Affirmative action represents a major goal for South African organisations since the process of democratisation in 1994. Evaluating the success of affirmative action programmes is therefore considered a priority. The research objective was to investigate the association between affirmative action effectiveness and the job satisfaction of affirmative action beneficiaries. A literature survey concerning affirmative action, affirmative action success, and job satisfaction was done. A structured interview, gauging the congruency of organisations' affirmative action efforts with affirmative action effectiveness theory, and a job satisfaction questionnaire, measuring the job satisfaction experienced by affirmative action beneficiaries, were utilised. The study was conducted among 121 affirmative action beneficiaries employed by five organisations. ')( The result of the empirical study proved that a significant direct relationship exists between the level of effectiveness of the target organisations' affirmative action endeavours and the level of job satisfaction experienced by their affirmative action beneficiaries. / Economics and Management Sciences / M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)

BBBEE is currently on everyone’s minds and the uncertainty surrounding the changes to the Codes of Good Practice as well as the Sector Codes leaves business owner’s with a feeling of uncomfortable anticipation. The changes to the Codes of Good Practice has set the tone and most of the Sector Codes are being modelled around the Codes. Business owners will have to adapt to the changes and plan in advance in order to avoid being without a compliant BEE certificate. This will entail a strategic analysis of the company’s financial position as well as a strategic BEE plan for the 12 months they will be rated on.

The key aspect to stimulating economic and individual growth in the workplace has been shown in numerous case studies to be the removal of discrimination. Affirmative Action looks at dealing with, and making amends for past injustices, as well as moving towards equal employment opportunities in a constructive manner. It is about recognizing that people are inherently different whilst trying to achieve a “colour – blind” society. The Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998 was put in place by Government to facilitate the implementation of fair workplace practices, which will correct the imbalances of the past as well as creating a workforce, which reflects the demographics of South Africa. The inequalities in employment patterns and practices with respect to access to employment, training, promotion and equitable remuneration especially for black people, women and people with disabilities are addressed in the said Act. The Employment Equity Act is quite specific about the minimum requirements of an organisation’s Employment Equity Plan, which make it easy to identify what progress is being made towards ending discrimination in the workplace. The minimum penalty for contravening the Employment Equity Act is R500 000 and the maximum is R900 000. The question arises as to whether South African organisations are merely implementing Employment Equity policies to adhere to the basic requirements and deadlines of the Act. Or, are these policies genuinely based on commitment to the principles of equality and equal opportunity for all in the workplace. Calsonic Kansei South Africa has put into place various training and succession plans, which will help to achieve the organizational goal of being more equitable in terms of the Employment Equity Act. Employment agency databases have also been analysed to determine the availability of suitably qualified Affirmative Action employees. In this paper the writer will investigate the progress that Calsonic Kansei South Africa has made towards achieving Employment Equity in relation to other organisations within the same industry.

Rationale: It cannot be denied that there has been improvement in demographic representation in South Africa since the implementation of the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. Whilst there may still be room for improvement, especially on employer attitudes towards the implementation of employment equity, improved representation of the Previously Disadvantaged Groups has evidently appreciated, however, marginally. Research purpose: This study sought to explore stakeholder perceptions as to why Engcobo Local Municipality had not successfully implemented the Employment Equity Act. Research design, approach and method: This exploratory study was conducted at Engcobo Local Municipality on Councillors, Managers, Key Employees and representatives of Organised Labour. Main findings: a) Engcobo Local Municipality was found not to have complied with various aspects of the Employment Equity Act; b) Respondents mainly believed that failure to implement the Employment Equity Act by Engcobo Local Municipality was due to lack of capacity on the part of the municipality‟s stakeholders; c) Different countries followed different models in the implementation of their Employment Equity, depending on the peculiarity of their circumstances; and d) The most appropriate change management model on which the implementation of the South African Employment Equity is modelled is Hayes‟ Generic Change Management Model. Managerial implications: Future research may be that the municipality can benefit from the recommendations made by the respondents with regard to what they believe needs to be done to remedy the situation. Some of the suggestions include the intensification of communication, establishment consultative structures to facilitate communication and the capacitation of stakeholders to ensure that they understand their responsibilities regarding the implementation of the Employment Equity Act. Contribution: The contribution of the research is supporting the current knowledge base of stakeholders towards the implementation of the Employment Equity Act. Proactive implementation measures should be taken to ensure that people who should benefit from the implementation of the Act are not disadvantaged by the municipality‟s failure to implement the Act. The introduction of the alignment with human resource management practices that complement the implementation of Employment Equity, could overcome the barriers currently being experienced in the effective implementation of the Employment Equity Act.

Economical and educational problems are caused by the reversed effect of the Employment Equity Act and Affirmative Action. One such problem is called “brain drain” (Lundy, 2006), The general aim of the research was to determine whether affirmative action caused final year students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to consider overseas employment. A literature study was conducted before the empirical objectives were reached. The empirical study was of a quantitative descriptive and inferential nature. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve the empirical objectives. A self- administered survey package was handed out to final year students within the various disciplines at their various classes. One hypothesis was tested. The results indicated that support was found for the hypothesis. The findings are discussed in relation to the data gathered. The implications of the research and the limitations of the study are outlined in the Results chapter.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management. Johannesburg, January 1994. / The purpose of this study was to identify the factorS involved in the process of Human Resource policy formulation and implementation as well as to determine who the stakeholders are and to what extent they are consulted in the process. A further objective of this exploratory research was to gather empirical date that would serve as the basis for the development of a generic human resource policy formUlation and implementation model. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / AC2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation. Johannesburg, 2017 / The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment’s (BBBEE’s) enterprise development practice is one of the tools employed by the South African government in an attempt to redress the country’s past economic injustices that are a result of apartheid’s discriminatory economic segregationist policies. This research undertook to study the perceptual impact of BBBEE’s enterprise development in mining communities, by focusing on black entrepreneurs and the support they receive from mining companies – or lack thereof – according to the BBBEE’s codes of good conduct. The support that mining companies provide to mining community entrepreneurs could have come in the form of, inter alia,business funding, business incubation, granting guarantees for business loans and business coaching. The study took apositivist approach with data collected using aquestionnaire. The research findings indicate that mining community entrepreneurs do not feel that mining companies provide business support, therefore leading to the conclusion that BBBEE’s enterprise development does not fulfil its objective of redressing South Africa’s past economic injustices by supporting black entrepreneurs. The research took a positivist paradigm in that data collection was quantitative. A positivist approach is viewed as a scientific, rational and empirical way of gathering data that is in turn used in knowledge construction (Ryan, 2006). The research design was cross-sectional because the researcher intended to study the perceptual impact of enterprise development on mining communities over a long time without having to make observations over many years. A cross-sectional study is the observation of subjects at one stage of an external intervention process to determine the impact of, for example, intervention by a third party or exposure to a third party. The population involved in this study was made up of black male and female entrepreneurs 18 years old or older, from three mining towns situated in following three provinces: Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the North West province. The research instrument was research questionnaire in the form of a five-point Likert scale. The limitation in this study was the limited population sample of 127 respondents from only three provinces, as they can’t be representative of the entire South African mining communities’ population. / MT2017

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)

Thesis (LLM (Mercantile Law))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The concept of affirmative action, in contrast to discrimination, does not have a universal uniform meaning. On the one hand affirmative action can be seen as an attempt to promote equal opportunities for individuals or groups previously disadvantaged by discrimination. On the other hand, its application is controversial when black people, women and disabled people are given preference, for example, when decisions are made that preclude the appointment of better-qualified candidates. Affirmative action therefore has pros and cons, depending on the approach adopted. In South Africa affirmative action, as defined in s 15 of Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA), is seen as a measure that ensures equal employment opportunities and equitable representation of suitably qualified people from designated groups. Affirmative action thus enjoys legislative recognition and is judicially developed by the courts. Nonetheless the concept is problematic. A specific concern is the fact that the meaning of affirmative action is even more elusive when the conceptual relationship to discrimination and equality is examined in an effort to identify its theoretical foundation. Affirmative action is aimed at pursuing working conditions that promote a real, and not just theoretical, realisation of rights. It focuses on addressing the burden of discrimination, which is still borne by certain groups in society. In Harmse v City of Cape Town [2203] 6 BLLR 557 (LC), the court found that the broader idea of constitutional equality implies that the elimination of unfair discrimination includes affirmative action. The court based its reasoning on s 9(2) of the equality clause of the Constitution, wherein provision is made for measures, such as affirmative action, that are “designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination…” In Dudley v City of Cape Town [2004] 5 BLLR 413 (LC) the court found that the EEA distinguishes between the prohibition of unfair discrimination and affirmative action, as contained in chapters II and III of the Act, regarding approach, aim and application. This however does not imply that the two concepts are in no way connected. Another area of concern relates to doubts surrounding the effectiveness of affirmative action. The gender gap in the workplace becomes apparent when the labour market composition is taken into consideration. This emphasises the fact that affirmative action is not accomplishing sufficient transformation to further equality in the workplace. The origin of the problem lies in the fact that the impact of affirmative action depends on the approach to equality (be it formal equality, equality of opportunities or substantive equality) that it is designed to promote. Another affirmative action dilemma is the problem of enforcement of measures of this nature. Other alternatives, such as diversity management where both the employer and the employees benefit, should possibly be considered as a method of effectively empowering women to ensure that they can compete successfully with men in the labour market. Diversity management ultimately appears to have a social, as well as an economic advantage in the development of equitable representation of disadvantaged groups in the labour market.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study explores how affirmative action took place in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS)from 1995to 1999 in the Western Cape. There are many impediments that must still be bridged. This study is not guided by a specific research hypothesis but focuses on the process of affirmative action from 1995 to 1999. A systematic outline of the development of the affirmative action process in the public sector are given. Firstly, guidelines as set out for a transformation process in the white paper : transformation of the public sector are highlighted, secondly guidelines for Department Affirmative Action programmes and lastly Affirmative Action in the Department of Correctional Services with specific referral to Linda Human's Blueprint for AA in above mentioned Department. The core focus is to gain perspective with regard to affirmative action in the South African context, the aspects that led to the process of affirmative action, identification of current policy and legislation which encourages affirmative action, the timeframe set aside for this process in the public sector with a specific focus on the Department of Correctional Services. In order to detect how affirmative action took place on grassroots level within the DCS, a case study was conducted, focussing on a specific management area Drakenstein. Generalisation to other management areas cannot occur, since each area is unique with regard to affirmative action needs although application of the process is based on broader national and provincial objectives. The st~dy can precede a more in depth study of programme evaluation of affirmative action over the past five years since 1995. Methodological problems and challenges of the research goal are highlighted and explained. Recommendation for an affirmative action plan en further research on the subject of affirmative action,will be given. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is verkennend van aard en stel vas hoe regstellende aksie binne die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste vanaf 1995tot 1999 in die Wes-Kaap plaasgevind het. Regstellende aksie is 'n nuwe proses, wat deurlopend plaasvind. Vir praktiese redes word daar slegs vasgestel hoe die proses binne een Staatsdepartement aangepak is in die genoemde vyfjaar tydperk. Daar is nog baie hindernisse en foute wat oorbrug moet word. Die studie word dus nie deur 'n spesifieke navorsingshiptotese gelei nie, maar fokus slegs op die verloop van die proses vanaf 1995- 1999. 'n Sistematiese uiteensetting van die verloop van die regstellende aksie proses in die openbare sektor word gegee. Eerstens word daar gekyk na riglyne vir die transformasieproses soos uiteengesit in die Witskrif: Transformasie van die Openbare Sektor, tweedens na riglyne vir Departementele Regstellende Aksie programme en laastens na regstellende aksie in die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste met spesifieke verwysing na Linda Human se blouskrif vir Regstellende Aksie binne genoemde departement. Die volgende doelwitte is dus met die studie beoog :- Om perspektief te verkry met betrekking tot regstellende aksie binne die Suid Afrikaanse konteks - watter aspekte aanleiding gegee het tot die proses van regstellende aksie, die identifisering van huidige beleid en wetgewing wat regstellende aksie aanmoedig, die verloop van die proses van regstellende aksie in die openbare sektor met spesifieke fokus op die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste. Ook om te fokus op 'n spesifieke Bestuursarea binne die DKD, naamlik Drakenstein om vas te stel of regstellende aksie wel op grondvlak plaasvind en hoe ingelig lede met betrekking tot die proses is, alhoewel daar nie veralgemeen kan word na ander Bestuurareas nie aangesien elke Bestuursarea sy eie unieke regstellende aksie behoeftes gei'dentifiseer en toegepas het op grond van bree Nasionale en Provinsiale doelwitte. Die studie kan 'n meer indiepte studie van program evaluasie van regstellende aksie voorafgaan, waarin die program van regstellende aksie binne die DKD oor die afgelope vyf jaar sedert 1995 krities geevalueer word, Die metodologiese problematiek en uitdagings wat deur bogenoemde navorsingsdoelwit gestel word, word verklaar en in perspektief gestel. Die tesis word afgesluit met aanbevelings vir 'n regstellende aksieplan en verdere navorsing.