scholarly journals The efficiency and quality dilemma: What drives South African call centre management performance indicators?

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Banks ◽  
Gert Roodt
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
The South ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Call Centres ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Call centres have become principal channels of communication with customers. Therefore, companies attempt to reduce costs and improve the quality of their interactions with customers simultaneously. These objectives are often conflicting and call centre managers struggle to balance the efficiency and quality priorities of the business.Research purpose: This study explored the key performance indicators that drive management practices in the South African call centre industry in the context of the dilemma between efficiency and quality.Motivation for the study: The South African government has identified call centres as a method of creating jobs and foreign investment. Management practices affect centres’ performance. Understanding these practices will help to achieve these aims.Research design: The researchers used a web-based questionnaire in a survey with South African call centre managers in more than 44 different organisations that represented nine industry sectors.Main findings: This study indicated that the dilemma between efficiency and quality is prevalent in South African call centres and that efficiency key performance indicators drive management practices.Practical/managerial implications: The inconsistencies the study reported mean that South African organisations should assess the alignment between their organisational visions, the strategic intentions of their call centres and the performance measures they use to assess their call centre managers.Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the relatively small amount of empirical research available on the call centre industry in South Africa. It contributes to the industry’s attempt to position itself favourably for local and international outsourcing opportunities.

scholarly journals Talent management in the South African construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydwell Shikweni ◽  
Willem Schurink ◽  
Rene Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
South African ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The South ◽  
Business Outcomes ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: The South African construction industry is constrained by the shortage of a skilled workforce due to global competition and insufficient graduate output. There is a need to evolve attract and retain the most valuable talent.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate talent management in a prominent South African internationally operating construction company. The objective is to develop a framework for enhancement of talent management practices.Motivation for the study: The South African construction industry’s inability to retain talent, hampers global competitiveness and productivity. Talent shortages need to be addressed at a strategic level to remain competitive.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach examined a single South African construction organisation in the Gauteng Province. Grounded theory was used to analyse data generated from interviews, participant observations and company documents.Main findings: Firstly, talent management in the construction industry supposes mutual actions from the organisation and its talented employees. Secondly, internal enablers drive business outcomes by in alignment with a well-crafted strategy. Thirdly, a regulatory framework should acknowledge labour market dynamics and diversity. Fourthly, internal and external enablers should be taken into consideration. Finally, effective implementation of talent management practices yields talent sustainability and competitiveness.Practical/managerial implications: The two conceptual frameworks developed indicate: (1) key factors that play a role in talent management, and (2) the interface between talented employees and the organisation.Contributions/value-add: The findings provide two proposed frameworks that could guide leadership to devise an enabling global competitive talent management environment in the construction industry.

scholarly journals Challenging the ‘Four Corner Press’ as framework for invitational leadership in South African schools

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Niemann ◽  
Zendré Swanepoel ◽  
Nalize Marais
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
South African ◽  
The Body ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Invitational Leadership ◽  
South African School ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Successful School

Orientation: Invitational leadership (IL) is consistent with current leadership trends and, because South African schools are in need of sound leadership, it is necessary to have a framework that can guide principals to act in accordance with the expectations of their educators.Research purpose: This study challenges the internationally accepted ‘Four Corner Press’ of Purkey and Novak (1984) as a framework for IL in the South African school context.Motivation for the study: IL appears to be a comprehensive model for successful school leadership. This necessitated an investigation to determine whether the ‘Four Corner Press’ reflects the expectations of teachers and, if so, whether it could serve as a valuable leadership tool.Research design, approach and method: A questionnaire containing 31 Likert-scale items, underpinned by the principles of IL, was disseminated to 600 educators conveniently drawn from the population of 88 828 teachers in Free State and Eastern Cape schools.Main findings: The data obtained from the survey enabled the researchers to perform a factor analysis, which revealed that South African educators’ expectations of leadership aligned with the ‘Four Corner Press’.Managerial implications: The ‘Four Corner Press’ can be used as a plausible framework for IL in South African schools, which has implications for the development and training of principals.Contribution/value-add: The ‘Four Corner Press’ can be regarded as a reliable prototype of IL expectations within the South African context, which contributes to extending the body of knowledge of education leadership in South Africa.

scholarly journals The South African perspective on the lean manufacturing Respect for People principles

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rojanette Coetzee ◽  
Cara Jonker ◽  
Karl Van der Merwe ◽  
Liezl Van Dyk
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
African Context ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Orientation: Many industries have adopted the popular continuous improvement (CI) approach, lean manufacturing, to facilitate CI initiatives. However, several studies have confirmed that the low success rate of lean implementation can be attributed to the disproportionate focus on lean tools and techniques at the expense of the human factor, as expressed in the Respect for People (RFP) principles mentioned in lean literature.Research purpose: To provide qualitative insight into the understanding and applicability of the Japanese RFP principles within the South African context.Motivation for the study: An improved understanding of these RFP principles within the South African context can contribute to more successful lean implementations.Research approach/design and method: A phenomenological approach was followed to conduct the study in different South African industries. Purposive, expert sampling was used and 22 individuals took part in the exploratory discussions. Data analysis was performed using applied thematic analysis.Main findings: The South African participants identified all the Japanese RFP principles as applicable to the South African context. However, additional RFP themes were also identified, specifically job security and aligned commitment.Practical/managerial implications: These findings are of importance to organisations planning to implement a Japanese-designed optimisation technique within a South African context. Organisations should pay attention to the original Japanese RFP themes and the additional RFP themes identified in this study.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research available on lean manufacturing and the RFP principles within the South African context. New RFP themes are provided for organisations implementing a Japanese CI methodology within a South African context. The comparison of the understanding of the RFP themes in Japan and South Africa also contributes to the field of industrial psychology.

scholarly journals Intrinsic rewards and work engagement in the South African retail industry

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Jacobs ◽  
Michelle Renard ◽  
Robin J. Snelgar
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Retail Industry ◽  
The South ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Intrinsic Rewards ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: There is a lack of South African research relating to the provision of intrinsic rewards to retail employees.Research purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine whether there is a relationship between intrinsic rewards and work engagement in the South African retail industry. Furthermore, it sought to validate an instrument to measure intrinsic rewards within the South African context.Motivation for the study: There is currently a paucity of research exploring intrinsic rewards, specifically their importance for work engagement. Furthermore, there is a lack of instruments validated in South Africa that can be used to measure intrinsic rewards.Research approach, design and method: This quantitative study was conducted using a cross-sectional design and non-probability sampling of 181 employees from a South African retail organisation. The questionnaire included a demographic section, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Work Engagement Profile.Main findings: Statistically significant, positive relationships were found between all subscales of the two instruments. There were significant differences in the means for intrinsic rewards and work engagement for gender and age. Notably, the exploratory factor analysis for both instruments did not support the factor structure indicated in the literature.Practical/managerial implications: South African retail organisations should create work environments that provide intrinsic rewards as part of their reward package, to encourage work engagement.Contribution/value-add: These findings add to the current body of literature regarding intrinsic rewards and work engagement and provide insight into variables that promote work engagement within the South African retail context.

scholarly journals Operational Forces soldiers’ perceptions of attributes and skills for career success

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishreen Rawoot ◽  
Adelai Van Heerden ◽  
Laaiqah Parker
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
The South ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Additional Base ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

Orientation: A career within the South African Operational Forces is physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. It is a diverse working environment with its own organisational culture and unique challenges.Research purpose: The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of Operational Forces soldiers regarding the unique requirements that facilitated their career success.Motivation for the study: A low percentage of candidates successfully complete the Operational Forces training. The financial implications of training candidates make it important to be able to identify candidates who have the potential to be successful, early on in the process.Research design, approach and method: Data were collected through a self-administered qualitative survey (n = 98). All participants were permanent Operational Forces soldiers with varying ranks and years of experience. The data were thematically analysed in order to identify themes and specific attributes and skills associated with a successful career in the Operational Forces.Main findings: A number of themes emerged from the data, each of which contributed to our understanding of the research question. The themes included self-concept, personality, interests, cognitive and physical factors.Practical and managerial implications: The research findings may help to inform decisions about approaches, practices and methodologies of the South African Operational Forces recruitment and selection process. Results also provide military organisations with the key characteristics to consider when identifying candidates with the highest potential for successful careers.Contribution and value-add: The study extends previous career success research by contributing an additional base of information regarding career success and factors that are perceived to influence it.

scholarly journals Performance management, vigour, and training and development as predictors of job satisfaction in low-income workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molefe J. Maleka ◽  
Leigh-Anne Paul-Dachapalli ◽  
Suzette C. Ragadu ◽  
Cecilia M. Schultz ◽  
Lize Van Hoek
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The South ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
And Training

Orientation: New insights into how managers can develop strategies to enhance job satisfaction, how researchers can use a different approach when collecting data by conducting a survey at a mall instead of an organisation, and an understanding of the relationship between performance management, vigour, and training and development of low-income workers form part of the orientation of this article.Research purpose: The authors endeavoured to determine whether performance management, vigour, and training and development positively predicted the job satisfaction of low-income workers in the South African context.Motivation for the study: Little, if any, research exists about the relationships between performance management, vigour, and training and development as well as the job satisfaction of low-income workers in the South African context.Research approach/design and method: The research approach was quantitative, descriptive and causal in nature. This study mostly comprised the units of analysis, namely low-income workers who were under-researched in the South African context. Hence, 877 respondents were purposefully selected for this study.Main findings: The results showed that performance management was the highest predictor of job satisfaction. The second highest predictor of job satisfaction was vigour, and the third highest predictor of job satisfaction was training and development.Practical/managerial implications: This research will empower managers to develop strategies to enhance employees’ job satisfaction by paying attention to performance management, vigour, and training and development.Contribution/value-add: This study was conducted on an under-researched sample, at a mall and suggested vigour as an intrinsic variable to be included in the Herzberg job satisfaction model.

scholarly journals Attitudes towards and experience of employment equity

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolf M. Oosthuizen ◽  
Vasantha Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Reverse Discrimination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Employment Equity ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Managerial Implications

Orientation: The demography of the South African work force has changed considerably since the implementation of Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. There is no clarity in the literature on employees’ attitudes towards and experiences of employment equity (EE).Research purpose: The purpose of this research was to contribute to the EE debate by qualitatively identifying and exploring employees’ attitudes towards and experiences of EE in the South African work context.Research design, approach and method: Twenty-one organisations were included in the study and 105 interviews conducted.Main findings: The results indicated that employees at management level perceived government as an EE ‘watchdog’. Furthermore, reverse discrimination and racism were demarcated as the main experience of non-management employees. For previously disadvantaged employees, the main concerns were lack of training and development, whereas for the non-previously disadvantaged the primary concerns were reverse discrimination, racism and victimisation.Pratical/managerial implications: Future research may be that the results can benefit from contrasting, (1) the perspectives of previously disadvantaged management versus previously advantaged management to (2) the perspectives of previously disadvantaged non-management versus previously advantaged non-management. Furthermore, it will be valuable to include other industries in the private and public sector in future samples.Contribution/value-add: The contribution of the research is building and/or supporting the current knowledge base of employees’ attitudes towards and experiences of EE in the South African work context. Proactive measures should be taken to ensure that the majority of previously disadvantaged and the non-previously disadvantaged groups benefit from EE legislation. The introduction of holistic human resource management practices that complement target setting, could overcome the stumbling blocks currently being experienced in the effective implementation of EE.

scholarly journals The establishment and early history of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), 1977–1991

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huma Van Rensburg ◽  
Johan S. Basson ◽  
Nasima M.H. Carrim
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
History Of ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Human resource (HR) management is recognised as a profession worldwide, especially in countries that are forerunners in the field. Research purpose: The main purpose of this study is to record the historical development of HR management as a profession. This study will provide a platform for evaluating the professional standing of HR management in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The motivation for the study is to record the historical development of HR management in South Africa because this is long overdue.Research design, approach and method: The researchers achieved triangulation by examining archived documents they obtained from the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) and semi-structured interviews with five founding members of the SABPP who were involved during the whole period of the study. The founding members also verified the researchers’ interpretations of the information they obtained from the documents and the interviews. The researchers used content analysis and coding to analyse the data they obtained from the archived documents and the semi-structured interviews.Main findings: The history of HR management in South Africa shows that it meets the four founding pillars of professionalism.Practical/managerial implications: The study also gives HR professionals confidence because HR management is achieving recognition as a profession.Contribution/value-add: The main contribution of the study is that it has recorded the history of HR management as a profession in South Africa properly for the first time.

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