Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African organisations, just as in other countries, are fighting to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. In this struggle, human resources have become the focus point of debate and intervention in organisations. The task-related competencies of employees have suddenly become central with regard to the performance of organisations. This new-found importance with which human resources have been labeled, also has a spill-over effect on the importance of the human resources function in organisations, especially the manager and leader thereof. The aim of this study is to shed light on the strategic partnership role that senior human resource managers currently play in South African organisations. Furthermore, a theoretical framework through which the concept of strategic partnership can be understood and explored, is introduced. The data was collected by utilising a survey and consisted of adapted versions of the Human Resources Role-assessment Survey (strategic partner), the Human Resources Competencies Scale as well as scales that measured the dimensions of strategic role motivation and strategic role opportunity. The results of this study showed that on average, the senior human resource (HR) managers in South Africa rated themselves significantly higher on the strategic partnership dimension than senior line managers rated them. Additionally, it seems that senior HR managers reported higher levels of professional competencies than of business-related competencies. A significant positive relationship exists between professional competencies and business-related competencies. There seems to be a significant positive relationship between strategic partnership and strategic role motivation as well as strategic partnership and strategic role opportunities within South African organisations. Conclusions are drawn from the results and recommendations are made for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: DIE ONTLUIKENDE ROL VAN DIE MENSLIKE HULPBRONBESTUURDER AS IN STRATEGIESE VENNOOT IN SUID-AFRIKAANSE ORGANISASIES Net soos in ander lande, veg Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies vir die verkryging van 'n kompeterende voordeeloor hul mededingers. In hierdie stryd het die menslike hulpbron die fokuspunt van debat en intervensies in organisasies geword. Die taak-verwante bevoegdhede van werknemers het skielik sentraal geword in die ontleding van die prestasie van organisasies. Hierdie nuutgevonde belangrikheid waarmee die menslike hulpbron geëtiketteer word, het gelei tot die toenemende belangrikheid van die menslike hulpbronfunksie in organisasies, en spesifiek die bestuurder en leier van hierdie funksie (menslike hulpbronbestuurder). Die doel met hierdie studie is om die strategiese vennootskapsrol van menslike hulpbronbestuurders in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies op te klaar. Verder word 'n teoretiese modelook ontwikkel waarmee die konsep van strategiese vennootskap beter verstaan en verder verken kan word. Die data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van 'n opname wat die vorm van 'n vraelys aangeneem het. Hierdie vraelys het bestaan uit aangepaste weergawes van die Menslike Hulpbron Rol-assesseringsopname (strategiese vennootskap), die Menslike Hulpbron Bevoegdheidskaal, sowel as vrae oor die dimensies van strategiese rolmotivering en strategiese rolgeleenthede. Die resultate van hierdie studie toon dat senior menslike hulpbronbestuurders in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies hulself gemiddeld beduidend hoër tellings toeken op die dimensie van strategiese vennootskap as senior lynbestuurders. Dit blyk dat senior menslike hulpbronbestuurders ook oor hoër vlakke van professionele bevoegdhede as besigheidsverwante bevoegdhede beskik. Daar bestaan In beduidende positiewe verband tussen professionele bevoegdhede en besigheidsverwante bevoegdhede. Daar blyk ook In beduidend positiewe verband tussen strategiese vennootskap en strategiese rolmotivering, sowel as strategiese vennootskap en strategiese rolgeleenthede in organisasies te wees. Op grond van hierdie resultate is daar bepaalde gevolgtrekkings gemaak asook aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing.

Leadership styles have been shown to have an impact on the success or failure of projects in organizations. Effective leadership is therefore required by organizations to ensure the successful delivery of projects. The study aimed at investigating the leadership styles utilized by women project managers in the Eskom Enterprise Division and possible barriers that prevent them from reaching top positions. The study utilized leadership theories as the theoretical framework and used the qualitative research approach. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 female project managers in Eskom Enterprise Division and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Certain leadership styles and characteristics were identified as being critical for successful project managers. The characteristics that these women project managers exhibit described qualities of transformational, democratic and people oriented leadership styles. The women project managers seem to be successful and there were a number of factors that contributed to their success. The female project managers did not believe that gender should determine their leadership style, but they believed that working as a project manager required certain leadership skills and competencies to meet the project’s objectives and the leadership style was not influenced by gender. Some of the barriers identified were: gender stereotyping, lack of qualifications, fear of not succeeding, family responsibilities and lack of networking skills and time. Most of the women believe that breaking some of the barriers requires that they should work twice as hard as their male counterparts, and that they should prove wrong the stereotype that men are better project managers. Furthermore, the findings show that Eskom has few women occupying top management positions. Eskom is still a male dominated environment even though initiatives for gender transformation exist. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / In conjunction with general previous experiences in the environment, the intrinsic self has an important influence on a career choice and a general career approach. The self-image which forms part of the personality and which on its part forms part of the intrinsic self, determines the pattern of a individual's general functioning in his environment. The study of the self-image ought to depict a persons psychological world of living. Vrey (1984, p.l0l) has found that a strong positive self-image is coupled with a greater need for and ability to greater success. A favourable self-actualisation is coupled to less fear and tension and can be associated with self-actualisation to a greater extent. Contradictions to mentioned statements are accentuated when specifically referring to the middle ages during which the once self-assured and selfaccepting manager is now characterised by a negative self-respect as well as a tendency towards self-rejection which leads to a radical change Ln behaviour. The negative self-image which a middle aged manager has of himself, is in most cases the result of changes in physical attraction, changes in role and life structure adjustments. This then is also the main reason for withdrawal from competition in the work situation. In this study the purpose is to determine whether middle aged managers with a positive self-image experience a greater degree of occupational adjustment than middle aged managers with a negative self-image. The sample consists of 132 males in the age group of 35 - 55 years who all occupy managerial positions within the same organisation. Vrey's (1974) self-concept questionnaire was used, as this measuring instrument was developed and standardised in South Africa. Comparable data is thus available. Based on the literature study, 24 items were formulated which will determine whether a person is occupationally adjusted or not.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Wits Business School, Johannesburg February 2017 / This research was conducted to explore the career experiences and career transitions of African women Chartered Accountants in the South African business environment where employment equity of race groups is sought. The international pursuit of gender transformation at the executive level, together with the South African employment equity targets, makes professional African women a key group for employers. Their lived experiences and career transitions challenges were the focus of this study. Qualitative research was deemed the most suitable approach to obtain depth of understanding of an area that has not previously been researched. Semi-structured interviews provided insight to participants who experienced transitions within professional services firms (PSF), returned to PSF, and transitioned out of PSF to other corporates. Since career transitions of this group of professionals did not appear in the literature, a theoretical framework of related literature was derived, which informed the development of a semi-structured interview guide. Sixteen interviews were conducted with participants from South Africa’s Gauteng province. Participants fell into four groups: those who remained in PSF, those who returned to PSF after having left, those who left and were at a managerial level, and finally, those who had left and were at executive levels. Interviews, with permission of the participants, were recorded, transcribed and analysed using ATLAS.ti software. The analysis resulted in 145 codes, 23 categories and 10 themes. The increase in black women professionals in organisations is slower than would have been expected, with monitoring emphasis placed on overall racial transformation rather than gender-specific change. This research found that African women CAs experienced being regularly targeted by recruiters and employers for positions. Participant career transitions were found to be impacted by South Africa’s employment equity legislation, resulting in career fast-tracking initiatives and being targeted as new hires by organisations. Participants’ lived experiences highlighted that their first transition into the work environment established a basis for comparison when experiencing subsequent transitions. Career transition challenges experienced include racial tensions resulting from perceived fast-tracking, organisational unpreparedness in assisting newcomers, and a lack of role models and structured support. Tenure is impacted by ineffective transition experiences. Organisations lack sufficient programmes to cater to the unique challenges faced in these career transitions. Thus, coaching is proposed as a suitable intervention. Family backgrounds, role models and other significant networks are not generally available as support resulting in a need for coaching. Based on different types of transitions identified in the study, a model was developed to guide business coaches in assisting future clients in preparing for transitions, going through career transitions, as well as establishing themselves within new organisations. Further research should take in a wider sample, as this study was limited to participants within Gauteng. Studies focussing on other professions such, as the legal, medical and engineering profession, are recommended to establish the lived experiences of African women’s career transitions. / MT2017

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looked at the ethical and normative degeneration of the South African managers. A wide variety of factors word researched and several were found to impact the manager in this process of degeneration. The impact of the personal qualities of the individual were studied and also the impact of different management styles. Different leadership styles were described and the impact on the ethical management was researched. The organisational culture and the effect of the experience of the work environment were studied. Environment factors like the influence of the church, different ethical frameworks and the effect of capitalism and materialism were applied to the ethical and normative management process. The dichotomy and schizophrenic between the theory and the policies of normative management and the practices and operational management were postulated. A future perspective was defined and the principles of the process of change in organisations for the current timeframe were formulated. A very definitive shift were found in organisations to a paradigm were the focus is placed on relationships and integrity in these relationships. These relationships include all the different levels of relationships. It includes inter- and intra relationships of the manager. It includes the core relationship between the organisation and its employees. It also includes the relationship between the organisation and the society and the ecology. There is a shift away from success driven careers to a total life of significance. Within this lifestyle the focus are on balance between the working environment, personal life and family life. The leaders that succeed in making these changes in their personal lives and also their organisations are the truly visionary leaders. There are however a pattern of destructive ethical and normative degeneration amongst and especially South African managers present. This pattern is to the detriment of the organisations where these managers currently work. Managers and leaders in South Africa show an increasing lack of vision and motivation. The organisations that don't make the necessary changes and develop strategies and intervention processes will lose their leadership and managers to organisations that realised this vision. There are so many factors playing a role in this process, that a simplistic program for intervention will be unsuccessful. To successfully manage this intervention process in an organisation, the facilitator or change agent will need a proper insight into the different processes and will need process facilitation skills. Very few managers however got the ability or skills for this process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is gekyk na die etiese en normatiewe degenerasie van die Suid Afrikaanse bestuurder. 'n Verskeidenheid van faktore is gevind wat die bestuurder impakteer in hierdie proses. Daar is gekyk na die individu as persoon, as bestuurder met die impak van verskillende bestuurstyle, die impak van leierskap en leierskapstyle. Die impak van die organisasie kultuur, asook die belewing van die werksmilieu is ondersoek. Omgewingsfaktore soos die invloed van die kerk, verskillende etiese raamwerke en ook die effek van kapitalisme en materialisme is gestel teen die agtergrond van etiese en normatiewe bestuur. Die digotomie en skisofrenie tussen die teorie en beleid van normatiewe bestuur is gestel teenoor die operasionele bestuur en belewing van die praktyk. 'n Toekoms perspektief is ook gepostuleer en die tendense van verandering wat vandag in organisasie ontwikkel moet word, is geformuleer. Daar is 'n definitiewe verskuiwing in die besigheidswêreld na organisasies wat meer gefokus is op verhoudings en integriteit in hierdie verhoudings. Hierdie verhoudings omsluit al die verskillende vlakke van verhoudings. Dit sluit die intra- en inter persoonlike verhoudings van die bestuurder in. Dit sluit die verhouding tussen die organisasie en die werknemers in. Ook dié tussen die organisasie en die samelewing, sowel as met die ekologie, in. Daar is ook 'n verskuiwing wat plaasvind weg van sukses gedrewe loopbane na 'n totale lewenswyse wat sentreer rondom betekenis. Binne hierdie lewenswyse val die klem op sin en betekenis en moet daar 'n balans tussen die werk en die persoonlike en gesinslewe van die persoon wees. Dit is ook duidelik dat leiers wat hierdie skuiwe in hulle eie persoonlike lewens en in hul organisasies maak, werklike visionêre leiers is. Daar is ook onder die meerderheid van bestuurders (veral in Suid Afrika) 'n destruktiewe patroon van etiese en normatiewe degenerasie teenwoordig, wat tot groot nadeel van hul organisasies gaan strek. Daar is toenemend 'n gebrek aan visie en dus ook motivering. Organisasies wat nie doelbewuste strategieë en intervensies in plek gaan stel om hierdie verskuiwinge te bewerkstellig nie, gaan hul leierskap afstaan aan organisasies wat hierdie verskuiwinge gemaak het. Uit die studie blyk dit ook duidelik dat daar so 'n wye veld van faktore is wat 'n rol speel in hierdie proses, dat dit moeilik is om 'n simplistiese program van intervensies te formuleer. Om hierdie organisasie veranderinge suksesvol te bestuur, is begrip van die prosesse betrokke en proses fasilitering vaardighede nodig. Min bestuurders het egter hierdie insig en vaardighede.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Masters (Industrial/ Organisational Psychology) in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. March, 2016 / This study investigated whether the lifestyle behaviours and psychological well-being of women executives and managers predicted their ten-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The sample of South African women executives and managers work in a variety of industries in the cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The study sought to determine the predictability of the women executives and managers’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease through examining their level of alcohol consumption, level of physical exercise and the nutritional and dietary choices that they made as well as their level of depression, anxiety and stress. The data was gathered through an executive health and wellness programme and logistic regression and Chi-squared tests of association were used in conducting the analyses. The results suggested that the level of alcohol consumption and the nutritional and dietary choices made were predictive of the individual’s ten-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the level of anxiety was found to be associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The results suggest that both individuals and organisations should prioritise the changing of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, specifically excessive alcohol consumption and daily dietary choices, in order to lower their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. / MT2017

See the attached abstract below

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) December 2015 / The notion of women empowerment in South Africa is steadily gaining momentum and recognition. The country has dedicated the month of August as “womens’ month” and the increased visibility of women in parliament are some of the gains made by government. However, it remains unclear what happens in the other spheres of government regarding the promotion of women and their development. This study examined the local government context by exploring the leadership development of women. The focus of this study was on the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality. The City of Johannesburg states that its mission is to be a “World Class African City of the Future”. Human capital and leadership therefore becomes imperative in attaining the mission and delivering effective and efficient services to the citizens of the City of Johannesburg. This study is aimed at exploring the leadership development of women in the City of Johannesburg. The focus of the study was on their development into leadership roles. A qualitative research was carried out and data were collected using semi-structured interviews and documents as secondary data. This study revealed that there was relatively good representation of women in the Members of the Mayoral Committee: there was a 50/50 gender split within the committee. However, there was a low presentation of women in other levels. Nevertheless, the focus of the study was not entirely quantitative but it was also qualitative in relation to the development of women into leadership roles. The study found that there was leadership development of employees where women were given preference over their male counterparts with regard to the intake on the programmes. Apart from the programmes held at Wits Business School, there was nothing internally which was focused on the development of women in leadership structures. This highlighted the fact that the City needed to do more in developing women. Despite this knowledge, this study revealed that policies in the City when effectively used can help in the development of women into leadership roles. This study provided recommendations that deliberate efforts should be made in developing women. The current policies in the City should be incorporated and there should be a clear strategy and targets set out regarding the development of women. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / “The obligation for working-mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one did not have a job.” – Annabel Crabb, Author of The Wife Drought Women play a vital role in organisations, yet world-wide remain under-represented in key leadership positions. South Africa is no different. In addition, research indicates that professional women are ‘opting-out’ of the talent pipeline, further reducing the pool of women available to step in to senior leadership roles. Becoming a mother is life-changing, and when combined with a desire for a fulfilling career, role-conflict can occur. The guilt which accompanies role-conflict can often be overwhelming and may lead to professional women exiting organisations, taking with them valuable industry knowledge and expertise. Hence, retaining female talent is increasingly becoming a business imperative. This study aims to contribute to the field of Business Coaching by researching Maternity ‘Transition’ Coaching in an organisational context. As such, the study explored four research questions aimed at providing a systemic view of the experiences of professional women during the maternity transition period, the line manager’s role during this period, the influence of organisational culture on working-mothers, and the emergence of maternity transition coaching as a support mechanism in organisations. Following a detailed review of the literature, the research methodology of a qualitative, multiple-case study approach was selected. Two organisations (cases) were researched using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 15 respondents, as the primary sources of data collection. The research was further supported by an analysis of secondary data, both of which allowed for a full investigation of the research questions. The key findings indicated that maternity transition coaching is a strategic necessity for organisations wishing to attract and retain female talent in the 21st Century. Transitional theory along with an understanding of life and career stages are important aspects of this genre of coaching. Coaching increased support at critical transition points, leading to the retention of the professional women in the study along with a more seamless re-integration with their careers. Further, it surfaced that line managers play a critical role in a successful maternity transition, and as such also require support. It was further concluded that a family-friendly organisational culture is an enabler to a successful maternity transition. Maternity transition coaching therefore supports professional women in their desire for a satisfying career and work-life integration. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management by Research (MMR). Johannesburg, October 2016 / The plight of the female manager as a result of gender inequality has been thoroughly documented within academic research. A well-known metaphor of this inequality is the “glass-ceiling”, a phenomenon where a female manager’s career is stymied by an invisible barrier. While the barrier takes on the characteristics of glass by being subtle, women can observe positions, but are unable to attain them because of gender discrimination. The research objective was to examine career strategies to overcome the “glass-ceiling” challenges. This empirical project contributes to the literature on gender in management by introducing a novel theory, marketing mix, when understanding the idea of a career strategy. A theoretical contribution has also been made to marketing theory in that it has been expanded by being applied to individuals, which is an unusual sample as the majority of studies on this theory have been largely conducted on organisations. A qualitative research methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 female managers participating in a leadership development programme from a State Owned Company (SOC). Key results were consistent that strategies of overcoming the “glass-ceiling” were the importance of having a professional persona, negotiating remuneration, benefits of belonging to informal networks, and the benefits of having a mentor. The researcher found that female mangers apply career strategies in order to succeed; however, these tactics were applied in silos and not holistically. These behaviours then became ineffective / GR2018