The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of middle managers towards cultural diversity and cultural diversity management. A qualitative method of research was chosen to carry out the study. Twenty middle managers from four different companies in the Greater Durban Area were interviewed. One of the main findings of the study was that managers displayed positive attitudes towards cultural diversity and cultural diversity management. However, it was also found that whilst the attitudes displayed towards people of different cultures and races remained positive, little was done in terms of managing the differences that these people brought to the organisation. It was also found that organisations were agreeable to complying with legislative frameworks such as affirmative action and equal employment opportunities to manage diversity. Furthermore, it was established that factors such as understanding, tolerance and acceptance were perceived to be vital "ingredients" to helping diverse people feel accepted and wanted in the company. This was due to their role in increasing productivity levels and decreasing turnover. However, it was uncovered in the literature review, that complying with legislation alone was not enough to manage cultural diversity. If organisations want to unleash the true benefits of diversity management, they wi ll need to recognise people with these differences and simultaneously accept and manage these differences. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This study sought to establish some ofthe problems that occur during a consultation process between a healthcare worker and a patient, such as intangible and tangible verbal/nonverbal communication problems. Tangible nonverbal problems refer to eye contact, gestures, body posture and facial expression. Tangible verbal problems refer to voice tone/attitude and language and intangible to race, age, gender, education and culture. It was made clear that the problems involved in the consultation process were, in the main, common to other fonns of communication such as that between a reference librarian and a client, customer, visitor or user. The factors that hindered communication were investigated by means of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The sample population was made up of 100 black isiZulu speaking females and seven healthcare workers of a heterogeneous background. The perception ofthe respondents in relation to the above-named factors (language, age, gender, attitude, culture, education, gestures and postures) was sought. The analysis of the results obtained showed that some of the significant factors that are a problem in communication include voice tone/attitude, eye contact, sitting position, gestures, facial expression and language. Patients, for the sake ofeffective concentration and free flow ofinfonnation, preferred healthcare workers who were polite, had a cheerful demeanour and who sat still and straight up (not looking around or standing). This is noted because the majority of the patients acknowledged such healthcare workers and were not satisfied with those who behaved otherwise. For example, in relation to previous consultations (irrespective of the Clinics), out of the 70 respondents who encountered problems, 61 (87%) in despair cited cases of rudeness, of which the majority of such cases related to African healthcare workers. Culture also mattered, when seen in terms of people being able to speak the same language and understand one another, with respect to the contextual meaning of words. As far as eye contact was concerned, it was apparent that adjustments had been made. For example, it was discovered that although it is the Zulu culture to avoid eye contact, especially between the young and the old, Zulu people have come to accept eye contact in a crosscultural South Africa. Their acceptance was also seen as due to the advantages ofeye contact. This was made clear by the fact that ofthe 90 (91%) respondents who acknowledged the fact that the healthcare workers maintained eye contact during the consultation process, 87 (97%) said it was polite as it gave them the assurance that the healthcare workers were paying attention to what they were saying. Among the socio-demographic variables investigated, the gender of the healthcare worker emerged as one ofthe important predictors of effective communication. This is because the majority of the respondents indicated feeling freer with someone of the same gender groupmg. Certain recommendations were made which were considered vital in improving not only the consultation process but any other form of communication, including that between a reference librarian and a client. The main recommendations were that the healthcare workers be polite and endeavour to speak the main language as the patients. Due to the fact that some healthcare workers hurry during consultation, it was recommended that more staff be employed. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

Presented as a comparative analysis, this qualitative audience study tests the hypothetic proposition that youths’ (1) consumption of media is mediated by various socio-economic determinants as well as cultural and institutional practices. In order to test this hypothesis, the research examines the media (more specifically, television) consumption practices and lifestyles of black South African youths living in an urban city (Durban) and a peri-urban town (Alice) at a particular moment in time. Positioned as a historical study that reflects a specific period in the history of television (and media) in South Africa, the study attempts to provide a snapshot of youths, television consumption and lifestyles in post-apartheid South Africa. It assesses the relationship between youths and media during a specific period, namely, around a decade after South Africa’s first democratically elected government and when the country was still in the throes of political and economic change and transition. It assesses this relationship over a four-year period (from 2002 to 2006) and reflects on this epoch in relation to the then existing policy and regulatory framework as well as to the findings from other relevant empirical research. The analysis reflects upon the social constructs of class and gender in relation to the study’s broader findings on television consumption, which are derived from qualitative and quantitative empirical data. It develops categories and typologies of the lifestyles of youths towards this end and it concludes that youths’ media consumption practices and the production and reproduction of lifestyles is a complex matrix of ‘lived’ experiences, cultural identity and other socialising factors such as age, race and class. Moreover, it shows that peoples’ media choices and the related selection and appropriation of media are fundamentally informed by specific policy and regulatory regime. Notwithstanding this, the ways in which black South African youths use media (imported programming or local television content, for example) and accordingly fashion their lifestyles, remains largely determined by their class, their access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the proximity of the experiences represented in the media to those with which they can identify. (1) I refer to youths (in the plural) in recognition of the heterogeneity of young people classically referred to as the amorphous group, youth. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This dissertation, a qualitative case study, investigates issues of language and identity among sixteen young black women studying at Technikon Natal. I examine the ways in which identities are structured by discourses of which language practices are an important part. The research participants' need to learn English is also interrogated against a scenario of South Africa during and post-apartheid. In Chapter 1, I give historical background on the educational structures and legislation which affected my research participants before 2000, and then briefly describe their present context of study. The literature on which my dissertation is based is reviewed in Chapter 2. Humanist theories of motivation for second language learning, for example, Gardner's (1985), are rejected in favour of Norton Peirce's (1995) notion of investment in second language learning, which builds on Bourdieu's (1977 - 1991) concepts of capital, and views the second language learner as inseparable from her social world. However, the emphasis in Chapter 2 is given to some of the central ideas of poststructuralist thinking, particularly those pertaining to the undermining of totalising theories, and those arguing in favour of multiple subjectivity. Chapter 3 contains both my research methods, which were mainly social constructionist, as well as the broad discourse analysis techniques I deployed for my data analysis. Notable in Chapter Four, in which I present and analyse my findings, is the power of ethnic discourses to govern the use of their own and other languages by their subjects. Significant, too, are the shifts in subjectivity which individuals experience as they integrate new discourses into their lives. Amongst my conclusions in the final chapter is the notion that, from a poststructuralist perspective, code switching may allow the simultaneous display of more than one identity; that the use of English by black South Africans is fraught with contradictions, and that indigenous African languages appear vulnerable to the pressure from powerful English discourses. I also discuss the limitations of this research and make recommendations for future research, and end with the particular insights into language and subjectivity I have gained as a lecturer in my current teaching context. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

A gradient of sea temperatures is created along the South African coastline by the confluence of the cold Benguela Current on the West coast with the warm Agulhas Current on the East coast. This temperature gradient allows for an assortment of species to occupy the variety of microenvironments occurring in this area. Amongst these species is commercially important South African abalone, Haliotis midae, which although being capable of existing across this wide range of temperatures grows larger on the cooler West coast. Abalone reared on the warmer East coast however, experience greater mortalities especially during the more thermally variable summer months. The aim of the study was thus to assess the zone of tolerance for H. midae by exposing abalone to fluctuating temperatures in an attempt to model environmental temperature instability, a scenario which may likely be worsened by global climate change. Animals from the West and East coasts were exposed to two thermal treatments of fluctuating temperatures with the first group being kept at 16°C±2 and the second group kept at 16°C±4. The control group was maintained at a constant 16°C indicating that the mean temperature experienced by all three groups was 16°C. Oxygen consumption, nitrogen excretion and O:N ratio were assessed at the organismal level to give an indication of metabolic rate, amount of protein excreted and type of metabolic substrate utilized respectively. At the biochemical level, D-lactate accumulation was quantified to indicate whether metabolism was proceeding aerobically or anaerobically. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression and degree of carbonylation were analyzed at the proteomic level with Hsp70 also being assessed at the transcriptomic level. All biological responses were measured at days 1, 3, 7 and 14 of the two week exposure. Oxygen consumption rates were significantly elevated on day 14 when comparing treatment group animals to control group animals of the same biogeographic region. P < 0.05 for both treatment groups from the West coast, while P < 0.001 for the East coast treatment groups. The ammonia excretion rates of the West coast animals were significantly lower than those of the controls at day 14 with P < 0.001 for both treatment groups, while ammonia excretion rates were elevated in East coast animals at day 14, although not significantly. Trends similar to those seen for ammonia excretion rates were exhibited by O:N ratios. West coast animals showed lower than control O:N ratios at day 14 (P < 0.01 for both treatment groups) while East coast animals displayed higher than control values (P < 0.05 only for the 16°C±2 group) at day 14. D-lactate, having been detected only for the West coast animals, showed no significant differences but large degrees of variation were noted on days 1 and 7. Carbonylation was evident for animals from both biogeographic regions with baseline carbonyl accumulation for East coast animals being greater (non-significantly) than that of the West coast animals. The hsp70 gene expression remained low for both biogeographic groups with West coast animals appearing to show slight elevations in expression at days 1 and 7, days which also displayed high degrees of variability. The West coast animals appeared to be better suited to coping with the thermal fluctuations, as they not only transiently reduced oxygen consumption rate to reduce ROS production, but also utilized the assistance of the D-lactate pathway possibly to maintain metabolism, both of which were not observed in the East coast animals. Although West coast abalone seemed to have slightly elevated hsp70 expression (suggestive of a repair response) when compared to their East counterparts, both groups of abalone were shown to have incurred notable amounts of protein damage (i.e. carbonylation). This suggests impairments in both protective and repair responses for animals from both biogeographic regions. The lack or attenuation of physiological responses noted in East coast abalone may be due to limitations in thermal adaptation but subsequent studies are required to confirm this notion. The information obtained from this study may assist in providing an insight into the mechanisms responsible for thermal limitation in H. midae and how this species is likely to respond to future periods of thermal instability which may be worsened by global climate change. An understanding of the processes leading up to limitations may potentially assist the abalone aquaculture industry in altering culturing practices early on to support optimal performance in abalone. / M.Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.

Thesis (M Consumer Science)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Clothing is an important phenomenon within corporate and organisational culture and forms an integral part of the total corporate identity. It fulfills a symbolic purpose and serves as a reference. It is a way in which companies can change or modernise their image as it is conveyed to clients. Little research has been done on uniform types of clothing, even though it has been an important phenomenon in the subject area of Clothing for ages. South African companies offers unique opportunities for research within a multi-cultural environment and Consumer Science's distinctive multi-disciplinary approach makes it an ideal starting point for this type of study. Three environments are concerned with the phenomenon of corporate clothing, namely the employers and employees of organisations or companies, academia of educational establishments and the manufacturers of corporate clothing. The study concerned tried to investigate the phenomenon of corporate clothing within the South African corporate environment. This was firstly done by studying the available clothing literature and describing aspects which have direct or indirect relations to corporate clothing. Information and advice was obtained from experts to gain insight into the South African circumstances with relation to corporate clothing. Secondly, employees who wear corporate clothing were questioned as to their opinions on specific aspects with regards to corporate clothing. This was done by means of a questionnaire which was developed to determine if employees of selected South African companies see corporate clothing as representative of company image, culture and policy. The extent to which extent employees are involved in decision-making processes with regards to corporate clothing was also determined. Employees' opinions with regards to consumer requirements and the extent of satisfaction with corporate clothing was determined. The extent to which age and position within the company playa role in employees' opinions of corporate clothing were investigated according to the information obtained through the questionnaire. The above mentioned information was structured to give possible guidelines to companies with in the implimentation and development of corporate clothing within the existing organisational culture. This study did not focus on manufacturers of corporate clothing, but it is assumed that they can benefit from the findings of the study. The study will contribute to the building of theory in the subject area of Clothing and consequently also contribute to the academical field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Korporatiewe kleredrag is 'n belangrike fenomeen binne die korporatiewe en organisatoriese kultuur en vorm 'n integrale deel van algehele korporatiewe identiteit. Dit vervul 'n simboliese rol en dien as 'n verwysingsmaatstaf. Dit is 'n manier waarop maatskappye hul beeld aan kliënte kan verander of moderniseer. Alhoewel uniforme drag reeds vir eeue 'n belangrike fenomeen in kleredrag is, is daar steeds min aandag in navorsing aan hierdie onderwerp geskenk. Suid- Afrikaanse maatskappye bied unieke geleenthede vir navorsing binne 'n multi-kulturele omgewing en Verbruikerswetenskap se eiesoortige multi-dissiplinêre benadering maak dit by uitstek geskik as vertrekpunt vir hierdie tipe studie. Drie omgewings het belang by die fenomeen van korporatiewe drag, naamlik die werkgewers en - nemers van organisasies of maatskappye, akademici van opvoedkundige instellings en die vervaardigers van korporatiewe drag. Die betrokke studie het gepoog om op 'n verkennende wyse ondersoek in te stel na die fenomeen van korporatiewe drag binne die Suid-Afrikaanse korporatiewe omgewing. Dit is gedoen deur eerstens beskikbare kledingliteratuur te bestudeer en sodoende aspekte te beskryf wat direk en indirek betrekking het op korporatiewe drag. Inligting en advies is vanaf kundiges ingewin om insig in dié verband in die Suid-Afrikaanse omstandighede te verkry. Tweedens is werknemers wat korporatiewe drag dra, se menings oor spesifieke aspekte met betrekking tot korporatiewe drag vasgestel. Vir hierdie doel is 'n vraelys ontwikkel om vas te stel of die werknemers van geselekteerde Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye korporatiewe drag sien as verteenwoordigend van maatskappybeeld, -kultuur en -beleid. Daar is ook vasgestel in watter mate werknemers betrek word in besluitneming oor korporatiewe drag. Werknemers se menings oor verbruikersvereistes, die mate van tevredenheid met die korporatiewe drag is bepaal. Die mate waartoe ouderdom en posvlak 'n rol speel in werknemers se menings van korporatiewe drag is ook vasgestel met behulp van die inligting verkry uit die vraelyste. Bostaande inligting is gestruktureer om moontlike riglyne aan maatskappye te bied met betrekking tot die invoer of ontwikkeling van korporatiewe drag binne die bestaande organisatoriese kultuur. Daar is nie in hierdie studie gefokus op vervaardigers van korporatiewe drag nie, maar dit word aanvaar dat die groep wel sal kan baat vind by die bevindings. Die studie sal 'n bydrae lewer tot die opbou van teorie in die vakgebied van Kleding en gevolglik ook 'n bydrae tot die akademie lewer.

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This thesis has been written in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a masters programme in intercultural communication. The study focuses on aspects of linguistic communication, specifically in media discourse, where “cultural boundaries” are determined by sexual difference and where much misunderstanding appears to be founded in different conceptions of homosexuality. I have investigated the theoretical frameworks within which discursive reflection on homosexuality can be studied from an interdisciplinary perspective. The research examines reports in a student newspaper that topicalise homosexuality; it also considers reports that are part of a discourse in which communication takes place between a heterosexual majority and a homosexual minority. Reports that were published across a period of five years were examined, in order to determine whether there has been any development in the discourse. This investigation of a particular kind of intercultural media discourse has been augmented by investigating attitudes towards the minority group by means of a questionnaire, designed by Kite and Deaux (1986: 137). This questionnaire was distributed among 240 students in an attempt to determine whether their reported attitudes coincide with those reported in the media. Despite the fact that homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) more than 30 years ago, reports of homophobic violence and attitudes in news media reveal that a significant percentage of the population still views homosexuality as an illness, a psychological disorder or as sin. The aim of this thesis was to examine the possible (re)enforcement of such homophobic ideologies in news media, as well as the possible (re)enforcement of increasingly tolerant ideologies, by making use of frameworks developed within Critical Discourse Analysis, by van Dijk (1998) and Gelber (2002). While the results of the media analysis indicate a growing acceptance of homosexuality, the survey results reveal that the majority of the heterosexual students surveyed still maintain homophobic attitudes. Furthermore, discrepancies in the survey results reveal the complex nature of such attitudes.

Thesis (MA (History))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Genadendal furniture was made in the small Moravian mission settlement of Genadendal (situated in the Overberg area of the Western Cape) during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Genadendal furniture not only illustrates the impact that the immigration of Europeans had on the development of a unique Old Cape furniture tradition, it also emphasises the influence that a specific world view or philosophy of life had on the design and manufacture of furniture. The origins of the old Unitas Fratrum can be traced back to the late 14th century in ancient Moravia and Bohemia (today part of the Czech Republic). This mission society came to South Africa due to the missionary zeal of the Renewed Moravian Church, which was renewed mostly through the efforts of the German Earl Nicolaus von Zinzindorf. As exponent of Radical Pietism this society accepted the task of worldwide missionary work. By the end of the 18th century there were already more than 18 Moravian mission stations scattered all over the world. One of the most prominent characteristics of the Moravian church was the importance attached to the fellowship of the faithful, and the social organisation resulting from it. Everything in the Moravian community was done to signify the equality of all people before God, expressed by standardised dress, traditions and social organisation. They functioned as independent, self-sufficient communities. Various trades and workshops were established in these communities to further the ideal of self-sufficiency. The missionaries from Europe were all qualified artisans, and they trained members of their communities in the various trades. The pervading spirit of independence equipped these artisan missionaries extremely well to transplant the Moravian furniture styles and traditions to South Africa. Genadendal furniture bears silent witness to the Moravian obsession with simplicity and quality. This furniture style with its simple, straight lines formed part of the Neo-Classical style popular at the Cape at the time.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisational culture has become a popular topic since more and more companies have joined the competition of world economy in the information era. It has also become an important method to support a company’s strategy. Products such as “hardware” no longer provide the main focus when companies strive to gain their markets. It has become accepted that culture, which plays a role as part of the company’s “software”, functions equally well as, and sometimes even more efficiently than products. The aim of this research study was to apply the theory to practice by answering the question: In the real organisation’s operation, which cultural attributes embody the value layer of organisational culture? This research study focuses primarily on Schein’s model of organisational culture. This model is applied to the case studies of Naspers’ culture and of Tencent’s culture. The result of the application of Schein’s model to these two companies leads to a comparison of their organisational culture. In the end, my own analysis is discussed based on the comparison. From this part, innovation, risk taking, attention to detail, outcome orientation, people orientation, team orientation, customer orientation, aggressiveness, stability and easy-goingness are shown to be the cultural attributes that embody values in a real organisation’s operation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasiekultuur het ‘n populêre onderwerp geword sedert al meer maatskappye deel geword het van die mededinging van die wêreldekonomie in die inligtingstydvak. Dit het ook ‘n belangrike metode geword om ‘n maatskappy se strategie te ondersteun. Produkte soos “hardeware” verskaf nie meer die hooffokus wanneer maatskappye daarna streef om hulle markte te bekom nie. Dit word nou aanvaar dat kultuur, wat ‘n rol speel as deel van die maatskappy se “sagteware”, ewe goed as produkte funksioneer, en soms selfs meer doeltreffend. Die mikpunt van hierdie navorsingstudie was om teorie op die praktyk toe te pas deur die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Watter kulturele attribute beliggaam die waardelaag van organisasiekultuur in die werking van die ware organisasie? Hierdie navorsingstudie fokus primêr op Schein se model van organisasiekultuur. Hierdie model word toegepas op gevallestudies van die kultuur van Naspers en Tencent. Die resultaat van die toepassing van Schein se model op hierdie twee maatskappye lei tot ‘n vergelyking van hulle organisasiekultuur. Ten slotte word my eie analise bespreek, gebaseer op die vergelyking. In hierdie deel word aangetoon dat innovasie, die neem van risiko’s, aandag aan detail, resultaat-georiënteerdheid, mens-georiënteerdheid, span-oriëntasie, kliënt-oriëntasie, aggressiwiteit, stabiliteit en onbesorgdheid die kulturele attribute is wat die waardes in ‘n ware organisasie se werking beliggaam.

Thesis (Mcomm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A need was identified for a proactive strategy for reducing voluntary turnover levels within the mining industry. From the onset it was established that a multi-dimensional approach would be the most appropriate. Organisational commitment and organizational climate were identified as variables that were likely to influence intentions to stay. Moreover, it was hypothesised that organisational climate would directly influence organisational commitment levels. Both organisational climate and organisational commitment have been subjected to considerable controversy with respect to conceptual and methodological issues. This has resulted in the diverse array of approaches currently found in the literature and has threatened the usefulness of both constructs. An overview of existing literature indicated that little is known regarding the relationship between organisational climate, organisational commitment and intention to stay within the specific industry. The current study therefore investigated the existing relationship between collective climate, organisational climate and intent to stay within the mining industry. Research objectives were achieved by means of hierarchical cluster analysis, canonical correlational analysis and standard multiple regressions. All measures were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated that multiple collective climates existed in the various departments. A positive relationship was found between collective climate and organisational commitment, as well as between collective climate and intent to stay. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Behoefte aan proaktiewe intervensies, gemik op die vermindering van vrywillige arbeidsomset, is in 'n organisasie in die mynindustrie geïdentifiseer. Dit was vanuit die staanspoor ooglopend dat 'n multidimensionele benadering toepaslik sou wees. Organisasieklimaat en organisasie-verbondenheid is as moontlike veranderlikes geïdentifiseer wat 'n invloed op omsetbedoelings mag uitoefen. 'n Verdere hipotese had betrekking op die verband tussen organisasieverbondenheid en omset-bedoelings. Beide konstrukte het reeds aansienlike kontroversie met betrekking tot konseptueIe en metodologiese aspekte ontlok. Laasgenoemde het onder meer gelei tot die opkoms van 'n aantal uiteenlopende konseptueIe benaderings tot hierdie konstrukte, met die gevolg dat die empiriese bydraes wat hul tot die veld van Organisasiesielkunde maak, toenemend bevraagteken is. 'n Literatuuroorsig het aangedui dat 'n leemte met betrekking tot die onderwerp binne die bepaalde industrie bestaan. Weinig empiriese steun is egter gevind ten opsigte van 'n verband tussen organisasieklimaat, organisasie-verbondenheid en omset-bedoelings. Die betrokke studie het dus ten doel gehad die ondersoek van 'n verband tussen groepklimaat, organisasieverbondenheid en omsetbedoelings. Ten einde bogenoemde verbande te ondersoek, is gebruik gemaak van hiërargiese tros-analise, kanoniese korrelasionele analise, asook standaardmeervoudige regressie-ontledings. Die navorsingsbevindinge het bevestig dat 'n beduidende en positiewe verband tussen groepklimaat en organisasieverbondenheid bestaan. Daar is verder aangetoon dat omset-bedoelinge beduidend met groepklimaat, sowel as organisasieverbondenheid korreleer. 'n Sterker verband is tussen organisasieverbondenheid en omset-bedoelinge gevind.