Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

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Leadership approaches to talent development and retention : a case study of a UOT in South Africa based on system dynamics
(2024-05) Govender, Gonasagren; Bodhanya, Shamim
Higher Education (HE) in South Africa has been recently affected by high staff turnover in the science faculties. The higher education system is under severe pressure given that the academic cohort of scientists comprises a majority of ageing white males. Thus, the higher education sector will have to ensure it attracts and retains scientific staff to address this potential crisis. High turnover sometimes occurs as a result of poaching from ‘sister institutions’ but, in the main, is due to staff losses to the private sector because universities cannot match the salaries offered in the private sector. A shortage of scarce skills has left universities with no option but to appoint foreigners in some faculties. This has a negative impact on staff retention. Furthermore, a career in academia is sometimes embraced through default rather than conscious choice. This results in lower productivity as there is little motivation for new staff to perform to their potential since they see academia as a stepping-stone to their ‘real career.’ Therefore, this study, sought to evaluate leadership approaches to talent development and retention using a qualitative system dynamics model. System dynamics modelling is a computer simulation approach to addressing social issues that is rooted in the agency-structure debate. The fundamental thesis of system dynamics is that the behaviour or observed phenomena in any system over time is largely determined by its structure and that effective changes or modifications can only be achieved through an understanding of the structure. The research was primarily qualitative, as system dynamics requires elicitation and understanding of the prevailing mental models in a system as the basis for developing a simulation model. System dynamics modelling primarily follows the systems thinking paradigm, which is a philosophical world view that is rooted in holism. The system thinking paradigm holds that all things and events inadvertently form part of a larger whole and they can be best understood within the context of this larger whole. A purposive sample of 30 members of staff from human resources management, executive management and members of the University Council was used to collect data through interviews and focus groups. Data was analysed using NVivo and a qualitative system dynamic modelling approach. The findings of the study led to identification of four consolidated themes, viz. talent development and retention; a system for talent management and retention; a process for talent management and retention, and recommendations for talent management and retention. The afore-mentioned themes were further categorised into nine sub-themes. The results show that several factors impact talent management, including bureaucracy and a lack of proper promotion processes. The findings from the system dynamics approach led to the formulation of four key variables: work pressurised induced turnover, resource dynamics for staff development, training dynamics and consultative strategic planning. The identified variables led to the development of an integrated SD-CLD model on leadership approaches to talent development and retention, which is a key contribution of this study. Therefore, institutions of higher learning must come up with talent development strategies that adhere to the prevailing laws such as the Employment Equity Act to achieve their strategic goals. A targeted training initiative is fundamental in developing the skills of academics in terms of teaching and learning and research. Hence, departmental courses, seminars and workshops for teaching and learning research excellence and general academic development need to be seriously debated within a given collegial, intellectual, and academic environment. This study has contributed to the literature on talent management, leadership, and retention from a university of technology where resource, constraints, culture, and politics play a crucial role on the final recipe. The study has further provided a springboard for altering or reviewing institutional policies so that the needs of employees are properly addressed, and the talent management framework is enhanced. Future research should consider expanding the scope of the study by other variables that are key to organisational effectiveness using a system dynamics approach.
The role of human resource management in creating competitive advantage for a selected South African state-owned enterprise
(2021-05) Muzanenhamo, Arvid
This study examined the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in achieving organisational competitiveness in a selected South African State-Owned Enterprise (SOE). It also explored the challenges faced by the Human Resource Management function in achieving organisational competitiveness. The Dave Ulrich model of four Human Resource Management roles in building a competitive organisation was the basis of this study. The roles of HRM include strategic partner, change agent, administrative expert and employee champion (Grobler, Bothma, Brewster, Carey, Holland and Warnich 2012:5). The study proposes a framework for organisational competitiveness application by the Human Resource Management departments in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The study used a qualitative approach, which allowed the researcher to make use of a case study in the state-owned enterprise. Data was collected through interviews and results were validated with a pilot test. A total of twenty-four respondents were interviewed in this study. The study used a purposive sampling technique for both HRM practitioners and departmental heads. Data was drawn from Human Resource Management practitioners and divisional heads in various sections such as finance, pyrometallurgy, auditing, communication, etc. in a selected South African state-owned enterprise. South African state-owned enterprises are less efficient as they experience high labour turnover, retrenchment, employee salary reductions and the inability to attract talent. Such factors initiated the impetus for this research. The findings of the research show that human resource management roles are not maximised at Mintek since HR professionals mainly focus on basic human resources activities. This is due largely to the slow response of the organisation to adopt new innovative HR approaches that provide competitive advantage, which seems to be common in most state-owned enterprises. The findings also show that some current HR roles at Mintek benefit the organisation somewhat. However, there are challenges preventing the organisation from fully obtaining a competitive advantage since it was shown that a lack of technology, out-dated policies and bureaucracy, amongst other challenges, prevail in the organisation. The study contributed a Human Resource Management framework that allows the HR professionals and management of Mintek to consider the use of electronic HRM and strategic partnerships in the organisation for competitive advantage. In addition, consideration of internal HR strategies and external forces that may affect the organisation was proposed.
The influence of workplace skills plan on human capital development at the eThekweni Municipality
(2021-05) Madonda, Sandine Ewart; Ajagbe, Musibau Akintunde
The proposed input of this empirical study was the formulation of an exploratory Workplace Skills Plan model aimed at discovering the link between the effect of Workplace Skills Plan and human resource development that the organisation achieves its objectives. It is therefore important to state that the problem identified is a chronic poor performance of the organisation because of the lack of critical skills at the local government level. This was achieved by determining the influence of Workplace Skills Plan towards Human Capital Development at the eThekwini Municipality. The study used a quantitative research method to obtain the determined research objectives. Non- probability sampling technique was used to collect data from the targeted population. Convenience sampling technique was used to generate sample of the study. The researcher selected respondents who completed, signed and returned 2018-2019 WSP forms during consultation and meeting with their managers. The researcher did not send the questionnaires to employees who were trained in the same period but did not complete the WSP forms. The data for these delegates is available on Document Record System, which is human resource system where eThekwini Municipality keep track of WSP. The structured self-administered questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. In this study, 279 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire. The study used a data analysis instrument called Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS version 20) and AMOS version 20. The results suggest that there is a critical role played by Workplace Skills Plan on Human Capital Development in the workplace. This agrees with what another research in the same field have observed. Data analysis showed that Workplace Skills Plan is useful in boosting the overall human capital development in the workplace and therefore can be used as a tool of Human Capital Development. Workplace Skills Plans assist companies to adjust to labour market flexibility and train for what the market requires and to maximise the returns from the large investment in skills and tertiary qualifications. The findings of this study indicate that training and development have a direct and indirect positive effect on Human Capital Development. The study recommends that organisations maximise effective development of human capital development initiatives to sustain effective organisational performance, improve employee performance, productivity, employee competencies, efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term organisational success. Thus, municipalities must invest in their existing human capital through taking care of their development needs to ensure sustained organisational performance and attainment of organisational goals.
The challenges facing employment retention with reference to the Labour Brokering industry : a case study of a National Temporary Employment Service provider
(2019-08) Naidoo, Bavendren; Allen, Garth James
The labour broking industry has been the focus of much controversy since 2009 in South Africa. The constant pressure from trade unions to ban the industry with opposing views from business and temporary employment agencies on the significance of temporary employment has led to legislative changes in the Labour Relations Act (LRA) on temporary employment services (TES). These changes have thus created uncertainty in business, the TES industry and both the temporary and permanent TES workforce. The purpose of this study is to identify key factors and existing policies that influence employee retention and to further critically analyse the regulations on TES and its effect on employee retention within the labour broking industry. A four phase multiple methods research design with questionnaires, semi- structured interviews, focus groups and a Delphi analysis were used to examine the factors affecting employee retention from the employees and various stakeholders within the TES industry. The present and future impact of the regulations and TES demand was also explored. The findings showed that the regulations did reduce TES demand and work security. The negative reputation of Labour Brokers, union pressure and the nature of temporary contracts were contributing factors to employee retention challenges. This study indicates that the TES industry should repair the negative reputation and image in the minds of its stakeholders and the general public, makes strides towards more sustainable job security within the industry and create added value through training and development initiatives.
Training and development as a driver for performance of the local government employees : a case of Ndwedwe local municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal division
(2021-05) Zondi, Sbusisiwe; Ajagbe, Musibau Akintunde
Training involves the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by an individual to perform effectively in assigned tasks. The proper implementation of training and development programmes in any organization ultimately enhances employee and organizational performance. The main aim of the study was to determine the relationship between training and development as a driver for performance of the Local Government employees in order to explore the relationship amongst the factors affecting training, development and performance. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and a closed-ended questionnaire comprising of a Likert Scale as the measurement instrument. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 25.0) was used for data collection and data analysis. The population size of this study was 110 employees from Ndwedwe Local Municipality. Due to the size of the study’s population, a sample of 90 employees was utilized and the sampling framework was the municipal payroll system. The study revealed that training and development did have an influence on individual and organizational performance. The study also identified a performance management system linked to the Personal Development Plan as an essential tool. Due to limited resources, the study was confined to Ndwedwe Local Municipality only. Therefore, the findings or results should not be generalized to all Local Municipalities. The study recommended that the proper implementation of Performance Management Systems linked to appropriate individual performance development plans be implemented. The recommendations could be used in improving training and development and managing employee performance. The study further contributes to knowledge in implementing Human Resources Development policies. It will be valuable in the upliftment of the social economy of South Africa.
The perceived knowledge and attitudes of administrative staff working in supply chain management in a South African Provincial Department of Health
(2018) Ngobese, Nontobeko Maureen; Skinner, Jane Phyllida; Ngibe, Musawenkosi
The Provincial Department of Health envisions an optimal status of health for all persons in the Province, and its mission is to develop a sustainable, co-ordinated, integrated and comprehensive health system at all levels, based on a primary health care approach, and operating through the District Health system. However, for the Department to achieve its vision and mission, it requires more than health professional staff. It requires effective and efficient supporting programmes which are non-core services, but crucial to its efficient functioning. The study focused on the Supply Chain Management (SCM) administrative staff and their end-users. The SCM section supports all departmental programmes in terms of facilitating the procurement process of assets, medical equipment and all other goods and services required to provide services to the public. The study only targeted the following SCM sub-sections: Acquisitions and Quotations Management, Demand Management and Contract Management. All end-users in the Department were targeted. The researcher believed that the study was necessary in order to identify critical factors apparently negatively affecting the work of the SCM administrative staff in facilitating the procurement of the goods and services required by the end-users. The purpose of the study was therefore to examine the perceived knowledge and attitudes of administrative staff towards their work within SCM with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the goals for the Department. A lack of knowledge and skills could be responsible for certain negative attitudes encountered or perceived from these administrators. The following problems had been identified: loss and misplacement of procurement documents; a lack of proper accountability; Provincial hospitals not receiving goods timeously due to SCM inefficiencies; staff attitudes to service quality and commitment to stakeholders being experienced as poor; and frequent under-expenditure by various sections often due to SCM staff not implementing and adhering to the correct policies and procedures. However, the problem statement indicated that in the Department of Health, the perceived level of knowledge, skills and attitudes of SCM staff was still unknown in terms of their procurement activities for various programmes and within different sections. The conceptual framework for the study was drawn from du Toit and Vlok’s Supply Chain Management Theoretical Framework (2014:33). A mixed-methods research approach was adopted, which enabled the researcher to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The researcher designed two sets of questionnaires, one for SCM end-users and one for SCM administrative staff. Both questionnaires had closed- ended, structured questions and one open-ended question. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis were used for analysing the data. The data revealed a range of factors that affect SCM administrative staff in their work, as well as SCM end-users’ dissatisfaction with the service received from the SCM section. The failure of the Department to obtain a clean audit record for departmental expenditure was also noted. The study therefore concluded that a relationship does exist between staff knowledge and attitudes and their performance in the work place. Recommendations included that training sessions and workshops should be provided by the Department to equip employees with the relevant skills for the SCM to function more effectively, and also that team-building exercises be offered to improve staff attitudes. It was also recommended that an online system such as LOGIS be introduced for the tracing of all SCM functions. The researcher also advised the Department to create a post at Deputy Director level to monitor the SCM section, and, lastly, she suggested that skills audits should be conducted before the approval of internal employee transfers.
An investigation into talent management and employee retention in the higher education sector of South Africa : a case of the Durban University of Technology
(2016) Njanjobea, Isah Leontes; Chetty, Gopalkrishna; Lourens, Melanie E.
This study focused on an investigation into talent management and employee retention in the higher education sector of South Africa- a case study of the Durban University of Technology. Since the end of apartheid, South African higher education has been through many challenges, including how to attract, managing and retain a new breed of academics who will be able to assist in the development of a new transformed society. According to a report presented by Higher Education South Africa (2009:7), higher education institutions are facing a real crisis regarding their ability to attract and retain academic staff of a suitable calibre. This has led to the steady loss of academic expertise and the loss of senior and more experienced academic staff, thereby setting higher education Institutions back in terms of research output (Mapesela and Strydom 2004: 2). The concern is that there are insufficient numbers, particularly amongst Black African academics in the existing academic and postgraduate pipelines to replace them (Higher Education South Africa 2011:1). Consequently, talent management is becoming a central management challenge as it becomes more difficult to retain key and competent academic staff (Barkhuizen Roodt and Schutte 2014: 141). If attention is not paid to this issue, in the years to come the quality of graduates and the research outputs of universities will be severely debilitated (Badat 2009:12). The main aim of this study was to investigate how talent management and employee retention is addressed at the Durban University of Technology strategically, as well as the processes and practices that underpin such strategies. The quantitative research design was adopted and data was collected through a self-administered structured questionnaire. This study was conducted at the Durban University of Technology with a sample of 65 academic staff, including senior academic staff like professors, lecturers and junior lecturers. The target population was grouped into different strata and the sample elements were selected from each group. Findings from the study revealed that talent management is not a strategic element and it is not fully implemented in the higher education sector. Recommendations were made on the review of talent management practices of academic staff in the higher education sector. This study established that there were some elements of talent management principles and practices in place at the University. However, these were often the traditional functions for example recruitment, selection, training and development. It was evident that there needed to be a strategic focus on the entire talent management process. There also needed to be a lot more holistic approach with greater attention being paid to the process from the time academic staff are recruited through to the process of the development of their careers. Retention is another facet that should be focused on, especially in respect of up and coming Black academics as this is in its infancy.
Developing an exploratory framework of human capital linked to intellectual capital and knowledge management for a selected university of technology in South Africa : a case study
(2016) Lourens, Melanie Elizabeth; Jinabhai, Dinesh C.; Dorasamy, Nirmala
The aim of this study was the development of an Exploratory Framework of Human Capital linked to Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management for the Durban University of Technology as a case study. The main problem revolved around the lack of an integrated road map for the identification, management and operationalisation of an integrated framework for the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in the UoT Sector, focusing on Human Capital capabilities, Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management, which emphasised the need for this study. The three main objectives of the study were to investigate the importance and contribution of Human Capital at the DUT operating in a highly dynamic Knowledge-based Economy, to formulate strategies for the Institution to meet its Human Capital demands in the competitive Knowledge-based Economy and to develop an Exploratory Framework of Human Capital linked to Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management for the Durban University of Technology. The research design adopted was the quantitative paradigm with a pre-coded structured close ended questionnaire comprising the 5 Point Likert Scale that was used to administer the instrument to the selected sample respondents. The questionnaire comprised of 5 Sections, each under a specific main theme related to the research topic. The target population comprised of 1874 employees at the Durban University of Technology. A computerised tool called the Excel Functionality Program was used to generate the random numbers for the sample selection for each group. The sample of 320 employees was selected using simple random sampling without replacement for both the Administrative and Academic staff members at the DUT. A total of 280 questionnaires were returned by the sample respondents. However, 8 questionnaires were discarded as they were incomplete and the final questionnaire returns equated to n = 272, namely, (118 questionnaires from the Academic Staff grouping and 154 questionnaires from the Administrative Staff). This represented a high response rate of 85% which was largely attributed to the researcher using the personal method of data collection. After the study was completed, the researcher solicited the services of a Senior Librarian to run the TURNITIN Program to test the entire thesis for plagiarism which proved useful. In the main, the analysis of the data involved the use of robust non-parametric tests for the empirical analyses using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 for Windows. A variety of non-parametric tests were also used to test some 71 hypotheses formulated for the various sections and components of the study as well the tenability of the Exploratory Framework (Figure 4.1) developed. Some significant findings emerged from the comprehensive statistical analyses which were also corroborated by national and international studies conducted by various researchers who also showed their concordance or discordance with the current findings and were referenced accordingly. It should be noted that the recommendations cannot be generalised to other UoTs in the HE Sector, as this was an in-house investigation involving the DUT as a case study. The main empirical findings of the study, inter alia, included the following: The value of integrating Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management into strategic planning at the DUT, the importance of developing an operationalised Human Capital Scorecard to address the different functions of the Academic and Administrative groups respectively at the DUT and a strong emphasis and role of Strategic Human Resource Management at the DUT. Thus, the Exploratory Framework developed as a model for the DUT within the UoT Sector concomitant with the outcomes and recommendations of the study may prove beneficial for future goal oriented strategies by top management of DUT. The study concludes with suggestions for further research in this emerging field of endeavour.
Employee retention : a multiple case study of South African national government departments
(2011) Pillay, Sagaren; De Beer, Marie; Duffy, Kevin Jan
The purpose of the research is to identify key factors influencing employee retention in the South African national government departments as a guide towards developing effective employee retention strategies. The research was conducted in three phases. For the determination of employee turnover rates and benchmarks, 33 national departments were classified into three homogenous subgroups with respect to their number of employees (Phase one). Thereafter the employee turnover rates for each department and benchmarks for each subgroup were determined (Phase two). These employee turnover statistics were analysed for all 33 national departments in the three subgroups and used as guidelines for the selection of cases for the multiple case (Phase three). Four departments were selected from each subgroup for the case study where selection was based on a department‟s turnover rate relative to the benchmark rate. These departments participated in a cross sectional survey. The data from the survey was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The analysis confirmed a significant relationship between employee turnover rates and responses for the combined subgroups of selected small, medium and large departments. Significant relationships were also observed for the subgroups of small and large departments. Employee turnover has a significant impact on business performance primarily due to the fact that it takes too long to fill vacant posts together with uncompetitive salary scales and the lack of skilled candidates. Further, the lack of human resourcing strategies, recruitment difficulties, problems related to monitoring and measuring of employee turnover and employee retention difficulties were important issues that influence employee retention. Future research on knowledge and systems for managing employee turnover is recommended.
The impact of a piece rate incentive scheme on employee output at a selected automotive company
(2005) Walsh, Anthony
This study encompasses the triangulation of research methods in order to determine the impact of a piece rate incentive scheme on employee output within the South African context. The existing body of knowledge tends to reflect the conditions found in developed countries such as the USA, Canada and the UK, very little research appears to have been conducted in the South African context.

Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

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