This research is based on the premise that employees respond to dissatisfaction in general and organizational injustice in particular in two primary ways: by speaking up and/or by staying silent. This qualitative, theory-generating study examines the phenomenon of organizational injustice (including its antecedents and consequences) and employees' responses toward three research goals: 1) greater understanding of organizational injustice; 2) greater conceptual consensus through concept development of voice and silence; 3) a process model of organizational injustice, voice and silence. Also, new knowledge about voice and silence is linked to organizational practice by examining the availability of various voice systems and perceptions of their efficacy. The research design is influenced by several organizational research streams, as well as grounded theory and clinical methods. Thirty-two employees, each representing different organizations and occupying both managerial/professional positions and clerical/line positions participated in semi-structured, open-ended interviews in which they described 33 cases of workplace injustice. The interview design includes two methods: 1) a retrospective critical incident technique to discuss a workplace experience which participants defined as unjust; and 2) a projective exercise in which participants were asked to imagine that they could speak with impunity to the person(s) involved or responsible for their perceived injustice. Interview cases were supplemented by 30 archival cases of employees' voicing of discontent through a government-sponsored voice system. Significant results concerning the phenomenon of organizational injustice included the introduction of a four-category typology which departs from traditional classifications with its inclusion of interactional injustice (interpersonal mistreatment by a boss) as a distinct category, the systematic delineation and description of interactional injustice according to eight emergent behavioural dimensions, the identification of organizational antecedents to workplace injustice according to four emergent groupings (i.e., structural, procedural, cultural and global) and the identification of individual- and organizational-level consequences. In addition, the concepts of voice and silence emerged as forms of resistance to organizational injustice. Voice was found to encompass two distinct but related constructs: formal and informal voice. Specific strategies by which participants resisted injustice were identified for voice (formal and informal) and silence. A process model of voice and silence in organizational injustice was also introduced.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology) / It is an accepted fact that the incidence of coronary heart disease has reached endemic proportions in South Africa. One of the fastest growing clinical populations in this domain is that of the coronary artery bypass patient. As a result the facilities catering to the biomedical needs of this population are amongst the most sophisticated in the world. However, facilities for the effective psychosocial rehabilitation of these patients are relatively scarce. When they are addressed they tend to focus essentially on secondary emotional factors impeding reintegration back into society. A sadly neglected psychosocial factor and independent risk factor is that of the Type A behaviour pattern. Extensive research in this area has not only found this behaviour pattern to be detrimental to effective rehabilitation but has also found it to be instrumental in the reocclusion of grafted blood vessels resulting in an elevated re-operation rate as well as putting these patients at risk for a potentially fatal coronary event. In an attempt to address this problem a rehabilitation group intervention program adapted for South African conditions was launched. This program was based on the Recurrent Coronary Prone Prevention Project intended for the treatment of post-myocardial infarct patients in San Francisco. Essentially the aim of the project was to ascertain whether this intervention could be applied effectively to the coronary artery bypass population and whether its duration could significantly shortened so as to be more economically viable given the limited economic resources characteristic of the health care services in this country. The modified programme was administered to a group of 13 post-coronary artery bypass graft patients at two local cardiac rehabilitation centres. A second group of 10 patients at these same centres served as a no-treatment waiting list control group, while simultaneously undergoing an aerobic exercise and cardiovascular counselling programme. Results of the study indicate the modified programme to be highly successful in modifying Type A behaviour and its components within the South African context in the post coronary artery bypass patient samples exposed to it. Comparisons of the experimental and control groups after the intervention showed statistically significant differences on the majority of measures. Thus it was- concluded that the modified programme has the potential to be an invaluable aid in the treatment of .this population in South Africa. Presently, however, this sample is being monitored longitudinally in order to ensure that the treatment benefits remain.

M.A. (Psychology) / This study was motivated by the relative lack of research pertaining to the following aspects ofperfectionism: ~ The differences between the personality structure of high and low perfectionists. ~ The trend in available research in respect of perfectionism to regard the high perfectionist individual as maladapted and the low perfectionist individual as normal. ~ The possible association between parental styles and the development of perfectionist behavior in children. The literature describes perfectionism as a multi-dimensional construct. Perfectionism is perceived as consisting of both intra- and interdimensional aspects. The focus of the perfectionist can either be on the self (self-oriented perfectionism), on others (olher-oriented perfectionism) or on expectations from the outside world (socially prescribed perfectionism) (e.g. Hewitt &Flett, 1991a). According to a number of research studies the perfectionist is lnclned to suppress emotions (e.g. Smith, 1990) and harbour irrational thought patterns (e.g. Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein & Koledin, 1991). Interpersonal problems arise because the perfectionist, for example, isolates herself socially, criticizes others (Smith, 1990) and has an extreme need for control within interpersonal relationships (e.g. Mental Health Net, 1999). In spite of research regarding the association between perfectionism and certain personality traits there remains a dearth of findings concerning personality structure and perfectionism in women...

M.A. / This research has been undertaken against the background of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) as being one of the major causes of death in South Africa. An indepth literature study made it evident that, despite intervention programs that have been successful in reducing the CHD rate, it still remains a number one killer. This could possibly be attributed to CHD prevention programs that historically have focused on biologically related lifestyle factors, and neglected a very important adjuvant risk factor for CHD, namely Type A behaviour. The aim of this dissertation was to study the viability of changing Type A behaviour in childhood through group sport participation in view of the fact that the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) already present in childhood, has to date not been addressed as a primary preventative possibility. Group sport was chosen as an intervention by nature of it being co-operative, socially supportive and successful in the improvement of a number of relevant factors. Sport has also been demonstrated to be an appropriate outlet for aggressive impulses apparent in Type A behaviour. Twenty subjects participated in the intervention program that took place over a period of eight weeks. A second group of ten Type A subjects served as a no-treatment control group. The intervention was carried out at a primary school in Johannesburg. The results of the study revealed that Type A behaviour (TAB) was not reduced, save for the impatience component, by participation in group sport. Aggressive potential and anxiety in the Type A child, were also not reduced. It is concluded that the intervention of group sport in the reduction of TAB was not successful, and that future studies should investigate an intervention that is successful for the reduction of the TABP in childhood.

This research is based on the premise that employees respond to dissatisfaction in general and organizational injustice in particular in two primary ways: by speaking up and/or by staying silent. This qualitative, theory-generating study examines the phenomenon of organizational injustice (including its antecedents and consequences) and employees' responses toward three research goals: 1) greater understanding of organizational injustice; 2) greater conceptual consensus through concept development of voice and silence; 3) a process model of organizational injustice, voice and silence. Also, new knowledge about voice and silence is linked to organizational practice by examining the availability of various voice systems and perceptions of their efficacy. The research design is influenced by several organizational research streams, as well as grounded theory and clinical methods. Thirty-two employees, each representing different organizations and occupying both managerial/professional positions and clerical/line positions participated in semi-structured, open-ended interviews in which they described 33 cases of workplace injustice. The interview design includes two methods: 1) a retrospective critical incident technique to discuss a workplace experience which participants defined as unjust; and 2) a projective exercise in which participants were asked to imagine that they could speak with impunity to the person(s) involved or responsible for their perceived injustice. Interview cases were supplemented by 30 archival cases of employees' voicing of discontent through a government-sponsored voice system. Significant results concerning the phenomenon of organizational injustice included the introduction of a four-category typology which departs from traditional classifications with its inclusion of interactional injustice (interpersonal mistreatment by a boss) as a distinct category, the systematic delineation and description of interactional injustice according to eight emergent behavioural dimensions, the identification of organizational antecedents to workplace injustice according to four emergent groupings (i.e., structural, procedural, cultural and global) and the identification of individual- and organizational-level consequences. In addition, the concepts of voice and silence emerged as forms of resistance to organizational injustice. Voice was found to encompass two distinct but related constructs: formal and informal voice. Specific strategies by which participants resisted injustice were identified for voice (formal and informal) and silence. A process model of voice and silence in organizational injustice was also introduced. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

Extensive research suggests organizations have unique guiding principles, called core values, which play a central role in strategic decision making, sustaining high-performance cultures, and guiding organizational culture change. Although the Competing Values Framework (CVF) has been widely used to identify a standardized set of core values, it has not been used to identify unique core values at a given organizations. Unique core values help to distinguish organizations and drive market success. The present research focused on development of a technique to extend the application of the CVF to identify the core values unique to a given organization. The CVF-based Core Values Identification Technique (CCVI) was developed and empirically tested at three companies. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, review of documents, participant observation and the standard CVF-based Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). The data analysis employed grounded theory methods in conjunction with the standard OCAI analysis. The primary research result is the iteratively developed and empirically tested tool, the CCVI Technique. Secondary research results include the identification of unique core values at each of the three participating companies. Lessons learned and the rationale for making modifications to the technique based on the case studies, along with best practices for utilization and opportunities for informing organizational change efforts are discussed.

This study aims at understanding the decision to buy "Made in Mozambique" products, which is important for developing marketing strategy and promoting national products. To explore the factors influencing consumers' buying decisions, means-end theory and its associated methodology provide a useful framework for understanding why people buy "Made in Mozambique" rice by characterising the relationships between the attributes, consequences associated with those attributes, and the values those consequences help reinforce. Methodology: a total of 20 consumers were interviewed. It is important to mention that only rice was used in this study. The laddering interviewing technique was then used to link these chains of meanings. Analyses and interpretation of the resulting data provide an effective complement for studying consumer purchasing motives and suggest recommendations for managerial practice and future research efforts. Summary of the study findings include: (i) Attributes: Quality, cost, national; (ii) Consequences: healthy, well-being, affordable, trust, contribution, and fulfillment; and (iii) Values: Feeling happy, longevity and self-esteem.The theoretical component of this research covers the definition and discussion of Means-end theory and consumer decision-making. / Industrial Psychology / M.A. (Industrial & Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Same-sex sexuality research in the field of psychology has adopted various different perspectives during recent history. Often these perspectives have been limiting in how sexuality is understood, and in answering why different forms of expression manifest. The normative research approach is to comprehend sex and sexuality as a set of physical behaviours that ideally should be regulated through models of rational decision making. Also, much of same-sex research has placed an almost exclusive focus on the behaviours of white, middle-class men. International same-sex sexuality research places heavy emphasis on matters of sexual health, notably that of HIV. Furthermore, the research is strongly influenced by quantitative methods of capturing information. Limited studies have been conducted on African same-sex interactions. The work that has been done is clustered mainly around the field of historical, sociological and anthropological investigations. In South Africa, it is remarked that we have not yet begun to debate the complexities of differing ‘sexual orientations’, both in terms of how it relates to HIV, as well as how sexual orientation is understood amongst the many cultural and ethnic groups in the country. Also, sexuality in all its forms has historically been understood as a private matter, and was also highly regulated by the state apparatus, resulting in the extreme limitation of any kind of public sexual dialogue. Still, even in post-apartheid South Africa, sexuality remains contested. This study attempted to address some of the many issues relating to sexuality research in South Africa and elsewhere. It was decided to collect information on same-sex sexuality by focusing on coloured1 men from a rural district in the Western Cape. This target group was selected due to the immense lack of knowledge in the field of South African psychology regarding the constructions of sexuality of both same-sex practices and coloured men. The objective of the study was to gain an understanding of how sexuality is constructed and experienced in this specific community. This goal was reached by collecting qualitative data from in-depth, unstructured interviews. The qualitative results indicate a highly complex interplay between understandings of gender identity and sexuality. The respondents all identified as ‘gay’ men, connecting this with being feminine and “like a woman.” A strong focus on a specific type of bodily representation was also noted. The sex act was read by me as an act of submission, with respondents placing great emphasis on behaviour, with little or no weight given to the emotional loading of the event. Sex just “happens”, with participants constructing experiences that strongly suggest the importance of them being passive. This in turn lead to me interpreting narratives as suggesting continued exposure to sexual coercion. Meanings around oral and anal sex were also explored. The grounded theory method was used to analyse the qualitative data. The core category identified the need to be like a woman and to demonstrate extreme forms of femininity. I showed that specific communities of practice produce and hold the idea of equating gay with having to be feminine. Further, I argued that the idea of a passive female subjectivity strongly informs the participants’ sexual decision making. I conclude by suggesting that a different way of being feminine is needed in order for these participants’ to expand their sexuality.

Prior research has shown that both lead users and opinion leaders may propel the diffusion of innovation. This raises the question of whether lead users and opinion leaders are positioned similarly in social networks, which we address using a sample of 23 school classes consisting of 537 children. Research among children is very scarce in this particular domain. Our statistical analyses based on hierarchical linear modeling reveal two general results: first, lead users among children appear to possess a variety of links between clusters; second, opinion leaders are locally positioned within clusters of children and have many direct links. (authors' abstract)

This study explored the organizing principles of female sociality in free-ranging vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) inhabiting the Klein Karoo, South Africa. Females groomed more than males, grooming peaked at the end of the day and less grooming occurred during the mating season. Although females competed over food, they did not compete over grooming partners, rarely formed coalitions and did not trade grooming against other activities. Instead, they maintained grooming whilst trading between feeding and resting and feeding and moving. Despite seasonal shifts in food competition, grooming was not traded for tolerance and there was an upper limit to cohort size before clique size declined. Inter-population comparisons revealed no troop size effects on clique size, aggression and competition over high-ranking grooming partners. The rarity of coalitions suggests coalitions are unlikely to be a central component of female relationships. / xiii, 162 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm