Tasnim Kazi | Regent Business School (original) (raw)

Papers by Tasnim Kazi

Industrial Psychology is almost as old as Psychology itself. Psychology came about in 1879 in the... more Industrial Psychology is almost as old as Psychology itself. Psychology came about in 1879 in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in Germany and William James at Harvard. Both of them were philosophers and physicians fascinated with the mind-body debate. The older discipline of philosophy could not alone deal with this debate, more room and new tools were needed, giving way to Psychology. Texts applying psychology to business first appeared in 1903; the first I/O psychology text appeared in 1910 (Landy, 1997). It is believed that four men developed the 'tone' and 'structure' of I/O psychology: Hugo Munsterberg, James Cattell, Walter Dill Scott, and Walter Bingham (Landy, 1997). This paper attempts to deal with the history, work, organization and industrial psychology within the context of the mind – body debate and further attempts to place and situate the subject matter within the ambit of the world of work. It however, must be realized that not all the issues that encompass this field can be enunciated and discussed in this paper.

The rise of the superbrands has had many implications on the nature of work, and on workers and o... more The rise of the superbrands has had many implications on the nature of work, and on workers and organisations. This paper has three broad parts. The first part explores the dynamics of the superbrand, Nike, and the implications of Nike as a superbrand. The second part discusses globalisation and the third part talks about the neoliberal policy. When discussing globalization and neoliberalism, the purpose is to show how they have facilitated and supported the rise of the superbrand and their multinational corporations (MNCs). There will be no direct links made; rather the aim is to illustrate how their central tenets and principles are self-evident and obvious in showing how globalisation and neoliberalism have been instrumental in contributing to the emergence and growth of super brands like Nike and their MNCs.

This paper attempts to historically trace and asses the use of psychological tests and the value ... more This paper attempts to historically trace and asses the use of psychological tests and the value of using them. On the other hand the paper does not pretend to analyze every variable that encompasses this vast and complex field of study. The history of testing can be traced back to 2200 B.C. when proficiency testing took place in China, and 4000 years ago when the Chinese used tests for civil selection (Cohen, Swerdlik and Smith, 1992; Friedenberg, 1995). As Shelly and Cohen (1986:3) put it: " Long before there were psychologists there were psychological tests " (p3). And as long as there were tests, there were debates and arguments surrounding it. In the 40s, Hoffman (1962: 7) points out, " it was manifestly useless to raise even a question about the value and effect of these tests " because it was believed that individuals could be properly evaluated if given a range of psychological tests (Cohen et al., 1992). In the 1960s this changed, and proponents of testing began " fighting… the irresistible force of the argument which says that their questions are in practice often bad and in theory very dangerous " (Hoffman, 1962:8). This essay will look at anti-test arguments and the proponents' responses in relation to: psychometric properties, social and cultural factors, privacy issues and the " correct " versus. the " best " answer. The strongest argument for proponents of psychological testing is the psychometric properties of the test. According to Hoffman (1962: 60), testers " do not hesitate to point out that they have statistics to prove [tests] valid and reliable… [And] seem to believe that their scientific routines place them in an impregnable position so far as outside criticism is concerned. " Hoffman (1962: 135) from the side of the anti-test group, states that although statistics can be misleading and cannot defend all types of criticisms, proponents of testing believe " criticisms unbacked by specific statistics may be dismissed as mere opinions… [Because] the testers build their tests on a statistical foundation, and defend their tests statistically. " In 1913, when John B. Watson declared that psychology is about the prediction of behavior, psychologists started creating tests that would predict individuals' behavior and performance. Predictive validity, as Shelly and Cohen (1986:83) state " is perhaps at the heart of the matter. "

This paper attempts to look at organizational transformation and workplace diversity in South Afr... more This paper attempts to look at organizational transformation and workplace diversity in South Africa. The subject matter is cardinal to a South African business dynamic and particularly in a period of transition in democratic South Africa. Planned change can be of two general types: Organization Development (OD) and Organization Transformation (OT). The latter, which is the focus of this paper, is described as the cutting edge of planned change and is called " second-generation OD " (French, Bell & Zawacki, 2005). It is a relatively new field and literature is limited in this area. Hence, it is ill-defined and very experimental, itself rapidly changing. The paper does not pretend to capture all the issues that encompass this important and challenging field of study, but attempts to show that organizational transformation and workplace diversity are important issues and variables in workplace diversity in a rapidly changing South Africa. OT focuses on effecting more profound change in organizations, targeting a 'deeper' level in the organization that is not traditionally targeted by change interventions in OD. French et al. (2005 82 state that OT is: A set of behavioural science theories, values, strategies, and techniques, aimed at the planned change of organizational vision and work settings, with the intention of generating cognition change in individual organizational members, leading to behavioral change and thus promoting paradigmatic change that helps the organization better fit or create desirable future environments. OT involves revolutionary frame-breaking interventions aiming to change the way members perceive, think and behave at work. OT aims to fundamentally change the assumptions of the organization's functioning and its relationship to its environment. This means radical shifts in corporate philosophy and values and structures and arrangements that influence member behavior. As a result, the qualitative nature of the organization is altered. Some features of OT are as follows (Cummings and Worley, 2005). First, change happens when organizations experience a severe threat to their present existence. This occurs when environmental or internal disruptions such as industry discontinuities, product life cycle shifts and internal company dynamics make the organization's existing strategies obsolete. Second, OT is systemic and revolutionary because it entails changing the underlying nature of organizations as well as the behavior of the majority of

In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can d... more In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can distinguish themselves from other companies through their employees, or their intellectual capital. " In the age of information, the employees are the ones who hold the company together, retain customers, and help the company grow with their creativity. Therefore, personnel selection is more critical than ever in today's business world " (Ramsay, 2002:1). Organizations need to choose their methods for personnel selection judiciously, as expensive and complicated methods that prove to be ineffective are disadvantageous to any organization. This paper will deal with the above issues and correlate autobiographical data and standardized testing in respect to personnel selection. The paper does not pretend to capture every subtle nuance that permeates personnel selection in terms of standardized testing, but adds to the composite body knowledge of personnel selection.

In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can d... more In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can distinguish themselves from other companies through their employees, or their intellectual capital. " In the age of information, the employees are the ones who hold the company together, retain customers, and help the company grow with their creativity. Therefore, personnel selection is more critical than ever in today's business world " (Ramsay, 2002:1). Organizations need to choose their methods for personnel selection judiciously, as expensive and complicated methods that prove to be ineffective are disadvantageous to any organization. This paper will deal with the above issues and correlate autobiographical data and standardized testing in respect to personnel selection. The paper does not pretend to capture every subtle nuance that permeates personnel selection in terms of standardized testing, but adds to the composite body knowledge of personnel selection.

Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal ... more Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there has been a lack of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N=111) at tertiary institutions in the greater Durban area. Two scales were used to test the hypothesis: the Religious Orientation Test (ROT) to measure religiosity and the Multi-Attitudinal Suicidal Tendency Scale (MAST) to measure suicidal tendencies (attitudes to suicide). Demographic information in terms of gender was obtained to determine if there were gender differences. It was found that in this sample there were no gender differences between variables and that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies.

The environment in which individuals and organisations function is rapidly changing and the impac... more The environment in which individuals and organisations function is rapidly changing and the impact of these changes on individuals and organisations are manifold. Globalisation, and the resulting mergers and acquisitions, reengineering and downsizing, have had major impacts and consequences on individuals and organisations in South Africa. The two areas are dynamically linked. New market opportunities, increased competition, changing business models, privatisation, foreign direct investment, rapidly developing technologies, free trade initiatives, and trade liberalisation that are all associated with globalisation have resulted in organisations turning to mergers and acquisitions, downsizing and reengineering.

Oman Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2014

Journal of Religion and Health, 2015

Despite international studies into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tende... more Despite international studies into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there is a paucity of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N = 111). Two scales were used to test the hypothesis that religion mediates suicidal tendency: the Religious Orientation Test and the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale. The findings confirmed this hypothesis but disconfirmed our second hypothesis that there would be gender differences between the variables. We concluded that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies and discuss the implications of our findings.

Student Pulse, 2011

... Now Accepting Submissions. By Tasnim B. Kazi 2011, Vol. 3 No. ... Tasnim B. Kazi graduated in... more ... Now Accepting Submissions. By Tasnim B. Kazi 2011, Vol. 3 No. ... Tasnim B. Kazi graduated in 2011 with a concentration in Psychology & English from University Of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. More By This Author: ...

... There exists within published research and in all likelihood, social practice, the dominance ... more ... There exists within published research and in all likelihood, social practice, the dominance of a managerial perspective and the presence of a managerial ideology. Critical perspectives ... intention in information technology work. Human Factors and Ergonomics in ...

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal ... more Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there has been a lack of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N=111) at tertiary institutions in the greater Durban area. Two scales were used to test the hypothesis: the Religious Orientation Test (ROT) to measure religiosity and the Multi-Attitudinal Suicidal Tendency Scale (MAST) to measure suicidal tendencies (attitudes to suicide). Demographic information in terms of gender was obtained to determine if there were gender differences. It was found that in this sample there were no gender differences between variables and that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies.

Industrial Psychology is almost as old as Psychology itself. Psychology came about in 1879 in the... more Industrial Psychology is almost as old as Psychology itself. Psychology came about in 1879 in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in Germany and William James at Harvard. Both of them were philosophers and physicians fascinated with the mind-body debate. The older discipline of philosophy could not alone deal with this debate, more room and new tools were needed, giving way to Psychology. Texts applying psychology to business first appeared in 1903; the first I/O psychology text appeared in 1910 (Landy, 1997). It is believed that four men developed the 'tone' and 'structure' of I/O psychology: Hugo Munsterberg, James Cattell, Walter Dill Scott, and Walter Bingham (Landy, 1997). This paper attempts to deal with the history, work, organization and industrial psychology within the context of the mind – body debate and further attempts to place and situate the subject matter within the ambit of the world of work. It however, must be realized that not all the issues that encompass this field can be enunciated and discussed in this paper.

The rise of the superbrands has had many implications on the nature of work, and on workers and o... more The rise of the superbrands has had many implications on the nature of work, and on workers and organisations. This paper has three broad parts. The first part explores the dynamics of the superbrand, Nike, and the implications of Nike as a superbrand. The second part discusses globalisation and the third part talks about the neoliberal policy. When discussing globalization and neoliberalism, the purpose is to show how they have facilitated and supported the rise of the superbrand and their multinational corporations (MNCs). There will be no direct links made; rather the aim is to illustrate how their central tenets and principles are self-evident and obvious in showing how globalisation and neoliberalism have been instrumental in contributing to the emergence and growth of super brands like Nike and their MNCs.

This paper attempts to historically trace and asses the use of psychological tests and the value ... more This paper attempts to historically trace and asses the use of psychological tests and the value of using them. On the other hand the paper does not pretend to analyze every variable that encompasses this vast and complex field of study. The history of testing can be traced back to 2200 B.C. when proficiency testing took place in China, and 4000 years ago when the Chinese used tests for civil selection (Cohen, Swerdlik and Smith, 1992; Friedenberg, 1995). As Shelly and Cohen (1986:3) put it: " Long before there were psychologists there were psychological tests " (p3). And as long as there were tests, there were debates and arguments surrounding it. In the 40s, Hoffman (1962: 7) points out, " it was manifestly useless to raise even a question about the value and effect of these tests " because it was believed that individuals could be properly evaluated if given a range of psychological tests (Cohen et al., 1992). In the 1960s this changed, and proponents of testing began " fighting… the irresistible force of the argument which says that their questions are in practice often bad and in theory very dangerous " (Hoffman, 1962:8). This essay will look at anti-test arguments and the proponents' responses in relation to: psychometric properties, social and cultural factors, privacy issues and the " correct " versus. the " best " answer. The strongest argument for proponents of psychological testing is the psychometric properties of the test. According to Hoffman (1962: 60), testers " do not hesitate to point out that they have statistics to prove [tests] valid and reliable… [And] seem to believe that their scientific routines place them in an impregnable position so far as outside criticism is concerned. " Hoffman (1962: 135) from the side of the anti-test group, states that although statistics can be misleading and cannot defend all types of criticisms, proponents of testing believe " criticisms unbacked by specific statistics may be dismissed as mere opinions… [Because] the testers build their tests on a statistical foundation, and defend their tests statistically. " In 1913, when John B. Watson declared that psychology is about the prediction of behavior, psychologists started creating tests that would predict individuals' behavior and performance. Predictive validity, as Shelly and Cohen (1986:83) state " is perhaps at the heart of the matter. "

This paper attempts to look at organizational transformation and workplace diversity in South Afr... more This paper attempts to look at organizational transformation and workplace diversity in South Africa. The subject matter is cardinal to a South African business dynamic and particularly in a period of transition in democratic South Africa. Planned change can be of two general types: Organization Development (OD) and Organization Transformation (OT). The latter, which is the focus of this paper, is described as the cutting edge of planned change and is called " second-generation OD " (French, Bell & Zawacki, 2005). It is a relatively new field and literature is limited in this area. Hence, it is ill-defined and very experimental, itself rapidly changing. The paper does not pretend to capture all the issues that encompass this important and challenging field of study, but attempts to show that organizational transformation and workplace diversity are important issues and variables in workplace diversity in a rapidly changing South Africa. OT focuses on effecting more profound change in organizations, targeting a 'deeper' level in the organization that is not traditionally targeted by change interventions in OD. French et al. (2005 82 state that OT is: A set of behavioural science theories, values, strategies, and techniques, aimed at the planned change of organizational vision and work settings, with the intention of generating cognition change in individual organizational members, leading to behavioral change and thus promoting paradigmatic change that helps the organization better fit or create desirable future environments. OT involves revolutionary frame-breaking interventions aiming to change the way members perceive, think and behave at work. OT aims to fundamentally change the assumptions of the organization's functioning and its relationship to its environment. This means radical shifts in corporate philosophy and values and structures and arrangements that influence member behavior. As a result, the qualitative nature of the organization is altered. Some features of OT are as follows (Cummings and Worley, 2005). First, change happens when organizations experience a severe threat to their present existence. This occurs when environmental or internal disruptions such as industry discontinuities, product life cycle shifts and internal company dynamics make the organization's existing strategies obsolete. Second, OT is systemic and revolutionary because it entails changing the underlying nature of organizations as well as the behavior of the majority of

In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can d... more In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can distinguish themselves from other companies through their employees, or their intellectual capital. " In the age of information, the employees are the ones who hold the company together, retain customers, and help the company grow with their creativity. Therefore, personnel selection is more critical than ever in today's business world " (Ramsay, 2002:1). Organizations need to choose their methods for personnel selection judiciously, as expensive and complicated methods that prove to be ineffective are disadvantageous to any organization. This paper will deal with the above issues and correlate autobiographical data and standardized testing in respect to personnel selection. The paper does not pretend to capture every subtle nuance that permeates personnel selection in terms of standardized testing, but adds to the composite body knowledge of personnel selection.

In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can d... more In an industry of globalization, increased competition and advanced technologies, companies can distinguish themselves from other companies through their employees, or their intellectual capital. " In the age of information, the employees are the ones who hold the company together, retain customers, and help the company grow with their creativity. Therefore, personnel selection is more critical than ever in today's business world " (Ramsay, 2002:1). Organizations need to choose their methods for personnel selection judiciously, as expensive and complicated methods that prove to be ineffective are disadvantageous to any organization. This paper will deal with the above issues and correlate autobiographical data and standardized testing in respect to personnel selection. The paper does not pretend to capture every subtle nuance that permeates personnel selection in terms of standardized testing, but adds to the composite body knowledge of personnel selection.

Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal ... more Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there has been a lack of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N=111) at tertiary institutions in the greater Durban area. Two scales were used to test the hypothesis: the Religious Orientation Test (ROT) to measure religiosity and the Multi-Attitudinal Suicidal Tendency Scale (MAST) to measure suicidal tendencies (attitudes to suicide). Demographic information in terms of gender was obtained to determine if there were gender differences. It was found that in this sample there were no gender differences between variables and that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies.

The environment in which individuals and organisations function is rapidly changing and the impac... more The environment in which individuals and organisations function is rapidly changing and the impact of these changes on individuals and organisations are manifold. Globalisation, and the resulting mergers and acquisitions, reengineering and downsizing, have had major impacts and consequences on individuals and organisations in South Africa. The two areas are dynamically linked. New market opportunities, increased competition, changing business models, privatisation, foreign direct investment, rapidly developing technologies, free trade initiatives, and trade liberalisation that are all associated with globalisation have resulted in organisations turning to mergers and acquisitions, downsizing and reengineering.

Oman Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2014

Journal of Religion and Health, 2015

Despite international studies into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tende... more Despite international studies into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there is a paucity of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N = 111). Two scales were used to test the hypothesis that religion mediates suicidal tendency: the Religious Orientation Test and the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale. The findings confirmed this hypothesis but disconfirmed our second hypothesis that there would be gender differences between the variables. We concluded that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies and discuss the implications of our findings.

Student Pulse, 2011

... Now Accepting Submissions. By Tasnim B. Kazi 2011, Vol. 3 No. ... Tasnim B. Kazi graduated in... more ... Now Accepting Submissions. By Tasnim B. Kazi 2011, Vol. 3 No. ... Tasnim B. Kazi graduated in 2011 with a concentration in Psychology & English from University Of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. More By This Author: ...

... There exists within published research and in all likelihood, social practice, the dominance ... more ... There exists within published research and in all likelihood, social practice, the dominance of a managerial perspective and the presence of a managerial ideology. Critical perspectives ... intention in information technology work. Human Factors and Ergonomics in ...

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Nigerian Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 2013

Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal ... more Despite international studies and evidence into religion's protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies, within South Africa there has been a lack of research investigating this relationship. This quantitative study investigates the relationship between religiosity and suicidal tendencies in a sample of Muslim students (N=111) at tertiary institutions in the greater Durban area. Two scales were used to test the hypothesis: the Religious Orientation Test (ROT) to measure religiosity and the Multi-Attitudinal Suicidal Tendency Scale (MAST) to measure suicidal tendencies (attitudes to suicide). Demographic information in terms of gender was obtained to determine if there were gender differences. It was found that in this sample there were no gender differences between variables and that a high degree of religiosity acts as a protective mechanism against suicidal tendencies.