Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2003. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 182-194).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1998. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

M.Comm. / South Africa is in transition. Changes are taking place on the political, social and economic fronts at an increasingly rapid pace. Past practices and wisdom are being openly challenged. Enterprise/Corporate managers today are deeply concerned with two major dilemma. Firstly to fully mobilise the energy of the organisation's human resources toward achievement of the organisation's performance objectives. Secondly to organise the work, the work environment, the communication systems, and the relationships of people. To resolve this dilemma in our rapidly changing environment, new organisation fon-ns must be developed. More effective goal setting and planning processes must be learned. Practised teams of interdependent people must spend real time improving their methods of working, decision-making and communicating. Competing or conflicting groups must move towards a collaborative way of work. In order for these changes to occur and be maintained, a planned, managed change effort is necessary - a program of affirmative action. This dissertation is about affirmative action in employment, and the development of people in organisations. These two concepts overlap in the sense that affirmative action is (or should be) about the development of black people and women but not at the expense of competent white men who are already part of an organisation.

The South African public service has been undergoing fundamental transformation since 1994. The new government has had to build a democratic, inclusive and responsive public sector to the extent that the last two decades have witnessed the most dramatic shifts in public reform. After 1994, the public sector had to be transformed so that it could be representative of the nation’s racial composition, caters for the needs of all citizens irrespective of their racial, ethnic, gender, sexual persuasion and orientation. The government agenda of reconstructing and developing a democratic state depends on the willingness, capabilities and patriotism of the public service. As part of its transformation agenda, the government had to introduce policies that were focusing on promoting affirmative action and employment equity. Through this policy and other related employment equity measures, the South African public sector had to be transformed in terms of racial and gender representivity. This study assesses and evaluates whether the policies and legislation that were geared towards the transformation and democratization of public sector have yielded positive or negative results. By way of a literature review and comparative analysis, this study examines the objectives of affirmative action and analyses the approaches that have been taken since the adoption of this policy in the workplace. It looks at public sector and argues that there are still flaws relating to the implementation of affirmative action in public sector. The extent to which affirmative action programs attempt to implement affirmative action differs if South Africa and the United States of America can be taken as examples. The study considers some of the challenges faced by the new South African government in transforming public sector and interrogates the courts’ application and interpretation of affirmative action legislation. It concludes with recommendations that could be put in place in order to position affirmative action policies in line with the objectives of the South African Constitution, labour laws and American approach where the policy was adopted from.

The main research problem focused on the effective management of the perceptions about Affirmative Action (AA). A literature study and a survey were conducted to investigate the extent and nature of perceptions, the effect of these perceptions on labour and personal relations, current and suggested management practice of the perceptions of AA. A definition of AA, earlier measures of AA, the implementation of AA in the South African context, the stages of AA, theories, relevant legislation, perceptions and the management thereof are discussed. The survey was conducted at the George and Beaufort West District offices of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) with a response rate of 78.95 percent. The perceptions about AA can be managed effectively by complying with legislation, by involving and making all levels of employees responsible for the achievement of employment equity, skills development, personal development, consultation and communication.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

The South African government introduced Affirmative Action in 1998 to redress historical workplace discrimination. The South African moral imperative considers Affirmative Action to be a necessary instrument of change influencing social and economic equality, which impacts on the development of Blacks. Affirmative Action is being researched in academic circles for reasons other than moral concern, which calls for a new breed of scientist to take equitable academic demographics into consideration. The exploratory study in question aimed to identify employees’ perceptions on Affirmative Action within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand. The survey method was utilized in the study and opinions were elicited from 108 respondents in the Faculty. The results were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively in order to gain a comprehensive insight into the perceptions. The focus of the study included: profile of the respondents, staffing and standards, employee development and mentorship, attitudes, training and culture. The findings of the investigation indicated that progress achieved by Affirmative Action within the Faculty was generally perceived to be slow. However, there appeared to be no problems related to holistic practices established in support of Affirmative Action. / Prof. W. Backer

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, 1999. / Recent developments in South Africa and the impending changes in the workplace, have placed new challenges and demands on managers of both big and small organisations. One of these challenges is the introduction and implementation of successful Affirmative Action (AA) programme. However, preparatory to this, it is important to gain an understanding of the perceptions of employees concerning AA because the way perceptions of employees may influence the manner in which such programmes are implemented in companies. The Employment Equity Act No. 55 (Republic of South Africa, 1998) makes it clear that every designated employer must, in order to achieve employment equity, implement AA measures. A survey method was used in this study, and opinions were sought from 209 supervisors and junior managers at Eskom Head Office, Megawatt Park. The results were analysed quantitatively in order to gain an insight into their perceptions of issues concerning AA. The results reveal that there are differences of opinion about AA amongst the junior and middle management employees. The differences are mainly racially based. There is no common understanding of AA and this leads to a dysfunctional effort in the implementation of this change. As resistance to change is a natural behavior of organisations and its members, naturally AA can be expected to be resisted by most employees. The present study suggests ways to overcome this problem and identifies the need for intervention to be undertaken concerning changing perceptions before AA can be understood and successfully implemented .

M.A. (Public Management and Governance) / This study seeks to deal with a variety of ethical challenges that programme evaluators encounter when undertaking evaluations. In order to find the origin of programme evaluation ethical dilemmas, the study begins with a description of how programme and policy evaluation emerged as a professional field. A chronological approach has been used to outline how different governments and nongovernmental organisations across the world decided to adopt programme evaluation as a mechanism that can be employed to judge the worth and effectiveness of public and private sector policies and programmes. The historical context has also provided foundations for various purposes of evaluation and roles that must be assumed by programme evaluators. The study identified various challenges that arise during different phases of programme evaluation. Political issues are known challenges that programme evaluators encounter. A link between obstacles and the various roles of programme evaluators have been investigated and analysed. The study also shows how programme evaluators, commissioning agency staff, programme recipients and participants might contribute to unethical conduct in various stages of the evaluation. The study assessed different principles and guidelines that programme evaluators use to guide their evaluations. It also assessed the usefulness of policy instruments in terms of covering the challenges that arise throughout the life cycle of programme evaluation. Furthermore, the study focused on the limitations of the current policy instruments regarding ethical obstacles in evaluation. In response to these limitations, the study proposes various measures that programme evaluation institutions can put in place in order to address the inadequacies that are found in current principles and guidelines.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1983. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 265-269). Also available via the Internet.