The objective of this study is to empirically investigate the differences in human capital profile of new appointed female directors to corporate boards as a result of mandatory quotas and voluntary targets. By exploring differences in age, and human capital differences in board tenure, executive experience (CEO, CFO), number of qualifications, and the number of directorships held by these women, this study contributes to the important and current international public policy decision debate on relevance and wisdom of adopting a mandatory gender quota or introducing voluntary targets. The study uses human capital theory to evaluate the profiles of 41 new female directors appointed through a mandatory quota in Norway and 397 new female directors appointed through voluntary targets in Australia and extends the current corporate governance literature on board gender regulation by exploring whether female directors differ in human capital as a result of the two types of regulations. The results of this study show that new female directors hired through a quota are on average younger than new female directors hired through a target; new female directors hired through a quota are less likely to have more years of board experience than new female directors hired through a target; new female directors hired through a quota are likely to have more years of executive experience than new female directors hired through a target; and new female directors hired through a quota have lower number of qualifications than new female directors hired through a target. These results, albeit contrary to the hypotheses developed in this study, propose several important implications from an academic, management, and policy point of view while at the same time have limitations that present opportunities for future research.

[pt] A presente dissertação, intitulada Mulheres Negras e Universidade: uma reflexão sobre a permanência estudantil das discentes negras do curso de Serviço Social da PUC-Rio, trata da questão da permanência e do programa de assistência estudantil da PUC-Rio. Assistência estudantil é aqui compreendida como um programa voltado para a permanência de estudantes das classes trabalhadores e/ou pertencentes a grupos que vivem em condições de desigualdade social e tem como objetivo central proporcionar às necessidades e demandas acadêmicas condições que possibilitem a vivência plena da vida universitária e contribuam para a diminuição da evasão. A pesquisa tem como parte dos objetivos analisar as principais dificuldades de permanência vivenciadas pelas estudantes negras de Serviço Social da PUC-Rio, matriculadas nos anos de 2018 e 2019, realizar o levantamento do perfil dos discentes matriculados nos anos de 2018 e 2021 e identificar a importância do Fundo Emergencial de Solidariedade da PUC-Rio na trajetória universitária das estudantes negras. Para isso foram entrevistados 33 discentes e posteriormente 5 discentes negras, por meio de um formulário que foi enviado por estudantes do Centro Acadêmico Zica de Oliveira de Serviço Social para as representantes das turmas e ingressantes nos anos 2018, 2019, 2020 e 2021. Este estudo possibilitou a compreensão dos desafios enfrentados pelas discentes negras e pertencentes às classes populares, a importância do programa oferecido pela Universidade para a permanência dessas estudantes e analisou propostas apresentadas por elas para a manutenção da vida acadêmica que ainda não são ofertadas pela PUC-Rio. / [en] This dissertation entitled, Black Women and University: a reflection on the student permanence of black students of the course of Social Work of PUC-Rio, deals with the issue of permanence and student assistance program of PUC-Rio. Student assistance is understood here as a program aimed at the permanence of students of the working classes and/ or belonging to groups that live in conditions of social inequality and its main objective is to provide the needs and academic demands, full experience of university life and contributing to the reduction of evasion. The research has as part of the objectives, to analyze the main difficulties of permanence experienced by black students of Social Work of PUC-Rio, enrolled in the years To carry out the survey of the profile of the students and to identify the importance of the Emergency Solidarity Fund of the PUC-Rio in the university trajectory of black students. For this, 33 students were interviewed and later 5 black students, through a form that was sent by students of the Zica de Oliveira Academic Center for Social Work for the representatives of the classes and those who joined in the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. This study enabled the understanding of the socioeconomic challenges faced by black and the importance of the program offered by the University for the permanence of these students and analyzed proposals presented by them for the maintenance of academic life that are not yet offered by PUC-Rio.

In recent years, markets have evolved due to the disruption of digital marketplaces, and the rise of concerns about fairness, accountability and privacy. These changes have introduced new challenges for market designers. In this dissertation, we study the design and optimization of different markets. For each market, we provide a theoretical framework to analyze current solutions. Furthermore, we propose alternative solutions and identify the trade-offs between efficiency and other goals. In the first part of this dissertation, we study markets where tickets for a shared experience are allocated through a lottery. A group of agents is successful if and only if its members receive enough tickets for everyone. We study the efficiency and fairness of existing lottery mechanisms and propose practical alternatives. If agents must identify the members of their group, a natural solution is the Group Lottery, which orders groups uniformly at random and processes them sequentially. We show that the Group Lottery is approximately fair and approximately efficient. If agents may request multiple tickets without identifying members of their group, the most common mechanism is the Individual Lottery, which orders agents uniformly at random and awards each their request until no tickets remain. This approach can yield arbitrarily unfair and inefficient outcomes. As an alternative, we propose the Weighted Individual Lottery, in which the processing order is biased against agents with large requests. This simple modification makes the Weighted Individual Lottery  approximately fair and approximately efficient, and similar to the Group Lottery when there are many more agents than tickets. The second part of the dissertation focuses on markets in which an organization is presented with a set of individuals and must choose which subset to accept. The organization makes a selection based on a priority ranking of individuals as well as other observable characteristics. We propose the outcome based selection rules, which are defined by a collection of feasible selections and a greedy processing algorithm. For these rules, we (i) provide an axiomatic characterization, (ii) show that it chooses the only selection that respects priorities, and (iii) identify several cases where is efficient (choose the feasible selection with the highest value). Finally, we connect these ideas with the Chilean Constitutional Assembly election, and show that the rule that was implemented in practice is an outcome based selection rule. In the third part of this work, we study digital marketplaces where an online platform maximizes its revenue by influencing consumer buying behavior through the disclosure of information. In this market, consumers need to engage in a costly search process to acquire additional information. We develop a new model that combines a Bayesian persuasion problem with an optimal sequential search framework inspired by Weitzman's 1979. We characterize the platform's optimal policy under the assumption that the platform must provide a certain level of disclosure to incentivize the consumer to investigate. The optimal policy uses a binary signal indicating whether the item is a good match for the consumer or not. Additionally, we provide a conjecture on the platform's optimal policy when the assumption is relaxed and there are only two items. The structure of the optimal policy depends on the consumer's prior beliefs about the items and how they compare with the value of the outside option. However, in all scenarios, the optimal signals are either binary or uninformative. This conjecture is supported by a numerical analysis performed on a novel formulation based on quadratic programming.

[pt] Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as percepções dos servidores do IFRJ campus Realengo sobre o acesso através de reserva de vagas e o Programa de Assistência Estudantil. Buscou-se caracterizar o perfil dos educadores, identificar suas percepções sobre ações afirmativas e permanência, pesquisar suas normatizações no IFRJ e mapear as estratégias institucionais nesta área. Refere-se a uma pesquisa que aprofunda a dissertação do mestrado que abordou as percepções sobre o acesso ao ensino superior sob a ótica dos estudantes. A partir dos anos 2000 o acesso ao ensino superior passou a ser alvo de políticas públicas que tencionava democratizá-lo. Nos governos do PT, esse processo foi levado à cabo através da expansão da rede federal e tecnológica, do REUNI, do SISU do PROUNI e do PNAES. Foram implementadas legislações que asseguravam a reserva de 50 por cento vagas nas universidades e IF para estudantes egressos de escolas públicas e com renda familiar per capita de até 1,5 salários mínimos, devendo-se ainda assegurar o preenchimento de autodeclarados pretos, pardos, indígenas e pessoas com deficiência proporcional à representatividade na unidade da federação. Considera-se que a implantação deste arcabouço de legislações, chamadas de perspectivas inclusivas ampliou o acesso ao ensino superior de determinados segmentos sociais. Porém, a pesquisa apontou que algumas práticas, aqui denominadas de práticas excludentes podem inviabilizar a inclusão desses estudantes. Foi realizado um estudo sobre percepções, de abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa utilizando como instrumento de coleta de informação um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas, aplicado por e-mail entre os dias 30/09 e 30/10 de 2019. Foram respondidos 26 questionários dentre os quais 19 eram de docentes e 7 de técnicos. No perfil foi possível constatar que a maioria se encontra na faixa etária entre 36 e 40 anos e maior que 50 anos, são do sexo feminino, se consideram brancos e trabalham há mais de 7 anos no IFRJ. Quanto às percepções sobre os eixos centrais do estudo a pesquisa mostrou que a Reserva de vagas é considerada um meio de justiça e reparação, porém, destacou-se que essa estratégia não é suficiente para manter os estudantes no IFRJ. Quanto ao Programa de Assistência Estudantil observou-se ser de extrema relevância para os estudantes mas tem se mostrado insuficiente e de pouca amplitude institucional. Sobre a necessidade de alterar as formas de trabalho após o ingresso de alunos cotistas a maioria relatou que foi necessário fazer algum tipo de alteração metodológica e avaliativa ressaltando o aspecto do déficit prévio de conteúdos básicos, questão que foi destacada como a maior dificuldade apresentada por esses estudantes. O principal ponto positivo relacionado aos cotistas são de que a presença deles no IFRJ promove maior diversidade e o ponto negativo é que apresentam dificuldades de aprendizagem e permanência material. A partir da articulação com os dados institucionais e a revisão bibliográfica, ancorada nas ideias de afiliação de Couloun e da escola como aparelho reprodutor das desigualdades, enfatizada por Bourdieu, concluiu-se que apesar das perspectivas inclusivas nortearem as ações institucionais elas não se revelam como suficientes para alterar as práticas cotidianas que apesar de modificadas, ainda assim não são plenamente inclusivas. / [en] This study aimed to analyze the perceptions of the IFRJ campus Realengo servers about access through the reservation of places and the Student Assistance Program. We sought to characterize the profile of the educators, identify their perceptions about affirmative actions and permanence, research their standards in the IFRJ and map the institutional strategies in this area. It refers to a research that deepens the master s thesis that addressed the perceptions about access to higher education from the students perspective. From the 2000s onwards, access to higher education became the target of public policies that aimed to democratize it. In the governments of the PT this process was carried out through the expansion of the federal and technological network, to REUNI, do SISU do PROUNI e do PNAES. Legislation was implemented to ensure the reservation of 50 per cent vacancies in universities and FI for students graduating from public schools and with a per capita family income of up to 1.5 minimum wages, while filling in self-declared blacks, pardos, indigenous people and people with disabilities proportional to their representation in the federation unit. It is considered that the implementation of this framework of legislation, called inclusive perspectives, increased access to higher education for certain social segments. However, the research pointed out that some practices, here called exclusionary practices, may make the inclusion of these students unfeasible. A study on perceptions was carried out, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, using a questionnaire with open and closed questions as an information collection tool, applied by email between 09/30 and 10/30 2019. 26 questionnaires were answered, of which 19 were from teachers and 7 from technicians. In the profile, it was possible to verify that most of them are in the age group between 36 and 40 years old and older than 50 years old, are female, consider themselves white and have worked for more than 7 years at IFRJ. As for the perceptions about the central axes of the study, the research showed that the Reserve of vacancies is considered a means of justice and reparation, however, it was highlighted that this strategy is not enough to keep students in IFRJ. As for the Student Assistance Program, it was observed to be extremely relevant for students, but it has been shown to be insufficient and of little institutional scope. Regarding the need to change the forms of work after the admission of quota students, most reported that it was necessary to make some kind of methodological and evaluative change, emphasizing the aspect of the previous deficit of basic contents, an issue that was highlighted as the greatest difficulty presented by these students. students. The main positive point related to quota holders is that their presence at IFRJ promotes greater diversity and the negative point is that they have learning difficulties and material permanence. From the articulation with the institutional data and the bibliographic review, anchored in the ideas of affiliation of Couloun and the school as a reproductive apparatus of inequalities, emphasized by Bourdieu, it was concluded that despite the inclusive perspectives guiding institutional actions they do not reveal themselves as enough to change everyday practices that, although modified, are still not fully inclusive.

[pt] Este trabalho se insere no campo de estudos sobre cursos pré-vestibulares populares. O objetivo é apresentar a constituição da história do Curso Pré-Vestibular PreparaNEM, a partir das perspectivas de participantes da primeira turma que ocorreu em 2015. Optou-se por uma metodologia qualitativa, em que foi realizado levantamento do referencial teórico e para a coleta de dados e informações, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com nove pessoas, dentre ex alunas, professoras, colaboradoras e a idealizadora do projeto. Foram consideradas duas principais categorias de análise: a categoria cursos pré vestibulares populares, entendida a partir da perspectiva dos autores Nascimento (2012) e Santos (2006) de que a atuação dos pré vestibulares populares possuem um lugar de movimento social, pois compreendem que para estes educandos não trata-se apenas de estudar para as provas de vestibular e sim do desenvolvimento da consciência das múltiplas desigualdades que permeiam a inserção de determinados sujeitos nas universidades; e a categoria Políticas de Ação Afirmativa, entendida na perspectiva de Gomes (2011) como políticas sociais de reconhecimento que atuam como medidas compensatórias destinadas a promover o princípio constitucional da igualdade em prol das populações em situação desigual. Os resultados deste estudo revelaram que o PreparaNEM destaca-se por ser um pré vestibular voltado para pessoas travestis e transexuais e possui características singulares, não apresentando coordenação estabelecida de forma hierárquica, priorizando o protagonismo das pessoas travestis e transexuais e não havendo sede fixa, desta forma as aulas transitam por espaços cedidos por outras organizações parceiras. Considera-se que a educação proposta pelo PreparaNEM contribui para o desenvolvimento da reflexão sobre educação e socialização das pessoas travestis e transexuais, o desenvolvimento da autonomia das educandas, a capacidade de resistência à expressa transfobia existente na sociedade e em particular nos espaços escolares e a construção de organização do grupo enquanto rede de afeto e solidariedade. Esses aspectos possibilitam caracterizar a iniciativa enquanto pioneira no segmento dos cursos pré-vestibulares populares, revelando que a importância dessa experiência perpassa a noção de cidadania, uma vez que a inserção de travestis e transexuais em universidades brasileiras as torna ‘personalidades emblemáticas’ e agentes ativas na construção de suas narrativas de vida. / [en] This work, situated within the field of studies on popular pre-university pre-paratory courses, aims to present the trajectory of Curso Pré-Vestibular Prepara-NEM from the perspectives of participants of its first group, whose classes were held in 2015. The study was developed using a qualitative methodology, with a bibliographic review for building its theoretical foundation. Data and information were collected in semi-structured interviews with nine people, including former students, teachers, collaborators and the conceiver of the enterprise. Two main analytical categories were considered: pre-university preparatory courses, in ac-cordance to Nascimento s (2012) and Santos (2006) perspective stating that such courses act as a place of social movement, since that for their students it is not only about studying to pass on admission tests, but also about developing awareness about multiple inequalities that permeate the inclusion of specific subjects on uni-versities; and Affirmative Action Policies, seen as stated by Gomes (2011) as social politics of recognition that act as compensatory measures aiming at promo-ting the constitutional principle of equality favoring populations that face unequal situations. The results of this study showed that PreparaNEM stands out as a prepa-ratory course conceived for travestis and other trans people, with unique features: it is not hierarchically organized, it prioritizes the protagonism of trans people and, since the course does have its own physical space, its classes take place in spaces provided by partner organizations. We consider that the education envisioned by PreparaNEM contributes to developing reflections on education and socialization of travestis and other trans people, to developing the students autonomy and capa-bility to resist against the manifest transphobia that is evident in the society and specially in school environments, and to the construction of the group s organiza-tion as a network for affection and solidarity. Those aspects allow us to characterize this project as a pioneer one within popular pre-university preparatory courses, re-vealing that the importance of this experience is intersected with the notion of citi-zenship, since the inclusion of travestis and other trans people in universities make them emblematic personalities and active agents in the construction of the narra-tives of their lives.

The success or failure of implementing affirmative action lies with the management of enterprises. This research - based on a literature study, questionnaires completed by 200 respondents and the researcher's model for the implementation of affirmative action - focuses on management's views on aspects of importance for affirmative action to succeed in the enterprise. From the views of management it is clear that • the more closely affirmative action impinges on the career expectations of the current incumbents, the more resistance and non ownership can be expected • the affirmative action message must be communicated sincerely and positively • diversity management must change drastically to focus on educating persons to understand not only themselves, but also others of different backgrounds, race, gender, skills, persuasion and experience • the enterprise needs to accelerate the process to identify potential, training and development processes as well as performance coaching of disadvantaged groups Meeting the above challenges, will require mutual trust, respect and communication. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die bestuur van ondernemings bepaal die sukses of mislukking by die implementering van regstellende optrede. Die navorsing - gebaseer op 'n literatuurstudie, vraelyste ingevul deur 200 respondente en die navorser se model vir die implementering van regstellende optrede - fokus op bestuur se menings aangaande aspekte van belang vir die sukses van regstellende optrede in die onderneming. Vanuit bestuur se menings is dit duidelik dat • hoe grooter inbreuk regstellende optrede maak op die beroepsverwagtinge van die huidige bekleers, hoe sterker weerstand en nie-eienaarskap kan van hulle verwag word • die regstellende optrede boodskap moet eerlik en positief gekommunikeer word • die bestuur van diversiteit se fokus drasties moet verander om individue te leer om nie net hulself nie, maar ook ander van verskillende agtergrond, bevolkingsgroep, geslag, vaardighede, oortuigings en ondervinding te verstaan • die onderneming die prosesse moet versnel wat betrekking het op die identifisering van potensiaal, opleiding en ontwikkeling asook prestasierigleiding van die benadeelde groepe Ten einde aan bogenoemde uitdagings te voldoen, sal wedersydse vertroue, respek en kommunikasie vereis / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Business Management)

Thesis (LLM)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis examines the constitutional law of equality, non-discrimination and affirmative action in Namibia, and compares it to that of South Africa and the United States. Namibian judicial interpretation in these areas seeks to balance the need to safeguard the internationally recognized human rights that the Namibian Constitution guarantees with the need to ensure that Namibian constitutional law is seen as grounded in Namibia's historical experience and culture. This latter imperative derives from the Namibian Constitution's origins in an international negotiation process, which has led to some popular criticism of the Constitution as foreign and imposed. As a result, Namibian courts have been careful to ensure that reliance on foreign precedent (where there is no local authority) does not diminish the Constitution's unique character and its suitability to the Namibian situation. To that end, the Namibian courts have given great weight to the role of current Namibian societal values in constitutional interpretation. In the areas of equality, nondiscrimination and affirmative action, Namibian courts have generally followed the South African approach, except with respect to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The author concludes that the adoption of the South African approach generally makes sense for Namibia, and specifically criticizes the Namibian courts' approach to sexual orientation discrimination. The statutes enacted in Namibia to carry out the Constitution's equality and nondiscrimination guarantees, including in the area of affirmative action, are also considered. While these statutes have not yet been subject to judicial interpretation, it seems likely that future cases presenting issues arising under these statutes will necessitate the same balancing referred to above. The thesis begins with an overview of each Constitution's textual treatment of equality, non-discrimination and affirmative action, and a discussion comparing the background and basic structure of the three Constitutions. It then focuses on the judicial and legislative interpretation of the concepts of equality and nondiscrimination in Namibia, as compared to that in South Africa and the US. Following that, the author discusses the judicial and legislative interpretation of the concept of affirmative action in Namibia, also as compared to that in South Africa and the United States. The thesis ends with the author's conclusions and some predictions as to how the Namibian courts might rule on certain issues that seem likely to arise in these areas in the future. / LLM Tesis deur Elizabeth Kandravy Cassidy, '''n Delikate Balans: Gelykheid, nie-diskrimnasie en gelykberegtiging in Namibiese staatsreg - 'n vergelykende studie met Suid-Afrikaanse en Amerikaanse Staatsreg" (2002) Hierdie tesis ondersoek die staatsregtelike beskerming van gelykheid, niediskriminasie en gelykberegtiging in Namibië in 'n regsvergelykende studie van Suid- Afrikaanse en Amerikaanse staatsreg. Namibiese geregtelike interpretasie op hierdie gebied poog om 'n balans te handhaaf tussen die behoefte om internasionaal erkende menseregte deur die Namibiese grondwet te waarborg en die behoefte om te verseker dat die grondslag van die Namibiese staatsreg soos gevestig in sy geskiedenis en kultuur behoue bly. Laasgenoemde beweegrede spruit voort uit die feit dat die Namibiese grondwet sy oorsprong te danke het aan 'n internasionale onderhandelingsproses, wat gelei het tot die algemene siening dat die grondwet vreemd is en nie uit eie geledere afgedwing word nie. Gevolglik steun die Namibiese howe met omsigtigheid op buitelandse presedente (waar daar geen plaaslike gesag is nie) met die oog op behoud van die grondwet se unieke karakter en gepastheid binne die Namibiese konteks. Met hierdie doel voor oë, plaas die Namibiese howe in grondwetlike interpretasie, groter klem op die rol van kontemporêre gemeenskapswaardes in Namibië. Op die gebied van gelykheid, nie-diskriminasie en gelykberegtiging volg die Namibiese howe oor die algemeen die Suid-Afrikaanse benadering, behalwe in die geval van diskriminasie op grond van seksuele oriëntasie. Die skrywer kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die toepassing van die Suid-Afrikaanse benadering in die algemeen sinvol is binne die Namibiese konteks and kritiseer die Namibiese howe se benadering tot diskriminasie op grond van seksuele orientasie. Die wetgewing wat in Namibië uitgevaardig is om die grondwetlik gewaarborgde gelykheid en nie-diskriminasie, insluitend gelykberegtiging te verseker word ook ondersoek. Alhoewel hierdie wetgewing nog nie aan geregtelike interpretasie onderwerp is nie, blyk dit dat toekomstige uitsprake waar die wetgewing ter sprake kom ook die balansering van hierdie belange sal noodsaak. Die tesis begin met 'n oorsigtelike bespreking van die benadering tot gelykheid, niediskriminasie en gelykberegtiging van die onderskeie grondwette en 'n regsvergelykende bespreking van die agtergrond en basiese struktuur van die drie grondwette. Vervolgens fokus die tesis op die geregtelike interpretasie van die beginsels van gelykheid en nie-diskriminasie in Namibië, in vergelyking met Suid- Afrika en die Verenigde State. Daarna bepreek die skrywer die geregtelike en wetgewende interpretasie van die beginsel van gelykgeregtiging in Namibië, ook in 'n regsvergelyking met die Suid-Afrikaanse en Amerikaanse posisie. Die tesis sluit af met die skrywer se gevolgtrekkings en 'n paar voorspellings oor die moontlike benadering wat die Namibiese howe in die toekoms sal volg tot sekere regskwessies wat in hierdie vakgebied kan voorkom.

The success or failure of implementing affirmative action lies with the management of enterprises. This research - based on a literature study, questionnaires completed by 200 respondents and the researcher's model for the implementation of affirmative action - focuses on management's views on aspects of importance for affirmative action to succeed in the enterprise. From the views of management it is clear that • the more closely affirmative action impinges on the career expectations of the current incumbents, the more resistance and non ownership can be expected • the affirmative action message must be communicated sincerely and positively • diversity management must change drastically to focus on educating persons to understand not only themselves, but also others of different backgrounds, race, gender, skills, persuasion and experience • the enterprise needs to accelerate the process to identify potential, training and development processes as well as performance coaching of disadvantaged groups Meeting the above challenges, will require mutual trust, respect and communication. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die bestuur van ondernemings bepaal die sukses of mislukking by die implementering van regstellende optrede. Die navorsing - gebaseer op 'n literatuurstudie, vraelyste ingevul deur 200 respondente en die navorser se model vir die implementering van regstellende optrede - fokus op bestuur se menings aangaande aspekte van belang vir die sukses van regstellende optrede in die onderneming. Vanuit bestuur se menings is dit duidelik dat • hoe grooter inbreuk regstellende optrede maak op die beroepsverwagtinge van die huidige bekleers, hoe sterker weerstand en nie-eienaarskap kan van hulle verwag word • die regstellende optrede boodskap moet eerlik en positief gekommunikeer word • die bestuur van diversiteit se fokus drasties moet verander om individue te leer om nie net hulself nie, maar ook ander van verskillende agtergrond, bevolkingsgroep, geslag, vaardighede, oortuigings en ondervinding te verstaan • die onderneming die prosesse moet versnel wat betrekking het op die identifisering van potensiaal, opleiding en ontwikkeling asook prestasierigleiding van die benadeelde groepe Ten einde aan bogenoemde uitdagings te voldoen, sal wedersydse vertroue, respek en kommunikasie vereis / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Business Management)

The aim of this study was to determine employees' perceptions of the fairness of employment equity practices. It was conducted in an organisation in the Health Services industry, using a Diversity Questionnaire. The sample size was 520 and 245 responses were received, constituting a 47% response rate. Employees' responses were measured along 10 dimensions of employment equity. The unit of analysis was the group according to gender, race, age and job level. Independent t-tests and analysis of variance techniques were used to determine any statistically significant differences in perceptions between groups. Statistically significant differences were found between race groups and job levels. Gender and age did not significantly affect employees' responses. The research concluded that compliance with organisational justice requirements is as important as compliance with legislative requirements. Ultimately, every organisation should adapt its employment equity strategy according to its specific demographic and environmental context. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Admin.

Women working in male-dominated professions and environments face experiences that are unique to their counterparts in more gender-balanced and female-dominated professions. The nature of these experiences affects women’s integration and potential success in male- dominated professions. To enhance employment equity in historically male-dominated professions and environments, an understanding of women’s experiences in such environments is beneficial. The purpose of this research was to explore the challenges and coping strategies of women working within male-dominated professions and environments. This was an exploratory qualitative study conducted within the interpretive research paradigm. A purposive sample consisting of five women working in identified male-dominated professions and environments was utilised. In-depth interviews were conducted and data was analysed using grounded theory. The main findings indicate that the central theme pertinent to women working in male-dominated professions and environments pertains to the types of challenges inherent in their work settings. The main challenges found were as follows: discrimination and bias; physical and health-related difficulties experienced; negative emotions resulting from working in male-dominated environments; lack of real transformation; and work/life balance. This study provides current insight into the plight of women working in male-dominated professions and environments in South Africa. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)