The Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 forms part of the transformation legislation aimed at promoting equity and eliminating discriminatory and unfair treatment in the workplace. This Act was promulgated more than ten years ago, and its positive impact has to be measured in terms of its contribution to the conduciveness of the work environment. The aim of this study is to enhance measures for effective implementation of an Employment Equity Programme (EEP) in the Public Service, with specific reference to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The ultimate aim is to identify Employment Equity (EE) measures that will benefit management and employees in enhancing individual performance and productivity. The study focuses on perceptions of employees on how they perceive EEP. As the study progressed it became equally important to determine the alignment and contribution of EEP on Departmental strategic objectives. The results and recommendations will be shared with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development with a view to ensuring that its EEP is aligned to its strategic objectives, and adds value to service delivery. / Public Administration & Management / M.P.A.

M. Tech. Strategic Communication / The aim of this research is to analyse the perceived effectiveness of communication with visually impaired employees in the South African workplace. Moores (2002) model of social information needs of communication was used as a framewrok for the research.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since 1994 South Africa has undergone numerous social and political transformations. Transformation in this country has different meanings for different people, depending on the individuals perspective. The process of transformation has been slow for some, particularly those people who are eager to break away from a past, which has denied them basic individual rights. For others transformation has been too fast and thus a threat to their status quo. In view of this, transformation must be embraced by all through the realisation and admission that the apartheid era was inherently unfair to sections of the population and change must therefore be regarded as the levelling of the playing field. This study focuses on the generation of inequality, the uprooting of this evil and the implementation of equity. In addition, this study particularly focuses on how equity can be implemented in the workplace, why it is important to do so and what are the possible barriers to successful implementation. I will consider some of the theories that may be useful in initiating change. Finally, I will discuss the merits of the Employment Equity Act as legislation to enforce equity in the workplace. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vanaf 1994, het Suid Afrika verskillende sosiale en politieke veranderings ondergaan. Hierdie veraderings het verskillende betekenis vir verskillende mense, afhangend van die individuele se insig. Die proses van veranderings was te stadig vir sommige persone, veral diegene wie angstig was om weg te breek van die verlede, wat hulle ontneem het van hulle basiese individuele regte. Vir andere was die veraderings veels te vinning en was meer 'n bedreiging vir hulle onveranderlike hoë belangrike posisies. Met hierdie faktor insig, moet veranderings omhels word deur almal se opregte beseffing en erkenning dat die apartheid jare se alleen regte vir die een groep baie onregverdig was teenoor die ander groepe, dus moet veranderings aanvaar word as gelykmaking van alle onreelmatinghede. Hierdie studie is die fokus gerig op die jare van vasgevangheid in onregverdigheid en dat hierdie ongeregtigheid kan ontwortel word met die aanbeveling of vervangs van geregtigheid. Die fokus lê veral klem op hoe om gelyke regte by die werksplekke toe te pas.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Until very recent people with disabilities in South Africa were an overlooked and under-utilised pool of labour. Disabled people have been denied the chance to participate in employment opportunities by becoming economically active and hence contributing towards the economy of the country. This is because employers were seldom or never exposed to the employment of disabled people in the open labour market. The result is that employers are uninformed about the benefits of recruiting disabled candidates. Since the establishment of a new democratic order in South Africa in 1994, new legislation that protects the rights of disabled people was implemented. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (No 108 of 1996), the Labour Relations Act (No 66 of 1995) and the Employment Equity Act (No 55 of 1998) for the first time proclaimed that it is unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities. The Employment Equity Act (No 55 of 1998) encourages employers to employ persons from designated groups. These designated groups are black people, women and people with disabilities. To enable employers to successfully recruit disabled people in the open labour market, existing recruitment and selection procedures should be reviewed to remove any discriminatory elements. It is during the recruitment and selection process that the disabled applicant are either denied access to employment or not given a fair chance to compete for a position. Currently the Employment Equity Act (No 55 of 1998) only mentions the terms "people with disabilities" and "reasonable accommodation". This Act does not provide guidelines for employers on how to go about recruiting and employing disabled candidates. Therefore the aim of the study is to present practical guidelines regarding the employment of people with disabilities. These guidelines describe in a non-discriminatory manner the recruitment and selection process, such as reviewing job descriptions, the advertisement of positions, interpreting the disabled candidates' curriculum vitae and interviewing the disabled applicant. The idea of reasonable accommodation within the workplace highlights the use and benefits of assistive devices for disabled persons so that the essential functions of a job can be performed. Exploratory-descriptive research was done with the assistance of questionnaires as an instrument for data collection. To meet the aims of this study, an availability sample of 20 businesses (small, medium and large businesses) which also included government departments in the Cape Metropolitan area was selected. The opinions and attitudes of human resources staff and business owners concerning the recruitment of physically disabled people, persons with hearing impairments, persons with visual impairments and persons suffering from epilepsy, were determined. The research findings reflected and discussed in this study indicate that employers do not have recruitment and selection guidelines available to recruit persons with different disabilities successfully. Conclusions and recommendations are made regarding the knowledge and opinions of employers recruiting people with disabilities. The use of recruitment and selection guidelines will benefit both the employer and the disabled candidate. Such guidelines will enable employers to recruit disabled persons in a fair and consistent manner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tot onlangs was persone met gestremdhede in Suid Afrika onderbenut in die arbeidsmag. Gestremde persone is verhoed om deel te neem aan werksgeleenthede en kon dus nie aktiewe bydraes lewer tot die ekonomie van die land nie. Die rede hiervoor is omdat werkgewers selde of nooit blootgestel is aan die indiensneming van gestremde persone in die ope arbeidsmark nie. Die gevolg is dat werkgewers onkundig en oningelig is oor die voordele wat die indiensneming van persone met gestremdhede bied. Sedert die ontstaan van 'n nuwe demokratiese bedeling in 1994, is nuwe wetgewing daargestel wat die regte van persone met gestremdhede beskerm. Die Konstitusie van die Republiek van Suid Afrika (Nr 108 van 1996), die nuwe Arbeidswet (Nr 66 van 1995) en die Gelyke Indiensnemingwet (Nr 55 van 1998) het vir die eerste keer verklaar dat dit onwettig is om te diskrimineer teen gestremde persone. Die Gelyke Indiensnemingswet (Nr 55 van 1995) moedig werkgewers aan om persone van agtergeblewe groepe in diens te neem. Hierdie agtergeblewe groepe sluit in swart persone, vroue en persone met gestremdhede. Om werkgewers in staat te stel om persone met gestremdhede suksesvol te werf, behoort huidige werwings- en keuringsprosedures hersien te word ten einde diskriminerende faktore te elirnineer. Dit is tydens die keuringsproses dat persone met gestremdhede of verhoed word, of die regverdige kans gegun word om te kompeteer vir 'n betrekking. Die Gelyke Indiensnemingswet (Nr 55 van 1998) noem slegs die terme "persone met gestremdhede" en "redelike voorsorg". Hierdie wet verskaf nie riglyne aan werkgewers oor hoe om werwing en keuring van persone met gestremdhede te behartig nie. Die doelwit van die studie is dus om praktiese riglyne aangaande aanstelling van persone met gestremdhede daar te stel. Hierdie riglyne beskryf die wyse van werwing en keuring op 'n niediskriminerende wyse, soos die hersiening van posbeskrywings, advertensies van betrekkings, die interpretering van gestremde persone se curriculum vitae en die voer van onderhoude met gestremde applikante. Redelike voorsorg beklemtoon die gebruik en voordele van hulpmiddels vir persone met gestremdhede sodat die essensiele werksfunksies verrig kan word. Verkennende beskrywende navorsing is gedoen met behulp van vraelyste om inligting te bekom. Vir die doelwitte van hierdie studie is 'n beskikbaarheidsmonster van 20 besighede (klein, medium en groot besighede), wat regeringsdepartemente ingesluit het in die Kaapse Metropolitaanse gebied gekies. Die menings en opinies van menslike hulpbronne personeel, en besigheidseienaars rakende die werwing van persone met fisiese gestremdhede, persone met gehoorgestremdhede, persone met gesigsgestremdhede asook persone wat aan epilepsie Iy, is vasgestel. Die navorsingresultate van hierdie studie dui aan dat werkgewers tans nie werwings- en keuringsriglyne benut wanneer persone met gestremdhede in diens geneem word nie. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings oor die menings van werkgewers rakende die werwing van gestremde persone, is gemaak. Die gebruik van werwings en keuringsriglyne behoort beide die werkgewer en die gestremde kandidaat te bevoordeel. Hierdie riglyne sal werkgewers in staat stel om persone met gestremdhede op 'n regverdige en eenvormige wyse aan te stel.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the concurrent validity of learning potential and psychomotor ability measures for the prediction of haul truck operator (N=128) performance in an open-pit mine. Specific aims were to determine the nature of the relationship between learning potential and psychomotor ability; whether there are higher order cognitive or psychomotor factors present in the combined use of the TRAM 1 and Vienna Test System measures; and the relative contribution of learning potential and psychomotor ability in the prediction of haul truck operator performance. The validity of learning potential and psychomotor ability measures was partially supported. A positive correlation between general (cognitive) ability (g) and psychomotor ability was reported. Factor analysis provided relatively consistent evidence for a general (cognitive) ability factor (g) underlying performance on all measures. The relative contribution of learning potential and psychomotor ability in the prediction of performance could not be established. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 forms part of the transformation legislation aimed at promoting equity and eliminating discriminatory and unfair treatment in the workplace. This Act was promulgated more than ten years ago, and its positive impact has to be measured in terms of its contribution to the conduciveness of the work environment. The aim of this study is to enhance measures for effective implementation of an Employment Equity Programme (EEP) in the Public Service, with specific reference to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The ultimate aim is to identify Employment Equity (EE) measures that will benefit management and employees in enhancing individual performance and productivity. The study focuses on perceptions of employees on how they perceive EEP. As the study progressed it became equally important to determine the alignment and contribution of EEP on Departmental strategic objectives. The results and recommendations will be shared with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development with a view to ensuring that its EEP is aligned to its strategic objectives, and adds value to service delivery. / Public Administration and Management / M.P.A.

M. Tech. (Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / This study noted the implications of the absence of a strategic framework to manage the career mobility of employees with disabilities in the Gauteng-based, state-owned enterprise (SOE). In response to the limited research on career mobility of employees with disabilities (EwDs), the study aimed to investigate EwDs understanding of the phenomenon, identify its enablers and inhibitors, as well as propose a strategic framework for managing it. The study is significant for the inclusion of EwDs and contributing to employers achieving employment equity targets, as required of them by the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998). In order to achieve the study’s objectives, an exploratory design was employed by conducting individual interviews with five purposively selected participants on junior management levels. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed and piloted with two champions who represent the interests of EwDs in disability forums within the SOE. Given the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the researcher collected the data online via Microsoft Teams (MS Teams). The data were analysed manually for emerging themes using Braun and Clarke’s six steps of data analysis. The study found that career mobility was understood by participants to include promotion (job change), succession planning and gainful employment supported by opportunities for skills transfer and reasonable accommodation. Factors identified as enablers of career mobility are training and career development, disability awareness and sensitisation, reasonable accommodation, social networks and benchmarking. Those factors perceived as inhibiting career mobility are mind-set, inaccessible training, lack of confidence and poor succession planning. Through conversations with the participants, the researcher identified critical components for the development of a strategic framework to enhance career mobility for EwDs as organisational diagnostics (input factor), enabling policies and support systems (process factors) and inclusion and career mobility evident in employment equity targets being met (outcomes) to manage career mobility of EwDs in the workplace. The main limitations of the study are that the results cannot be generalised to other settings without validation of the proposed strategic framework due to the sample size involved. It is recommended that future studies consider sensitivity regarding the prevailing circumstances around research during periods of pandemics and the use of language in the field of disability research. It is further recommended that employers consider implementing benchmarked disability awareness and sensitisation programmes to create a conducive environment for EwDs to achieve career mobility in the workplace. Lastly, employers should develop and implement programmes that will enhance mental health and well-being of EwDs and consider the establishment of empowered disability forums.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relevance of employment equity has been widely debated. This study is of the view that affirmative action is the core factor in realising compliance to and implementation of employment equity. The study was aimed at investigating why Tygerberg Hospital has not complied with the implementation of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) No 55 of 1998 specifically with regards to the field of Dietetics. Research questions have been formulated, relying on literature which includes guiding legislation and policies. Recruitment and selection processes applicable to the dietetic department were analysed and linked with the consulted literature. Role of transformation in transforming the institution was part of the study to ascertain the scope of transformation in managing diversity within Tygerberg Hospital. A combination of data collection tools was used in the study, including interviews and questionnaires to better understand the underlying reasons of non-compliance. The fundamental findings of the study showed that even though policies and legislation had been formulated, there are underlying issues to be addressed by the institution, such as language barriers and personal perceptions of the institution which could subsequently be improved through effective diversity management strategies. It is recommended that the institution will have to come up with a short-term, measurable plan to ensure compliance such as an institutional employment equity plan, appointment of a transformational officer who will focus on managing the institutional diversity management, and an internal capacity building unit to carry out institutional training and development as opposed to the current system. To ensure monitoring and evaluation compliance on employment equity, it is recommended that the responsibility be linked to the performance plan of the senior managers as well as the line manager of the dietetic department. By so doing failure to comply will result in a poor performance assessment outcome of the delegated authority, compliance enforced through departmental disciplinary procedures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toepaslikheid van billike indiensneming is al wyd gedebatteer. Hierdie studie is die mening toegedaan dat regstellende aksie die kern faktor is om nakoming van en die implementering van billike indiensneming te bereik. Die studie was daarop gemik om ondersoek in te stel waarom Tygerberg Hospitaal nie voldoen het aan die implementering van die Indiensneming Gelykheids Wet No 55 van 1998 nie, spesifiek met betrekking tot die veld van Dieetkunde. Vrae in die navorsing was geformuleer, gebasseer op literature wat rigtinggewende wetgewing en beleid insluit. Werwing en seleksie prosesse van toepassing in die Dieetkunde Departement was ontleed en gekoppel aan die toepaslike literatuur. Die rol van transformasie in die transformering van die inrigting het deel uitgemaak van die studie om die omvang van transformasie te bepaal, rakende die bestuur van diversiteit binne Tygerberg Hospitaal. ‘n Kombinasie van data versameling metodes was in die studie gebruik. Dit het onderhoude en vraelyste ingesluit om die onderliggende redes vir nie-nakoming te verstaan. Die fundamentele bevindinge van die studie het getoon dat ongeag die feit dat beleid en wetgewing geformuleer was, daar onderliggende aspekte was wat by die inrigting aangespreek moet word, soos taal-hindernisse en persoonlike persepsie oor die inrigting en wat gevolglik verbeter kan word by wyse van ‘n effektiewe uiteenlopende bestuursstrategie. Dit word aanbeveel dat die inrigting navore moet kom met ‘n kort-termyn en meetbare plan ter versekering van ‘n institusionele billikheidsindiensneming plan, die indiensneming van ‘n Transformasie Beampte wat sal fokus op bestuur van die inrigting se diversiteit en ‘n interne eenheid om die vermoë van die inrigting se opleiding en ontwikkeling uit te voer in teenstelling met die huidige sisteem. Om monitoring en evaluasie van billike indiensneming te verseker, word dit aanbeveel dat dié verantwoordelikheid gekoppel word aan die werkverrigtingsplan van Senior Bestuurders asook dié van Lynbestuurders van die Dieetkundige Departement. Mislukking om hieraan te voldoen sal lei tot ‘n swak werkverrigting evaluering resultaat van die aangewese outoriteit. Voldoening hieraan sal afgedwing moet word deur departementele dissiplinêre prosedures.