Employee happiness at ARMSCOR
- Authors: Rakgabyane, Michael Tsie
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Employee morale
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43018 , vital:36732
- Description: The subject of happiness has captured many across the world. There is an increasing debate on whether there is a link between improving the national happiness levels and country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Happiness has become an area of interest for both organisations and individuals because of the consequential benefits. Research affirmed the importance of happiness in improving the function of both society and organisations. The benefit thereof includes but is not limited to increased productivity and longevity. Having unhappy employees could have dire effects on the organisations due to the direct impact on the organisation’s financial and social conditions. The arms industry is generally seen as a highly secretive industry due to the strategic position and importance that it occupies in various countries. Happiness in the arms industry has never been explored. This makes this study new in this particular industry. The arms industry as a whole can also benefit by focusing on improving employees’ happiness levels. This makes the study in Armscor important as it would help to provide some insight on the happiness levels in this industry. The focus of this study is to establish happiness levels of Armscor employees. For the purpose of this study, the primary data for the study were collected from a representative sample of 170 Armscor employees which included 161 permanent and 9 non-permanent employees. The questionnaire designed from the literature was used to collect the data. The in-depth literature review that was conducted in carrying out this study included exploring the different perspectives from which happiness is defined. This included three seemingly dominant perspectives: philosophic, economic and psychological perspectives. Furthermore, the review of literature included examining happiness theories and explored three main theories: Comparison, Folklore and Livability. The literature review provided a basis for a proposed conceptual model, which suggested the following factors as influencing happiness in the workplace: workplace influence, workplace relationships, work-life balance, purpose, optimism, work satisfaction, leisure, SA pride and trust. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the proposed conceptual model and the results indicate that workplace influence, workplace vi relationships and work satisfaction load onto the factor work; while trust and SA pride load onto the factor trust pride; and purpose, work-life balance and optimism load onto the factor purpose work-life optimism. The treatise concludes with recommendations that management can consider implementing to improve the happiness levels of employees at Armscor. This study contributes to understanding the happiness levels of employees in the arms industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Rakgabyane, Michael Tsie
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Employee morale
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43018 , vital:36732
- Description: The subject of happiness has captured many across the world. There is an increasing debate on whether there is a link between improving the national happiness levels and country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Happiness has become an area of interest for both organisations and individuals because of the consequential benefits. Research affirmed the importance of happiness in improving the function of both society and organisations. The benefit thereof includes but is not limited to increased productivity and longevity. Having unhappy employees could have dire effects on the organisations due to the direct impact on the organisation’s financial and social conditions. The arms industry is generally seen as a highly secretive industry due to the strategic position and importance that it occupies in various countries. Happiness in the arms industry has never been explored. This makes this study new in this particular industry. The arms industry as a whole can also benefit by focusing on improving employees’ happiness levels. This makes the study in Armscor important as it would help to provide some insight on the happiness levels in this industry. The focus of this study is to establish happiness levels of Armscor employees. For the purpose of this study, the primary data for the study were collected from a representative sample of 170 Armscor employees which included 161 permanent and 9 non-permanent employees. The questionnaire designed from the literature was used to collect the data. The in-depth literature review that was conducted in carrying out this study included exploring the different perspectives from which happiness is defined. This included three seemingly dominant perspectives: philosophic, economic and psychological perspectives. Furthermore, the review of literature included examining happiness theories and explored three main theories: Comparison, Folklore and Livability. The literature review provided a basis for a proposed conceptual model, which suggested the following factors as influencing happiness in the workplace: workplace influence, workplace relationships, work-life balance, purpose, optimism, work satisfaction, leisure, SA pride and trust. Exploratory factor analysis was used to test the proposed conceptual model and the results indicate that workplace influence, workplace vi relationships and work satisfaction load onto the factor work; while trust and SA pride load onto the factor trust pride; and purpose, work-life balance and optimism load onto the factor purpose work-life optimism. The treatise concludes with recommendations that management can consider implementing to improve the happiness levels of employees at Armscor. This study contributes to understanding the happiness levels of employees in the arms industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Potential eco-physiological and phytosociological impacts of fracking on the vegetation of the Karoo, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Martin, Kristen
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Hydraulic fracturing -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Germination Plant ecology Plant communities
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31852 , vital:31853
- Description: Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a technique that is used to extract gas from low permeable rocks. Large volumes of fluids (typically water combined with chemicals and sand) are injected at high pressure into rock formations to fracture them, allowing the gas to be released. A number of criticisms have come to light regarding the potential environmental impacts of this process. One concern is that there will be contamination of groundwater due to the toxicity of the chemicals used in the fracking process. There have been limited studies on the effects of fracking fluid on vegetation and no studies on South African vegetation specifically. The effects of fracking chemicals on the germination success and photosynthetic efficiency of plants was investigated for species common in areas earmarked for possible future hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo, South Africa. Germination of seeds was unaffected by these fracking fluids at application concentration in most species, but dwarf shrub and grass seeds were found to be sensitive to contamination. A single application treatment of plants with fracking fluid resulted in mortality in 50% of the species with reduced photosynthetic efficiency and growth in some of the surviving species. Long term continual treatment with diluted fracking fluids had an even greater effect on mortality and photosynthetic efficiency than a single high dose. The major vegetation types of the proposed fracking footprint were surveyed and analyses of the species, communities and their physiognomy were used to predict the tolerance of the Karoo vegetation to degradation resulting from shale gas development. An understanding of the sensitivity of vegetation was obtained from impacts of livestock on the vegetation. The results indicated that Grassland communities are least tolerant to degradation, Albany Thicket communities more tolerant and Nama-Karoo communities most tolerant. Escarpment Thickets were shown to be Nama-Karoo rather than Albany Thicket elements, and should be grouped with the former when considering the impacts of fracking.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Martin, Kristen
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Hydraulic fracturing -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Germination Plant ecology Plant communities
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31852 , vital:31853
- Description: Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a technique that is used to extract gas from low permeable rocks. Large volumes of fluids (typically water combined with chemicals and sand) are injected at high pressure into rock formations to fracture them, allowing the gas to be released. A number of criticisms have come to light regarding the potential environmental impacts of this process. One concern is that there will be contamination of groundwater due to the toxicity of the chemicals used in the fracking process. There have been limited studies on the effects of fracking fluid on vegetation and no studies on South African vegetation specifically. The effects of fracking chemicals on the germination success and photosynthetic efficiency of plants was investigated for species common in areas earmarked for possible future hydraulic fracturing in the Karoo, South Africa. Germination of seeds was unaffected by these fracking fluids at application concentration in most species, but dwarf shrub and grass seeds were found to be sensitive to contamination. A single application treatment of plants with fracking fluid resulted in mortality in 50% of the species with reduced photosynthetic efficiency and growth in some of the surviving species. Long term continual treatment with diluted fracking fluids had an even greater effect on mortality and photosynthetic efficiency than a single high dose. The major vegetation types of the proposed fracking footprint were surveyed and analyses of the species, communities and their physiognomy were used to predict the tolerance of the Karoo vegetation to degradation resulting from shale gas development. An understanding of the sensitivity of vegetation was obtained from impacts of livestock on the vegetation. The results indicated that Grassland communities are least tolerant to degradation, Albany Thicket communities more tolerant and Nama-Karoo communities most tolerant. Escarpment Thickets were shown to be Nama-Karoo rather than Albany Thicket elements, and should be grouped with the former when considering the impacts of fracking.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
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