HR practices: what does the latest research say?

Human Resource Managemen

Building capacity for their members : what employers' organisations in South Africa need to know

According to Chapter 2 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, employers, like trade unions, have a right to freedom of association. However, hardly any research has been conducted to establish the efficiency/effectiveness of employers’ organisations. The question thus is: To what extent do members (companies) make use of the services rendered by their employers’ organisations, and how satisfied are they with the service provided? From this study it is clear that a small percentage of companies avail themselves of the services of employers’ organisations. Popular areas of contact appear to be human resource management, labour relations and training. A number of problems in the area of client satisfaction have been identified and recommendations are made to increase the efficiency/effectiveness of employers’ organisations. It is clear that despite the limited use of their services, employers’ organisations continue to fulfil a key role in the labour dispensation in South Africa.Human Resource Managemen

Strategiese mannekragbestuur : riglyne vir die toepassing daarvan in Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings

Thesis in Afrikaans, with Afrikaans and English summariesDaar bestaan geen twyfel nie dat vir 'n onderneming om suksesvol te wees, deeglik opgestelde en strategies beplande ondernemingsdoelwitte onontbeerlik is. Hierbenewens moet die missie van die onderneming duidelik uitgespel wees. Die rede vir die voorgenoemde vereistes is dat die politieke, wetlike, sosiale en kulturele omgewings waarbinne die moderne onderneming horn bevind, die huidige bestuursvraagstukke en probleme kompliseer. Vir mannekragbestuur in die besonder, is daar sekere faktore soos die gebrek aan geskoolde mannekrag en die vooruitgang op tegnologiese gebied, wat 'n belangrike rol in die besluitnemingsprosesse speel. Dit is dus belangrik dat alle besluitneming en beplanning ondersteun moet word met professioneel ontwikkelde strategiese mannekragbestuursfunksies wat op 'n sinvolle wyse in die praktyk deur die onderneming toegepas kan word. Alle mannekragbestuursprogramme-, aktiwiteite en -stelsels moet dus so ontwikkel word dat aan die vereistes en beperkinge van die onderneming asook sy eksterne omgewing voldoen word. Die bestaande teoretiese beginsels en modelle ten opsigte van strategiese mannekragbestuur is in diepte ontleed, waarop 'n empiriese studie gevolg het om vas te stel in watter mate strategiese mannekragbestuur in vervaardigingsondernemings in die Pretoria/Witwatersrand/Vereeniging/KwaNdebele-streek bedryf word. Uit die ondersoek het verskeie insiggewende bevindinge na vore getree soos onder meer die gebrek aan deeglike strategiese mannekragbeplanning en voorsiening asook strategiese mannekragopleiding en ontwikkeling. Dit het dus duidelik na vore gekom dat die strategiese mannekragbestuursbenadering nog nie ten volle gevestig is nie, en daar 'n behoefte bestaan vir die daarstelling van die nodige riglyne in die verband. 'n Model is vervolgens ontwikkel wat in hierdie behoefte sal voorsien. There is no doubt that, for an enterprise to be successful, soundly formulated and strategically planned goals are essential. In addition, the mission of the enterprise must be clearly defined. The reason for these requirements is that the political, legal, social and cultural environments in which the modern enterprise operates, complicate existing management difficulties and problems. Particularly in regard to human resource management, there are certain factors like the shortage of skilled manpower and technological progress, which play an important role in the decisionmaking process. It is important therefore that all decision making and planning must be supported by professionally developed strategic human resource management functions which can be meaningfully applied in practice by the enterprise. All human resource management programmes, activities and systems must therefore be so designed that they conform with the needs and constraints of the enterprise, as well as with its external environment. The existing theoretical principles and models relating to strategic human resource management, have been analysed in depth and was followed by an empirical study to determine to what extent strategic human resource management was being applied in manufacturing enterprises in the Pretoria/Witwatersrand/Vereeniging/ KwaNdebele region.There is no doubt that, for an enterprise to be successful, soundly formulated and strategically planned goals are essential. In addition, the mission of the enterprise must be clearly defined. The reason for these requirements is that the political, legal, social and cultural environments in which the modern enterprise operates, complicate existing management difficulties and problems. Particularly in regard to human resource management, there are certain factors like the shortage of skilled manpower and technological progress, which play an important role in the decisionmaking process. It is important therefore that all decision making and planning must be supported by professionally developed strategic human resource management functions which can be meaningfully applied in practice by the enterprise. All human resource management programmes, activities and systems must therefore be so designed that they conform with the needs and constraints of the enterprise, as well as with its external environment. The existing theoretical principles and models relating to strategic human resource management, have been analysed in depth and was followed by an empirical study to determine to what extent strategic human resource management was being applied in manufacturing enterprises in the Pretoria/Witwatersrand/Vereeniging/ KwaNdebele region.Business ManagementD. Com. (Bedryfsekonomie

Employee benefits: how to manage them properly.

Human Resource Managemen

Conflict: A reality on gold mines.

Human Resource Managemen

A model for the management of sexual harassment in South African companies

Sexual harassment is an issue shrouded in both controversy and ambiguity. As the literature indicates, its presence manifests itself negatively on both the well-being of the employees and the organisation. Consequently, management need to view sexual harassment as an area of concern because it ultimately affects the overall efficiency of organisations. The existing theoretical principles relating to the management of sexual harassment in the workplace have been analysed in depth, and a model is proposed which introduces, describes and integrates the various processes, steps and actions required for the efficient and effective management of sexual harassment in the workplace.Human Resource Managemen

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

Office practice by F.R.L.N. Eksteen (Book Review)

Human Resource Managemen

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

International audienceSub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species' population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate 'intactness scores': the remaining proportion of an 'intact' reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region's major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems