PhD (Public Administration) / Department of Public and Development Administration / The study reviews and assess the impact of ethical leadership in promotion of good governance in the Limpopo Province in South Africa. Since the inception of the province in 1994, the provincial government witnessed an alarming statistics of unethical behaviour within its echelons. The media reports is frequently dominated by negative news of ethical transgression within the province’s public institutions. The reports on fraud and corruption scandals ranges from conflict of interests which manifest itself through payment of ghost workers, tardiness, weak institutions, lack of accountability and honesty by senior and subordinate public officials. In 2011, some of the provincial government’s departments were placed under “Administration”, meaning the control of province by the National Treasury. The placement of the departments under administration confirms the public perception that the province is engulfed by ethical challenges which result to poor governance of the province. The findings from the study confirm that although the province attempted to put strategies to minimise acts of unethical behaviour in the province, there is still a concern of ethical transgression that is ongoing and unabated. The study adopted the mixed methodology research design for data collection. The senior public managers and subordinate public officials were sampled as the population for the study. The aim is to assess the pivotal role that senior public managers as leaders play in fostering the organisational performance, hence good governance through modelling behaviour. The findings of the study assist to respond to the concern of why transgressions of ethical conduct occurs despite progressive legislative frameworks were introduced to promote good governance. The study recommended an Integrative Model of Ethical Leadership, which takes into account / NRF

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / Background: Doctors and nurses working in ICU are always confronted with ethical dilemmas when caring for critically ill patients no matter where they practice. The ethical dilemmas experienced by ICU nurses and doctors include amongst other: freedom of choice, truth telling, distribution of resources and confidentiality. Purpose: The study sought to explore the ethical dilemmas experienced by healthcare professionals working in ICU, Vhembe district in Limpopo province. Setting: The setting of the study was Tshilidzini hospital, Vhembe district in Limpopo Province Methodology: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design was used. The population was nurses and doctors working in ICU, Tshilidzini hospital, Vhembe district in Limpopo province. A purposive sampling was used to select the study sample, and the study hospital. Data was collected by means of Semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data was analyzed using Tesch`s method. Ethical considerations were adhered to. Findings: Participants expressed ethical dilemmas related to lack of resources, unsuitable infrastructure, hospital policies and patient`s decision making. Recommendations: The study recommends better policies by government and critical care societies to help guide resource allocation for ICU services. The number of ICU beds must be allocated according to the population it serves, in-service trainings to be conducted on regular bases in order to equip ICU health care professionals with knowledge of ethics and skills of decision-making, an active ethics committee to be elected to assist ICU practitioners when they encounter ethically challenging situation. / NRF

PhD (Public and Development Administration) / Department of Public and Development Administration / The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of unethical behaviour in the South African municipalities. Municipalities are responsible for providing services such as maintenance of local roads, refuse removals, water supply and sanitation, amongst others. However municipalities’ unethical behaviour have produced many disadvantages for themselves and the society at large. Effective and efficient service delivery is negatively affected by unethical behaviour resulting in the waste of government millions of rands each year, money that could have been spent on delivering services. The fact that there is unethical behaviour in municipalities can be interpreted as a total absence of ethical culture in the behaviour of municipal officials. Municipal officials are encouraged to uphold moral principles such as impartiality, accountability and trustworthy while performing their official duties. Given this background, the research project attempted to provide explanations for the patterns of unethical conduct and also pointed out strategies that could be employed to curb unethical behaviour in municipalities. For the purpose of this study, the researcher employed both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The researcher used purposive sampling to select respondents of the study. Two (2) instruments were used to collect data, namely, questionnaires and interviews. To analyse data, two types of data analysis were used. For data collected through questionnaires, the researcher used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences to analyse data. Data collected through interviews were analysed through the use of thematic analysis in the form of narrative. The study revealed specific unethical behaviour that were prevalent at Vhembe District Municipality. The study indicated that senior municipal officials must ensure that ethics initiatives systems and programmes should be put in place so that conducive ethical environment is created. The results indicated that despite challenges, employed strategies provided desired results. Specific solutions such improving employment practices and procurement activities were recommended that could improve ethical standards in the municipalities. / NRF

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Researchers in Social Sciences have generally encountered problems in ensuring data quality when dealing with topics that are regarded as sensitive. This thesis reports on an investigation into the methodology used for research projects around sensitive issues in education in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Data consists of twelve interviews with individual principals (each interview schedule containing semi-structured question items from ten categories) and a thirty-three item self-report questionnaire survey administered to one hundred and fifty principals drawn from two hundred and seventy two secondary schools over the course of an academic year (2002) and conducted in the Limpopo Province of South Africa .. Results reveal nine major categories of sensitive issues in school management on which principals have difficulty in providing information to researchers: school policy, school financial issues, moral or social relations issues, learner and educator disciplinary issues, working conditions, absenteeism, developmental appraisal, educator unions, and religious matters policy issues. Principals have also reported on the various reasons why they regard each of the aspects as sensitive, thereby making it difficult for them to provide information around. Of these, moral issues were considered the most sensitive. The major reasons given were: confidentiality, intrusion of privacy, fear oflegal sanction, threat to work and violation of the rights of the individual. Analysis of the different sensitive issues also show that certain biographical characteristics - age of the principal and years of experience as principal - are significant mediators in principals' perceptions of sensitive issues in school management. That is to say, these contribute to principals' assessment of their emotional, physical and psychological well-being. Sensitivity is a problem when collecting data for research purposes. It warrants the attention of all those involved in social science research. The findings in this study point to the issues in school management that are highly sensitive to provide information suggesting that data collected would therefore not be of a high quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menige navorsers in sosiale wetenskappe het oor die algemeen probleme teëgekom met die versekering van data kwaliteit in sensitiewe onderwerpe. Hierdie tesis raporteer oor 'n ondersoeke in die metodologie gebruik vir navorsing projekte rondom sensitiewe onderwerpe in onderwys in die Limpopo Provinsie in Suid-Afrika. Data bestaan uit twaalf onderhoude met individuele prinsipale (elke onderhoud se skedule bevat se gestruktureerde items van tien katagorieë) en 'n drie-en-dertig item (self-report) vraelys wat onder 150 prinsipale uitgedeel is, waarvan 272 sekondêre skole oor 'n tydperk van 'n akademiese jaar (2002) gebruik was in die Limpopo Provinsie van Suid Afrika. Die resultate toon nege hoof onderwerpe in skoolbestuur waar prinsipale dit moeilik vind om informasie aan navorsers te verskaf: skoolbeleid, finansiële onderwerpe, moraliteite of sosiale verhoudinge, leerder en onderwyser dissiplinêre onderwerpe, werkverhoudinge, afwesigheid, personeelontwikkeling, onderwysunies, en godsdienstige sake. Prinsipale raporteer om verskeie redes waarom hulle elk van die aspekte as sensitief beskou. Onder hierdie is morele sake as die sensitiefste geklasifiseer. Die hoofredes hiervoor is gegee as vertroulikheid, inbreuk van privaatheid, vrees vir wettige sanksies, dreigemente in die werk en skending van die regte van die indiwidueel. Analiese van die verskillende sensitiewe sake toon aan dat verskeie biografiese eienskappe - ouderdom van die prinsipaal - is oorsake in die prinsipaal se persepties in die prinsipaal se sake onder die skool se bestuur. Dit se met ander woorde bogenoemde dra by tot die prinsipaal se emosionele en fisiese geestelike toestand. Sensitifiteit is 'n probleem wanneer data vir navorsing doeleindes verkry word. Dit regverdig die aandag van die mense betrokke in sosiale wetenskap navorsing. Die bevinding in hierdie studie verwys na sake in skoolbestuur wat hoogssensitief is om informasie te voorsien, en stel voor dat die data verkry is nie van hoë standard is nie.

MCom (Human Resource Management) / Department of Human Resources Management and Labour Relations / The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between ethical leader behaviour and the five factors of personality in Vhembe District, South Africa. This research used a quantitative method. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a stratified random sample of n=202 participants. All categories from selected government departments of the Vhembe District were included in the strata meaning that junior and senior employees both participated. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used for descriptive and inferential statistics (Correlation and ANOVA) to determine relationships between ethical leadership and personality factors of agreeableness, consciousness, neuroticism, extroversion and openness to experience. The Personality Factor Scale was used to collect data on the five factors of personality, and the ethical Leaders Scale was used to collect data on the dependent variable of ethical leader behaviour. The findings of this study confirmed that out of the five factors of personality, consciousness had the most a positive significant relationship with ethical leader behaviour. Therefore, this study concludes that selected government departments of the Vhembe District should exhibit ethical leadership to their employees. The study also discovers that fairness, role clarifications and power sharing were the aspect of ethical leadership which is required in every leader to become ethical. / NRF

MAdmin / Department of Public and Development Administration / The main thrust of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Public Protector’s office in enhancing ethical conduct: The Case of Vhembe District Municipal Area. After the attainment of democracy in 1994, South Africa established the Public Protector’s office and other institutions to enhance ethical conduct within the public service. Despite the establishment of the Public Protector’s office, ethical challenges remained a big problem to achieve good governance and efficient service delivery to the masses of Vhembe. This study followed a mixed research methods and employed a descriptive case study design with explanatory features characterised by the sequential explanatory model strategy in which the collection and analysis of quantitative data was done, followed by the next phase of collecting and analysing qualitative data. Participants in this study were Public Protector’s officials, Mayors, Municipal Managers, Civic Organizations and the representatives of the private (tendering) companies found in Vhembe. The empirical data were collected through questionnaire and semi-structured interview schedule and analysed using SPSS and thematic (content) analysis. Data collection and analysis followed the objectives of the study as a framework. The major finding of the study is that the Public Protector’s office is not effective enough to enhance ethical conduct due to its inability and lack of constitutional powers to enforce adherence and compliance with its recommendations after conducting investigations. As a result, this renders the Public Protector’s office ineffective and unable to enhance ethical conduct effectively. The study therefore, recommends that the Public Protector’s office needs to be provided with sufficient resources as well as more constitutional powers to enable it to enforce implementation and compliance with its recommendations. / NRF

MAAS / Department of African Studies / This study analysed the consequences of the on-going transitional rites on youth morality in the Thulamela Municipality, South Africa, using a qualitative descriptive design. The participants were sampled using a non-random sampling procedure, specifically, a purposive sampling technique and snowball sampling technique. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data from the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) custodians, the parents of the youths and the youths until point of saturation. The analysis was performed using a thematic content method. With the emergence of themes and sub-themes, broad categories were generated to differentiate and explain the thoughts expressed by the various respondents and the observations made in the field. The study findings suggest that the on-going transitional rites is mark by weekend’s social activities with the practice of substance use and abuse among the youth’s in recreational spot. The transitional rites are structured under guise of “freaks” as an evolve culture among the youths. The freaks culture is a counterculture of the usual initiation’s schools for transitional rites of passage which instil morality among youths. The emerged findings comprehensively show that the on-going transitional rites effect inappropriate youth morality. This study concluded that the on-going transitional rites activities and practices evolved as a current socialization standard for quick maturity status, as a result of that, it will be harder to provide a complete change of this evolving culture. However, what will work is to build on the exciting transitional rites of passage to moderate appropriate youths’ morality in Thulamela communities. / NRF

MA (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / The use of social media has in the last decade become popular among students in Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). Social relationships and communications among students mostly take place on social networks. However, because of their growing popularity abuse is also increasing on these social media platforms. Female students are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and other forms of abuse on these platforms. This study explored the experiences of online sexual harassment among female students at a selected Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) in South Africa. This was to gain insights into the extent to which female students in institutions of Higher Learning are affected by this phenomenon. In particular, the study sought to find out the different forms of online sexual harassment experienced by female students in IHL, the specific types of online platforms where this sexual harassment take place, and the coping strategies employed by these students to cope with online sexual harassment. To address these objectives, the study adopted a qualitative exploratory design which allowed understanding of these experiences through the eyes of the victims. Twenty female participants were used for the study, while semi structured interviews were employed to collect data from these individuals. Purposive and critical case sampling technique was used to identify female students who had experienced sexual harassment online in the IHL. Findings reveal that sexual harassment at the IHL has occurred mostly in the form soliciting and sending of inappropriate pictures and videos to the victims. The study also revealed that the two main platforms on which sexual harassment of female students took place were WhatsApp and Facebook. While the main strategies of coping with online sexual harassment were blocking of harassers and complete disregard of the harassers. / NRF

PhD (African Studies) / Department of African Studies / Literature and media reports constantly show increased incidences of ill-discipline and lawlessness amongst the youth. These misdemeanours adversely affect communities and the behaviour of the youth as active, responsible and proactive members of the society and community members. Unfortunately, there are insufficient conversations about morality across social strata. The elders often seem disenfranchised by the popularity of the rights-based approach and modernity. In addition, communities are not proactive in coming up with initiatives that encourage on-going nyambedzano between the elders and the youth on issues around morals and discipline. Nyambedzano is a Venda concept that does not seem to have the exact English translation, so in this study I will use the concepts communication, conversation and dialogue interchangeably. Furthermore, there is a continuous blame game in the community about who should lead effective conversations that should buttress the development of responsible youth citizens. The purpose of this study was to explore the relevance of nyambedzano between the youth and elders about African morality among the youth. The study also aimed to investigate factors that were hindering nyambedzano to take place. I conducted qualitative appreciative focus group discussions with the elders and youth (who were in and out of school) that were purposively selected. Data was analysed thematically in relation to the stages of an Appreciative Inquiry approach. Findings revealed that nyambedzano between the elders and the youth about youth morality is relevant; however, its application is complicated by several factors which include the changing family structure, the changing parenting age, media and technology influences, a rightsbased approach to child rearing, and the denigration of cultural values at home, school and in the community. These findings were synthesised to develop a facilitative nyambedzano programme. Contrary to Vhavenda cultural practices, nyambedzano would have to be a two-way communication process between the elders and the youth. It would take place at different contexts, the home being the starting point. There would have to be some compromise between the rights- based contemporary approaches and traditional cultural ways of dealing with morality. This study makes methodological, empirical and theoretical contributions. An Appreciative Inquiry approach was applied to the Vhavenda ethnic group to explore the possibility of Nyambedzano between the youth and elders. The empirical contribution is that this study is the first to address nyambedzano as a process for promoting morality among the youth, within the context of the Tshivenda culture. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in the development of the facilitative nyambedzano programme that describes how nyambedzano between the elders and the youth should take place, taking into consideration the cultural values of the Vhavenda people. The recommendations are based on the creation of supportive parents, families, teachers, schools, churches, community members and policy makers. / NRF

PhD (Human Resource Management) / Department of Human Resource Management and Labour Relations / Globally, the economic, political and social environment is constantly changing, and this has posed various challenges for organisations in the world of work. South African universities have also not been spared from these changes as they are expected to meet international standards whilst operating in an environment where there are many changes in their work environment with regard to technology, language policy, decolonisation of the curriculum and globalisation. The dynamics in these aspects shape the organisational climate and psychological contracts of all institutions. Any changes in the organisational climate and psychological contracts may influence employee outcomes of organisational citizenship behaviour and intention to leave among employees. Therefore, this study responds to calls from previous studies on organisational climate and psychological contract research to investigate the role of moderators in their association with employee outcomes. There is an urgent demand for organisational leaders to practice ethical leadership and become trustworthy in order to inspire employees to exhibit organisational citizenship behaviour and reduce any intentions of leaving the organisation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between organisational climate, psychological contract breach and employee outcomes among university employees. It also further investigated the moderating roles of ethical leadership and trust on those relationships. Six objectives were developed based on the aims of the study. To answer the objectives of this study, the research followed cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach was adopted. A total of 202 employees were selected through stratified random sampling to participate in the study and a self- administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The sample was made up of both academic and administration staff working in the universities. Item analysis was conducted to check the reliability of the scales and all the scales obtained acceptable Cronbach alphas. To explore the factor structure of the scales, exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and poor items were removed until a xv clear and desirable factor solution was obtained. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate the data and all the goodness of fit indexes achieved the required level. In addition, the composite reliability and average variance extracted for all scales met the required level. Moderated multiple regression analysis was conducted to measure the moderator roles of ethical leadership and trust in the organisational climate, psychological contract breach and employee outcomes relationships. The results showed that ethical leadership moderated the relationship between organisational climate and organisational citizenship behaviour (Δ R² = .078, F(3,148) = 8.994. p <.001, β = .285, p < .001); and also the relationship between psychological contract breach and organisational citizenship behaviour (Δ R² = .056, F(3,148) = 7.373, β = -.247, p < .005). However, non-significant results were found when testing the moderating role of ethical leadership in the relationship between organisational climate and intention to leave (Δ R² =.000, F(3,148) = 6.275, β =.000, p >.005); and also in the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave (Δ R² = 0.03, F(3.148) = 12.878, β =.055, p > .05). In addition, the results also revealed that trust moderated the relationship between organisational climate and organisational citizenship behaviour (Δ R² =.030, F(3, 148) = 6.521, β =.175, p < .01); and also the relationship between psychological contract breach and organisational citizenship behaviour (Δ R² =.049, F(3.148) = 7.719, β = -.222, p < .001). However, non-significant results were also found in testing trust as moderator in the relationship between organisational climate and intention to leave (Δ R² =.001, F(3,148) = 10.373, β = -.022, p > .01); and also in the relationship between psychological contract breach and intention to leave (Δ R² = 014, F(3, 148) = 17.207, β =.120, , p > .05). The results provides sufficient evidence that organisational climate, psychological contract breach, ethical leadership, and trust can shape employee behavioural outcomes either positively or negatively. This study, therefore recommends that organisations should develop a strong and positive organisational climate in order to improve organisational citizenship xvi behaviour and reduce employees` intentions to leave the organisation. This is achievable with policies that speak to effective communication structure, job recognition, and career development paths. In addition, human resources managers are urged to prevent cases of psychological contract breach through providing employees with realistic overviews of the task to be performed and policy that can aid employees to air their grievances. The study further recommends the establishment of ethical corporate culture within the organisations through which only employees who meet the ethical standards of the organisation are promoted into leadership positions in order to improve the practice of organisational citizenship behaviour and in turn reduce employees` intention to leave the organisation. / NRF