2022 : an editorial reflection

The publication of the 20th volume of the SA Journal of Human Resource Management (SAJHRM) marks an important milestone in the journal’s existence in the broader field of management sciences. Since its inception as an accredited scientific journal in 2003, following what Professor Gert Roodt and his colleagues at the Department of Human Resource Management (HRM) Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) described as ‘building on the brilliant initiative to establish the SAJHRM’, it continues to grow in status and reputation. It advanced quickly to be recognised as a cutting-edge journal, publishing the highest quality research within the southern African context before its orbit expanded to include African and developing world contexts. The SAJHRM serves as a leading catalyst for peer-reviewed research in HRM. It therefore explores aspects related and relevant to HRM in various organisational settings. It aims to emphasise and promote the theory and good practices of HRM within Africa’s vulnerable labour market groups, which have unique economic, cultural, political and social concerns.http://www.sajhrm.co.zaam2023Human Resource Managemen

Critical incident reporting systems : perceived competing social consequences considered by reporters

The safe operation of complex socio-technical systems is dependent upon the reporting of safety critical incidents by operators within a system. Through the action of reporting, systems develop the capability as a learning organisation to improve human and organisational performance. The aim of the study is therefore to develop a richer understanding of reporter behaviour that is influenced by the safety management system and the social context within an Air Navigation Service Provider in Africa. A case study methodology was applied with complementing inductive coding and thematic content analysis to explore underlying explanations for underreporting behavior. The findings of the study illustrated the prominence of self-preservation beyond system demands as well as the premium that operators place on context when determining which incidents should be reported. An additional five competing consequences added to the complex dilemma of judging reportable incidents. The key implication of the study is that high risk organisations should acknowledge the existence of the social construction of reporting, while associated adjustments to the reporting system may have benefits to the safety performance of an organisation through increased reporting and greater insight into system deficiencies.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/ergosahb201

The validation of a measure of organisational energy in the South African context

ORIENTATION: Previous research has highlighted the need to examine the relationship between people and organisations. This perspective facilitates the study of organisational energy. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to validate a measure of organisational energy in the South African context and to investigate whether there are differences in organisational energy as perceived by employees based on their demographic characteristics and lifestyle variables. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Managing energy in organisations is important as it drives motivation, powers teamwork, fosters creativity and gives organisations a competitive edge (Schiuma, Mason & Kennerley, 2007). Limited empirical research currently exists on the phenomenon of energy in organisations. RESEARCH DESIGN/APPROACH METHOD: The researchers used a cross-sectional survey design, with a convenience sample (N = 520) of employees in a South African financial institution. The researchers administered the EnergyScapes Profile. MAIN FINDINGS: Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a one-factor structure for the EnergyScapes Profile. The scale, labelled organisational energy, showed acceptable internal consistency. The researchers found statistically significant differences in the organisational energy levels of employees based on age, tenure, geographical region, relaxation, hypertension and diabetes, depression or psychosis. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The research provides valuable insight for practicing managers about understanding the concept of organisational energy and encourages leaders to question the energy of their employees. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The insight the researchers gained by studying the concept of organisational energy contributed in a unique way and showed the importance of considering organisations as dynamic and interactive with the people that work for them.http://www.sajhrm.ac.z

The management side of talent : causal implications for the retention of generation Y employees

Organisations are facing significant challenges to retain Generation Y employees. Research shows that, once these individuals are employed, they are not likely to remain in that position for very long. Organisations therefore need to find innovative solutions to retain this group of employees. The purpose of this research was to determine the causal relationship between management support towards talent management and the impact thereof on the turnover intentions of Generation Y employees. The Human Capital Index, Perceived Organisational Support Questionnaire, Perceived Organisational Support and Intention to Quit questionnaires were administered among a convenience sample of generation Y employees (N=135). The results showed that Perceived Organisational Support is significantly related to Talent management practices, Perceived Supervisor Support and Intention to Quit. Perceived Supervisor Support is significantly related to Talent management practices and Intention to Quit. Talent management practices are significantly related to intention to quit. Recommendations are made.http://www.cluteinstitute.com/journals/journal-of-applied-business-research-jabram2016Human Resource Managemen

Factors affecting employee retention : what do engineers think?

Much has been made of the skills shortage in South Africa. One of the main factors sited for the government’s inability to get on top of the backlog in infrastructure is the lack of skills in the country. In addition to this, the skills shortage is believed to have an adverse impact on the country’s growth rate

"Barriers-to-change" in a governmental service delivery type organisation

Very little empirical research has been conducted within the South African context and internationally in assessing barriers-to-change specifically. The intended outcome of this research was to develop a framework for proactive change management. A sample of convenience was utilised with 332 respondents. The Barriers-to-Change Questionnaire, developed for and utilised during this study, exists out of 92 items, posted in question format anchored at the extreme sides. The results yielded a single scale with a Cronbach Alpha of 0.983. It is concluded that the domain of “Barriers-to-Change�? was successful measured. The findings and their implications are also discussed

Turnover of nursing employees in a Gauteng hospital group

ORIENTATION : The South African nursing profession is in a crisis as professional nurses leave the country in search of lucrative work overseas. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate individual determinants of voluntary turnover to identify a risk-group profile. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Nursing employers should have a clearer understanding of the dynamics around nurses' turnover behaviour and embark on strategies to retain their talent. RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHODS : A survey measuring voluntary turnover was conducted among 262 professional and assistant nurses in three selected hospitals in Gauteng province using the McCarthy, Tyrrell and Cronin (2002) instrument. Pearson's chi square with Yates's continuity correction tested the relationship among the variables presented in a contingency table, in other words the risk group and each of the individual determinants. MAIN FINDINGS : Discontent with salaries was the major determinant of the nurses' resignation. Organisational causes were nursing practices, the work environment, physical-emotional costs and employment opportunities after resignation. PRACTICAL / MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : Hospital management could indeed establish a good rapport with nursing staff while facilitating respectful and ethical conduct by doctors towards nursing staff. Putting into place effective labour practices and business strategies could improve job satisfaction in the workplace. CONTRIBUTION / VALUE-ADD : This study contributed to a greater understanding of the personal and organisational determinants of the turnover of nurses in South African hospitals

Locus of control and online learning

The integration of online learning in university courses is considered to be both inevitable and necessary. Thus there is an increasing need to raise awareness among educators and course designers about the critical issues impacting on online learning. The aim of this study, therefore, was to assess the differences between two groups of first-year Business Sciences learners (online and conventional learners) in terms of biographic and demographic characteristics and locus of control. The study population consisted of 586 first-year learners of whom 185 completed the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). The results show that the two groups of learners do not differ statistically significantly from each other with respect to locus of control. The findings and their implications are also discussed. Opsomming Die integrasie van aanlyn-leer in universiteitskursusse word beskou as sowel onafwendbaar as noodsaaklik. Daar is dus ’n toenemende behoefte om bewustheid onder opvoedkundiges en kursusontwerpers te kweek oor die kritiese aspekte wat ’n impak op aanlyn-leer het (Morgan, 1996). Daarom was die doel van hierdie ondersoek om die verskille tussen twee groepe eerstejaarleerders in Bestuurs- en Ekonomiese Wetenskap (aanlyn en konvensionele leerders) te bepaal ten opsigte van biografiese en demografiese eienskappe en lokus van beheer. Die populasie het bestaan uit 586 eerstejaarleerders waarvan 185 die Lokus van Beheer Vraelys voltooi het. Die resultate toon dat die twee groepe leerders nie statisties beduidend van mekaar verskil het met betrekking tot lokus van beheer nie. Die bevindinge en implikasies word ook bespreek

Evaluating the difference in employee engagement before and after business and cultural transformation interventions

Levels of engagement within an organization can have substantial and measurable impacts upon the outputs of an organization. The objective of this exploratory study was to establish, the difference between employee engagement before and after a business and culture transformation intervention in the workplace. The participants of an IT firm represented all employee levels in the organization. A preintervention and post-intervention sample consisted of 427 and 253 individuals respectively. The Gallup q12 method was used to determine if differences exist in employee engagement before and after a twoyear pre- and post merger intervention. The main findings of the research indicated that there was a limited impact on employee engagement before and after the business and culture transformation interventions, and are discussed accordingly.http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBMnf201

Critical incident reporting systems : a necessary multilevel understanding

The nature of critical incident reporting systems and the reality of underreporting of critical incidents in complex socio-technical environments may have skewed our view of causality when it comes to safety management. This study explores the social construction of reporting through case based thematic analysis across three organizational levels and four stakeholder groups in an African Air Navigation Service Provider. The study shows that the reporting system and the act of reporting are not the only drivers. Reporting emerges as a mere actor, while new dimensions of safety drivers emerge from the study: safety also comes from a value contribution focus, a decentralized safety management approach, the centrality of reporting in a safety management system and the dependency on engaged relationships. The study concludes with an illustration of how these dimensions interact and inter-relate, and the necessity of such cognizance in system design and reviews.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ssci2018-07-30Human Resource Managemen