8,251 research outputs found
Disorder in Extra-Large Pore Zeolite ITQ-33 Revealed by Single Crystal XRD
No full textThe single crystal of the extra-large pore zeolite, ITQ-33, was obtained and used to explore its crystal structure details. The ITQ-33 structure was found to be disordered with the columnar periodic building unit, explaining the morphology changes upon the different Si/Ge ratio, and the formation of the hierarchical structure from assembling of ITQ-33 nanofibers.Chemistry, MultidisciplinaryCrystallographyMaterials Science, MultidisciplinarySCI(E)EI0ARTICLE104168-41711
Hanging the harp on the willow tree: music and national identity in postcolonial Ireland
No full textAn inquiry into how music served as a nation building tool in the early decades of the Irish Free State.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesby Crystal N. Galyea
The relationship between psychological wellbeing and work stress among healthcare workers
No full textAbstract: Work stress has become a major global concern over the last decade, and healthcare workers are more vulnerable to stress because of the nature of their jobs and the expectations of society. It is becoming increasingly serious due to a variety of problems in the healthcare sector, such as inadequate personnel, high public expectations, long working hours, exposure to infectious and dangerous diseases, the possibility of misconduct, and continuing death and death experiences. Research on the support available to healthcare workers is sparse. This study therefore explored the moderating effect of co-worker support and perceived organisational support on the relationship between work stress and psychological well-being among healthcare workers. The study employed an exploratory quantitative research design. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used. Participants included 239 healthcare workers, consisting of doctors, nurses and health administrators...M.Com. (Industrial Psychology
Avoiding the elephant in the room: The real reasons behind our research crisis
No full textAbstract : Problemification: In recent years, the so-called publication crisis has reached alarming proportions, and the psychology and industrial psychology profession are not left unscathed. Efendic and van Zyl investigated the crisis and emphasised on open science practices as a strategy to address the issues. Implications: This article argues that the problem is much deeper than a matter of replication and should be approached from a systemic and holistic perspective. The author argues that the root causes can be grouped into four main categories, namely policies, ethics, systemic or institutional and research methodology. Unless the root causes are not addressed, the crisis will deepen. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to reflect on Efendic and van Zyl’s analysis and offer additional insights. Recommendations: A number of additional strategies are offered to address the real problems behind the replication problem
A framework for creating fusion in the business-IT interface
No full textThesis (DPhil (Organisational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2005.Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) play a very important role in modern organisations. IT can help drive business success and there are many potential efficiencies and competitive advantages afforded by technology. But, the real question is: are their strategic planning processes, organisational cultures, and day-to-day decisions of today’s organisation consistent with this belief? The IS/IT industry does not seem to be capable of delivering what business expects of it. This is evident in the many failed IS/IT projects. Due to this “expectation gap” and various human behavioural issues, there is an adverse relationship between IS and business. Business experts have a negative perception of the IS/IT function. A study of the business-IT interface produces numerous reasons for the relationship problems. Creating a relationship between business and IT is currently done through strategic alignment: set the business strategy and then determine how technology can help. For decades, IT strategy has followed and aligned with business strategy. Recent viewpoints are that traditional alignment approaches “invite risk and leave opportunities untapped”. To solve the problems in the fast-changing environment of today, more than merely aligning IT with business is needed. Higher returns can only be achieved through “a higher degree of strategic alignment”, namely the “fusion” or “atunement” of business and IT (IBM, 2002). Such fusion between IS/IT and business should be achieved on strategic, tactical and operational level. Creating fusion therefore depends on successful IT implementations, as well as healthy interpersonal relationships between the various stakeholders in the IT/Business relationship - from high-level relationships between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) to lower level relationships between an IT professional and a client/user. Two important reasons why the IS function does not solve the real business need and why a gap exists, are insufficient analysis of the business problem and incomplete user requirement specification. Many organisations have a role called analyst, which was designed and positioned to bridge the gap between IT and the business client. The role of the business analyst is complementary to that of the systems analyst – and sometimes combined with the role of systems analyst - who is responsible for the IT system analysis. The analyst is key to ensuring that the information system fulfils the needs of the organisation. Their role is integral to the success of the information system and, in turn, the success of the organization. It is the role of business- and systems analysts to ensure that the real business problem is identified, well documented and that systems are designed that will solve the problem. These employees play a bridging role between business and IT and they need good IT-, business-, social- and communication skills to be successful in their jobs - they have an important role to play towards business-IT fusion. Many of the real problems facing IT departments are neither technical nor fiscal, but organisational and managerial. Many IT executives are still unaware of the many human organisational factors that can be attributed to project failure and they fail to take a holistic perspective on IT related organisational change and –development. The purpose of Organisational Development (OD) is to improve organisational effectiveness and create an organisation that can solve its own problems, has high performance levels and a good quality of work life. Functional managers - such as IT managers - cannot deny their responsibility toward organisational development anymore. As IT managers gain OD competence, they could become its most basic practitioners and fulfil an important role towards creating Business-IT fusion. An important factor in creating employees to successfully manage the business-IT relationship is the training and education of prospective IS/IT employees. Preparing employees for business-, technical- and relationship roles and delivering graduates with the required profile to meet the challenges of the new economy is the duty of higher education institutions. A need has been identified to develop a framework to integrate the various factors that contribute towards fusion in the IT/Business interface.Human Resource Managementunrestricte
A Human Capital Framework for inclusion in Company Annual Reports - A South African perspective
No full textThesis (PhD (Organisational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2006.A company’s ability to support its business strategy with it’s Human Capital is an important indication of the company’s future business performance. No standard or framework to enable the inclusion of Human Capital information in company reporting to demonstrate the effect on performance currently exists. Traditional HR metrics fail to report on the level of performance, knowledgebase or value of Human Capital, making it virtually impossible for stakeholders or valuators of companies to take this most important asset into account in valuing the company against it’s competitors. This exploratory study has been commissioned to add new theory which would span further research with the objective of improving the reporting systems and/or methodologies to value Human Capital for South African industry. The study poses the following questions: 1. What insight should investors and other external stakeholders have into the Human Capital employed by a specific organisation? 2. How best to ensure that Human Capital is reported and the information is trusted by investors and other stakeholders as seen as relevant, reliable and consistent, adding value to shareholders? 3. Which Human Resource Management components can form a basis for comparative external reporting on Human Capital (if any)? The study created an innovative framework for reporting which, is viewed as an improved, practical and theoretical approach and method relating to Human Capital and value creation for Human Assets. Triangulation was used to include a number of different metrics used by HR, linked to a framework that allows those who uses it to link quantitative calculations to Human Capital dimensions. Further testing may be required due to the limited insight and knowledge of current practitioners which may have skewed some of the results. This framework also links to a number of business questions and metrics which in turn, link to broader HR strategic themes and recommendations for reporting as part of company annual reports and which Human Capital aspects should be included as standard in such a report. The study provides Human Resource practitioners with the ability to counter the one-sidedness of viewing people as purely costs, demonstrating the value of Human Assets in quantitative terms.Human Resource Managementunrestricte
The relationship between psychological conditions, workplace bullying and intention to leave
No full textAbstract : Employees’ intention to leave has been cited as a predictor of actual turnover, which consequently leads to several undesirable consequences for organisations. One notable precursor of employees’ intention to leave is the experience of bullying within the work context. While previous research has consistently found a positive relationship between experiences of workplace bullying and employees’ intention to leave, researchers have also motivated the need to look into potential intervening factors of this relationship. As it has been suggested that an individual’s reaction to stressful events is a function of his or her personal resources, the present study sought to draw attention to the role played by the psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety, and availability as individuals’ personal resources in how they respond (intention to leave) to stressful situations or environments (experiences of workplace bullying). Data on participants’ experiences of workplace bullying, their intentions to leave their current organisations and their perceptions of each of the psychological conditions were collected from South African employees (N = 201). The Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), the Psychological Conditions Scale (PCS), and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) were employed for data collection. Mediation analysis was utilised to examine each of the psychological condition’s effect on the workplace bullying-intention to leave link. The results showed experiences of workplace bullying to predict intention to leave, with psychological meaningfulness and psychological safety partially mediating this relationship. Workplace bullying was thus found to have an effect on employees’ experiences of psychological meaningfulness and psychological safety which, in turn, exert an influence on intention to leave. This study contributes to the existing knowledge concerning workplace bullying and intention to leave by indicating the specific role played by the psychological conditions of meaningfulness and safety. Moreover, to practice, this study suggests that organisations can intervene in the relationship between workplace bullying and intention to leave through the development and maintenance of psychological meaningfulness and psychological safety.M.Com. (Industrial Psychology
The role of psychological availability as a mediator between meaningful work and work-home interaction among working women
No full textAbstract: This dissertation investigated the mediating role of psychological availability between workhome interaction and meaningful work among working women. Although participation of women in the workforce increased over the years, marginalised female representation in leadership positions, traditional mantle and responsibilities are some of the factors that hinder women from fully advancing in their careers. As such, psychological availability became an essential component to enhance the integration of work-home interaction and meaningful work across all levels of the organisation. The study employed a sample of 220 female participants from Gauteng. Online questionnaires were the primary focus and four instruments were employed to observe the variables (a selfdesigned demographic questionnaire to capture biographical data, Psychological Conditions scale to capture psychological availability, Psychological Meaningfulness scale to capture meaningful work and the Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen scale to capture workhome interaction). Data was analysed using Statistical Packaging of the Social Sciences (SPSS ver.25) and Analysis of a Moment Structures (AMOS) through which a path analysis for the mediated relationship was conducted...M.Phil. (Industrial Psychology
The development of a management career development model to empower and advance previously disadvantaged managers in the automotive sector
No full textThesis (DBA)--University of Pretoria, 2006.The current status of affirmative action practices in the automotive sector does not offer designated managers Management Career Development (MCD) plans or practices that can be formulated, implemented and measured. Japanese techniques that have been tried do not look at improving the skills of designated management and do not provide models for advancement at managerial level that make sense within the South African Human Resources Management (HRM) context. There is a growing demand for top skilled managers and executive appointments in the South African economic market. This trend is reflected in the increasing number of recruitment advertisements. The Department of Labour (2000b) places a heavy emphasis on achieving equity in the formal labour market and in the acquisition of managerial skills by all South Africans. The South African potential working population has reached a total of 27.9 million of which 15.9 million are economically active and 12 million are economically inactive (Department of Labour, 2001). The employment numbers in the manufacturing sector have continued to decline and there is evidence of managerial shortages and a continued brain drain of highly skilled white personnel. A pilot research survey revealed that there was a lack of affirmative action career-pathing models or staff succession plans and that there are many designated managers who lack an MCD programme. There are a high number of people in South Africa who are not employable, due to a lack of relevant managerial skills and the need for effective MCD. It is therefore imperative that DSGN managers acquire expertise in the area of general career planning management to ensure business plan effectiveness and to act as catalysts to address the high skills shortages of black personnel. In this way the skills gap between the non-designated and designated managers can be redressed and a sustainable capacity of the competencies required by the country can be created. The aim of this research was to develop an MCD model for previously disadvantaged managers in the automotive manufacturing industry. Designated managers are often not properly trained and informed regarding the planning process of career management and development. It is hoped that through this research and the explanation of the importance of understanding career management, both managers and employers will be encouraged to be actively involved in structured MCD learning processes. This study was done with the following objectives in mind: -- to determine the current situation with regard to MCD and explore factors that influence MCD and the development of potential designated managers and their appointment to managerial positions; and -- to formulate a model for career-pathing and development for the workplace management career advancement of designated managers. As a first phase, a literature review was undertaken. It highlighted the importance of the identification of designated managers’ MCD. The literature research reviewed various MCD models for advancement and their integration with strategic Human Resources Development and the Business Plan. Based on the literature study, the research design and strategy were selected. A population group of designated and non-designated managers was identified within the automotive sector. Data was then obtained from respondents by means of a questionnaire especially developed for this purpose. The data was statistically processed, after which recommendations and conclusions were made. The survey revealed a considerable degree of consensus about the most important MCD advancement techniques and the intervention needs of potential designated managers. These must be linked to the organisation’s strategic HRD business plans. These techniques include special project assignments, job rotation, on-the-job training, coaching/mentoring and in-house MCD programmes. The research also highlighted numerous issues which have to be addressed in designated managers’ career development, such as -- the development of MCD potential for designated managers primarily by means of relevant exposure, experience and involvement in critical and non-critical activities; -- a strong internal monitoring focus group to oversee strategic HRM and play a positive role in maintaining the programme’s momentum, ensuring the regulatory functioning, including frequent feedback and continuous improvement of HRM techniques; and -- top management influence, dedication and commitment to the MCD model to ensure designated managers’ appointment to management positions when “workplace advancement” applications are possible. The recommendations focus on creating an awareness of MCD, as well as of the best strategic HRM practices. These practices include top management commitment, support and endorsement, MCD policies and Employment Equity interventions, an MCD programme process for continuous assessment for improvement, harnessing workplace diversity for sustainable business, action learning techniques used for building competencies, entrusting line managers with empowerment and commitment to the MCD programme, the use of an Core Advisory Forum to build MCD support and the creation of a life-long learning organisation supported and directed by HRM research.Human Resource Managementunrestricte
The competencies of coaches in a coaching development centre (CDC)
No full textM.Com. (Industrial Psychology)Abstract: The core purpose of this study was to explore the desired competencies of coaches operating in the context of a Coaching Development Centre (CDC). In a CDC, the coach has a broader role to what is required at a traditional assessment centre (AC) and at a development assessment centre (DAC). Not only do CDC coaches need to assess job-related behaviours, but also need to act as facilitators and coaches, guiding coachees towards developing selected skills. Having these additional responsibilities, the cognitive demands placed on CDC coaches are even greater than the demands placed on assessors and observers in assessment centres and development assessment centres respectively. Despite this concern, very little evidence exists regarding the cognitive requirements for observers, with no existing research on the cognitive requirements for coaches in CDCs. This study set out to address this gap in research, and explore the competencies that allow coaches to cope better with the complexities associated with the various tasks in which they engage. Self-administered questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a Delphi technique allowed for the design and validation of an exploratory competencies framework encompassing the core competencies of coaches in a CDC. A qualitative research methodology was utilised, with an exploratory research intent. The information was interpreted from an interpretive research paradigm, using content analysis. The pooled perspectives and opinions of 13 participants informed the comprehensive competencies framework for coaches in a CDC. A total of 25 competencies were included in the framework, of which 14 are considered core competencies. This framework may be applied by all entities using the CDC method. By applying this framework in practice, candidates best suited to the role of a coach at a CDC can be selected, in order to enhance performance and development outcomes amongst coachees. In doing so, organisations will be able to utilise their resources more effectively, and establish a unique competitive advantage in the marketplace
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