Thesis (M. Admin) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

Thesis (MCur (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / One of the greatest challenges in the world today is fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Life expectancy in developing countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, decreased to 46 years while in developed countries the average life expectancy is 78 years. World Health Organisation(WHO) indicates that HIV/AIDS, now the world's leading cause of death in adults aged 15 to 59 years, is killing almost 5 000 men and women in this age group, and almost 1 000 of their children, every 24 hours in sub- Saharan Africa. In South Africa today, employees operate in an increasingly complex legal environment with regard to HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Despite the legal protection against employees affected by HI/AIDS and vigorous campaigns to combat HIV/AIDS in support of affected employees, the researcher has observed that management and co-workers show no compassion, empathy or understanding for the needs of these affected employees. An in-depth literature review of quality of life was completed. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the quality of life of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS is adversely affected. The following objectives were set: • To determine the family history of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS • To determine occupational history of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS • To determine the symptoms of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS • To determine the effectiveness of the anti-retroviral treatment programme of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS A descriptive qualitative research design using the case study method was applied to investigate whether the quality of life of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS was adversely affected. The population of this study were HIV/AIDS-affected employees working at a food and beverage company. Ten employees who gave consent participated in the study. The trustworthiness of this study was assured with the use of Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. A pre-test study was also completed. All ethical principles were met. Data was collected through an interview using an interview guide designed for use in a semi-structured interview. Data analysed show that the basic needs of the employee affected by HIV/AIDS are not adequately met and that the employee therefore does not experience quality of life. Recommendations include the improvement in public–private partnerships; in-service training and continuous refresher courses for all employees, supervisors and management; employee assistance programmes; involvement of church and communities; support circle; holistic approach in nursing care and further research. The findings play a role in understanding the importance of remaining at work for as long as possible when one is affected by HIV/AIDS. The findings of this study further validate the concepts in basic needs and that QOL is perceived differently by each individual.

The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes of approaches used to mitigate the negative impacts of HIV and AIDS at workplaces in Lesotho using Thetsane Industrial Area as a case study. Garment industries in Lesotho are faced with a serious threat due to the HIV and AIDS prevalence in the country. A huge number of the labour force is leaving firms due to increased morbidity and mortality associated with HIV and AIDS. In view of this, this study investigated approaches used in managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace. In order to optimize the accuracy of the research results, a triangulation research method was utilized. The results indicate production levels to have improved since the advent of the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA). The findings suggest ALAFA to have taken over the responsibility of HIV and AIDS prevention and management, especially in the garment industries, providing HIV and AIDS victims with all the necessary services needed to keep HIV and AIDS under control. These findings therefore suggest overdependence on ALAFA by the garment industries for HIV and AIDS management. The findings also imply that garment industries had no resources in the form of human capital specializing in the knowledge of HIV and AIDS management from the individual garment industries. Despite the fact that HIV and AIDS still spreads at an alarming rate, the larger implications of this research’s findings, especially relating to the serious challenge faced by the garment industries of losing their labour force to HIV and AIDS, is that the pandemic has lately become manageable given that there are now ARVs and ART to be used as treatment by HIV and AIDS victims. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

No abstract available / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

The purpose of this research was to explore HIV/AIDS stigma in the workplace, with a special focus on the stigmatised. The sample consisted of 10 HIV/AIDS positive employees. A qualitative interview schedule was designed. The interview guide was used to facilitate one-on-one interviews with each participant. An analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the participants were shunned by family, friends and partners. Others were too ashamed or afraid to reveal their positive status. The majority of the participants did not feel comfortable revealing their positive status to their line managers and to their co-workers. All participants felt that others viewed people living with HIV/AIDS as dirty and unclean and many had been exposed to stigmatising behaviours towards them due to their HIV/AIDS positive status. As a coping mechanism, most participants noted that they would walk away if stigmatised against. Recommendations were made to address HIV/AIDS stigma in the workplace. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. A. (Industrial and Organisation Psychology)

Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / HIV/AIDS has emerged as one of the biggest epidemics in modern human history, and is perhaps the most researched and written about epidemic. Southern Africa is at the epicentre of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, with almost one third of the world’s HIVpositive population living here. HIV is known to affect predominantly vulnerable populations; thus it is surprising that persons with disabilities have been largely overlooked. Little is known about how HIV/AIDS affects persons with disabilities in South Africa. This dissertation, therefore, aims to explore the extent to which organizations and schools working with persons with disabilities are dealing with HIV/AIDS, and how they are dealing with it. The study made use of an integration of quantitative and qualitative research methods. An existing survey questionnaire used in the World Bank/Yale University Global Survey on HIV/AIDS and Disability was used, with permission, as the survey instrument in a national survey of disability organizations and special needs (LSEN) schools in South Africa. The survey was distributed by post and email to 601 organizations and schools across the country, in all nine provinces. Various contacts and postings of the survey were made to organizations and schools, in an attempt to improve response rates. The response rate from national disability organizations was 57%, while the response rate for regional and local organizations and schools was very poor, with an overall response rate of 18%. The sample, however, was representative of the population. The results of the survey indicate a high level of concern about HIV/AIDS as a risk for persons with disabilities. The majority of organizations and schools were involved in providing HIV prevention education. However, most organizations and schools felt that persons with disabilities were excluded from general HIV prevention campaigns, and were thus receiving less information. A second study, using qualitative research methods, used case studies of three organizations/schools to explore more in-depth staff difficulties, challenges and particularly anxieties related to dealing with sex, sexuality and HIV among persons with disabilities. The case studies were analysed from a psychosocial framework, using social constructionist theory with psychoanalytic theory, to explore how social discourses about HIV and disabilities are internalized by staff. It is theorized that people draw on particular social discourses, in this case about HIV and disability, as a defence against threats to the self. Texts were analysed using discourse analysis to identify social discourses. A further analytic layer used psychoanalytic theory to identify unconscious communication of emotions and defence mechanisms. The case studies found that staff have considerable anxiety with regards raising issues of sex, sexuality and HIV with persons with disabilities. Staff from all three organizations were varyingly anxious about needing to protect the people they work with from harm. Disabled people were constructed as innocent, vulnerable, and needing protection. In other cases disabled people were constructed as deviant and their behaviour needing to be controlled. The use of an integration of qualitative and quantitative methods is useful, in allowing to explore more in-depth the lived experience of research participants. While the survey indicated that organizations were providing HIV prevention education, the case studies revealed much anxiety about this, and in some cases education was partly avoided. The results also suggest that HIV prevention education may be used in a way to control and restrict disabled people’s sexual expression, using a demonizing discourse about sex as dangerous and in some circumstances immoral. This may be done in an absence of a discourse of pleasure, where disabled people may be empowered to have fulfilling sexual lives. The study also highlights sexual abuse and rape of persons with disabilities as a serious issue. The dissertation ends with recommendations for further research, including exploring the experience of disabled people themselves, and the need to address the silence around sexual abuse and rape of persons with disabilities.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: National and international studies on the impact of the HIVand AIDS epidemie, create a picture of serious negative effects on the South African economy, together with immense suffering and despair for her people. The untimely death of millions of people due to a disease is totally unnatural and basically unimaginable and it is therefore not surprising that people, organisations and government tend to shy away from the problems. Businesses drive growth and development, mobilise investment, nurture innovation, provide employment, develop skills, pay taxes and provide returns to investors. Outside the political arena businesses is the only group that do have the capacity and resources to make a major and effective contribution to the fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This study provides a theoretical introduction to HIV and AIDS but more importantly it indicates that the business world has woken up to the threat of the HIV and AIDS epidemic and are reacting to it. The study concludes that the battle is not won as yet. There is room for improvement and major enhancements are required to current strategies and programmes to make it more effective. Eskom was selected as the case study to substantiate the abovementioned opinions and conclusions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nasionale en internasionale studies oor die impak van die MIV en VIGS-epidemie dui op die ernstige negatiewe gevolge vir die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Dit veroorsaak ook geweldige lyding en wanhoop onder mense. Die ontydige dood van miljoene mense weens 'n siekte is heeltemal onnatuurlik en ondenkbaar. Dit is daarom geen wonder nie dat mense, organisasies en die regering daarvan wegskram. Sakeondernemings dryf groei en ontwikkeling, mobiliseer beleggingsmoontlikhede, moedig vernuwing aan, skep werkgeleenthede, ontwikkel vaardighede, betaal belasting en verskaf 'n opbrengs aan beleggers. Buite die politieke arena is sakeondernemings die enigste groep wat die kapasiteit en hulpbronne het om op grootskaal 'n doeltreffende bydrae te lewer tot die bekamping van die MIV en VIGS epidemie. Die studie is 'n teoretiese inleiding tot MIV en VIGS. Die belangrikste aspek wat na vore kom, is dat sakeondernemings wakker geskrik het oor die bedreiging van MIV en VIGS en dat hulle daarop reageer. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die geveg nog nie gewen is nie. Daar is baie ruimte vir verbetering en grootskaalse veranderinge is nodig om die huidige strategieë en programme meer doeltreffend te maak. Eskom is as gevallestudie gebruik om bogenoemde menings en gevolgtrekkings te ondersteun.

With greater advancement in medical treatments for individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a growing numbers of individuals living with HIV/AIDS are contemplating returning to the workplace. However, they have been faced with barriers to employment and have demonstrated a need for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of employment outcomes of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, who used the state/federal VR program services, using the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) data file from Fiscal Year 2006. Data analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses (chi-square analyses, independent t-tests, and ANOVAs), and binary logistic regression using cross validation. Results of the study indicated that of socio-demographic, health, and VR service variables, service variables were only found to be significantly related to employment outcomes. Job search assistance, job placement assistance, and on the job support were found to be significant predictors of successful employment outcomes at closure. In addition, higher costs of purchased services increased the likelihood of being employed at closure. However, the longer the length of VR program participation was, the lower the likelihood of being employed at closure was. Among participants with successful employment outcomes at closure, differences were significant between participants earning less than $200.00 per week and participants earning equal to or higher than $500.00 per week. Participants with less than $200.00 of weekly earnings were more likely to be African Americans, to have lower education levels than an associate degree at closure, to have service occupations or clerical and sales occupations, and to receive SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Medicare. On the other hand, participants with equal to or more than $500.00 weekly earnings were more likely to be White, to have higher education levels than an associate degree, and to have professional and managerial occupations and were less likely to receive SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, and Medicare. In addition, they were more likely to receive assessment, VR counseling and guidance, college or university training, job search assistance, transportation, maintenance, and information and referral services compared to those with less than $200.00 weekly earnings. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. / text

Thesis (MComm) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, existing data were used to conduct a descriptive research study into the adherence or lack thereof - in varying degrees - of South African companies to the ten key principles of the International Labour Organisation's Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work with regard to HIV/AIDS workplace policy content. The research showed that most policies prohibit pre-employment testing and make provisions for job security, protection from discrimination, and ensuring confidentiality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om die mate waartoe ondernemings hulle onderwerp aan die ILO voorskrifte te toets. Resultate toon daarop dat verskeie ondernemings reeds gedeeltelik daaraan voldoen, maar dat daar nog verskeie aspekte van die Kode is wat in Suid-Afrikaanse onderneming in werking gestel moet word.

No abstract available / Jurisprudence / LL.M.