Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The research aims to investigate the employment experiences of a South African adult with Down syndrome, and to explore whether this improves the quality of life for this adult across several areas of functioning. This qualitative research design is situated within an interpretive research paradigm. A Case study method was used. Data have been produced using multiple sources and techniques to enhance validity. These include interviews, observation, field notes and questionnaires. Full account has been taken of ethical considerations. The case study shows that this adult with Mosaic Down syndrome and intellectual disability, who is permanently employed in the open labour market, is seen as an asset by the company. Training and support have benefited him and extra supervision and attention needed are minimal. His skills, attitudes, and family support have also enhanced his quality of life. This adult's employment experiences have contributed to a culture of acceptance of and openness to intellectual disability in the formal industrial sector. This is an example of what can be accomplished regardless of intellectual disability. As this is a case study the generalisation of the findings are limited.

The end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994 brought with it the task of redressing past discriminatory practices. The Employment Equity Act (No. 55 Of 1998) passed in 1998 stipulated that designated employers implement affirmative action in order to provide equal employment opportunities to all including the previously disadvantaged or designated groups who are primarily blacks, the disabled and women (Charlton and Niekerk, 1994:. xxii). Affirmative action is not something to be done for political expediency and fear of legislation alone. Shifting markets and consumer needs require demographic representation at all levels in the organization. Addressing the incredible shortage of available skills, compounded by the tendency not to grant equal employment to designated groups who already have skills, suggests the need for demographic considerations in terms of long-term employment needs. Bringing human resources up to world-class standards will mean addressing the deficiencies that have emanated from the apartheid system. This study focuses on the relationship between gender, equality and the concept of affirmative action. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of South African male broadcasters towards affirmative action especially where the policy is targeted towards women. Male broadcasters at SABC KwaZulu-Natal are used as case studies. South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) not only embraces affirmative action but also reports on it. Previous studies on affirmative action in media institutions tend to focus on women and thus this study uses men as case studies to make this area of research more complete. South African men are not a homogenous category. There are class, racial, religious, language, urban/rural, cultural and age lines of division among them (Nzimande and Sikhosana, 1996: 82). This being the case, the study investigates the different perceptions held by South African male broadcasters of different races concerning gender-based affirmative action. Issues discussed in this study include: • Understanding of the concept affirmative action • Need for the implementation of affirmative action • Perceptions ofmen towards work Men and power in organizations • Perceptions towards management • Perceptions towards female broadcasters • Perceived factors that hinder women from upward mobility • Possibilities for informal discrimination Studies on affirmative action have more frequently than not been examined in the context of feminist theories, for example, Susan Manhando's study (1994), 'Towards affirmative action: Issues of race, gender and equality at the SABC: Case studies of Natal women broadcasters' and Farhana Goga's (2000) 'Towards affirmative action issues of race and gender in media organizations: A study on South African media organizations,' to cite but two examples. This study moves beyond this rubric to include both patriarchy and masculinity theories as part of the theoretical framework upon which data analysis is interpreted and discussed. I see the findings of this research as the basis for further investigation into perceptions of South Africans from different races towards affirmative action policy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The ANC government’s quest for economic transformation in the post-apartheid South Africa came up with black economic empowerment policy. Equal participation in the economy especially for the previously disadvantaged was one of the stated aims of black economic empowerment. This study discusses black entrepreneurs’ perceptions of business transformation in Durban in the context of lack economic empowerment. Qualitative interviews were conducted with fourteen black entrepreneurs that were indentified and located through purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study found out that while there is an appreciation of BEE policy and the transformation that has already taken place, there is also a healthy criticism, discontent, skepticism and impatience over the pace of transformation and implementation of BEE policy. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

This study provides a feminist analysis of protective labor legislation in the Supreme Court case of UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc. History of protection rhetoric and precedented cases leading up to UAW are provided. Using a feminist analysis, this study argues that the victory for women's labor rights in UAW is short lived, and the cycle of protection rhetoric continues with new pro-business agendas replacing traditional justifications for "protecting" women in the work place. The implications of this and other findings are discussed.

South Africa is faced with a huge challenge of disability discrimination and inequality. Disabled people are not enjoying equal treatment as compared to others. Those who are on the working sector are not reasonable accommodated. The study examines challenges faced by people with disabilities. The study further submit that people with disabilities should be reasonably accommodated and be retained in the working sector as they have a positive role to play in the economy. The study also looks at the various legislations and argues that they are ineffective as they fail to address the imbalances of the past. The study further suggest that there is a need for all people to understand disabled people and not to isolate them as such stigma cause people with disabilities to be unfairly discriminated against in society and in employment / College of Law / LL. M. (Commercial Law)

The purposes of this cross-sectional and internet mixed methods study were: (a) to explore the level of structural empowerment (SEP), psychological empowerment (PE), participation in decision making (PDM), their relationships, and their predictors among Taiwanese nurses, and (b) to explore the influence of contextual factors (culture and gender) on the nurses’ perception on their work environment and PDM based on the feminist perspective and Laschinger’s expanded empowerment model. This study included an Internet questionnaire survey (quantitative) and a Web-based online forum (qualitative). A convenient sample of 163 Taiwanese registered nurses (a) who are currently working full time in health care institutions for at least 3 months, (b) can read and write Chinese on the computer, and (c) have access to the Internet was recruited and completed the internet survey. Among them, 20 completed the online forum discussion topics. The findings of the internet survey indicated that participants had moderate level of SEP, high-moderate level of PE and low level of PDM. Personal characteristics, such as age, education, and work experience, did not significantly correlate to Taiwanese nurses’ empowerment. However, the work structures, such as workload, types of hospitals, and work units, were significantly related to Taiwanese nurses’ empowerment and PDM. PE was a mediator between SEP and PDM, which indicated that with increased access to workplace empowerment structures, nurses perceived better personal empowerment, which in turn increased nurses’ PDM. In the online forum, two themes were discovered: (a) foot-binding unto nursing and (b) not open up. The first theme indicated that certain stereotypes regarding gender roles in Taiwanese society were restraints to the growth of nursing. Due to the stereotypes, nurses were located in the lower social status and developed powerless behaviors. The second theme indicated that communication among nurses was not sufficient, which might stem from the influence of Confucianism, collectivism, and power distance. The findings in this study extend our understanding of the empowerment and PDM among Taiwanese nurses within the context of gender and culture. / text

published_or_final_version / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Thesis (M.Tech.: Office Management and Technology)-Durban University of Technology, 2005 xv, 129 leaves / The Constitution contains the Bill of Rights, one that is regarded as the corner-stone of democracy, as it enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. Section 9(1) provides for the promotion of a society in which diversity of identity is respected and protected. The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, stipulates that designated employers implement affirmative action, thereby compelling organizations to eradicate all forms of discrimination in organizational processes and procedures. With such legal measures put in place (Promotion of the Equality Act) acceptance and change within organisations has to be accelerated. The purpose of this study is to explore workplace discrimination against trainees within the Hotel and Catering industries. Workplace discrimination is against human rights and can become a legal violation of Labour laws. Although preventative policies are in place, this study would illuminate the extent to which discrimination occurs, how it has manifested itself, and how students would be affected by this discrimination.

This research focuses on the experiences of Africans within the management ranks in South African organisations in the private sector. It examines progress (successes and failures) in the implementation of affirmative action programmes. The research further examines power as a concomitant of the managerial role. It argues that the approach that uses the notion of socio-psychological barriers directed to the individual aspirant may be incomplete in explaining lack of mobility if it fails to account for the broader power dynamics and structures within South African organisations. Furthermore, it explores attributes of individual managers as well as those of organisations in order to establish the fit between the individual and the organisation, looks at practices that are often associated with affirmative action programmes and describes empirically the experiences of black managers in such settings. The research concludes that in the absence of programmes that enable aspirant executives to empower themselves psychologically for upward mobility, affirmative action programmes may not be sustainable. The underlying assumption of this research is that the historical legacy which subjected Africans to an official policy of discrimination for decades impeded their upward mobility in the labour market, thus enabling the white labour force to occupy a position of privilege in the private sector. In such settings white managers are confronted with the role of implementing affirmative action programmes which pose a threat to the privileges they have grown accumstomed to. White managers are thus perceived by their black counterparts as reluctant agents of change. The research is guided by the hypotheses that where blacks in managerial positions perceive themselves as being unable to influence organisational decisions, or as having no control over resources, people and information, they would feel that affirmative action is disempowering. To obtain the required information a structured interview schedule with both open ended and closed-ended questions was used. Questions tapped the perceptions of black managers regarding their empowerment in employing organisations. Face-to-face interviews with 100 black managers from the private sector were conducted by the author. The resultant data was captured on a computer data base and then subjected to various forms of statistical analyses. The main predictor of feelings of empowerment was found to be the manager's centrality in decision-making processes. It was also found that positive relationships with superiors and colleagues influenced feelings of empowerment, as did membership of corporate clubs. Job rank was positively related to relationships with superiors and colleagues. It was also found that affirmative action environments presented this group with some contradictions: they advanced much slower than their white colleagues, and supervised largely, or only blacks, and/or are in specialist positions with no budgetary control. Organisational climate factors (negative attitudes and unfair promotional practices) were still perceived to be in place. Educational qualifications were not found to be good predictors of empowerment. The findings suggest that affirmative action programmes need to take the heterogeneity of managers into account. Management must show that managing diversity is crucial to their productivity and competitiveness. It is also important for such programmes to examine the format of corporate clubs, and consider altering them to accommodate the social reality of black managers. Lastly, a fundamental transformation of power relations is necessary so that decision-makers operate from more or less the same level of power. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

This research focused on the legal response to the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The response adopted by the South African legislators embraces the protective model of the law. The philosophy underpinning this legislation is to engender respect for individuals and to promote human rights and in the context of HIV/AIDS, reduce the presence of stigmas and discrimination. Such an approach is commendable however in South Africa given the nature and extent of the crisis a more proactive legal response is required. Such a response is encapsulated within the empowerment model of legislation. The aim of this research was to demonstrate the need for such an approach in a work environment. In order to do so, a study of the Durban Metropolitan Unicity Municipality was undertaken. As a public institution such an entity is obliged to follow all employment laws and guidelines. This characteristic ensures that problems and advantages that arise regarding the implementation of protective legislation can be easily ascertained. The research was conducted by using a case study approach within a qualitative research methodology. The snowball method of sampling was relied on for obtaining respondents and the data collection technique adopted was interviewing specifically, semi-structured interviewing. Members of the Durban Metropolitan Unicity Municipality were interviewed on the primary aspects of its workplace policy on HIV/AlDS, which is based on the guiding principles of the protective employment laws of South Africa. The main findings of this research suggest that the protective model of legislation has not achieved a noteworthy level of success in the workplace of the Durban Metropolitan Unicity Municipality. This finding is derived from the Iow levels of awareness of employment legislation and the workplace policy, high incidence of discrimination prevalent and stigmas still attached to one's HIV/AlDS status, and general dissatisfaction with specific provisions of the workplace policy that are based on the principles of protective employment legislation. An alternative legal response was advocated namely, the empowerment model of legislation which is much more proactive in its application. This model of law focuses on the legal empowerment of people and is conducive to stimulating positive social changes. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.