Current Issue : April - June Volume : 2013 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 6 Articles
Orientation: Career research in organisations has increased in importance since the 1970s,\r\nwhich heralded new directions for organisational career research and practice both globally\r\nand nationally.\r\nResearch purpose: The study critically reviewed trends in organisational career psychology\r\nresearch in South Africa from 1970 to 2011 in terms of global and present national challenges\r\nthat require empirical investigation in the contemporary South African world of work context.\r\nMotivation for the study: The increasingly complex contexts, in which people have been\r\npursuing their careers since the catalytic 1970s, demand the continuous generation and\r\ndevelopment of knowledge for the benefit of the discipline and practice of careers.\r\nResearch design, approach and method: A broad systematic review was carried out to analyse\r\ndocumented academia research (N = 110) on careers from 1970 to 2011, which was published in\r\nsix accredited South African scientific journals.\r\nMain findings: Much of the research addressed issues pertaining to career theory and\r\nconcepts, the world of work and career assessment and technology. Career development,\r\nprofessional issues and organisational career interventions in the multi-cultural South African\r\ncontext appear to be under-researched.\r\nPractical/managerial implications: The insight derived from the findings can be employed by\r\nacademia and researchers, in this field, to plan future research initiatives that will contribute to\r\nthe profession and practice of career guidance and counselling in the contemporary workplace.\r\nContribution/value-add: The findings provide preliminary insight that adds to the body of\r\nknowledge concerned with career studies in the South African organisational context....
Orientation: The role of the career change experience has been investigated in this research.\r\nUnderstanding career change will assist with organisational interventions for the support and\r\nretention of employees.\r\nResearch purpose: The study explores the factors that influence career change amongst a\r\nsample of distance learners.\r\nMotivation for the study: Distance learning is becoming popular in South Africa as individuals\r\ncan work and learn simultaneously. Some people use distance learning to facilitate career\r\nchange.\r\nResearch design, approach and method: A narrative and storytelling inquiry was used. Data\r\nwas obtained through unstructured interviews by purposive sampling.\r\nMain findings: Sources of career change included personal growth and ambition, and\r\nstructural changes in relation to current work. The career change experience was found\r\nthrough participants� stories and narratives to influence individual well-being. Finally,\r\ndistance learning was favoured as a vehicle for career change for its flexibility and low cost.\r\nPractical/managerial implications: Organisations will benefit from an understanding of\r\nemployee career change experiences as identified in this study. Arising from this, support and\r\nretention interventions can be put in place.\r\nContribution/value-add: The research study shifts attention to career change as part of the\r\ncareer decision-making process. This focus is an emerging area of inquiry in the careers\r\nliterature. This adds to the body of knowledge by identifying, in a South African context, the\r\nfactors influencing career change and the impact of this on the individual. Interventions for\r\nindividuals and organisations are suggested....
The firms operating in international market face different conditions and competitions. Multinationals are characterized by an interdependence of resources and responsibilities across all business units regardless of national boundaries. These companies have to cope with large flows of components, products, resources, people and information among their subsidiaries, while simultaneously recognizing the specialized resources and capabilities of each. This demands a complex process of coordination and cooperation involving strong cross-unit integrating devices, a strong corporate identity and well developed worldwide management perspective. People play a key role in any type of business activity but their role has become very critical in the new economy and service sector....
International hotel companies employ expatriates all over the world as general managers to help professionalize\r\nthe hospitality industry. Yet, there is very little research on expatriate management in the Caribbean. The present\r\nexploratory study was undertaken to research expatriate managers� perceptions of managing on the island of Jamaica.\r\nNine expatriate general managers from four and five star hotels were interviewed. Punctuality, educational levels,\r\nproductivity, and low skill levels were seen as key human resource challenges. Crime, bureaucratic red tape, and\r\nshortage of materials were seen as impacting the organizations� operations. Expatriates adjustment to the Jamaican\r\nculture and maintaining standards were seen as key factors for success...
Orientation: This article reports on the behaviours displayed by committed employees and\r\nthe influence of perceptions of fair treatment in the workplace on employees� commitment.\r\nResearch purpose: The objective of the study was to identify organisational behaviours that\r\nare indicative of employee commitment and whether perceptions of fair treatment in the\r\nworkplace influence employees� commitment.\r\nMotivation for the study: Employees are emotionally attached to organisations and treating\r\nemployees in a fair manner plays a huge role in building commitment.\r\nResearch design, approach and method: This study made use of a quantitative approach and\r\na questionnaire was developed to collect data on employees� biographical details, their work\r\nbehaviour and perceptions of how fairly they believe they were treated in the workplace. A\r\ndisproportionate, stratified sampling method was used and a sample of 349 employees from a\r\nleading bank in South Africa participated. Factor analysis, correlations, t-tests and analysis of\r\nvariance statistics were computed to achieve the objectives.\r\nMain findings: The factor analysis identified the following four factors relating to employee\r\ncommitment: obedience, job satisfaction, participation and loyalty. The results of the t-tests\r\nrevealed that biographical factors do not have a practical significant effect on employee\r\ncommitment, whereas treatment in the workplace does have a significant effect on employee\r\ncommitment.\r\nPractical/managerial implications: Committed employees engage in specific behaviours\r\nand if they do not, managers need to pay attention to the way employees are treated in the\r\nworkplace.\r\nContribution/value-add: This study contributes to a better understanding of the dimensionality\r\nof employee commitment in the light of perceptions of fair treatment....
In the current Information Age the success of any department within an organization world over is\r\ncentered on the extent to which it is able to adopt and adapt to new changes in Information\r\ntechnology (IT). Human Resource Function is one of the key departments but has been lagging\r\nbehind in adoption of this Technology. This study aimed at understanding the reason for this sorry\r\nstate of affair by investigating the extent to which IT policy Framework, IT Implementation, IT\r\nLiteracy and IT Infrastructure determine the adoption of IT in the Human Resource function in\r\nKenyan public universities. The study used inferential survey research design where both\r\nqualitative and quantitative techniques were employed to analyze data. Spearman�s rho was used\r\nto test the null hypotheses there is no significant correlation between independent variables and\r\ndependent variable. In addition the researcher used the Ordinal Logistic Regression Analysis to\r\nmodel the relationship between Human Resource Function and the predictor variables. The main\r\nfindings of the study are that there is a positive significant relationship between the independent\r\nvariables and dependent variable. Basing on the study it was suggested that for proper adoption of\r\nIT in the HR Function within the Kenyan public universities it is important to ensure there is an IT\r\npolicy that employees are aware of. Second, there is need to have a well planned and organized IT\r\nimplementation procedure. Third, Management should promote and organize IT literacy skills\r\ntraining and finally, provide adequate IT infrastructure to facilitate IT adoption....
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