Return to search

Occupational health : an investigation and analysis of the integration of occupational health into the management of an organisation using project management skills

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Global competitiveness has highlighted the need for good occupational health, but
this need can also act as a trade barrier in certain instances. However, generally,
occupational health is starting to take its place amongst the other critical success
factors as a matter of sound corporate governance.
Certain beliefs on the part of management and workers in South Africa make the
occupational health services' goals far more difficult to attain. For occupational
health goals to be achieved, there firstly needs to be a conducive environment, and
secondly an organisational structure that integrates occupational health into the
organisation, rather than relegates it to a support function. Thirdly, the business
practices within the occupational health service need to manage a complex set of
functions so that the health and organisational goals are met.
Occupational health consists mostly of a series of one-off functions and so the
principles of project management are seemingly useful to its management. As an
initial study to investigate that, the project management skill areas chosen for
assessmentare: cost, time, quality, scopeand matrix management.
Due to its complexity, there is a large body of knowledge concerning occupational
health. However, there is very little research into managing it efficiently or
integrating it into the organisation. This study serves to increase the knowledge of
the occupational health field and, by means of surveys, to investigate and analyse
the perceptions, views and opinions of occupational health nurses in relation to the
deliverables of project management, (cost, scope, time and quality) and matrix
management. It then makes proposals for increasing the efficiency of the
occupational health services and integrating them more fully into organisational
management, through the application of the principles of project management. The results of the surveys showed general agreement with all the positive
statements made regarding project management as applied to occupational health
principles. However, it was tempered with much ambivalence. The area that needs
the most attention is matrix management, while the area of scope is perceived as
being the best managed area. It is possiblethat the lack of matrix management is
what is damaging the other areas.
Occupational health nurses need to be made aware of project management
principles and the value of applying them as a way of managing. Through the
application of project management, greater efficiencies and the achievement of both
health and organisational goals can be achieved. There also needs to be more
researchto allow both fields to grow and develop in relation to each other. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globale kompetisie het die noodsaaklikheid van goeie beroepsgesondheid
beklemtoon, maar, hierdie noodsaaklikheid kan ook in sekere omstandighede as 'n
belemmering inwerk op handel. Oor die algemeen egter, begin beroepsgesondheid
sy regmatige plek in neem saam met ander kritiese suksesfaktore as dit kom by
gesonde kooperatiewe bestuur.
Sekere oortuigings, hetsy deur bestuur of werkers in Suid-Afrika maak die bereiking
van die doelstellings van beroepsgesondheid moeiliker. Ten einde te slaag met die
doelstellings van beroepsgesondheid, moet daar eerstens 'n ondersteunende
omgewing wees, tweedens 'n organisatoriese struktuur wat beroepsgesondheid
integreer in die organisasie eerder as dit te beskou as slegs 'n
ondersteuningsfunksie. Derdens, moet die besigheidspraktyke binne die
beroepsgesondheiddiens 'n komplekse stel funksies bestuur ten einde die
gesondheids- en organisatoriese doelstellings te verwesentlik.
Beroepsgesondheid bestaan uit 'n hele aantal eenmalige funksies en dus is die
beginsels van projekbestuur skynbaar nuttig daarvoor. As 'n aanvanklike studie om
dit te ondersoek is die projekbestuur vaardigheidsareas wat vir die waardering gekies
is, die volgende: koste, tyd, kwaliteit, omvang en matriksbestuur.
Vanweë die kompleksiteit daarvan, is daar 'n groot poel van kennis oor
beroepsgesondheid. Daar is egter baie min navorsingswerk oor die effektiewe
bestuur daarvan en die integrasie daarvan met 'n organisasie. Hierdie studie dien dus
om die kennis in hierdie veld uit te brei, en deur middel van ondersoeke 'n analise te
maak van die persepsies, beskouings en opinies van die beroepsgesondheid
verpleërs met betrekking tot die aflewerbare aspekte van projekbestuur, dit wil sê
koste, omvang, tyd en kwaliteit asook matriksbestuur. Daarna word ook voorstelle
gemaak vir die verhoging van die effektiwiteit van beroepsgesondheidsdienste en die
voller integrasie daarvan by organisatoriese bestuur, deur die toepassing van die
beginsels van projekbestuur. Die resultate het 'n algemene ooreenkoms getoon tussen die positiewe stellings
gemaak aangaande beroepsveiligheid, soos toegepas op projekbestuurbeginsels. Dit
is egter, met dubbelsinnigheid getemper. Die area wat die meeste aandag verg is
matriksbestuur, terwyl die area van omvangbepaling beskou word as die bes
bestuurde gebied. Dit is ook moontlik dat die gebrek aan matriksbestuur ander areas
benadeel. Beroepsgesondheidspraktisyns moet bewus gemaak word van
projekbestuur en die waarde daarvan om dit in bestuur toe te pas. Deur die gebruik
van projekbestuur, sal groter effektiwiteit in beide gesondheid- en organisatoriese
doelstellings bereik word. Daar moet ook meer navorsing wees om beide hierdie
gebiede te help groei en ontwikkel met betrekking tot mekaar.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52378
Date12 1900
CreatorsMiller, Pamela Mildred
ContributorsBrown, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format46 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

Page generated in 0.002 seconds