In the rapidly changing atmosphere of the global economy, productivity has become a very important concept for long-term economic growth, development, regional and global competitiveness, raising social living standards and increasing the level of welfare for countries. In the 21st century, when scientific knowledge, technology, innovation,…

The sudden eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the performance of employees and had an impact on their psychological wellness. Its gravity and forceful nature disrupted and activated emotions of demotivation in employees which requires managers to use motivation as a tool for stimulating the high performance of employees in any…

This article reports on a qualitative multi-case study conducted to investigate how work placement contributes to the learning of mechanical engineering students. The study collected data from 34 mechanical engineering students undergoing year-long placement. It found that work placement students' proactive behavior influenced their learning…

This conceptual paper draws on the understanding and application of institutional performance management system (IPMS) by managers in a higher education institution's department. Managers in HEIs [higher education institutions] are tasked to develop and support staff at all job levels and are accountable for their performance. The implementation…

Globally, mainstream teachers have been experiencing intense challenges of behavioural difficulties by learners in schools. For decades, scholars have intensified the relational impact of behaviour with regard to academic progression. However, there is limited knowledge on the experiences and coping strategies of teachers regarding these…

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased anxiety and stress among teacher education managers and has given rise to the question of whether they have the competencies to execute their operational responsibilities productively. The theories of resilience and transformational leadership underpin this study in which teacher education…

The objective of this article is to determine whether the professional skills demonstrated by newly employed first-year trainee accountants (i.e. their performance) meet the expectations of audit managers and, if they do not, to determine the size of the expectation--performance gap. A questionnaire was used to determine the expectations and the…

The first aim of this paper is to clarify the concept "performance management" as an aspect of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). The second is to report on an exploration into the experiences and perceptions of management teams in the implementation of performance management. As part of the qualitative research design, the…

As the government seeks to foster a degree of self-sufficiency in terms of income generation through output, universities are forced to rely on performativity from staff to become more entrepreneurial. Following on the articles by Waghid (2009), Le Grange (2009), Reddy, Le Grange and Fataar (2010), and Smeyers and Waghid (2009) among others, this…

Principals, as one of the professional leaders in a school, are accountable for the quality of education in the school. This is a part of the normal job description and expectations for the person in such a post. In the South African context with a large number of underperforming schools, there is an intention to have an additional performance…

This article looks at how the application of the concept of a "learning organisation" can be used at a specific organisation in South Africa to change the work performance of its employees. We do this by exploring different theories, models and definitions of organisational learning, learning organisation, organisational knowledge and…

A descriptive questionnaire-based study was undertaken among higher education institutions in the Eastern Cape Province. The objectives of the study were to establish costs and trends in costs associated with HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality, and to assess perceived HIV/AIDS impact on job performance and coping with performance problems. To this…

The transformation from an industrial society to a postmodern knowledge society has given rise to a new set of values that are manifesting to varying degrees in modern organisations. Besides quality orientation, these include focus on teamwork and cooperation, democratisation of the workplace, fairness and equity in labour relations, and a respect…

Summarizes various stakeholder surveys and factor analyses that attempt to delineate transferable skills, such as problem solving, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking. Points out that employer skill requirements may vary among countries and these differences may not always be cultural, but are related to different uses of terminology…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the life experiences of a group of South African adults who stutter and the impact of stuttering on their quality of life. Participants were 16 adults with a mean age of 28.9 and ranging from 20 to 59 years. Methods involved individual interviews designed to explore the life domains of education; social…