Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Finding practice education placements for undergraduate social work students is becoming increasingly difficult in the Western Cape Metropolis, because many welfare agencies have either closed down or do not have the capacity to accommodate students for field placement. As a result of this situation, this research was undertaken with the aim to investigate the feasibility of the corporate sector as a field placement for undergraduate social work students. By using the corporate sector as a field placement an opportunity can be created whereby the university and the corporate sector could establish a workable partnership, with mutual benefits for each. The corporate sector can benefit by services offered by the students in the form of case-group and community work that can be rendered to the employees. The university will benefit because a new option for student placements will become available to them. The domain of social work in the corporate sector was explored by defining occupational social work; the nature of service rendering on micro, meso and macro levels and discussing occupational social work in the 21st century. Field placements of undergraduate students in the corporate sector were examined in order to establish what the theoretical background for field placements in a corporate setting ought to be. To this end, the nature and purpose; formats; settings and key role players in field placements were explored. Social work methods in social work per se and occupational social work in general were investigated. An investigation was also made into the management of the field placement programme for undergraduate social work students in the corporate sector. The following were facets were explored: the requirements of the department of social work at the University of the Western Cape for fourth year students as well as the requirements for field placements in the corporate sector, in order to establish the suitability of the corporate sector for field placements. Existing literature and empirical findings were used to collect data for this study. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were applied in this study. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews and conclusions and recommendations were based on the findings of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word al hoe moeiliker om praktykonderrigplasings vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werk studente in die Wes-Kaapse Metropool te vind, aangesien baie welsynsagentskappe of gesluit het of nie die vermoë het om studente in posisies vir praktykonderrigplasings te akkommodeer nie. As 'n gevolg van hierdie situasie is hierdie navorsing onderneem met die doel om vas te stel of menslike hulpbron personeel binne die korporatiewe sektor gewillig sal wees om voorgraadse studente vir praktykonderrig te akkommodeer. Deur die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te gebruik, kan 'n geleentheid geskep word waardeur die universiteit en die korporatiewe sektor 'n uitvoerbare vennootskap, met wedersydse voordele vir albei, tot stand kan bring. Die korporatiewe sektor kan voordeel trek uit die dienste wat deur die studente aangebied word, soos gevalle-, groep- en gemeenskapswerk wat aan die werknemers gebied kan word. Die universiteit se voordeel sal daarin lê dat nuwe opsies vir praktykonderrigplasings vir die studente beskikbaar word. Die sfeer van maatskaplike werk in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek deur beroepsmaatskaplike werk en die aard van dienslewering op mikro-, meso- en makrovlakke te definieer, en deur die aard van beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die 21ste eeu te bespreek. Praktykonderrigplasings van voorgraadse studente in die korporatiewe sektor is ondersoek om te bepaal wat die teoretiese agtergrond vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe omgewing behoort te wees. Vir hierdie doel is die aard en doel, formate, omgewings en sleutel rolspelers in praktykonderrigplasings verken. Maatskaplike werkmetodes in maatskaplike werk per se en beroepsmaatskaplike werk in die algemeen is ondersoek. 'n Ondersoek is ook gedoen na die bestuur van die praktykonderrigplasingsprogram vir voorgraadse maatskaplike werkstudente in die korporatiewe sektor. Die volgende fasette is verken: die vereistes wat die Departement Maatskaplike Werk van die Universiteit van Wes- Kaapland aan vierdejaarstudente stel, sowel as die vereistes vir praktykonderrigplasings in die korporatiewe sektor, met die doel om die gewilligheid van die korporatiewe sektor vir praktykonderrigplasings te bepaal. Bestaande literatuur en empiriese bevindings is gebruik om data vir hierdie studie te versamel. Verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerpe is in hierdie studie benut. Deur middel van vraelyste en onderhoude is data versamel en afleidings en aanbevelings op grond van die bevindinge van die ondersoek is gemaak.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

La ricerca si propone di delineare alcune proposte pedagogico-educative per il benessere organizzativo. Per raggiungere tale obiettivo è stato necessario rilevare i cambiamenti in atto nel mondo del lavoro, rintracciando le trasformazioni che accomunano tra loro i diversi paesi europei. Inoltre, al fine di ricuperare uno sguardo pedagogico sul lavoro, è stata effettuata una riflessione, movendo dai classici della pedagogia per mettere in luce alcune categorie che risultano essere ancora attuali per leggere il lavoro. La ricerca si avvale dei risultati emersi da tre analisi di caso svolte con imprese eccellenti ubicate nella provincia di Brescia e fortemente impegnate a sempre più migliorare la relazione con i loro stakeholder interni ed esterni. / The research’s aim is to give some educational proposals in order to improve the well being at work. In order to achieve this aim, it has been detected how the world of work is changing. However, to be able to look the work from a pedagogical point of view, I have made a reflection studying the education’s classical authors, in order to find some categories, that are useful to understand the work. For this research I have made 3 case studies in excellent companies in Brescia, engaged to improve the relations with their internal and external stakeholders.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

The focus of this study is the effectiveness in increasing self-efficacy and self-esteem level, parenting skills, awareness about domestic violence issues, and the overall effects of these on the quality of life of at-risk Hispanic female immigrants attending a support group at a community agency.

No description available.

Lecturers’ research output in higher education in Zimbabwe is low in general and at Mentors University (pseudonym) in particular. Although lecturers at Mentors University are expected to publish to avoid career stagnation, most lecturers are not tenured due to lack of publications in peer refereed journals with an aggregate impact factor of 0.5. The study aimed at formulating a model for developing lecturers’ research skills and its empirical testing to address the problem. A literature review examined theories of competency development and mentoring models. The informal group mentoring strategy was structured for application in a qualitative participatory action research design. A questionnaire captured factors influencing lecturer research output from a purposive sample of 260 lecturers at Mentors University. Another purposive sample of five lecturers participated in implementing the informal group mentoring intervention for model empirical testing. All participants had failed to publish, were available volunteers and committed to the intervention. The intervention comprised determining qualities of publishable papers through desk research; an evaluative reading of published and rejected papers; peer discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of papers; practice of research; the oral reporting of findings; peer evaluation of papers and the incorporation of peer critique into papers to improve quality prior to paper submission to journals. Survey findings indicated that research output was affected by a lack of both research and publishing skills and mentoring by research supervisors. Participants in the intervention entertained misconceptions of problem formulation, research design and application of probability sampling concepts. Computer skills for data analysis and oral presentation were poor. Further, the university had no policy for lecturer research skills development. As a result of the intervention, all five participants published a paper. The study concluded that lecturers can develop research skills for publication by forming informal mentoring groups; obtaining the services of a mentor; and applying the informal group mentoring model. It was recommended that the universities include development of research skills in their policies and train mentors for the application of the informal group mentoring research skill development model in new universities in Zimbabwe. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Globalisation, technological advancements and changing social needs result in virtual work arrangements becoming more prominent. Virtual work is conducted away from the traditional office setting and usually occurs in employees’ personal home environments. Virtual work has been called virtualling in this study, and virtual employees are referred to as virtuallers. A phenomenological orientation was adopted in studying completely virtual workers in a completely virtual context; sourcing of participants and data collection were also conducted completely virtually. This study presented new ways of conducting research in the modern, virtual world of work. An autoethnography was included, as the researcher is also a virtualler and insider of virtualling. Four key case studies are presented to provide a holistic picture of virtualling and virtuallers. Thematic results indicate key influencing factors that originate from virtualling, as well as factors and mindset requirements that pertain to the virtualler personally. It was further found and proposed that the resulting virtual environment changes virtuallers’ ways of doing things and viewing the world, hence results in changes in their lifestyle and career identity. The abstract psychological structure as it resulted from the thread of meanings was presented as virtualness. Authentic psychological identification with virtualling and adopting a boundarylessness employability mindset oriented towards psychological success are highlighted as key requirements in order to experience virtualness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)