Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Worldwide trends indicate that women are increasing their engagement in the labour market. The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWASA) 2010 census shows that there has been an increase in female labour participation (BWASA 2010). Although the levels are increasing, participation at management and executive levels requires attention. According to the Catalyst census conducted in the United States in 2010, 15,7% of all board level positions in the Fortune 500 companies were held by women (Xu, 2011). The BWASA 2011 census reports that 15,8% of directors and 21,6% of executive managers are women. Some of the key reasons cited for this poor inclusion rate are: the persistence of the glass ceiling barrier in many cases; differences in gender socialisation and language styles; gender stereotyping; the old boys’ club at the top level; ineffective operational and line experience; differences in male and female leadership styles; and the preference of some women for entrepreneurial opportunities over corporate careers (BWASA, 2011). Female leaders in male-dominated environments deal with specific occupational stressors, such as gender role stereotyping, and work-related sex discrimination (Long, Kahn & Schutz, 1992). Given the vastness of the subject of stress, the intention with this study was to narrow the scrutiny through the lens of role stress in order to provide insight into the impact of coaching on female leaders in a male-dominated environment. Seven women holding management positions in the male-dominated industry of earthmoving equipment were interviewed in this study. They were requested to share their personal experiences and perceptions about working in a male-dominated industry and the related stressors and challenges they face. The literature indicates that while progress has been made in terms of female growth and advancement in the workplace, there are still barriers; and organisations are required to review the organisational culture, strategy and structures to allow for the differing needs and leadership styles that women bring to the corporate environment (Cornish, 2007). Men cannot be held solely responsible for the lack of female advancement, as there is a level of ownership that women must take for personal growth, training, education and advancement. This study has found that there are unique challenges and stressors that act as barriers to female advancement. The findings also indicate that through leadership tools, such as coaching, women equip themselves with growing self-awareness and self-knowledge that may assist them in dealing with their stressors, and in implementing meaningful strategies, such as work/life balance, more effective management of their relationships, and understanding and knowing how to deal with gender stereotyping. This study was limited to seven participants in one organisation in South Africa. In future studies of this nature, researchers may wish to examine the effects of coaching in other industries and on a larger sample, and may wish to include the variable of race, which was not part of the scope of this study. The body of knowledge related to the long-term impact of coaching on self-awareness and related changes in behaviour would also be of interest.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was carried out in an effort to determine whether the phenomenon of the socalled 'glass-ceiling effect' is prevalent in the South African banking industry. The major questions asked were whether there are still barriers preventing women from reaching executive management levels in the banking industry and what the main barriers facing these women are. The research method used was that of content analysis. The purpose of the research was to discover the first-hand experiences of the women in the banking industry in South Africa. The aim of the study was not to test hypothesis testing, but an analysis of the experiences of a sample of women in senior management positions within the banking industry. A questionnaire was distributed to six women in senior management positions at four of South Africa's largest banking groups. With the assistance of each banking group's human resources manager, an 83% response rate was achieved. In total, 20 completed questionnaires were received, which served as the sample for this study. Implications of the findings are discussed and the study concludes that although transformation in the country has raised awareness, there is nevertheless gender inequality in companies and progress towards change in the banking sector has been very slow. Career-oriented support structures are being offered to women, but for women with family responsibilities there are very limited, if any, family-support structures. The sample of women identified self-confidence; assertiveness, ambition and a careeroriented mindset as important characteristics for achieving success at managerial level in the banking industry. These women are equipping themselves with the right skills, degrees, and courses and are gaining experience every day, thus making themselves viable candidates for breaking the glass ceiling. Being a woman is not a barrier in itself as it was in years gone by and legislation now provides for the equal treatment of all races and gender. The current culture in the South African banking sector, which is a historic legacy of domination by men and discrimination in the past, seems to be a rnalor barrier. Currently, the focus on achieving racial equity overshadows the importance of attaining gender equity, mainly because of the government's strict requirements of companies in this regard. Taking into consideration the history of South Africa, the majority of the women included in the sample feel it is appropriate for the attainment of racial equity to be addressed first. Most of the women in this sample have considered starting up their own business as an alternative to corporate life, but feel that either their self-confidence or financial requirements present them with major barriers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem om vas te stel of die sogenaamde glasplafon-verskynsel in die Suid-Afrikaanse banksektor voorkom. Die oorhoofse vrae wat gestel was, was of daar steeds hindernisse bestaan en wat hierdie oorhoofse hindernisse is wat vroue verhoed om uitvoerende bestuursvlakke in die banksektor te bereik. Die inhoudsontledingsmetode is as navorsingsmetode gebruik. Die doel van die navorsing was om eerstehands die ervarings van vroue in die banksektor te ontdek. Die studie het nie 'n hipotese probeer toets nie, maar eerder die ervarings van 'n uitgesoekte groep vroue ontleed. 'n Vraelys is aan ses vroue in senior bestuursposte by vier van Suid-Afrika se grootste bankgroepe versprei. Met behulp van die Menslike Hulpbron-bestuurder by elk van die banke, is 83% van die vraelyste terugontvang. Altesame 20 vraelyste is volledig ingevul en in die studie gebruik. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek. Die gevolgtrekking is dat transformasie in Suid-Afrika beslis die bewustheid aangewakker het dat geslagsdiskriminasie in maatskappye bestaan, en dat verandering in die banksektor stadig verloop. Maatskappye verskaf loopbaangeoriënteerde ondersteuningstrukture aan vroue, maar vir vroue met gesinsverantwoordelikhede is daar min of geen ondersteuning nie. Die groep vroue identifiseer selfvertroue, stelligheid, ambisie en 'n loopbaangeoriënteerde uitkyk as belangrike eienskappe vir sukses in senior bestuursposte in die bankwese. Hierdie vroue rus hulself toe met die regte vaardighede, grade en kursusse en verwerf elke dag ondervinding om sodoende hulself lewensvatbare kandidate te maak om deur die sogenaamde glasplafon te breek. Om vroulik te wees is nie vandag meer 'n hindernis soos voorheen nie. Wetgewing bepaal die gelyke behandeling van alle rasse- en geslagsgroepe. Die kultuur wat in die banksektor in Suid-Afrika geskep is weens die histories mansgedomineerde en diskriminerende geskiedenis word wel as 'n hindernis beskou. Huidiglik oorskadu rassegelykheid geslagsgelykheid, hoofsaaklik omdat die regering sulke streng vereistes aan maatskappye stel met betrekking tot rassegelykheid. Die meerderheid van die groep vroue voel dat as die geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika in ag geneem word, dit gepas is dat rassegelykheid voorkeur geniet. Die meerderheid van die vroue in die groep het dit al oorweeg om hul eie besigheid te begin as "n alterntief vir die korporatiewe lewe. Hulle voel egter dat die gebrek aan selfvertroue en geld hulle verhoed om dit te doen.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / In the last decade, Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), and Women-owned SMMEs in particular, have significantly increased in many parts of the world. The growing contribution of SMMEs towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), job creation, poverty reduction, social and economic development, can no longer be ignored. In recognition of the significance of SMMEs, many countries in the world have created special mechanisms to enhance and facilitate the creation and growth of SMMEs. Lately, the main support services offered to small enterprises include both business development services and financial services by using the cutting edge of Information Communication Technologies (ICT). However, a review of various writings has revealed that despite efforts by numerous governments to establish a support structure for SMMEs, their efforts have not been very rewarding. SMMEs still complain about the lack of access to government support and services. Issues of accessibility were worsened as female business owners face different challenges than their male counterparts. A review of those challenges was conducted in the context of Rwanda. By using a multiple case study design and an interview method for the collection of data, the study identified the support and services provided by the government and the challenges that women-owned SMMEs encountered in their attempts to access them.

A democratic ―tsunami‖ is moving around the world, nations are embracing democracy which brings power to the people and enables their voices to be heard. South Africa has one of the most progressive Constitutions in the world which contains the Bill of Rights where equality is preached. The Grant Thornton International Business Report on Women in Management (2012) rightly concludes that women occupy only 21% of top managerial positions, worldwide. In South Africa, women occupy only 28%, which is slightly more than the international average. In light of the above information, this study looks at women‘s representation in business, with special emphasis on the challenges faced by women at top management level in public enterprises in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The inference deduced from the above statistics unveils that women are underrepresented at top management level. Several authors have viewed the challenges faced by women in top level managerial positions from different perspectives and the core challenges this study has identified are as follows: the ‗glass ceiling‘; balancing work and family responsibilities; organisational culture; human resource policies; politics of power and the ‗Queen Bee Syndrome‘. This study has unveiled a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women employed in top level managerial positions, useful in enabling women at this level to overcome their challenges and thereby assist them to function to their utmost capacity, while at the same time attempting to increase women‘s representation at top management level. The researcher adopted a mixed method of data collection in carrying out this study. In-depth interviews were carried out with respondents; the insight gained in these interviews assisted the researcher to carry out further telephonic interviews with other respondents and lastly; questionnaires were employed to complement other sources of data collection in the study. These findings of the study show that the ills of Apartheid could be responsible for the lack of self-confidence of black women holding top level managerial positions. In the researcher‘s point of view, the Bantu system of education did not provide a sound foundation of quality education for the black women of Pietermaritzburg. In conclusion, the thesis argues that, since women constitute a significant proportion of the economically active population in South Africa, it is fair only that they should be equitably represented at top managerial level. To achieve this goal, the study proffered a recommendation which has managerial benefits that may assist in accelerating and increasing women‘s representation at top management level. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1993. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2960. Abstract precedes thesis as [1] preliminary leaf. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-125).

Thesis (MTech( Business Information))-- Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / Women, being important stakeholders of the community, are lagging behind in terms of economic empowerment. Their opportunity to participate actively in business in the past was hindered by various discriminatory policies that were in place. ICTs have the forte to empower and increase the knowledge base of the women in SMEs through information dissemination. The argument is that women in South Africa and indeed in many other developing countries have not embraced technology in their everyday businesses as much as their male counterparts. This study therefore explores how women in SMEs in the Cape Metropolitan, Western Cape are utilising ICTs to empower themselves to overcome the economic discrimination they have suffered in the past.In order to collect relevant data and obtain deep insights about the utilisation of ICTs by women in SMEs, a qualitative research method was applied enabling respondents to articulate their experiences concerning the use of ICTs in their businesses. Women of all races were selected using the snowball sampling method and were interviewed. The population involved women in SMEs from the five suburbs of Claremont, Rondebosch, Gardens, Pinelands and Mowbray.The findings of the study are that women in SMEs in the Cape Metropole are utilising various ICTs to empower themselves in their businesses. They are exchanging business documentation with other business resulting in marketing of their entities. Women in SMEs are taking advantage of the fast growing social and business networking technologies such Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter, Skype and blogs to promote marketing of their various products and services, gaining mileage in publicity and also managing their expenditures.ICTs enable women to work anytime, anywhere affording them the opportunity to take care of their families which they could not do while they were employed in the corporate world. Some of the women in SMEs reported that they can now independently negotiate business deals due to increase in their self-esteem and also have access to available information in their areas of expertise.

There is a remarkable increase in the participation of females in business activities due to their involvement in the informal sector. These activities appear to be insignificant and not measurable because they are outside the regulatory framework, but they also absorb multitudes of the unemployable. Notwithstanding the challenges of low levels of education, lack of skills and finance as well as the need to balance reproductive and productive roles, females are under pressure to generate income through trading in small scale businesses that can hardly grow beyond subsistence level. With the meagre earnings from their activities, they ensure the survival of their families. If female entrepreneurs are developed and brought into the economic main stream, they will bring with them their unique survivalist techniques that will contribute towards economic development and growth in the country. This report examines the constraints that affect the development of female entrepreneurs in the informal sector.

D.Comm. (Business Management) / The effectiveness of government policies and Programme for black women in Tshwane is investigated in this study. Five townships, Soshanguve, GaRankuwa, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Hammanskraal and Inner city were investigated by means of questionnaires. A sample of 241 black women entrepreneurs in Tshwane townships was investigated after which the results were reported. The primary objective of this study has been to investigate the extent to which black women entrepreneurs utilise government policies and Programme in Tshwane. Descriptive statistics indicated the following: 1. Information about government policies is not known by the majority of women entrepreneurs in Tshwane. 2. Local business centres are not assisting black women entrepreneurs by disseminating government policies. 3. SEDA is not effective in providing training for the SMMEs. 4. SAWEN is not effective in assisting women to start and grow their business…

M.A. (Sociology) / This study investigated the effects of female cross border traders’ work on family well-being in the context of economic hardships in Zimbabwe. The research focused on ten Zimbabwean married women, who work as cross border traders between Harare and Johannesburg and it aimed to understand how their work as cross border traders impacted on the economic and emotional well-being of their families as well as on family resilience. Literature on cross border trading shows that the trade is a key livelihood strategy for families and households but the impacts of the traders’ increased mobility and prolonged absence from home on the emotional well-being of family members have rarely been explored. Using detailed data drawn from in depth interviews with the participants, this study sought to address this gap. The findings of the study reveal that cross border trading is no longer merely a survival strategy that meets the basic needs of families but instead, it has elevated the standards of living of the families, enabling traders to acquire highly valued property. Beyond such economic benefits, the women’s work is having significant effects on the emotional well-being of the family members. The women’s relationships with their spouses were found to be generally stable but in some cases were fraught with tensions and disagreements emanating from the trading work. In most instances, cross border trading work compromised the emotional care and the resilience of the children. The regular absence of the women from their homes presented additional responsibilities and burdens on their children. Older children, for instance, have to take care of their siblings in a context were the fathers do not play an active role in child care. The consequences of the women’s trading activities are evident but often overlooked by the families as they focus on increased material provision. The study sheds light on some of the effects of increased migration of Zimbabwean women on the family and calls for more extensive research on the family in Zimbabwe with the continued economic challenges in the country.

The lack of education and training is seen as South African entrepreneurs’ most frequently mentioned weakness. Therefore, this study addresses the training of entrepreneurs and reveals that education and training are crucial for the development and creation of entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the Women Entrepreneurship Programme (WEP), which was introduced to promote and encourage women entrepreneurs in South Africa. Furthermore, the study will provide a framework for and discuss content of future entrepreneurship training programmes. The literature revealed the need for an entrepreneurship training programme that focuses specifically on the training needs of women. The WEP focuses on areas that are normally neglected in other entrepreneurship programmes and includes topics such as networking and support, the use of role models, confidence-building, and post-care training in the form of mentors and counsellors. The extension of the experimental design by using a control group allowed the effects and benefits of the training intervention (WEP) on the participants to be measured against the control group, hence widening the debate surrounding the rationale for interventions of this nature. The Chi-square test, t-test for independent samples, t-test for paired samples, Mann-Whitney test, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs test were executed to present the statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups. The Kruskal-Wallis One-Way ANOVA test was also executed to illustrate statistical differences between various groups within the experimental group. The findings of this empirical study have helped to highlight the benefits derived by the WEP delegates and that they gained new entrepreneurial, as well as business, skills and knowledge relevant to running a business; increased their confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities, and improved their employability, turnover, productivity and profit. Furthermore it should be emphasised that it was statistically proven that the WEP, as a training intervention, is effective in training potential, start-up and established women entrepreneurs in South Africa. / Thesis (DCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Business Management / unrestricted