M.A. (Sociology) / An analysis of the position of women in the labour field prior to the Industrial Revolution, indicates the important role she fulfilled and the active participation she had in the economic life of the community. The dual role of caring for the family and economic activity was fused into one and exercised at home. The Industrial Revolution coupled with the technological development of that era resulted in pertinent changes which affected all facets of society. One of the more important changes which greatly influenced female labour proved to be the separation of labour and the family. Although, initially women and children worked in factories, their labour was exploited and in due course a movement was started to phase the women and children out of the factories and to relocate the women and children in the home. As a result of the foregoing, women lost an important part of their participation in economic activities which essentially relocated their activities to that of homemaker and childcare. The women of the middle class developed a sense of futility as a result of inter alia the decrease in the number of children and the development of household appliances, which drastically reduced her home workload and eased her homework. These events resulted in the development of the emancipation movements whereby women again regained amongst others a bigger share in economic activity. Through this movement the women in the first instance succeeded at reinstating the unmarried women into the labour field and thereafter the married women. In the South African context too, the women increasingly entered the labour field. It appears from statistical data that not only is there an increase in the number of women in the labour field but a further increase of married women to the labour field. The married woman who returns to the labour force experiences a number of problems, one of which, is as a result of the addition of a work role to her existing roles. This assumption of the additional role influences her work sphere, the husband-wife relationship, the parent-child relationship as well as external relationships beyond the family core, all which may become problematic and could influence marital integration negatively. Research in other countries indicate that the support which the husband gives to the wife forms an important aspect .of the manner in which the wife deals with the aforementioned problems and which may effect the marital integration. Further studies indicated that a more equalised division of the home workload results in better time management by the wife. As a result of these findings the question arose as to the position in this regard within the Republic of South Africa. The data were gathered by means of a questionnaire, which included biographical information and Likert type questions with the view to measuring work involvement and work satisfaction, marriage integration, time management and support of husband to working wife. It was completed by 250 respondents, who were working married mothers with dependent children and who were selected by means of snowballing.The questionnaires were completed by the respondents on their own and the data obtained were statistically analysed. Five instruments were developed which together with the biographical data were subjected to hypothesis tests, with the following results: There is a high correlation (r= ,7556; P= ,000) between the support of the husband for the working wife and the quality of marital integration which is experienced indicating that an increase in support increases the level of marital integration. The support of the husband for the working wife (r= ,1651; P= ,009) together with the marital integration scale (r= ,1692; p= ,007) correlates positively with time management. These variables, showing a high positive correlation namely positive time management (r= ,3813; p= ,000), support of the husband for the wife (r= ,1599; p= ,011) and marital integration (r= ,1533; p= ,015) further correlate positively to work involvement and work satisfaction. The findings reflect that the more positive the support of the husband is, the better the quality of marital integration appears to be as well as time management together with increased work involvement and work satisfaction. It appears therefore that there are a number of interwoven variables which indicate that the working life of the wife is not fully detached from her family life and the relationship between the husband and the wife.

Class of 2015 Abstract / Objectives: To determine if students who participated in mock interviews will have better interviewing skills/performance and be more likely to be offered a second interview than students who did not participate. Methods: A hybrid survey approach was used. During Career Day, students were given a packet consisting of a consent form, demographics questionnaire, and multiple recruiter questionnaire forms. Recruiter ratings and student demographics were paired up and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The outcomes measured were ratings of the student’s interviewing performance, student’s confidence, and the likelihood of a second interview. Results: Students without prior mock interview experience received lower recruiter ratings than students with interview experience, but the results were not statistically significant (3.5 in no mock interview arm vs. 3.757 in mock interview arm for interview responses, [p=0.394]; 3.796 in no mock interview arm vs. 4.0 in mock interview arm for confidence ratings, [p=0.781]; and 3.714 in no mock interview arm vs. 3.59 in mock interview arm for likelihood of being offered a second interview [p=0.69]). Conclusions: Students who participated in mock interviews had higher interview ratings and were more likely to be offered a second interview when compared to students who do not have prior interview training, however, the association was not statistically significant. Students who have or have had prior work experience had significantly better interviewing skills/performance and were more likely to be offered a second interview compared to students who did not work while in pharmacy school.

Various authors from countries as diverse as South Africa, the Netherlands, Britain and the United States of America, reported the existence of constraints in corporate communication practitioner career advancement (Moss, 2000:1,6; Moss, Warnaby&Newman, 2000:277,302; Plowman, 1998:243; Spicer, 1997:84; Steyn, 1999:21; Steyn, 2000a:2; Steyn, 2000b:70; Steyn&Puth, 2000:3,7,10,12; Van Ruler, 1997:263; Visagie, 1999:148). Their findings have prompted this exploratory phenomenological research. The primary objective of this research is to explore some corporate communication practitioners’ perceptions of the constraints experienced in advancing to more senior corporate communication roles in the South African banking industry. The research is approached from the excellence and feminist meta-theoretical perspectives. In particular it is based on the strategic contingency theory, organisational structure theory, power-control theory, interpersonal perception theory and corporate communication roles theory. The study focuses on two concepts, namely ‘constraints’ and ‘role’. The research reflected a snapshot in time of the current communication practitioner’s emotional, relational or situational experience of their efforts to advance their careers. The aim was not to support or validate any pre-selected model or theory, but rather to embrace the constraint in a non-assumptive manner as it unfolds from the perspective of the communication practitioner experiencing it (Callahan, 2000:105; Scannell-Desch, 2000). From the findings of the research, one could argue that there are various individual, organisational and professional career constraints that practitioners experience in trying to advance their careers. Over and above the constraints noted in literature, the study identified a few more constraints such as organisational politics, the time spent in the organisation, the practitioner’s lack of networking and relationship building skills, lack of knowledge of overseas practice and the lack of standardisation of communication practitioner deliverables. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Communication Management / MCom / Unrestricted

Career management gains new meaning in the context of employability demands in a global world economy. In this context, increased mobility, a dynamic work environment, and an enhanced level of career support from employers are seen as a fundamental aspects of an expatriate’s career. This study presents the results of a qualitative research approach that addressed the general question as to how expatriates perceive the effect of their international assignments on their career development. The study followed a descriptive and qualitative research design, using purposive sampling and unstructured interviews to obtain the data. Eighteen participants were identified in a South African-based company operating in Zambia. The study found that expatriates believed that their experience will have a positive effect on their future careers. Some limitations of the study can be said to be reporter bias, the cross-sectional design and self-report interviews which made it impossible for the study to predict whether the expatriates’ perceptions would translate into actual benefits in their future career. The positive relationship between expatriate assignments and career development therefore needs to be proved by means of longitudinal empirical research. Copyright 2008, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Jooste, HH 2008, An exploration of the perceived effect of an expatriate assignment on the career development of skilled South Africans, MCom dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-03152012-130712/ > C12/4/71/gm / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

There has been a world-wide shift from an expectation of long-term, organisation led employment to one where knowledge workers are comfortable with driving their own careers and accruing career capital independent of the organisation. Little empirical research exists in the field of career capital. This research aims to determine the relevant components of career capital and the methods used by high - value knowledge workers to acquire their career capital. Differences in these areas, between sub-groupings, are examined, as are the reasons for future career changes. The research was conducted in a large financial institution using two phases. The first qualitative phase set out to determine valid constructs for phase two. The quantitative second phase used a structured questionnaire administered through both focus groups and electronically, with 113 high - value knowledge workers providing the data. The research findings show that high - value knowledge workers are self - monitors. They rely heavily on their emotional intelligence, social networking and a yearning for knowledge. A new model, the “symbiosis model”, has been created to facilitate a successful and symbiotic relationship between organisations and high - value knowledge workers. A set of recommendations has been provided for both. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

An intensive case study design was utilized, integrating data from the application of Q-technique and subject interviews, to examine the meaning of career change from a family perspective. Ten subjects, identified through an informal network of referrals, were selected as diverse examples of career changers (6 men, 4 women). Subjects Q-sorted 46 items drawn from Holland's (1966) typology of personalities for 19 to 23 Salient Role Figures identified from three domains of dramatic enactment: Family, Self, and Vocation. Q-sort results for each subject were developed into a correlation matrix, then submitted to a principal components analysis. Results were analyzed to identify shifts or maintenance of themes and role enactments as indications of lived-out dramas. The empirical findings and suggested themes were presented to each subject to stimulate subject elaboration. Quantitative and qualitative data were synthesized to develop portraits pointing to the meaning of career change for each subject. Results support previous research that suggests individuals displace role enactments from family-of-origin onto the vocational arena. This study also provides support for the thesis that the phenomenon of role displacement from the family to vocational arenas occurs across differing vocational contexts. Additionally, while the meaning of career change as reflected in patterns of dramatic enactment appears idiosyncratic, the shifts in role displacement from family-of-origin to vocational arena appear to virtually define the subject's sense of the meaning of the career change itself. Thus, when viewed in the context of the individual's life as it is lived out, there appears to be regularity in the meaning of career change. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Career plateau research is heavily focused on the private sector at the management level. There are few studies which examine career plateau in the public sector and no studies of career plateau in the Canadian core public sector. This qualitative research study is the first career plateau study focused on the core public sector in Canada. The systematic review study includes a map of the career plateau research and completed a synthesis analysis to provide new insights into career plateau. The second study involved an initial 67 participants with further data being gathered from focused interviews of 48 participants who were classified as career plateaued. Echo sorting and content analysis of the resulting data was completed to explore the perceived causes of career plateau; identify the affective impacts of career plateau on public servants; examine the behavioural responses of public servants to being career plateaued; and identify organizational implications. The study results indicate that public servants perceive the causes and affective impacts of career plateau generally consistent with existing research findings while some of the perceived causes categories may possibly be unique to the public service setting. However, public servants may respond to career plateau in two unique ways involving public service value responses and responses based on public sector organizational characteristics. Given that this is the first study to be completed on career plateau in the Canadian public service, all the findings must be considered tentative. The categories developed throughout the study describing how public servants feel and respond to career plateau as well as the organizational implications all require further refinement and more empirical testing. / Graduate / 2021-05-01

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the pathways followed by school principals in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The aim was to explore the pathways principals followed in order to determine knowledge, procedures and processes that lead to the appointment of quality principals in schools. Formal and informal pathways that teachers aspiring to be principals take were identified in addition to exploring what motivated the principals to apply for their posts. Little research has been done on the topic of career paths of school principals in the South African context and therefore,this study makes acontribution to the knowledge-base of career pathways of South African school principals. A qualitative study approach, using semi-structured interviews, was employed. A total of ten participants were selected using purposeful and convenience sampling. The researcher obtained consent from the participants and assured them of anonymity, confidentiality and their right to withdraw from the study at any time they felt uncomfortable in continuing to participate in the study. The main questions participants were asked wereconcerned with their experiences as principals in terms of their career pathways; the routes that they followed to principalship; and what motivated them to apply for the post. The collected data wastranscribed categorized and presented as themes with direct quotations from the participants to support the themes. The findings of this study were compared with the available literature on similar studies to determine similarities and differences. Conclusions were reached, recommendations were made and suggestions for future research on the topic were made from the findings of the study. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Engineering graduates of the twenty-first century must be worldly and understand how to work with professionals from many cultures on projects that cross international boundaries. Increasingly, employers are finding that prospective employees who have studied abroad make better, more rounded candidates than those who have no life experience outside of their home region. The objective of this study was to determine whether engineering students who participate in a major-specific, study abroad experience are more desirable as candidates for employment than those who only study at their home institution. This descriptive study surveyed the membership of the combined Industrial Advisory Boards of the University of North Texas College of Engineering (n=90) which is a focused group of skilled managers and directors that represent various businesses, industries and organizations. The survey yielded a 58% response rate. The evaluation was validated by a survey that searched for a perceptual trend among representatives from business and industry who are in a hiring capacity for engineering graduates, evaluating a major-specific study abroad experience as part of a graduate’s employability and career growth. Statistical Analysis was made on Companies whose scope of business is domestic and international comparing the perceived value of study abroad as a characteristic for hiring new engineers, as well as comparing the perceived value of foreign study or work experience on the career development of engineers. These tests indicated that at the 0.05 level there was no statistical significance in the findings. Additional analysis was made on groups of employees that either had foreign experience (work or study) and those that did not. These tests indicated that there was no statistical significance in the findings. Analysis of the data indicates that although having a major specific study abroad experience may not be important at the entry level, it becomes more important as an engineer progresses into mid-career. It could also indicate change in the business climate and a growing need for global awareness. Additional observations show that other co-curricular activities, such as internships and grades weigh more in the hiring of a new engineering graduate.

Among the 44000-plus general managers employed in United States’ hotels in 1993, there were only 100 women, 15 African-Americans, and three African-American women. Additionally, less than 0.5 percent of corporate hospitality managers were women. Given this relative underrepresentation of European-American women and African-Americans, combined with the increasing diversity of hotel clientele and service providers, the purpose of this study is to broaden our understanding of the sources of inequitable occupational outcomes among race-gender groups in hotel management. Two research questions addressed are addressed (1) How are hotel management careers racialized and gendered?; and (2) How are the career experiences of African-American women who are hotel managers different from those of European-American women who are managers? A grounded hermeneutic research approach of joint collection, analysis, and contextualized interpretation of data was used. The data were collected using semistructured interviews with ten African-American women and five European-American iii women who are hotel managers. The constant comparative method of analysis yielded 58 critical difference defining incidents in which the women’s race and gender influenced their career experiences. Further analysis of these incidents yielded four conceptual categories: career stages, relationships, power resources, and human resource management practices. The women’s careers were racialized and gendered through (1) their relationships to European-American men, which (2) provided the women with different resources at each stage of their careers and (3) influenced the way their superiors, who were predominantly European-American men, applied human resource practices. The differences in the career experiences of the women who participated in this study were largely a result of their different positions in relation to European-American men. These relationships to European-American men were significant as the women described these men as “having an inborn advantage in this industry” and as “running things.” In the final chapter, I suggest actions hospitality practitioners, educators, and researchers can take to address several factors identified as contributing to the creation of inequitable career outcomes. / Ph. D.