Theses and Dissertations (Human Resource Management)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/31851

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 265

Exploring social mobility experiences of black Africans in middle-class occupations
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Carrim, Nasima M.H.; kgaetsedi@yahoo.com; Mahlatji, Lerato
The purpose of this study was to explore the social mobility experiences of black Africans in middle-class occupations. In post-apartheid South Africa, the persistent question is why black Africans continue to be a minority in middle-class occupations when overt racial barriers have been removed. Scholars indicate that explanations regarding the social mobility trajectories of black Africans tend to ignore that there are social class differences in black African communities. This study used a Bourdieusian Approach to explore the social mobility experiences of black Africans raised middle-class and black Africans raised working-class who are currently employed in middle-class occupations. The study adopted a qualitative approach with data being collected through life history interviews and analyzed using narrative analysis. The key findings of this study are that exposure to different social class contexts and other societal hierarchies influenced the social mobility experiences of research participants in the current study. The study further found that workplaces that were dominated by black Africans had gendered hierarchies whereas workplaces dominated by white South Africans had racialised hierarchies. The hierarchies in black African-dominated organizations were mostly maintained at a personal level and gatekeepers in organizations dominated by white people mainly used HR practices to maintain hierarchies. The study further found that research participants advanced or maintained their positions in the workplace by increasing their capital, acquiring the dispositions required in a context or by moving between organizations.
Exploring indigenous beliefs of black Africans in the South African workplace
(University of Pretoria, 2022) Carrim, Nasima M.H.; desertrose323@gmail.com; Paruk, Zeenat
The end of the apartheid era witnessed a move towards the decolonisation of the South African workplace. Individuals with diverse cultures were more readily accepted into the workplace, especially those from indigenous African backgrounds. As a result, indigenous cultural beliefs can no longer be negated in the current organisational context. While there is research that focusses on the benefits of integrating and acknowledging culture in the workplace, there is a lack of studies on what indigenous cultural beliefs employees bring to the workplace and how individuals manage workplace and indigenous identities. Considering South Africa’s diverse workforce, this study aimed to understand the indigenous cultural beliefs that Black African employees bring to the workplace in corporate South Africa and how they negotiate their cultural and corporate identities within the workplace. I applied a qualitative approach, using the grounded theory method. I interviewed 35 employees from both managerial and administrative levels using semi-structured interviews. The Atlas.ti qualitative data analysis tool was used to create codes and themes for the large sections of text obtained from the interview data. The findings of the study provided insights from the narratives of different employees regarding the indigenous cultural beliefs that they bring to the workplace. There are many challenges that Black African employees are presented with in the workplace, which leads them to engaging in cultural identity work. There is a lack of understanding regarding the role of traditional healers and how they contribute to promoting wellness among the Black African population. The study contributes to the literature by providing insights on the negotiation of identities of Black African people within the formal workplace and the balancing act that they play to secure and maintain employment while simultaneously trying to uphold their cultural traditions. For HR practitioners and managers in the workplace, the study opens channels of dialogue, to understand Black African cultural practices and to encourage the accommodation of these practices within the workplace.
Engagement among academic staff and undergraduate students : a multilevel analysis
(University of Pretoria, 2021-12-06) Olckers, Chantal; Schaap, Pieter; reynellvanderross@gmail.com; Van der Ross, Melissa Reynell
Higher education institutions have a great responsibility in that they play an important part in preparing and developing students who will one day be leaders, teachers, and influencers in their respective work environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has however had a real psychological impact on higher education institutions as it has influenced the engagement and overall well-being of academic staff and students. Past research has highlighted the importance of engagement in achieving positive organisational outcomes such as well-being and commitment, as well as both in-role and extra-role job performance among employees. In regard to students, engagement has been identified as a requisite for delivering quality work, developing life-long learners, and promoting students’ mental health. Scholars have further asserted that, to survive and ensure sustainable growth in a globally competitive and knowledge-driven society, a talented and engaged workforce needs to be cultivated and retained. Despite the proven importance of engagement, not enough research on this construct has been conducted. Scholars have called for further studies that assist learning institutions in understanding the conditions that lead to engagement and developing approaches or processes that foster such conditions. This research study drew on positive psychology, which is a field of study that focuses on positive emotions, meaning, and engagement with the aim of promoting optimal psychological functioning. Thus, in establishing positive outcomes for higher education institutions, this study set out to better understand what enabled engagement among both academic staff and students. For this study, three manuscripts were prepared. The first manuscript explored the conditions that cultivated engagement and psychological well-being among academic staff, and for this purpose the study established connections between Kahn’s theory on engagement, the job demands-resources model, organisational support theory, and the construct of reciprocity. In the second manuscript, the study demands-resources model and the leader-member exchange theory were used to operationalise Kahn’s psychological conditions beyond the employee–employer context to include university students. The study further set out to explore students’ learning approaches by extrapolating from work done using the job demands-resources model and the study demands-resources model so as to expand on the existing understanding of how student engagement influenced learning approaches. The third manuscript drew on crossover theory to explore mutual influences among academic staff and students, and the impact of these influences on the engagement of and outcomes relating to both parties. Purposive, non-probability sampling was used and cross-sectional data were collected through electronic surveys. The sample used in the first manuscript’s study comprised 160 academic staff members employed at a university in South Africa. The findings of this study revealed that the three psychological conditions (meaningfulness, safety, and availability), which were operationalised as lack of reciprocity, perceived organisational support, and burnout risk, were significantly related to emotional engagement. Perceived organisational support (job resources), which met the criteria for psychological safety and some components of meaningfulness, displayed the strongest association with engagement. Recommendations made to university management included considering policies, procedures, or interventions that gave employees the assurance that the university valued them, cared about their well-being, and regarded them as important contributors to institutional objectives, particularly during times of change or crisis. In the study presented in the second manuscript, the sample consisted of 1 594 undergraduate students enrolled at a South African university. The results showed that the psychological conditions of meaningfulness (study resources), availability (burnout risk), and safety (student leader-member exchange) as conceptualised in Kahn’s theory, influenced students’ engagement. Results further showed that high levels of student engagement fostered a deep-learning approach. University leaders were encouraged to take note of the clear gain in fostering student engagement and, therefore, to adopt an approach that considered all the psychological conditions that encouraged and promoted the engagement of students. In respect of the study presented in the third manuscript, a total of 1 594 students (level 1) were nested within 160 academic staff members (level 2). Findings from the study revealed non-significant relationships for both the crossover relationships proposed between academic staff and students. However, the findings did show that students’ perceptions of high-quality relationships with academic staff (student–LMX) were significantly related to their engagement. In terms of outcomes for academic staff, the results revealed that perceptions of lack of reciprocity from the student group were negatively associated with academic staff’s emotional engagement. University leaders were encouraged to consider interventions that might support and better equip academic staff to develop high-quality exchange relationships with students. The study recommended that university leaders should adopt a collective approach in addressing the component of mutual influences among academic staff and students. Such an approach would lead to the improvement of well-being among employees and the cultivation of a culture of life-long learning among students, which hold significant benefits.
Exploring the interrelation between OPQ, 15FQ+ and the SDS questionnaire
(University of Pretoria, 2014-07) Schaap, Pieter; pieter.schaap@up.ac.za; Wynbergen, Andrea
Orientation In this study the interrelationship between specific personality and interests measures were explored to improve understanding of the respective constructs and their interrelations. A literature study and empirical research was conducted to serve the purpose of this study. Research purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between personality and interests using the measures of the OPQ, the 15FQ+, and the SDS. Motivation for study Much research has been done on the importance of the use of personality and interest questionnaires for career guidance and other purposes. However, a correlation between the SDS and OPQ and between the SDS and 15FQ+ has not been researched. As such, this study was intended to provide valuable insight into the interrelation between the personality and interests as measured by the OPQ, the SDS and the 15FQ+, which should enhance the interpretation of the respective constructs. Research Methodology An exploratory research method was used, as it was a systematic investigation of the relationship among two or more variables. A quantitative strategy of inquiry was used for this study. Main findings A canonical correlation analysis showed moderate to strong interrelationship between personality traits and vocational interest. The interrelation of the OPQ, the SDS and the 15FQ+ are significant. The findings indicated how personality and interests differ and converge for enhancing interpretation purposes. Practical/managerial implications Holland’s theory of vocational interests focuses on the application of the SDS for career purposes, as well as for measuring job fit and job satisfaction. A better understanding of the interrelationship between personality and interests help practitioners to optimize the use of the measures within various contexts. Contributions/value additions The study will enable practitioners to more effectively utilize the personality and interest measures, combined or separately, as the interrelationships are now better known and construct validity is enhanced. Conclusion The objective of this research was successfully achieved, as satisfactory evidence was provided to address the overarching research purpose.
Assessing the effect of management education on vocational behaviour
(University of Pretoria, 2021-04-20) Ledimo, Ophillia; lehlohonolotabane@hotmail.com; Tabane, Lehlohonolo Makhabane
The study investigated the effect of post-graduate management education, viz., Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Leadership and Specialised Master’s programmes, on the vocational behaviour of candidates. Vocational behaviour was operationalised by five indicators, viz., career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational identity, work identity, career commitment and vocational interest/personality. These indicators fit into the categories of vocational choice e.g., theories of occupational interest and their measurement, and vocational decision-making process; and vocational adjustment e.g., career commitment, all of which underpin vocational behaviour research. This study used Holland’s Typology (1985) as the theoretical model. A prospective causal-comparative design was used to address the research questions. Phase One of the research entailed a cross-sectional study involving post-graduate management students in various programmes. A within- and between-subjects design was employed. Discriminant Function Analysis (DA) established that the Enterprising personality type was the best predictor of both the Enterprising type (E-type) and Social type (S-type) environments in South Africa. Holland’s (1985) fourth working assumption, “Behaviour is determined by an interaction between personality and environment” (p. 4), was not fully supported by the current study. Person-Environment fit (P-E fit) did not predict vocational behaviour; however, t-test results established significant within and between group differences in vocational behaviour as a function of P-E fit. Moreover, it was established that incongruence is not always associated with negative outcomes; similarly, congruence is not always linked to positive outcomes. The Phase Two study was intended to examine whether management education could catalyse psychological behaviour change. However, exposure to management education did not lead to changes in students’ vocational behaviour. Furthermore, congruence (P-E fit) did not moderate the effect of the academic environment on the vocational behaviour of the students. In this regard, the hypothesised model for Phase Two study was not supported. However, the Phase Two study hypothesized model is an original model which could benefit from being tested using a large sample (more specifically an identical sample at Time 1 and Time 2 data collection phases). Furthermore, this longitudinal research should be carried out on a national level across all universities, business and governance schools. Research funding would be required to execute this project on a large scale.
The influence of management behaviour on work motivation within a financial services institution
(University of Pretoria, 2014-11) O'Neil, S.M. (Sumari); claricee@regent.co.za; Erasmus, Clarice Fransa
This study investigates the influence of management behaviour on work motivation within a financial services institution in South Africa. The highly competitive business environment is forcing organisations to improve their management practices in the hope of improving work motivation. It is evident that the way in which management behaves towards employees plays a crucial role in determining whether employees are motivated to deliver acceptable or, preferably, work of outstanding quality. Management practices that encourage, promote, and provide sound management behaviour contribute to positive work motivation, which ultimately enhances organisational performance (Darby & Wysocki, 2007; Lepak & Hong, 2009; Ozcelik, Langton, & Aldrich, 2008). This study used the raw data from an ad hoc employee satisfaction survey conducted by a large financial services institution in South Africa. The data were not collected specifically for this study; therefore secondary data were used. Owing to the nature of the research questions, a quantitative approach was followed. The aim of the study is to firstly determine employees’ perception of what ―good management practices are‖ within a financial services institution in South Africa. Secondly, to investigate the influence of management behaviour on work motivation of employees, and thirdly, to rank the controllable factors in management behaviour in order of importance based on the effect it has on work motivation. Data analysis in the form of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis were conducted and the results were compared to current management literature in order to generate sound recommendations to improve management practices. The results revealed seven crucial management behaviours that can be applied to drive employee work motivation. Previous research confirmed the importance of effective management and the impact on management behaviour on work activities (Keller, 2008). However, no previous research ranked these management behaviours in order of importance based on the effect it has on work motivation. This study can assist management in developing and implementing management practices that will deliver maximum results in terms of work motivation and, ultimately, performance.
The psychometric properties of the experience of work and life circumstances questionnaire (WLQ)
(University of Pretoria, 2014-08) Schaap, Pieter; esli.kekana@gmail.com; Kekana, Esli Amarja
OBJECTIVE : The purpose of the study is to determine the psychometric properties of the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ) in terms of its reliability, dimensionality and second-order structural validity. METHOD : The WLQ was administered to a sample of 217 employees working for the same automotive company in South Africa. The reliability of the WLQ was investigated by using Cronbach’s Alpha. The dimensionality of the scales was determined by using Exploratory Factor analysis to establish essential unidimensionality (single common factor). A bifactor analysis technique, namely the Schmid-Leiman analysis, was used to determine the homogeneity of the item content of scales that appeared multidimensional (data are consistent with both a unidimensional and multidimensional structure). The second-order structural validity of the WLQ investigated through confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS : The results indicated a good reliability score for the WLQ’s scales, but preliminary evidence suggests the possibility of item bias in Scale C2 and C3 and therefore needs to be further investigated. It was found that the scales are essentially unidimensional, except for Scale B and C2 that showed evidence of multidimensionality. The WLQ achieved a good second-order structural validity. CONCLUSION : The results of this study indicate that the WLQ demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in relation to its internal consistency, the dimensionality of its scales and its second-order structural validity, with the exception of two scales that appear problematic and require further investigation.
Targeted employee retention : reasons for considering leaving a South African financial services institution
(University of Pretoria, 2014-01-15) O’Neil, Sumari; sumari.oneil@up.ac.za; Louw, C.
In today’s volatile and unpredictable economic environment, the retention of human capital, one of any organisation’s most valuable resources, has become critically important. The focus of employee retention has gradually moved away from blanket retention strategies to targeted retention strategies designed to address turnover in specified employee groups or categories that are of exceptional value to the organisation. This study examined the retention dynamics of employees in a large financial services institution in South Africa. The study’s aim was to investigate employees’ intention to leave, and their reasons for considering leaving the company, while testing whether these factors differ according to employees’ biographical characteristics, including gender, population group, management status, and the type of work they perform, thereby conducting targeted analysis of employee retention needs. For the purposes of the present study, quantitative survey data from a secondary source were used. The data used were collected during 2011 as part of an employee satisfaction survey in a large organisation within the financial services industry. A quantitative research approach was followed to attain the research objectives of this study. The results shed light on the most prominent antecedents of employee turnover in the organisation under study, while also identifying the antecedents that contribute only to a small degree to labour turnover. Differences between biographical groups were significant, confirming that turnover intention and reasons for considering leaving the company differ according to employees’ gender, population group, management status, and the type of work they perform. Effective targeted retention strategies are expected to reduce employee turnover, and help organisations to retain a knowledgeable and productive workforce. The results of the study can aid especially human resource practitioners in developing tailor-made retention strategies that address the needs of targeted employee groups.
The relationship between psychological ownership and employment equity perceptions
(University of Pretoria, 2013) Olckers, Chantal; madelenelson@hotmail.com; Nelson, Madelé
Psychological ownership is the psychologically experienced phenomenon that occurs when an employee develops possessive feelings towards a target (for example an organisation). However, there are several factors that influence the emergence of psychological ownership, one of them being contextual factors. Employment equity within the South African context might be considered such a contextual factor. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the relationship between psychological ownership (measured by the Psychological Ownership Questionnaire) and perceptions of employment equity (measured by the Employment Equity Questionnaire). A quantitative survey was conducted with a purposive sample of 202 skilled respondents employed in the mining sector. A correlation analysis and an analysis of variance were conducted, which revealed a number of significant relationships and differences between the different groups of respondents. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that a relationship exists between psychological ownership and employment equity. The results of the analysis of variance indicated that differences exist between respondents with regard to various biographical variables. The results might be used in organisations to acknowledge the effect of employment equity legislation on employees’ psychological ownership.
Gender Perceptions Of Factors Affecting The Career Advancement Of Female Academics In South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2013) Barkhuizen, E. Nicolene; du Plessis, Y.; sophialyons00@gmail.com; Lyons, Sophia Welma
Background and aim: In several universities, the academic staff complement is dominated by men, regardless of the implementation of employment equity. The fact that the integration of women at all levels of academia is so slow is seen as a serious problem in some countries (Badat, 2010; Rogg, 2001). Koen (2003) stated that, regardless of the endeavours to promote staff equity, there are considerable differences in gender and race representation, and women and blacks are overrepresented in lower-ranked jobs. Women still remain underrepresented at senior levels, also in South African universities. Studies have found that women come across explicit complications in trying to build successful careers in academia (Ismail, Rasdi, & Wahat, 2005; Prozesky, 2008). The main purpose of the present study was to explore the differences in the perceptions of the genders regarding factors that affect the career advancement of female academics in South African higher education institutions (HEIs). Method: Convenience sampling was used for this study. The Career Advancement Questionnaire for Women, developed by Zhong (2006), was distributed to male and female academics in South African HEIs. It was used to determine the facilitating factors, constraining factors, and gender issues affecting female academics’ career advancement Results: • Female and male academics were in agreement on factors that facilitate women’s career advancement. Our findings indicate that the main facilitating factors for female academics’ career advancement are job knowledge, attitude toward work, and effective communications skills. • Male and female respondents were in disagreement on the factors that constrain women’s career advancement, although both groups agreed that there are high-level constraining factors that have a negative impact on female academics’ career advancement. • Male and female respondents were in disagreement that certain gender issues prevent women’s career advancement. Both the null and alternative hypotheses were partially accepted with reference to the following: • There are significant differences between the gender groups in terms of the facilitating factors affecting the career advancement of female academics. • There are significant differences between the gender groups in terms of the constraining factors affecting the career advancement of female academics. • There are significant differences between the gender groups in terms of the gender issues affecting the career advancement of female academics. Practical relevance: As far as could be determined, not many studies of this kind have been done in South Africa to date. The benefit of the present study, from a theoretical perspective, is that it will contribute to the body of knowledge on the career advancement of female academics. Unlike previous studies that only focussed on other countries or other industries, the present study examined the specific factors that affect the career advancement of female academics in South African HEIs. The practical contribution of this study is that it gained insight into the perceptions of male and female academics regarding factors that constrain and facilitate female academics’ career advancement. By identifying the most common constraining and facilitating factors, recommendations could be made to HEIs to improve female academics career advancement.
The South African personality inventory : a psychometric evaluation of the Afrikaans version
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Nel, Jan Alewyn; u10673955@tuks.co.za; Rautenbach, Amanda Cornelia
Orientation: South Africa’s cultural and linguistic diversity requires special measures to ensure that the assessments used in employment settings are scrupulously fair. To this end, Section 8 of The Employment Equity Act requires that psychometric tests are scientifically proved to be valid and reliable and not to discriminate unfairly against any individual or group. The South African Personality Inventory (SAPI) sets out to meet these criteria by incorporating culture-specific elements and by providing versions in each of South Africa’s 11 official languages. o Research purpose: The key determination of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Afrikaans version of the South African Personality Inventory (SAPI). The aforementioned properties include item analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability analysis, product-moment correlation and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). o Motivation for the study: To contribute to the fair, valid and reliable use of the SAPI questionnaire in all language versions of the instrument by examining the psychometric properties of the Afrikaans version and comparing it with the validated English version. Once this has been done for each of the 11 official South African languages versions, a culturally neutral instrument will be available for the full diversity of employment settings in South Africa. o Research design, approach and method: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional research design with an emic approach, objectivist ontology and a post-positivist research paradigm. Primary data was collected by administering the Afrikaans version of the SAPI questionnaire to a non-probability sample of 201 purposively selected white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans who are economically and non-economically active and have a minimum qualification of Grade 12. An online Afrikaans version of the SAPI along with a biographical questionnaire was used to collect data. Item analysis was investigated by means of a descriptive statistical analysis. An initial principle component analysis followed with exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the instrument’s factor structure. A reliability analysis was conducted in order to measure the internal consistency of the instrument. Product-moment correlations explored the relationships between variables. Further analysis was done to detect the relationships of the variables and to detect differences. Main findings: The White Afrikaners attach immense importance to the social-relational factors. From the six factors, only three factors were extracted, namely the Social-relational Positive, combined Social-relational Negative/Conscientiousness, and Intellect/Openness factors. These factors showed adequate validity and reliability. The item functionality needs to be re-evaluated in order to measure all the six factors of the SAPI and different analytical techniques should be applied. The relationships between the remaining three factors were sufficient, and only age differences were detected in the experience of Social Relational Negative/Conscientiousness o Practical/managerial implications: The results of this study provide a firm foundation for the further investigation of the validity of the Afrikaans version of the questionnaire. Furthermore, insight is given to researchers and practitioners on the need to develop, adapt or translate psychometric instruments, especially for use in an environment which is multicultural and multilingual. o Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to cultural-specific research on the assessment of personality in South Africa. Its thorough investigation and attempt to validate the Afrikaans version of the SAPI is supported by an extensive body of literature relevant to standardizing the SAPI. Practitioners and organisations will now be able to administer a culturally informed personality assessment where the home language of the employees is Afrikaans.
Emotional labour experienced by support staff in a South African context
(University of Pretoria, 2019) O’Neil, Sumari; u12016919@tuks.co.za; Pienaar, Anel
Introduction It cannot be denied that employees bring their emotions to work, especially since emotions form a core part of individuals and cannot be separated from them and is thus part of organisational life. Emotions may influence an individual’s judgement, assessment and understanding of work events, and may therefore add to the complexity of work behaviour. The act of managing emotions and the emotional expressions at work for the purpose of compensation and consistency with the ‘display rules’ of an organisation is known as emotional labour. Emotional labour thus encompasses the management of feelings in an attempt to portray acceptable facial and bodily display to the public. Organisations have implicit and explicit emotional display rules that employees should abide, regardless of the employees’ felt emotions. Emotional labour is conducted by employees in an attempt to adapt, control or manage emotions viewed as inappropriate in the work environment. As such, emotional labour is associated with emotional regulation strategies, deep, surface or genuine acting. The concept of emotional labour has been developed and established within the services industry, for example, with flight attendants and teachers. This study aimed to explore how applicable the concept of emotional labour is within internal organisational services, namely, support staff in support departments across various South African industries. Research purpose The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the emotional labour strategies experienced and applied by support staff. The objectives are:  to explore the level of emotional labour performed by support staff  to describe to what extent difference in the levels of emotional labour occur across different support functions, and demographic groups  to describe the relationship that exists between emotional labour and intention to quit and job satisfaction. Research design, approach and method A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. A non-probability sample was selected by means of availability and snowball sampling methods. The emotional labour scale, intention to quit and job satisfaction survey was administered to 269 individuals employed in support departments in paper-based and electronic format. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 was used to conduct descriptive and correlational statistics on the data. Main findings The results of this study showed that support staff do perform emotional labour, with the use of all four emotional labour strategies, namely, hiding feeling, faking emotions, deep acting and genuine acting. Based on the sample used for this study, there was no statistical significant differences between gender, race and educational groups in terms of the emotional labour strategy used. There was, however, a weak, negative relationship between job satisfaction and surface acting, which was measured through hiding feelings and faking emotions. Even though the study was restricted by many methodological limitations, which are discussed in the last chapter of the dissertation, the study did provide some insight into the emotional labour levels and strategies performed by the support staff in the sample within a South African context.
An exploratory study of trending talent acquisition tools and techniques in the South African context
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Crafford, Anne; u14273706@tuks.co.za; Naidu, Dashalia
The review of talent acquisition tools and techniques used in South Africa is not widely available in literature. To implement and utilise appropriate tools and techniques to foster talent acquisition and maintain competitive advantage in this regard, organisations need to keep their finger on the pulse. Therefore, the subsequent research aimed to provide greater insight. The purpose of the dissertation was to review current literature on global trends of talent acquisition tools and techniques, thereafter provide insight on the trending tools and techniques used in the South African context. Along with the reported trends, their impacts and best practice were reviewed. Due to the dire need for South African context-based research on talent acquisition tools and techniques used, this study reports on empirical results as informed by some of South Africa’s largest insurers. The empirical results were obtained by using a qualitative research method with an interpretative approach. Qualitative surveys in the form of semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool to extract the relevant information from the three participating organisations. Thematic analysis was used to thoroughly analyse and structure the raw data. The main findings reflected that each organisation makes use of talent acquisition mechanisms as they see fit with a steady incline in the use of digital and online tools and techniques. The impacts and best practices and policies applied are further discussed although the consensus leans towards reasonable accommodation and emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The dissertation contributed to talent acquisition practices as the empirical findings reflected practices which are relatable and representative of similar organisations’ current way of work. More so, the literature reviewed is current and informative.
Systematic literature review of workplace gos-sip and foreign nationals
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Carrim, Nasima M.H.; u12169383@tuks.co.za; Mwabi, Eunice B.
Purpose: This research sought to explore and systematically review the landscape of literature on the topics of workplace gossip and foreign nationals, in order to cre-ate an aerial shot of the areas of investigation favoured by researchers, the methods employed for inquiry, theories applied to the subject matter and finally openings in research for expansion and in-depth examination. Method: A total of 50 initial articles were drawn from elected databases. The data-bases included, Emeralds insight, Google scholar, Oxford, Taylor Francis, PubMed, Research gate, Sage, the South African journal of industrial psychology Springer link and Wiley online. Keyword searches were iteratively formulated, tracked and repli-cated for searches of each database. The yielded articles were originally pitted against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria; this was done through a prelimi-nary review of the articles’ abstracts. The articles were subsequently grouped based on their research aims. The findings were written out in prose and presented a snap-shot of workplace gossip and foreign national research in the last decade. Findings: A number of themes were raised through the review process. Prosocial gossip works as an informal discipline system, though the processes of isolation and ostracism. Gossip is a viable tool for social control. Organisational identity and low power interact and also result in lower tendencies to gossip as a means of indirect aggression while high power and low organisational identity result in contrary effects. Greater employee identification with the organisation results in superior perceived cohesion. Job related gossip has an influence on employee cynicism and has a me-diating effect on the relationship between abusive supervisors and cynicism. Psycho-logical contract violation is a predictor of job-related gossip and employee cynicism while the presence of an abusive supervisor predicts both job-related and non-job related gossip. Furthermore, non-whites in white-dominated organisations, racial mi-norities and women experience gossip perpetrated by dominate groups. Dominant groups use gossip to discredit, undermine, exact group exclusion, communicate slurs, communicate subjective evaluations as truth, promote negative talk and opin-ions that minorities do not belong at the top of organisations. Minorities respond in two manners, by acquiescing or avoiding confrontation. Regarding immigrant eco-nomic assimilation, immigrants earn 34% less than their native counterparts. Immi-grants experience greater levels of unemployment than the country natives. Interestingly, immigrants seem to sort into low paying organisations. Moreover, longer re-ported occupation in a host country determines annual increases in pay of around 0.9%. Even more so, immigrants who work at majority native organisations report higher earnings. Residential location plays a role in earnings as the discrimination effect, means employers have biases about who they employ based on their residen-tial address. The relationship between immigrant-native isolation and exposure to immigrant neighbours is negative. Immigrants face barriers to integration through the non-recognition of their qualifications and perception of lower productivity. Employers favour local qualifications and accreditations over those held by immigrants. On the contrary, in some instances local qualifications seem to be considered sporadically and immigrants are put up against lesser qualified natives who are part of the organ-isations racial majorities when seeking career advancement. Immigrants assimilate through focusing on the following behaviours, work-related professional culture, un-derstanding workplace. Non-work related: higher exposure to natives in residential neighbourhoods and intermarrying with locals. Literature displayed that the words immigrant and expatriate are synonyms; however, in the existing international man-agement literature they describe two starkly different groups. Expatriates focused on in management literature are male, of Anglo-Saxon decent, hail from developed countries in North America or Western Europe. On the other hand, immigrants are male and female, hail from developing countries, are racial minorities, earn low wag-es and work in feminized roles that are unskilled and semiskilled. Regarding em-ployee wellness, findings showed that job satisfaction is an indicator of wellbeing. Furthermore, job satisfaction has been connected to organisational commitment in employees and has a negative relationship with employee absenteeism and employ-ee inclination to turnover. In general job satisfaction promotes positive behaviours and limits the negative. Environmental factors, job characteristics and work specific personal factors are just three referenced work-related factors linked to immigrant job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research: A definite need is an empirical enquiry into whether foreign nationals are targets of gossip. Though in light of the current study, this seems to be eminent that there is a need for evidence driven commentary re-search. Another suggestion is inquiry into how gossip influences the wellbeing of foreign nationals. Finally, I recommend exploring the question on what impact; gossip has on foreign national assimilation
The effectiveness and impact on organisations in requiring employees to work during their noice period
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Smit, Paul Andries; u17313202@tuks.co.za; Monaheng, Refiloe Liteboho Rosina
Research Objective: The study looked at the benefits and impact of requiring employees to serve notice period once they have resigned. Motivation of the Study: An employee deciding to leave an organisation can cause work interruptions and a corresponding loss of productivity. The main aim was to look at whether it is beneficial for employers to expect employees to serve notice and assess the risks and benefits thereof. Method: This study collected and analyzed data retrieved from semi-structured interviews conducted with eight participants. These participants were sampled from two State owned companies, within the defence equipment acquisition and manufacturing environment. Results: The results in the study highlighted best practices in optimizing performance. The focus was mostly on skills and knowledge transfer, retaining of important information, risk of wastage, loss of information as well as productivity of notice serving employees. Conclusion: The common practice in most organisations is for employees to serve a notice period after a termination of a work contract. Monitoring notice periods and processes involved in serving notice is important and should be well managed. This will assist in minimizing the risk of losing skills and knowledge when an employee resigns. The protection of company assets in the form of intellectual property and confidential information related to the organisation’s practices should be an area of concern when an employee is leaving the company.
Exploring the work-life balance of professionals who work with special needs children
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Pillay, Preshanta; u17357684@tuks.co.za; Matsvororo, Kudzai Debra
The rise in popularity of work-life balance (WLB) as an essential determinant of one’s health, wellbeing and effectiveness in modern society has included research on the WLB of those caring for children with special needs. Most previous studies have however focused on investigating the WLB of parents of children with special needs and consequently, very few studies have looked into the WLB of the professionals who work with these children. The purpose of my study was therefore to close this gap in the literature by gaining some insight into the work-life experiences of professionals who work with special children. The study sought to unearth how work-life balance plays out in these professionals’ lives and also to discover the factors that influence their work-life balance. Another objective was to ascertain the challenges that they face in integrating their work and life domains and to bring to light the strategies that they use to cope with their various work-life demands. An inductive qualitative inquiry carried out through combined phenomenological and autoethnography research design was used to investigate the work-life experiences of a sample of professionals who work with special needs children in therapy, pre-primary and primary schools, in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select participants for inclusion in the study. Data was collected through a series of unstructured in-depth interviews, unstructured observations, personal memory and photographs. Seven themes emerged from the findings of the study. The results also indicated that the majority of the sampled professionals who work with special children were experiencing work-life conflict due to the time-based and strain-based conflict that emanated from their work domains. These professionals’ WLB was also found to be mostly influenced by work-related factors as the work domain appeared to be their major source of conflict. The study also unearthed some very interesting and unconventional micro-level WLB strategies used by these professionals in their attempt to achieve greater WLB. An example of such strategies include the use of prayer and faith in God to reduce perceptions of conflict and enhance capacity to deal with life’s adversities. The findings from this study may therefore be used to develop and focus meso and macro level interventions to assist professionals who work with special needs children to better manage the various demands from their life domains. This will in turn ensure a healthier lifestyle for these professionals, which also has positive implications for the developmental outcomes of the children under their care. Moreover, enhancing these professionals’ ability to achieve WLB is anticipated to improve their motivation, satisfaction and retention.
Emotional regulatory strategies of academic staff at a research intensive university in the South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2019) O’Neil, Sumari; u14012414@tuks.co.za; Gopal, Jeshika
There is currently little research focusing specifically on the emotional labour and regulation of academic staff in higher education institutions. This study provides insight into the emotional labour regulation strategies that academic staff use within the higher education context. This research both explores and describes the emotional regulatory strategies that lecturers (including senior lecturers, associate professors and professors) use in a research-intensive academic institution in the South African context. Although previous research has shown that emotional labour is relevant in the higher education context for academic staff, little research has been conducted to uncover which regulation strategies academic staff use and why these strategies are employed. This study was conducted using a qualitative method, in which a combination of snowball, convenience and purposive sampling strategies was used to gain access to the intended sample of fifteen participants. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were the source of data collection and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Emotional labour has been shown to affect the well-being of professionals in their workplace. Therefore, monitoring and controlling emotional labour is of paramount importance for a healthy workforce. In a higher education environment, the well-being of students is directly influenced by the well-being of the staff and the overall effectiveness of service delivery by the organisation (in terms of research outputs as well as teaching and learning). Evidently, the emotional labour and regulation thereof of the individual academic staff member may have far-reaching effects. This study confirmed that emotional labour is experienced by academic staff within the university context. Moreover, the academic work context of academic staff involves a high degree of interaction with people that includes a range of diverse job tasks. The perceived display rules of the university were defined and described in this study. The emotional labour regulation strategies that academic lecturing staff utilise are those of deep, genuine and surface acting. However, the use of these strategies is not straightforward, as academic lecturing staff apply a range of these regulation strategies based on several reasons or rationales. These rationales further determine when an individual will select one or a combination of regulation strategies.
Exploring the professional identity construction and negotiation of professionals from previously disadvantaged groups
(University of Pretoria, 2019) Crafford, Anne; lucia.erasmus15@gmail.com; Erasmus, Lucia
Research purpose: This study aimed to explore the professional identity construction of accountants from previously disadvantaged groups. The study considered the significance of context and the influence of whiteness and racial micro-aggressions on individual identity construction. Motivation for this study: Little is known about the struggle that people from previously disadvantaged groups in South Africa have to go through to negotiate their professional identities. This study provided a platform for these individuals to share their journey in becoming a professional accountant and understanding the impact of context on their professional identity construction. Research design, approach and method: The study followed a qualitative design, and a multiple case study method was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted through a narrative lens to explore the individual stories of the participants’ experiences. Non-probability purposive sampling was used. The sample consisted of five black professional accountants from previously disadvantaged groups. Data analysis took the form of individual case narratives followed by a thematic analysis across cases. Main findings: The history of apartheid is still present in South African organisations today in the form of racial micro-aggression and whiteness which create barriers to the professional identity construction of people from previously disadvantaged groups. It was found that the following contexts influence identity construction: political, legislative, socio-economic, educational, organisational, professional, family and cultural contexts. Practical Implications: Legislation such as BBEEE, AA and the EEA are in place to support the transformation agenda of South African organisations. However, in this study it became clear that legislation does not achieve its intended impact. If organisations do not start supporting professionals of colour, it will have a major impact on their skills and career development as well as on talent retention within organisations. Value/Study contribution: The results could become a valuable resource for educational institutions, professional bodies and managers within organisations to enable them to eliminate the barriers of whiteness and micro-aggression and to support people from previously disadvantaged groups to construct positive professional identities.
Power, Privilege and Identity at the Margins : Identity Work Transitions of Lower Echelon Managers
(University of Pretoria, 2020) Nkomo, Stella M., 1947-; Carrim, Nasima M.H.; laureen.vanaswegen@icloud.com; Van Aswegen, Laureen
This study explores the hitherto unexamined role of national, cultural, societal and historical dynamics of power and privilege in the identity work of the lowest level of managers in organisations. This study revealed that so-called ‘post-apartheid’ South African organisations remain sites for perpetuating social injustice through physical vestiges of segregation as well as complex societal-organisational interdiscursive practices that serve to maintain an unequal distribution of power, social oppression and exclusion. Within this context, first level managers expressed their managerialism variously through contested and coercive agentic strategies of power and resistance, while finding themselves implicated and relationally complicit in invidious discursive practices, veiled as post-apartheid speak. Their social location at the ‘power margin’ between management and working classes educed a constant contested process of identity substitution, as they redefined themselves in the face of the loss and gain of socio-political power and privilege. This research contributes to and extends theory on identity work, intersectionality theory and whiteness in management and organisation studies to beyond the boundaries of the organisation, showing that the first level managers’ antipodal constructions of self were responses to the impact of organisational, societal and national political transformations on their variously politicised managerial selves. A particular strength of this study is that it integrates constructivist grounded theory with narrative inquiry and critical discourse analysis in a way that privileges the experiences of the participants through their stories about being first level managers in post-apartheid South Africa, while revealing a richly textured theoretical construction of identity work at the margins in the context of significant societal and political change. Ultimately, it is hoped that this study will contribute towards improving working lives in organisations by drawing attention to the everyday struggles of those managers at the lowest level of the management hierarchy in organisations, those at the margins of managerial power, for whom expression of their managerialism and acceptance of their authority as managers is a tenuous process, constantly contested within an organisational context where political power and societal privilege remain dominant mechanisms for influencing organisational behaviour. In so doing this research helps South African organisations to better understand the complex challenges of achieving transformation in the workplace.
Important behavioural competencies for human resource professionals in South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2004) Buys, Michiel A.; jdannheimer@gmail.com; Dannheimer, Jörn G.
Orientation: The job inherent requirements for Human Resource (HR) professionals, as is for any role, are constantly undergoing change due to the dynamic environment that we work and exist in. With the transition from traditional Personnel Management to more contemporary and strategic HR Management, these adjustments required for the role and of the incumbents have become more and more pronounced. It is important that, as HR professionals, one frequently reassesses and clarifies the inherent requirements for the role, based on the needs and demands from the broader world of work and its roleplayers. The concern is however whether HR professionals realise and understand which behavioural competencies they should display in order to meet the changing demands and whether they actually are ‘living’ these. Research Purpose: The aim of this paper is to determine the relevant behavioural competencies for HR professionals based on the analysis of various views gathered from current HR professionals. Research Results: It was found that competencies such as ‘Planning and Organising’, ‘Problem Solving and Analysis’, ‘Specialist and Technical Knowledge’, ‘Strategic Thinking’ as well as ‘Interpersonal Sensitivity’ are all important in order to ensure effective service delivery for HR professionals. An additional competency, ‘Leading and Supervising’ was also identified as important, although related more to managerial HR functions. From these results it is however also evident that competencies relating to adapting and responding to change in the workplace, and the importance of being able to deliver and achieve results, were omitted from the ideal profile. This, in comparison to various articles and research presented by authors on the exact importance of such competencies in order for the HR discipline to add value to the organisation, makes it evident that many HR professionals have still not completed the transition from the traditional Personnel Management to the more strategic HR Management.

Browse

Recent Submissions