D. Lit. et Phil. / The process of change can be complex and the introduction of affirmative action in South Africa against an apartheid backdrop is undoubtedly one such change. In 1998 the Employment Equity Act was passed. The purpose of the Act was to achieve equity in the workplace by promoting equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment through the elimination of unfair discrimination and; implementing affirmative action measures to redress the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups, in order to ensure their equitable representation iIi all occupational categories and levels in the workforce (Government Gazette, 1998). Whilst the concept is not new and has been extensively researched in several countries, it was introduced under unique circumstances in South Africa (Luhabe, 1993). There is therefore, a need for the generation of additional theories that are relevant and applicable to South Africa's unique circumstances -theories that are grounded in, and account for this area in South Africa. As Stamp (1999) put it, a grounded theory that is generated form the ground up". The present study aimed to generate theory from the lived experiences of black affi'rmative action participants in South African organisations. The study intended to look at how affirmative action is experienced by beneficiaries without prior judgement from previous literature on the subject. It aimed not to verify past theories but to understand the situation as it is experienced. Hence, the grounded theory method of analysis was chosen by the researcher. Grounded theory is a qualitative method that generates theory by the systematic collection and analysis of data (Glaser,1992). The grounded theory method of research aims to generate new theory that is grounded in the data of a substantive area. It therefore aims to create theory from the central themes and categories that emerge form the data.

Face à la multiplication des détours participatifs dans la conduite des politiques publiques, il est important de s’interroger sur la capacité de la démocratie participative à constituer un facteur de la mutation de l’action publique locale. Cette réflexion s’est longtemps incarnée dans des positions critiques interprétant son développement comme une imposture destinée à jeter un voile démocratique sur des procédures toujours aussi opaques et sclérosées ainsi que dans des postures normatives cherchant à promouvoir une forme d’engagement civique idéelle et authentique. Notre étude se propose quant à elle d’enrichir une approche pragmatiste visant à déterminer les conditions réelles de sa mise en œuvre et ses effets concrets. Ce travail est mené, afin de mieux rendre compte de l’hétérogénéité des logiques et des pratiques participatives, sur une analyse comparée de plusieurs dispositifs, à l’échelle de la ville de Nancy et du département de Meurthe-et-Moselle. Dans ce cadre, nous avons pu observer un phénomène d’institutionnalisation de la participation citoyenne au sein des collectivités locales. Les conditions de l’émergence d’une norme participative guidant l’action publique paraissent cependant indiquer une certaine retenue, caractérisée par la restriction du champ d’application des procédures participatives ou des savoirs citoyens mobilisés. Les effets provoqués par l’application de la norme participative sur l’espace public local ne manquent pas de susciter de nombreuses interrogations. Les dispositifs étudiés semblent très éloignés des cadres théoriques délibératifs et participatifs. Le défaut d’inclusion, de même que la persistance de logiques de politisation propres au système représentatif interrogent sur la capacité de la démocratie participative à relever les défis qu’elle se propose de surmonter. / In front of the multiplication of the participative bends in the management of public policies, it is crucial to wonder about the capacity of participative democracy to constitute an element of the mutation of local politics. This reflection collided for a long time with critical positions interpreting its developement as an imposture intended to throw a democratic veil on procedures still so opaque and calcified as well as in normative postures trying to promote a shape of civic commitment pure and authentic. Our study proposes to enrich a pragmatic approach to determine the real conditions of its implementation and its concrete effects. This work is led, to report better the heterogeneousness of the participative logics and practices, on a comparative analysis of several devices, on the scale of the city of Nancy and the departement of Meurthe-et-Moselle. In this framework, we were able to observe a phenomenon of institutionalization of the citizen participation within local authorities. The conditions of the emergence of a participation standard guiding public action however appear to indicate a certain restraint, characterized by the limitation of the field of application of the participative procedures or of the kind of citizens knowledges mobilized. The effects provoked by the application of the participative standard on the local public space also raise numerous ambiguities. The studied devices seem very remote from deliberative and participative theoretical frames. Also, the lake of inclusion as well as the obstinacy of logics of politicization appropriate for the representative system questions about the capacity of the participative democracy to meet the challenges which she suggests nevertheless surmounting.

Thompson’s groups F, T, and V represent crucial examples of groups in geometric group theory that bridge it with other areas of mathematics such as logic, computer science, analysis, and geometry. One of the ways to study these groups is by understanding the geometric meaning of their actions. In this thesis we deal with Thompson’s group T that acts naturally on the unit circle S1, that is identified with the segment [0, 1] with the end points glued together. The main result of this work is the explicit construction of the Schreier graph of T with respect to the action on the orbit of 1/2. This is done by careful examination of patterns in how the generators of T act on binary words. As a main application, the nonamenability of the action of T on S1 is proved by defining injections on the set of vertices of the constructed graph that satisfy Gromov’s doubling condition. This gives an alternative proof of the known fact that T is nonamenable.

Affirmative action is a sensitive and controversial topic evoking a host of emotional reactions regarding tokenism, window dressing, reverse discrimination, lowering of standards, empowerment, disregard for meritocracy and many others. It has been a discussion area in countless number of seminars, symposia and conferences held within our borders. Masters and Doctoral thesis and dissertations have as well researched the topic to provide clarity, understanding and new insight into the notion of affirmative action; but most researchers examined the views of management on affirmative action neglecting opinions and views of the very beneficiaries of affirmative action programme – blacks, women and the disabled. The primary objective of this research exercise is therefore to analyse beneficiaries’ perceptions of affirmative action in Company XXX – that is how they feel about affirmative action and how their feelings may have an effect on the success or failure of affirmative action. This research is of a qualitative nature and enquires into the historical and present context of affirmative action in Company XXX; lessons learned from other countries; assumptions about affirmative action and beneficiaries perceptions of affirmative action programmes in which they are engaged and their ideas of changes and improvements to the programme. Research method used consists of in-depth interviews with a sample of nine beneficiaries from Company XXX using employment equity criteria. Policy documents and reports on affirmative action in Company XXX were scrutinized. Research findings reveal the following amongst others: <ul> <li> That affirmative action programmes generally fail to provide black managers/beneficiaries with a sense of purpose or belonging in their organization</li> <li> That the programmes fail to address problems of racism and resistance to change in the organization</li> <li> That the aims of affirmative action are rarely made explicit</li> <li> That beneficiaries are not given adequate authority and responsibility</li> <li> That beneficiaries are more confident about their abilities</li> <li> That buildings are not sufficiently accommodative of disabled beneficiaries who are wheelchair bound</li> <li> That the environment does not give adequate support to beneficiaries to help them succeed</li> </ul> Research results indicate that beneficiaries feel that affirmative action is good for the organization and economy if implemented correctly and if the necessary support training is provided to them to help them meet and exceed their employers’ expectations. Although they agree that productivity may sometimes be lowered to an extent on their appointment, they feel that it is not an exception. It is common knowledge that a new appointee cannot be as productive as a person who has been in the same positions and received rigorous training as well for a long time. Given reasonable time and the necessary support, the short-term costs of appointing affirmative action beneficiaries will be far outweighed by the long-term benefits. Copyright 2004, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Boikhutso, RA 2004, Qualitative analysis of the perceptions of affirmative action beneficiaries in South African parastatals, MAdmin dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03162005-143810 / > / Dissertation (MAdmin (Labour Relations))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

This dissertation attempts to delve in to the controversial and complicated world of affirmative action and transformation in South African sport. The history of this country is taken into account as we are still grappling with the legacy of apartheid in sport. Various sports are analysed in detail in tandem with the way these policies are implemented by the government. We look at the progress being made by the various administrators in sport at the provincial and national levels. The research was mainly focused on legislation that has been passed on the above issues and tested against the Constitution. One has to try and determine if affirmative action has a legal basis in the sporting arena and analyse the drawbacks already faced by the implementation of these policies. I have also tried to incorporate the experiences faced in Australia and New Zealand as they have both faced challenges of a similar nature in their sporting environments. It is important to acknowledge that there will never be an overnight solution to the challenges we face in sport. The road we have embarked on is a long and winding one and patience is indeed a key component as we strive to move from our bitter past. This has always been a sensitive issue in South Africa and great lengths have been taken to be as objective and as sensitive as possible in the work. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Procedural Law / unrestricted

La performance de l’action publique territoriale émerge comme un objectif intrinsèque àsa conduite même, en ce qu’elle cristallise des attentes en termes d’efficacité,d’efficience et de transparence qu’il n’est plus possible aujourd’hui d’occulter. Depuis ladécentralisation, l’action publique territoriale connaît une évolution parallèle etdifférenciée par rapport à l’action publique étatique en France. Alors que cette dernièreest entrée dans une phase d’appropriation nette de démarches de performance,notamment avec la LOLF, les collectivités territoriales, qui conduisent l’action publiqueterritoriale, ont connu une évolution à la fois similaire et distincte.En effet, l’action publique territoriale apparaît elle aussi marquée par une évolution assezprononcée vers une plus grande intégration des démarches de performance.Néanmoins, cette appropriation est spécifique, dans la mesure où elle ne repose pas surla même logique systémique. Une étude des différents facteurs de performance, qu’ils’agisse des acteurs, des cadres budgétaires et légaux en vigueur, ou del’environnement des collectivités territoriales, démontre une prise en compte largementincomplète, quoiqu’en net progrès, des logiques de performance.Cette étude factorielle explique les différences d’appropriation majeures constatablesentre différentes collectivités. De l’ensemble de ces analyses découlent finalement desleviers à actionner qui permettraient indubitablement une meilleure appropriation desdémarches de performance par les collectivités territoriales et ainsi la mise en oeuvred’une action publique territoriale plus pertinente, répondant mieux aux attentesassignées. / Growing expectations about effectivness, efficiency and transparency of territorial publicaction cannot be undermined any more. Performance of territorial public authorities hasmerged into an intrinsic and decisive goal.Since the beginning of the decentralization process in France, national public action andterritorial public action have been through simultaneous but different evolutions. At statelevel, the 2001’s « LOLF » bill step was a landmark, and authorities have definitely copewith performance approach. Meanwhile, local authorities went to such a process,following their own ways.Territorial public authorities clearly evolved and made performance approaches theirown. However, without needs for a global systemic logic, their ownership processpatterns are different.A study of different performance criteria (such as actors, legal and budgetaryframeworks, and local authorities’ environnements) brings evidence that, despiteundeniable progress, use of performance approaches is quite uncomplete at local level.This factorial study explains noticeable differences between local authorities. Some ofthem are using performance standards in a more global way than others. Accordingly,this study helps to determine levers to encourage a better and quicker emergence of amore relevant territorial public action, therefore meeting assigned expectations.

Chargés d’œuvrer au bien-être des citoyens ainsi qu’à la prospérité économique et financière du pays, les pouvoirs publics s’immiscent au sein du marché afin de corriger, réguler, orienter les activités économiques et résoudre les problèmes qu’elles engendrent sur le plan social. Fondée et légitimée par l’intérêt général - au sens rousseauiste du concept -, cette action économique des pouvoirs publics s’avère cependant inadaptée aux besoins particuliers et aux attentes concrètes que formule la société civile. Un travail de conciliation entre les intérêts particuliers de la population (personnes morales et physiques) et l’intérêt général s’avère donc nécessaire afin d’améliorer l’adéquation, l’efficacité et l’efficience de l’interventionnisme public. A travers l’étude des politiques publiques en faveur des petites et moyennes entreprises, la présente thèse tend dès lors à démontrer qu’une telle conciliation est possible, en faisant du besoin ou problème de la société civile, le véritable facteur de l’action publique, et de son assouvissement ou sa résolution son unique objectif. Fort d’une action économique pragmatique et circonstancielle, les pouvoirs publics pourront alors remplir pleinement la fonction qui leur est dévolue tout en œuvrant en faveur de l’intérêt général / In charge of the citizen’s well-beign, as well as the economic and financial prosperity of the country, the public authorities interfere in the market to correct, regulate and guide the economic activities and resolve problems that they cause on a social scale.Based and legitimised by general interest – as Rousseau developped it – the economic actions of the public authorities are, however, unsuited to the citizens’ needs and to the civil society’s concretes expectations. Therefore it is necessary to reconcile each individual interests (private individual and corporations) and general interest, to improve the adequacy and the efficiency of the interventionism of the public authorities. Through the study of the public policies for small and medium enterprises, this doctoral dissertation tends to show that such a conciliation is possible, by making the society’s need or problem the real source of the public policy, and its satisfaction and solving its only purpose. With a pragmatical and circumstantial economic action, the authorities would be able to fulfill their fonction while working in favour of the general interest

The basal ganglia (BG) are a group of nuclei in the basal forebrain critical in movement, goal directed behaviour and action selection. Cortical projections to the largest BG nucleus, the striatum, are highly important in theories of BG function. Therefore, we have investigated the role of striatal neurons in modulating the activity of corticostriatal synapses. In an in-vitro preparation of rodent brain slices, we conducted whole-cell patch clamp recordings of single and pairs of striatal neurons and recorded responses of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) to stimulation of corticostriatal fibres. In the presence of opioid, GABAA, NK1 and cholinergic receptor antagonists, antidromic stimulation of a population of MSNs (5 stims, 50 Hz) caused suppression of subsequently evoked EPSPs in MSNs. This suppression was dependent upon the interval between antidromic MSN stimulation and the stimulation of evoked EPSPs; suppression was larger at 500 ms intervals than at 1 or 2 s intervals. These effects were completely blocked by the GABAB antagonist CGP 52432. Bursts of evoked action potentials (5 APs, 50 Hz) in a single MSN were insufficient to cause these effects in a nearby MSN. Similar spikes in single fast spiking interneurons and low threshold spiking interneurons (LTSIs) were also insufficient. Conversely, single neurogliaform interneurons (NGFIs) could suppress evoked EPSPs in nearby MSNs in a GABAB-dependent manner. This suppression was more likely in NGFI-MSN pairs that exhibited direct GABAergic interactions. We also tested long depolarisations in LTSIs, a protocol that preferentially releases NO, which was shown to suppress evoked EPSPs through a non-GABAergic mechanism. Finally, we tested the application of exogenous NPY to slices, which also inhibited corticostriatal transmission. These results provide the first demonstration of how GABAB receptors at corticostriatal synapses are activated by endogenous GABA released by striatal neurons. They also reveal novel mechanisms through which striatal factors influence these synapses.

It is both a Constitutional imperative and the South African government's policy that the historical imbalances of the past be redressed. As a result thereof, the SANDF as a state entity is expected to comply with these stipulations. The objectives of this study are therefore to examine the nature of the policy of affirmative action in the SAMHS, and the nature of the problems experienced with regards to the implementation of this policy within this organisation during the period 1995 - 2000. On examining the nature of affirmative action policy in the SAMHS, it becomes obvious that this organisation did not have blacks as commissioned officers prior 1994. The number of black officers currently found within the SAMHS appears to have resulted from the integration process. Further analysis reveals that the SAMHS did not utilise the opportunity provided by the Defence Review in 1998 to become representative. Strategic positions were therefore still held by former white SADF members during the period under review. The sunset clause which was accepted during the political negotiations (1990 - 1994) seems to have contributed to the non implementation of this policy because the old guards' positions were secured during the first five years of the new democratic dispensation. / Dissertation (M (Political Policy Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Political Sciences / M (Political Policy Studies) / unrestricted

South Africa is often described as a nation in transition since the societal and political transformation is an ongoing process. The South African employment environment is one area that now boasts a number of laws that are interrelated and aimed at achieving transformation of the workplace, as well as the economic empowerment of those who had previously been victims of racial segregation. The Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 is regarded as central to the appreciation of equality of individuals in the workplace, irrespective of race, gender and/or disability. The management of communication is central to the process of corporate transformation as a result of this Act. (This fact is confirmed by the emphasis in the Act itself on organisations’ duty to inform and consult with stakeholders and several guideline documents.) Since previous research had pointed to broadly defined communication problems, the overarching research question of this study is: “How do South African organisations manage communication about Affirmative Action (within the context of Employment Equity)?” Chaos theory (a postmodern perspective) serves as the theoretical framework from which organisations’ approach to the duty to inform and consult with stakeholders, transformational change management, the management of communication and transformational leadership were investigated. A conceptual framework for the management of communication in this context, which is based on the ideas of the chaos perspective, is also proposed. Empirical evidence regarding the research question was gathered by means of a qualitative, multiple case study investigation. The most senior Communication, Human Resources and Employment Equity practitioners were interviewed in each of the three organisations, while the Employment Equity communication strategy of each organisation was compared to the theoretical framework by Thomas and Robertshaw (1999). The unique corporate philosophy of each organisation influences the manner in which Employment Equity strategies are implemented. The term “Affirmative Action” is not utilised in any of the organisations. Communication has strategic value in the external arena, while internal communication about Employment Equity is not satisfactory in two of the organisations. All types/levels of leaders have communication responsibilities in this context, while one organisation also relies on the philosophy of self-directed leadership. Only one organisation is currently managing communication according to a formalised strategy. Recommendations regarding the management of communication in this transformational context can be summarised with the overarching requirement that transformation should be approached as a “thinking science”. The multitude of paradoxes that were highlighted by the chaos perspective should be considered constantly: herein lies the real challenge for South African organisations. / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Communication Management / MPhil / Unrestricted