The organisational commitment of financial planners in South Africa
- Authors: Paterson, Steven James
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Organizational behavior -- South Africa Financial planning industry -- South Africa -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13812 , vital:27310
- Description: With the increasing demand for financial planners, financial planning organisations need to understand the factors influencing organisational commitment in order to achieve a committed and loyal workforce. The purpose of this study was therefore two-fold. Firstly, the study intended to contribute to the more effective functioning of financial planning organisations through the successful retention of valuable human resources, and secondly, to expand the current body of knowledge on financial planning organisations in South Africa and abroad. Considering the purpose of this study, its primary objective was to investigate the influence of selected organisational-related factors on the Affective, Normative and Continuance commitment of financial planners currently employed in the financial planning industry in South Africa. Based on an extensive review of business management, industrial psychology, as well as human resource management literature and research (focusing on the vast amount of secondary sources available on organisational commitment), a hypothesised model illustrating the relationships between selected organisational-related factors and the three dimensions of organisational commitment was proposed. Twelve independent variables were hypothesised to influence the three dependent variables, namely the Affective, Normative and Continuance commitment of financial planners. The twelve independent variables included: Compensation, Distributive justice, Job autonomy, Job security, Organisational communication, Organisational support, Physical working conditions, Promotional opportunities, Psychological contract fulfilment, Training and development, Transformational leadership and Trust. In addition, nine demographic variables (Gender, Race, Age, Organisational tenure, Qualification, CFP status, Tied agent status, Salary structure and Organisational type) were identified. All of the dependent and independent variables in this study were clearly defined and operationalised using items from previously validated measuring instruments, in addition to several self-generated items based on secondary sources. Questionnaires were made available to potential respondents through the use of convenience snowball sampling. A total of 231 useable questionnaires were returned which were then analysed statistically. As a result of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the original operationalisations, hypothesised model, as well as the hypotheses were revised. Additionally, a new, combined factor emerged, namely Job security and promotional opportunities. The proposed model of factors was subsequently empirically tested by means of structural equation modelling (SEM). In order to carry out the statistical analysis, three submodels were created. The hypothesised model was revised and the redefined hypothesised relationships were given in path diagrams for each of the three submodels. The influence of the various demographic variables on Affective, Normative and Continuance commitment were assessed by means of an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-tests. A number of organisational-related factors were identified as influencing the dependent variables of this study, namely: Compensation, Organisational support, Distributive justice, Job security and promotional opportunities, as well as Training and development. In particular, Compensation and Organisational support were found to influence Affective commitment, while Distributive justice, Job security and promotional opportunities as well as Training and development were found to influence Normative commitment. Additionally, Organisational support and Job security and promotional opportunities were found to influence Continuance commitment. By investigating selected organisational-related factors influencing the three dimensions of organisational commitment, the study was able to provide practical recommendations to organisations in order to increase the Affective, Normative and Continuance commitment of their financial planners.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The influence of organisational culture on a high commitment work system and organisational commitment : the case of a Chinese multinational corporation in South Africa
- Authors: Mabuza, Linda Tengetile
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa , Corporate culture -- Cross-cultural studies , International business enterprises -- South Africa , Investments, Chinese -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Performance -- Management , Host countries (Business) , Personnel management -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- China
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1205 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017768
- Description: Chinese presence in Africa has been rapidly increasing in the past few years and has been speculated to be mainly due to China seeking Africa’s political alliance and access to Africa’s natural resources and growing consumer markets. The growing presence of Chinese organisations in Africa, however, has not been without its challenges. In particular, Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs) in search of consumer markets in Africa have been cited as facing human resource (HR) challenges which may affect their organisational performance. In this regard, literature on human resource management has already established the important role of organisational culture, HR practices and organisational commitment in enabling organisations to achieve superior organisational performance. Given the fact that there is currently little research knowledge of Chinese presence in Africa at the organisational level, this research aimed to contribute empirical knowledge to the growing body of research in this area. Specifically, the main purpose of this research was to examine how the organisational culture of a Chinese MNC’s South African subsidiary has shaped the nature of its high commitment work system (HCWS) and to assess the consequences thereof on organisational commitment. In alignment with the phenomenological paradigm, the research applied a descriptive and explanatory case study methodology in order to generate rich, qualitative data which was required for in-depth descriptions and to uncover the underlying interactions of the researched phenomena at the subsidiary. The selected case for the research was, therefore, a Chinese MNC operating in the personal computer (PC) industry, which had expanded its operations to South Africa in order to reach Africa’s growing consumer markets. In particular, the South African subsidiary served as a PC sales and distribution organisation for the Chinese MNC. There were about 40 employees at the subsidiary who were all South African employees. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve employees from different job functions and across different job levels. Data collection was guided by the theoretical frameworks by Cameron and Freeman (1991) for organisational culture and Xiao and Bjorkman (2006) for the HCWS and organisational commitment. The data collected from interviews was then analysed through a qualitative, content analysis process. The findings of the research thus pointed to the market culture as the dominant organisational culture type at the South African subsidiary of the Chinese MNC; characteristics of the adhocracy and clan cultures were also discovered. The externally oriented market culture was found to be the most relevant for the high performance and market leadership aspirations of the subsidiary. The market culture also appears to be the most appropriate organisational culture that would enable the subsidiary to deal with the competitive nature of the PC industry. Furthermore, it was found that certain cultural values emphasised by the Confucian and Ubuntu value systems could have had a part to play in the formation of the subsidiary’s organisational culture. The market culture was also found to have had the greatest influence in shaping the primarily performance oriented HCWS practices. Of the investigated HR practices at the subsidiary, all were found to be consistent with HCWS practices, with the exception of ownership practices and the performance appraisal system. Finally, although there were generally high levels of organisational commitment reported at the subsidiary, other job and organisational context factors besides the HCWS practices were found to be the major contributors to those feelings of organisational commitment. By investigating the organisational culture, HCWS and organisational commitment of a Chinese MNC in South Africa, this research has added to the body of knowledge concerning the growing presence of Chinese organisations in Africa. Based on the empirical findings of this study, several recommendations have been made in an attempt to assist the Chinese MNC manage the organisational commitment of its South African employees towards superior organisational performance.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Perceptions of organisational commitment within a selected Chinese organisation in South Africa: a case study approach
- Authors: Paterson, Steven James
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Personnel management -- South Africa , Employee motivation -- South Africa , International business enterprises -- South Africa , China -- Foreign economic relations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1201 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013094
- Description: Chinese organisations are benefiting from increasing support from the Chinese government to enter into Africa. It is believed that over 2 000 Chinese organisations are operational in Africa, contributing greatly to employment within the continent. Despite the importance of Chinese organisations and their operations in Africa, very little research has been done on individual and organisational issues in Chinese organisations operating in Africa, and more specifically the local employees' organisational commitment to such organisations. The organisational commitment of South African employees within Chinese organisations in South Africa is important as it promotes the success of Chinese business, which may promote further investment into the country, as well as the use of local human resources. The primary aim of this research was therefore to conduct a literature and empirical study into the levels of and factors influencing the organisational commitment of South African employees in a selected Chinese organisation in South Africa. For the purposes of this study, a single case study approach, located within the phenomenological research paradigm, was used. A large multinational Chinese organisation with operations in South Africa agreed to participate in this study. The research made use of a descriptive case study design. To give effect to the primary aim of the study, three research objectives were identified. Firstly, to identify and describe key factors influencing local employee commitment. Secondly, to identify and describe current commitment levels amongst local employees, and lastly, to propose recommendations to improve local employee commitment and its implications for the appropriate management of human resources within the Chinese organisation. Data were collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 participating employees at four organisational branches across South Africa. Moreover, although the interview transcripts were the primary source of data, the collection process was enriched with the use of organisational and participant observations. The findings of this research revealed ten factors which are perceived to influence the commitment of South African employees within the organisation, namely: Open communication, Leadership, Supervisory support, Opportunities for training and development, Compensation, Job security, Promotional opportunities, Shared values, Recognition and Trust. Certain issues were raised by the participants during the in-depth interviews, most notably the limited opportunities for training, development and promotion, as well as issues regarding the perceived limited compensation received from the organisation. Despite these issues, the general findings relating to the levels of commitment in the organisation were positive for the organisation under study, with the majority of the participants being perceived to demonstrate high levels of affective, normative and continuance commitment.
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- Date Issued: 2014
The relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and the intention to quit in a South African manufacturing organisation
- Authors: Munyaka, Sharon Audley
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Leadership -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Work environment -- South Africa , Employees -- Resignation -- South Africa , Tire industry workers -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9418 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021088
- Description: Grounded in the positive psychology paradigm the recently recognised core construct of psychological capital was focussed in a South African study. A non-experimental, correlational study (n=204) examined the relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. The present study was exploratory in nature and the pattern of relationships being investigated had not been previously tested in a South African context. A self-administered composite questionnaire consisting of five psychological scales were distributed to employees in the junior to senior management level at a global tyre manufacturing organisation based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The five scales were the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire by Walumbwa, Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans, Psychological Climate by Koys and DeCotiis, Team Commitment by Bennett and the Intention to Quit Scale by Cohen. All the measures applied on the South African sample were developed outside South Africa and model equivalence had to be established. The content and structure of the measures were investigated through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. With the exception of the Cohen scale of intention to quit, all other measures changed their factorial structures to suit the present data. The propositions in the study were tested through descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, post hoc tests, Cohen’s d, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regressions. Structural equation models were built to test the relationships between the scales and sub scales of authentic leadership, psychological capital, psychological climate, team commitment and intention to quit. Results of the analyses carried out, show significantly strong relationships between the variables. Of note is the marked relationship between authentic leadership and psychological climate. Most of the propositions were accepted in light of the relationships that emerged. The proposition indicating structural equation models was rejected because none of the models built in the study successfully produced an adequate fit on the data. Contributions of the study were in terms of the portability of the measurement instruments applied in the study as well as the relationships that emerged. Re-validation of the measures is required to enable clarity on how the variables in the study are interpreted across cultural contexts. Directions for future research include extending the study to other samples and other cultures. Measuring social desirability of the instruments could possibly provide clarity on how the different samples respond to the measures. Studies that compare the reading ability as well as the ability to comprehend the items in the measures would provide valuable information.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The impact of employee engagement on the business success of Johnson controls Uitenhage
- Authors: Muller, Roger Joseph
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Employee motivation -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8681 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1137 , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa , Employee loyalty -- South Africa , Success in business -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences, outcomes and degree of employee engagement, as it relates to business success of Johnson Controls. The research was conducted by questionnaire using a sample of 120 employees of Johnson Controls Uitenhage Plant. The sample represents 45 percent of the total population of 267 employees. The study discusses certain key influences of engagement - the degree to which employees are engaged and the resultant outcomes of employee engagement. The result of the study proves that communication, leadership behaviours, policies, practices, recognition and rewards are real factors influencing engagement. The study also validated that productivity, safety, customer satisfaction, employee retention and quality are outcomes of engagement. A strong relationship was found to exist between employee engagement and business success. The study also found that a strong relationship exist between leadership behaviours, policies and procedures, and recognition and rewards. Communication was found to have no relationship with employee engagement.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Employee attitudes in a South African metropole post-implementation of the 2010 wage curve collective agreement
- Authors: Somgede-Tshikila, Pateka
- Subjects: Job satisfaction -- South Africa , Organizational commitment -- South Africa , Collective labor agreements -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9436 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020901
- Description: The study will investigate how the workers of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in the Department of Roads and Stormwater (Eastern region) feel about their jobs in terms of job satisfaction. Furthermore, the study will investigate how they feel about commitment to the union, commitment to the organisation, and management satisfaction during and after the implementation of job task levels, which was the result of the wage curve agreement that was signed in 2010 and implemented in 2011.The first objective of the study is to describe the collective agreements that were signed in 2010 as a result of a need to categorise municipalities and evaluate jobs, and the consequences of the collective agreements on employees through the study of documents supplemented by interviews and questionnaires. The second objective is to investigate if there has been a change in attitudes of the employees in the Roads and Stormwater Department of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality after the implementation of the wage curve agreement. There are six research questions; two relate to the first objective, and these are (a) what was the nature of the wage curve and job evaluation collective agreement? and(b) what were the consequences of the implementation of the wage curve and job evaluation collective agreement of the employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality? The other four questions related to the second objective, which led to the following research questions related to the attitudes of the employees and the change in these attitudes after the implementation of the collective agreement. These four questions were (a) what was the change in employee attitudes post the introduction of the wage curve? in particular, the attitudes of organisational commitment, job satisfaction, management satisfaction and union commitment, (b) what is the relationship between the sub-groups and employee attitudes pre the wage curve agreement implementation?(c) what is the relationship between sub-groups and employee attitudes post the wage curve agreement implementation? (d) what is the relationship between the sub-groups and the change in employee attitudes pre and post the wage curve agreement implementation? Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in the study to analyse the strike process and to understand and describe the attitudes of all the participants in relation to the four constructs provided by Chaulk and Brown (2008). Self-administered questionnaires will be given to participants, and there will be face-to-face interviews with the union officials and management. The findings relating to the first objective indicate that the employees were unhappy with the implementation of the wage curve collective agreement. The second objective showed that the changes in the attitudes of employees after the implementation of the job evaluation and wage curve collective agreement were negative and that there was a significant decrease in the level of organisational commitment, job satisfaction, union commitment and management satisfaction after the implementation.
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