Thesis (LLD )--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Affirmative action with its wide array of manifestations, ranging from BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) to special measures within the Public Procurement sector, was intended to aid South Africa in redressing past patterns of disadvantage and realising a more equal society and economic dispensation. Whether the present policy has achieved this goal or is capable of doing so has been the subject of much controversy. The aim of my thesis is to rethink the justifications and limits of the current race-based affirmative action policy of South Africa in view of current debates, in which both its potential as a tool for eradicating inequality at the individual and systemic levels and the constitutionality and viability of different policy options are contested. In my thesis, a range of conceptual and theoretical tools are employed which are not only derived from the constitutional law literature, but also from jurisprudence, moral philosophy and political theory. Compensatory and distributive theories of justice are analysed and juxtaposed to each other, as are substantive and remedial conceptions of constitutional equality and recognition-based and redistributive notions of politics. Throughout, my focus is on the perspectives that these theories can bring to bear on the justifications and limits of affirmative action. It is also asked whether a re-crafted affirmative action policy would not be better able to reach the intended goals. With this end in mind, alternative affirmative action policies are analysed, namely, a class-based affirmative action policy which uses socio-economic standing as a measure for identifying beneficiaries and an affirmative action policy based on Sen‘s capability approach. The thesis also contains a comparative analysis of the affirmative action policies of Malaysia, Brazil and India. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether there are any valuable lessons to be learnt from their respective successes and failures. It is argued that affirmative action as currently applied has an assortment of negative consequences, ranging from stigmatization of beneficiaries as incapable individuals, the perpetuation of racial division and a detrimental impact on the South African economy as a result of a loss in efficiency. These issues could possibly be better addressed if the specific beneficiaries of affirmative action are rethought. In this regard, it is suggested that, if a class-based affirmative action policy is thought to be too radical, South Africa should follow India‘s example of excluding the ―creamy layer‖ from the current affirmative action beneficiaries. This should ensure that affirmative action benefits are not continually distributed and redistributed to the same individuals, whilst also ensuring that a wider range of individuals do in fact benefit. However, it must be borne in mind that transformation will always be stifled if educational resources and policies do not keep up with social and political policies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Regstellende aksie met sy wye reeks manifestasies, wat strek van SEB (Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtiging) tot spesiale maatreëls in die voorkeurverkrygingsektor, is oorspronklik ingestel om 'n meer gelyke samelewing en ekonomiese verspreiding te verseker. Of die huidige regstellende aksiebeleid wel hierdie doel bereik het of in staat is om dit te bereik, is egter die onderwerp van heelwat kontroversie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die regverdigings en beperkings van die huidige rasgebaseerde regstellende aksie beleid van Suid Afrika te heroorweeg in die lig van debatte waarin beide sy potensiaal as hulpmiddel vir die uitskakeling van ongelykheid op individuele en sistemiese vlakke en die grondwetlikheid en lewensvatbaarheid van verskillende beleidsopsies, in geskil gestel word. Die studie maak gebruik van 'n reeks konseptuele en teoretiese hulpmiddels wat nie net vanuit die staatsregtelike literatuur afgelei word nie, maar ook vanuit jurisprudensie, morele filosofie en politieke teorie. Kompenserende geregtigheid ("compensatory justice") en verdelende geregtigheid ("distributive justice") word geanaliseer en naas mekaar gestel, sowel as substantiewe en remediële opvattings van konstitusionele gelykheid en erkenning-gebaseerde en herverdelende opvattings van politiek. Die fokus strek deurentyd op die perspektiewe wat hierdie teorieë kan bied met betrekking tot die regverdigings en beperkings van regstellende aksie. Dit word ook bevraagteken of dit nie moontlik is om die regstellende aksie beleid op so 'n manier te verander binne die raamwerk van die bogenoemde retoriek dat dit 'n groter kans staan om sy bedoelde uitkomste te bereik nie. Met hierdie doel in gedagte word alternatiewe vorme van regstellende aksie beleid, naamlik klasgebaseerde regstellende aksie en 'n beleid gebaseer op Sen se "capability" benadering, geanaliseer. Naas hierdie teoretiese raamwerk word daar ook ‗n regsvergelykende studie gevolg deur ag te slaan op die regstellende aksie beleide van Maleisië, Brasilië en Indië. Die uiteindelike doel hiervan is om vas te stel of daar enige waardevolle lesse te leer is uit hierdie nasies se welslae en mislukkings. Die studie argumenteer dat die regstellende aksie beleid soos wat dit tans toegepas word 'n wye reeks negatiewe gevolge het, wat strek van stigmatisering van begunstigdes as onbekwame individue, tot die voortbestaan van rasse verdeeldheid en die nadelige impak op die Suid Afrikaanse ekonomie as gevolg van die verlies aan doeltreffendheid. Hierdie kwessies kan moontlik beter aangespreek word indien die spesifieke groep begunstigdes herbedink word. In hierdie verband word daar voorgestel dat, indien 'n klasgebaseerde regstellende aksie beleid as te drasties gesien word, Suid Afrika dit moet oorweeg om Indië se voorbeeld te volg en die "romerige laag" ("creamy layer") van die groep regstellende aksie begunstigdes uit te sluit. Dit behoort te verseker dat regstellende aksie voordele nie deurentyd aan dieselfde individue verdeel en herverdeel word nie, en dat 'n groter groep individue daarby baat. Dit moet egter in gedagte gehou word dat transformasie altyd belemmer sal word indien opvoedkundige bronne en beleid nie tred hou met sosiale en politieke beleid nie.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 182-194). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (Proquest, viewed on Aug. 18, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-144). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p.68-73).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Political Science, 2008. / Title from third page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 214-231).

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.