problems regarding the management and improvement of knowledge worker productivity. Most of these problems have their origin in the unique characteristics of knowledge work. The aim of this study is thus to investigate the problems regarding the measurement of knowledge work, methods of improving productivity in general as well as improving knowledge worker productivity specifically, and finally to develop a guideline for the management and improvement of knowledge worker productivity. The study begins with a thorough literature study regarding productivity, knowledge workers and productivity improvement techniques. Following this is an empirical study to investigate certain specific factors which influence productivity. Finally a conclusion is made, resulting in a guideline for the management and improvement of knowledge worker productivity.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston University

Thesis (doctoral)--Groningen, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 535-542) and index.

Thesis (doctoral)--Groningen, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 535-542) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Department of Political Science, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept of History, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 408-441).

This study was designed to probe the experience of white collar unemployment. Some research results suggest that white collar people have an easier time with unemployment than do blue collar people while other findings suggest the contrary. A questionnaire format instrument was designed to record self-reported changes of an affective and behavioural nature in a sample of 66 white collar and 24 blue collar unemployed adults. It was hypothesized that on the whole, the blue collar sample would report a more difficult response to unemployment than the white collar sample. It was further hypothesized that after an unspecified period of time the unemployed white collar sample would become passive and depressed. Twelve variables focusing on learned helplessness, self-esteem, depression, locus of control, social interaction, time structure, personal meaning and perceived measures of health and finances were recorded and intercorrelated in this relationship study. Correlation matrices were constructed for the general sample, the white collar and the blue collar sub-samples. Reliability and validity coefficients of the instrument were calculated on each variable and were found to be acceptable for the purpose of this study. The relationships among the variables supported the notion that generally, the people in the blue collar unemployed sample experienced more difficulty with unemployment than did those people in the white collar sample. The white collar sample subjects did not, however, show a significant disposition toward passivity and depression as a function of time. Instead, the data suggested the presence of a second white collar subgroup who appeared to be experiencing great personal difficulties regardless of the duration of their unemployment. It was suggested that the appearance of a bi-modal white collar sample was the result of the sampling technique, and further that these results may reflect the state of the real world. This position is offered as a possible justification for the contradictory white collar unemployment findings in the past. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This thesis highlights the importance of workers’ perceptions of and attitudes to sexual harassment. Past researchers have found that a variety of individual factors (age, gender, gender role, and past experiences of sexual harassment), and organisational factors (gender ratio, sexual harassment policies and the role of employers), correlate with the incidence of sexually harassing behaviours. Two studies presented in this thesis extend this research and were designed to investigate how these factors relate to workers’ attitudes towards and perceptions of sexual harassment. Study one investigated 176 workers from a large, white-collar organisation. Study two sampled 75 workers from a smaller, blue-collar organisation. By comparing two different workplaces the effect of the organisational climate was investigated. Individuals from Study two experienced more sexual harassment, were more tolerant of sexual harassment and perceived less behaviour as sexual harassment compared with individuals from Study one. The organisational context was found to affect the way in which organisational and individual factors related to workers' attitudes to and their experiences of sexual harassment. However, the factors that influenced workers’ perceptions of sexual harassment were stable across both studies. Although workers’ attitudes to and their perceptions of sexual harassment were significantly correlated, they were influenced by different factors. Overall, workers’ perceptions of sexual harassment were influenced by their attitudes, the behavioural context, and the gender of the victim and perpetrator. In contrast, attitudes to sexual harassment appeared to be more strongly influenced by individual factors, such as age, gender, gender role, past experiences of sexual harassment, and perceptions of management’s tolerance of sexual harassment. The broader implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are suggested.