Organisation development: a formative evaluation of an OD intervention
- Authors: Routledge, Michael Henry Collis
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Organizational change , Organizational behavior , Action research , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3044 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002553 , Organizational change , Organizational behavior , Action research , Psychology, Industrial
- Description: Rapid changes and increased competitiveness in business environments, together with greater demands by employees for improvements in the quality of their work lives, make it necessary for organisations to review their operating styles and functions. Many companies have found an answer in Organisation Development (OD) which focuses on ways in which people associated with organisations learn to diagnose and solve those problems which limit organisational effectiveness. The present study evaluates the progress of an OD intervention underway in an organisation in Zimbabwe. A formative evaluation is undertaken during an OD intervention. It is designed to assess the change effort's progress in such a way that steps can subsequently be taken to correct, modify or enhance such aspects of the intervention as may be determined by the evaluation. The study begins with a review of the company's original and revised Mission Statements as well as the present and last two sets of corporate three-year plans. These documents inform the construction of an interview guide. Individual interviews are then used to ascertain attitudes of respondents to the OD intervention and the changes it is bringing about. In addition the interviews are used to gauge the degree of commitment of respondents to the intervention. All the senior managers in the organisation are interviewed as well as the holding company's chief executive and the external consultant facilitating the intervention. The study records fundamental changes taking place in the attitudes of top managers and the first signs of an impact of these attitude changes on the formulation of company plans. Management styles and the culture of the organisation also show some change and influence on routine business operations. In addition there are early indications of an alteration of behaviour at other levels in the organisation. Business outcomes are improving and it is proposed that the benefits are due to fortuitous market developments assisted to an extent by the culture and attitude changes brought about by the OD intervention.
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- Date Issued: 1999
Women's understandings and experiences of empowerment in an organisation: a qualitative feminist approach
- Authors: Jamieson, Sally Anne
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2997 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002506 , Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Description: This study explores women's understandings and experiences of empowerment so that they could empower themselves by using their own knowledge to see through factors that serve to disempower them. At a time when empowerment and its future is under intense discussion in South Africa, it seems wise to move away from quantitative studies which do not facilitate the development of comprehensive theory in industrial psychology. This study provides a qualitative feminist analysis of women's understandings and experiences of empowerment in an organisation. Written protocols, interviews and a workshop were used as data collection tools and seven women from one organisation participated in the study. The research revealed that women understand and experience empowerment in a number of ways. These understandings and experiences are affected by various factors: organisational factors; personal characteristics and abilities; their relationship with others at work and at home; and societal factors such as double standards for men and women and role expectations. The breadth and scope of the results imply that any attempt to empower women should include relational, motivational and feminist perspectives on power and empowerment. In addition, the results indicate that providing a space in which the women could explore the network of disempowering practices in their lives, was empowering for the women. Through the process of the research, the participants' understandings of empowerment evolved from viewing empowerment as something that is predominantly external (for example, influenced by others and organisational factors) to something that is internal (for example, influenced by motivational factors). This study cautions against seeing empowerment as something that is solely internal because by doing so women are placing the responsibility of empowerment upon themselves thus setting themselves up for failure. However, through the process of seeing empowerment as internal, the women were able to move towards a feminist understanding of empowerment in which not only is empowerment external ("out there") or internal ("within") but includes acknowledging one's own responsibility in empowerment as well as external societal factors that serve to hamper women.
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- Date Issued: 1999
The development of an instrument to measure intrapreneurship: entrepreneurship within the corporate setting
- Authors: Hill, Marguerite Elizabeth
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Psychology, Industrial , Organizational change
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2991 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002500 , Entrepreneurship , Psychology, Industrial , Organizational change
- Description: “Intrapreneurship is not a choice, it is the only survival attitude” (Pinchot, 2000, p.75). In 1985 Pinchot coined the term ‘intrapreneurship’, short for intra-corporate entrepreneurship, which describes the practice of entrepreneurship within organisations. Intrapreneurship is increasingly becoming a term used in the business world to describe organisations that are willing to pursue opportunities, initiate actions, and emphasise new, innovative products or services. Due to the dynamic nature of modern organisations, it is imperative that organisations and their managers remain receptive to new ideas, approaches and attitudes. It is therefore the belief that rapid and cost-effective innovation is the primary source of lasting competitive advantage in the twenty-first century, leaving organisations no alternative but to become intrapreneurial or cease to exist. This thesis focuses on this need and examines ways in which intrapreneurship can be measured in organisations in order to provide a benchmark for further organisational development. A questionnaire (known as the Intrapreneurial Intensity Index) was designed and distributed to a sample of 500 employees working in large South African organisations, which classified themselves as ‘forward-thinking’ and aimed for an intrapreneurial ‘type of thinking’. The results obtained from these questionnaires underwent item analysis, after which the questionnaire was redesigned in an electronic format. A pilot case study was then conducted in order to test the reliability of the instrument. Finally the questionnaire was redistributed to a sample of six organisations that are viewed as being ‘intrapreneurial’ and two that are regarded as being ‘non-intrapreneurial’. The data from this sample was used to test the validity of the Intrapreneurial Intensity Index and to demonstrate its application. This study resulted in an instrument that can be used to ascertain the intensity of intrapreneurship present in a large organisation. Specifically, this instrument can provide an overall view of the organisation’s intrapreneurial ability, as well as identify the specific areas in the organisation that require change or modification in order to become more intrapreneurial. This instrument provides a valuable means of identifying areas in need of organisational change, by determining an organisation’s intrapreneurial properties in the organisation’s core areas.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Career Psychology (An Organizational Perspective): IPS 222
- Authors: Chipunza, C , Murugan, C
- Date: 2009-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17489 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010464
- Description: Career Psychology (An Organizational Perspective): IPS 222, Supplementary examination January 2009.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009-01
Social Behaviour & Social Processes In Organizations: IPS 221
- Authors: Chipunza, C , Murugan, C
- Date: 2009-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17488 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010463
- Description: Social Behaviour & Social Processes In Organizations: IPS 221, Supplementary Examination January 2009.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009-01
Consumer Behaviour: IPS321
- Authors: Chipunza, C , Bosman, L
- Date: 2010-02
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17485 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010459
- Description: Consumer Behaviour: IPS321, Supplementary examination February 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-02
Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121
- Authors: Chipunza, C , Boqo, Z
- Date: 2010-02
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17484 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010458
- Description: Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121, supplementary examination February 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-02
Research Methodology: IPS 515
- Authors: Nel, A , Bosman, L
- Date: 2010-08
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17482 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010447
- Description: Research Methodology: IPS 515, Honours degree supplementary examination August 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-08
Advanced Personnel Psychology: IPS 602
- Authors: Nel, P , Van der Walt, R M
- Date: 2011-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17511 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010982
- Description: Advanced Personnel Psychology: IPS 602, special examination January 2011.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2011-01
Introduction to Psychology in Industry: IPS 121F
- Authors: Murugan, C , Nel, A
- Date: 2011-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17491 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010466
- Description: Introduction to Psychology in Industry: IP S121F, Foundation programme examination paper January 2011.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2011-01
Social Behavior & Social Processes in Organizations: IPS 221
- Authors: Nel, A , Gcaza, N
- Date: 2011-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17494 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010469
- Description: Social Behavior & Social Processes in Organizations: IPS 221, Degree examinations January 2011.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2011-01
The impact of human resource management practices on the psychological contract during a psychological recession
- Authors: Theron, Anthonie Van Straaten
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Organisational behaviour
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8772 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012611 , Psychology, Industrial , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Organisational behaviour
- Description: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices on the psychological contracts of employees who have been negatively impacted by the widespread psychological recession. The psychological contract that exists between employees and organisations is brittle due to the psychological recession, which is defined as an emotional state in which employees feel extremely vulnerable to economic hardship. This contributes to a negative and cynical view of the present and an even bleaker view of the future. Breach of the psychological contract has severe negative consequences for employees and organisations. These include reduced employee well-being, trust levels, various organisational citizenship behaviours, increased cynical attitudes toward the organisation, and stronger intention to quit. The target population for the present study consisted of all permanent support staff working at an organisation that has recently went through a large-scale retrenchment exercise (n=52). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst employees. The findings suggest that when the harsh effects of the psychological recession increase, employees are more likely to engage in various destructive behaviours at work due to breach and violation of their psychological contracts. Furthermore, the results indicated that an increase in the number of progressive HRM practices correlated with a decrease in breach and violation of the psychological contract. It was further revealed that the widespread psychological recession may make the employment relationship brittle and prone to breach and violation. The findings suggest that through the effective development and application of many explicit HRM practices, employees’ psychological contracts may become less fragile to breach and violation during a psychological recession.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Consumer Behaviour: IPS 321
- Authors: Chimpunza, c , Du Preez, R
- Date: 2011-02
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17487 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010462
- Description: Consumer Behaviour: IPS 321, Supplementary examination February 2011.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2011-02
Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121
- Authors: Chipunza, C , Gcaza, N
- Date: 2011-02
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17486 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010461
- Description: Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121, Supplementary examination February 2011.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2011-02
Compensation Management: HRM 221
- Authors: Gcaza, N I , Nel, A
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17498 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010474
- Description: Compensation Management: HRM 221, Supplementary examination January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Introduction to Industrial Psychology (Part4): IPS 123F
- Authors: Baqo, Z , Murugan, C
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17513 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010984
- Description: Introduction to Industrial Psychology (Part4): IPS 123F, Foundation Programme examination January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121
- Authors: Baqo, Z , Murugan, C
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:17512 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010983
- Description: Introduction to Industrial Psychology: IPS 121, Supplementary examination January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Perceived breach and violation of the psychological contract in a collectivistic culture
- Authors: Van der Merwe, Sophie Wilhelmine
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Collectivism , Employees -- Attitudes , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Industrial relations , Breach of contract , Personnel management -- Psychological aspects , Organizational behavior , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:855 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017523
- Description: The significance of relationships on economic actions and employee behaviour makes it critical for employers to understand the dynamics of employment through mutual obligations (Rousseau, 1990; Guest, 2004b). The psychological contract affords a broad platform to study the employment relationship (Thomas et al., 2010), and is an important tool for organisational success (McDermott et al., 2013). The literature review contained in this study indicates the differences in contracting environments due to the prevailing cultural orientation. However, there is a dearth of research in collectivistic culture, to which this study will add. The literature also makes a distinction between perceptions of breach and violation. While perceptions of breach of the psychological contract is the perception that the employer has not met all obligations and promises, violation is the emotional and affective state following breach (Morrison & Robinson, 1997) and results in negative or deviant behaviours (Chiu & Peng, 2008). Both breach and violation perceptions negatively affect employee behaviours and attitudes in the workplace (Aggarwal & Bhargava, 2014). This research assumed a constructivist paradigm and builds understanding of the outcomes of breach and violation of the psychological contract on employees’ working life in a collectivistic environment. Primary data collection was by in-depth semi-structured, one on one interviews with five employees of a state-subsidised organisation in East London, making use of convenience sampling. Follow up interviews were conducted, resulting in 7ₑ/₄ hours of interviewing time. Cultural orientation was ascertained through the use of a questionnaire. The findings of this study confirmed that the type of psychological contract entered into influences the outcomes of perceptions of breach and violation. Both dimensions of collectivism, namely institutional and in-group, were practised in this environment, which also impacted on both the individual’s experience and outcomes for the organisation. The latter was influenced by commitment to organisational goals and supervisory or collegial relationships. Most notable of the results is the effect of expectations of transitional justice on experience of the psychological contract. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are made. This research is presented in three sections; firstly the research is presented in the format of an academic paper and includes a concise summary of literature and research method. The second section is an expanded literature review of the psychological contract and its influencing factors, as well as the outcomes of breach and violation. The last section describes and justifies in detail the design of the research and the research procedure followed. , Alternate name: Van der Merwe, Somine
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- Date Issued: 2015
The relationship between employer branding and organisational commitment
- Authors: Tryfonos, Angelique
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Corporate culture , Organizational commitment , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9419 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021146
- Description: The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between organisational commitment (OC) and employer branding (EB). The purpose was to Identifying whether employer branding effects organisational commitment (affective, normative and continuance commitment) and how significant that effect may be. Questionnaires were personally distributed by the researcher directly to employees under study. Non-probability sampling was used in the form of judgement sampling. The sample consisted of 124 employees from various retail outlets throughout Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. Five hypotheses were set for evaluation. A practically significant relationship was established between organisational commitment (OC) and employer branding (EB). A small practically significant relationship was found between gender and normative commitment. A medium practically significant relationship was found between gender and training and development as well as between gender and work/life balance. Statistically significant relationships were discovered with regards to age and leadership and also between age and rewards and recognition. A statistically significant difference was established between age and overall employer branding (EB). These findings suggest that a more positive employer brand will lead to improved organisational commitment (OC). More so, retail organisations aiming to improve on organisational commitment should incorporate those employer branding (EB) factors which employees’ place greater emphasis on, within their employer brand, which in turn will lead to greater organisational commitment.
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- Date Issued: 2015
The relationship between psychological capital and burnout in secondary school teachers
- Authors: Lokotsch, Leila Valerie
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Personnel management High school teachers -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30940 , vital:31227
- Description: Psychological capital (Psycap) emerged from positive psychology and the recently developed positive organisational behaviour (POB) which focuses on the positive. The core construct of Psycap is made up of hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience. Job burnout is a persistent reaction to on-going emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Burnout is considered to be more of a dominant problem among teachers compared to other professions. Considerable research on Psycap has shown that Psycap is negatively linked to stress and burnout. To provide an overview, a quantitative approach was adopted by means of survey research and the type of study conducted was a correlational study. The purpose of this research was to first investigate the relationship between Psycap and burnout in secondary school teachers. The secondary objective was to provide recommendations related to Psycap and burnout based on the findings. In summary, the results of the study found that there are mostly negative relationships between PsyCap and burnout and their dimensions. The instruments ustilised were the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). These are self-report questionnaires and were completed by way of paper-and-pencil tests. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability on the measures used in the study, descriptive statistics was utilised to describe the sample, ANOVA and t-tests was used in order to determine if there were some noteworthy variances in the means of various demographic groupings for PsyCap and burnout. In order to determine the relationship between PsyCap and burnout, Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used. The study provides recommendations for schools and teachers, as well as, recommendations for future research.
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- Date Issued: 2018