Competency requirements for first-line managers to deal with resistance to change.

Continuous changes in the needs of markets require effective change management at all levels in organisations. First-line managers are directly responsible for meeting the demands of clients and resistance to change at this level could result in sub-standard outputs. The effectiveness of change interventions will be largely determined by the competence of first-line managers to facilitate the desired change taking into account resistance to change. The purpose of this article is to identify competencies required by first-line managers to deal with resistance to change. The findings are based on a literature study and functional analysis

Problems surrounding probation in the South African public service.

The aim of the study was to investigate problems surrounding probation periods in the South African Public Service. A qualitative study was conducted to determine the views of both probationers and supervisors managing the probation process. Data was gathered by means of focus groups and individual interviews. Nine key areas were identified as being problematic, viz. clarity regarding the purpose of probation, lack of proper guidelines, the duration of probation, rotation during probation, lack of training, poor management of probation, performance management, anxiety and stress, power and authority. Recommendations are made concerning possible interventions

Uptake of selected metals in tissues and organs of Clarias gariepinus (sharptooth catfish) from the Vaal River System – Chromium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc

This paper discusses concentrations of 5 essential trace metals (chromium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc) in water, sediment and various fish (C. gariepinus) tissues. With the exception of high Zn concentrations in skin, the highest essential element metal concentrations were generally recorded in liver and gill arch tissues, followed by gill filaments and lastly skin and muscle. This general trend is in agreement with trends reported by other workers. Fe concentrations were found to be significantly higher at the Vaal Dam more often than at the Vaal Barrage. In comparison, Mn concentrations were higher at the Vaal River Barrage more often than at the Vaal Dam. No clear trends emerged with regard to differences between localities for the other metals, or between surveys/seasons for all essential trace metals examined. The likely reason for the lack of distinct trends is the amount of variability observed in tissue metal concentrations within localities and seasons in this study. Such variability is also reflected in current literature and accentuates the importance of both abiotic (e.g. physical water quality variables) and biotic (e.g. host physiological status, general biology and life history traits) factors influencing the concentrations and bioavailability of trace metals

The relationship between sense of coherence and goal setting.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the dimensions of Sense of Coherence and Goal Setting. A sample of 80 management consultants participated in the study. Confirmatory reliabilities of the dimensions used in the Goal Setting Questionnaire (independent variable) and Sense of Coherence 29 item Orientation to Life Questionnaire (dependent variable), ranged from 0,54 to 0,97. A canonical correlation of 0,569 (DF = 39; p = 0,021) was obtained between the dimensions of these two questionnaires

Towards validating a framework of adaptive schemata for entrepreneurial success.

The role of entrepreneurship within the context of an emerging economy has been well documented. Specifically within the South African context, the concept of entrepreneurship has been embraced by most industry sectors particularly for its resultant job creation and associated economic benefits. To date, psychologists have attempted to understand and define the factors that predispose individuals to embark on entrepreneurial careers, focusing primarily on the personality characteristics of entrepreneurs. However, entrepreneurial research from a cognitive psychological framework has been limited. Specifically, the impact of schemata on the success of the entrepreneur has received little exposure. A study was conducted to examine the presence and type of schemata inherent in successful entrepreneurs. The findings indicate that successful entrepreneurs display varied manifestations of adaptive schemata

The construction of a normative instrument for the measurement of moral reasoning

The main aim of this study was to construct a normative instrument for the measurement of different levels of moral reasoning. The sample comprised 426 undergraduate students in Industrial Psychology and Personnel Management from two Afrikaans speaking universities. A questionnaire was developed to measure different levels of moral reasoning on a normative scale. A factor analysis on 90 items yielded two factors. These factors were interpreted as principled moral reasoning and prescriptive moral reasoning. The two scales were subjected to an item analysis and yielded reliability coefficients of 0,936 and 0,937. The implications of these findings are discussed

Towards a typology of gosspip in the workplace.

In today’s communication-driven world, informal communication can at some point be construed as malicious gossip. Literature shows that certain areas of gossip are insufficiently studied, such as how gossip is defined in the workplace, when communication is construed as gossip, and what characteristics highlight the parameters between healthy communication and gossip. This research is of value because workplace gossip could have direct implications on trust in workplace relationships, might undermine principles espoused by corporate governance and could therefore lead to higher staff absenteeism and turnover. A qualitative research study was undertaken to explore individual constructions surrounding this phenomenon. Data was collected from structured individual interviews and the technique of card sorting, and a grounded theory analysis resulted in the formulation of a working definition of the concept, the identification of its parameters as well as the development of a typology of gossip in the workplace. The implications of the findings are discussed

Competency Requirements For First-Line Managers

Continuous changes in the needs of markets require effective change management at all levels in organisations. First-line managers are directly responsible for meeting the demands of clients and resistance to change at this level could result in sub-standard outputs. The effectiveness of change interventions will be largely determined by the competence of first-line managers to facilitate the desired change taking into account resistance to change. The purpose of this article is to identify competencies required by first-line managers to deal with resistance to change. The findings are based on a literature study and functional analysis. Opsomming Kontinue verandering in die behoeftes van markte vereis effektiewe bestuur van verandering in alle vlakke van organisasies. Eerstelyn bestuurders is direk verantwoordelik daarvoor om aan verwagtinge van kliënte te voldoen, want weerstand teen verandering op hierdie vlak kan tot sub-standaard uitsette aanleiding gee. Die effektiwiteit van veranderingsintervensies in organisasies sal grootliks afhang van die bevoegdheid van eerstelyn bestuurders om die verwagte verandering te weeg te bring met in agneming van weerstand teen verandering. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om bevoegdhede te identifiseer wat eerstelyn bestuurders sal benodig om weerstand te kan hanteer. Die bevindinge is gebaseer op ‘n literatuur studie en funksionele analise

Persoonlikheidseienskappe as voorspellers van die loopbaansukses van provinsiale verkeersbeamptes.

The effective selection of competent provincial traffic officers has become an urgent necessity for provincial governments. Due to a lack of relevant research on which selection decisions can be based, a study was conducted on a total of 206 respondents from the Free State Provincial Government to determine whether differences exist between the personality profiles of successful and relatively unsuccessful provincial traffic officers. No statistically significant differences were found between the successful and unsuccessful groups on the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. Various shortcomings of the study are discussed and recommendations for research suggested