The global working environment has altered dramatically over the last decade, with the workforce now consisting of a diverse assortment of individuals. South Africa, in particular, has had to face major challenges as it adapts to the newly conceived "Rainbow Nation". It has also had to make amends for inequalities bred by the past discrimination and the segregation of Apartheid. Prior to this, businesses in general, were inward-looking in that they did not have to comply with or conform to the changing trends found in the international arena. Suddenly, issues such as Black Economic Empowerment, Affirmative Action, gender, age, faith and preferred sexual orientation have had to be accommodated as the new Employment Equity Act of 1998 was promulgated. Each individual coming into the workplace has his or her own cosmological, ontological and epistemological view, and although this facilitates a positive contribution by individuals with regard to varying ideas, skills, talents and expertise, more often than not, the reality is that the differences that exist within a staff complement often result in conflict. Furthermore, South Africa exhibits deep-rooted, social conflict as a result of the oppression of the apartheid years. Unemployment, poverty, poor education and service deliveries are far from being satisfactorily addressed. Therefore, it is assumed that unmet/frustrated basic human needs, as defined in Abraham Maslow‘s "Hierarchy of Needs", play a role in causing conflict both in the workplace and in society. It was felt that basic human needs, as articulated, had not been researched as a cause of workplace conflict and this research will explore the part that frustrated human needs may play in organisational conflict, alongside diversity conflicts.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Picturesque Cape Town is the epitome of an urban/nature interface but one within which chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) face slander for transgressing both the socially constructed human/animal and nature/culture divide, and/or the actual, physical borderlines associated with these divides. The difficulties associated with retaining baboons in nature, because of their ability to traverse physical boundaries, have led to human–baboon conflict. Even though research focusing on baboon biology on the Cape Peninsula is abundant, comparatively little attention has been paid to the human aspects of the conflict. By making use of a social constructionist theoretical framework, I wished to establish what attitudes and values play a defining role in different social constructions of chacma baboons, specifically those who often cross the urban/nature divide; what these different social constructions are; whether they differ among the various stakeholders that were included in this research; and whether there is a willingness amongst stakeholders to adjust to, accommodate, or at least understand “other” social constructions. The research is strongly motivated by a suggestion in the literature that human–human conflict underpins human–wildlife conflict. The main data collection method used in this research project was personal, semi-structured interviews with members of various stakeholder groups that are involved in the Cape Peninsula’s “baboon debate”, i.e. governmental institutions, nongovernmental organisations, researchers, representatives of residential associations, local residents and journalists. In order to increase the trustworthiness of my data and to gain an enhanced understanding of the complex social interactions, practices and belief systems which are embedded within human–baboon conflicts, I also analysed the discourse embedded in numerous forms of documentation that refer to the Cape Peninsula’s baboons. The findings from this research provide evidence that conflicts over beliefs and values, conflicts of interest, and conflicts over process are the prominent underlying causes of human– human conflict regarding baboons and baboon management on the Cape Peninsula. Conflicts over beliefs and values seem to underpin all types of human–human conflict regarding baboons on the Cape Peninsula, as human–baboon conflict is riddled with the Cartesian dualisms of urban (or culture) versus nature; human versus animal; biocentrism versus anthropocentrism; and rationalism versus affective social action. The opposition between the two ontologies of rationalism and affective social action, which reflect divergent ways of thinking about baboons and are central to individual’s support of certain baboon-management techniques, is especially pronounced. Moreover, the ability of the Cape Peninsula’s baboons to transgress the nature/culture, and even the human/animal, borderline not only leads to conflict between humans and baboons, but also among humans. This thesis recommends that, in order to effectively address human–human conflict over beliefs and values, as well as human–baboon conflict, the numerous stakeholders on the Cape Peninsula should identify a common significance of baboons. While I would refrain from declaring that human–human conflict is the actual source of human–baboon conflict, addressing the human dimensions of human–wildlife conflict remains an important though neglected issue. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skilderagtige Kaapstad is die toonbeeld van ’n stedelike/natuur skeidingsvlak, maar een waarbinne die Kaapse bobbejane (Papio ursinus) beswadder word, omdat hulle die sosiaalgekonstrueerde mens/dier en natuur/kultuur skeidslyn en/of die werklike, fisiese grens wat met hierdie skeidslyn geassosieer is, skend. As gevolg van hul vermoë om fisiese grense te oorkruis, het die probleme met die inperking van bobbejane in die natuur tot mens–bobbejaan konflik gelei. Ondanks die feit dat navorsing met die fokus op bobbejaan-biologie op die Kaapse Skiereiland volop is, is relatief min aandag geskenk aan die menslike aspekte van die konflik. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese teoretiese raamwerk, wou ek vasstel watter ingesteldhede en waardes ’n bepalende rol speel in verskillende sosiale konstruksies van Kaapse bobbejane, veral diegene wat dikwels die stedelike/natuur skeidingsvlak oorkruis; wat hierdie verskillende sosiale konstruksies is; of hulle verskil tussen die verskeie rolspelers wat ingesluit is in hierdie navorsingsprojek; en of daar ’n bereidwilligheid is onder belanghebbendes om aan te pas by “ander” sosiale konstruksies, dit tegemoet te kom, of ten minste te verstaan. Die navorsing is sterk gemotiveer deur ’n voorstel in die literatuur dat mens–mens konflik mens–wildlewe konflik onderskraag. Die hoof data-insamelingsmetode wat in hierdie navorsingsprojek gebruik is, was persoonlike, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met lede van verskillende belanghebbende groepe wat betrokke is in die Kaapse Skiereiland se “bobbejaandebat”, d.w.s regeringsinstellings, nieregeringsorganisasies, navorsers, verteenwoordigers van residensiële verenigings, plaaslike inwoners en joernaliste. Ten einde die betroubaarheid van my data te versterk en om ’n beter begrip te ontwikkel van die ingewikkelde sosiale interaksies, praktyke en oortuigings wat ingebed is in mens–bobbejaan konflikte, het ek ook die diskoers ontleed wat ingebed is in talle vorme van dokumentasie wat verwys na die Kaapse Skiereiland se bobbejane. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing verskaf bewyse dat konflikte oor oortuigings en waardes, konflikte van belang, en konflikte oor prosesse die prominente onderliggende oorsake van mens–mens konflik rakende bobbejane en bobbejaanbestuur op die Kaapse Skiereiland is. Konflikte oor oortuigings en waardes blyk onderliggend te wees aan alle vorme van mens–mens konflik ten opsigte van bobbejane in die Kaapse Skiereiland, aangesien mens–bobbejaan konflik deurtrek is met die Cartesiese dualismes van stedelike (of kultuur) teenoor die natuur; mens teenoor dier; biosentrisme teenoor antroposentrisme; en rasionalisme teenoor affektiewe sosiale aksie. Die teenoorgesteldheid tussen die twee ontologieë van rasionalisme en affektiewe sosiale aksie, wat uiteenlopende maniere van dink oor bobbejane weerspieël en sentraal is tot individue se ondersteuning van sekere bobbejaanbestuurtegnieke, is veral ooglopend. Verder lei die vermoë van die Kaapse Skiereiland se bobbejane om die natuur/kultuur en selfs die mens/dier grenslyn te oorkruis, nie slegs tot konflik tussen mense en bobbejane nie, maar ook tussen mense. Hierdie tesis beveel aan dat, ten einde mens–mens konflik rakende oortuigings en waardes, asook mens–bobbejaan konflik, aan te spreek, moet die talle belanghebbendes in die Kaapse Skiereiland ’n gemeenskaplike betekenis van bobbejane identifiseer. Terwyl ek myself sou weerhou om te verklaar dat mens–mens konflik die wesenlike bron van mens–bobbejaan konflik is, bly die menslike dimensies van mens–wildlewe konflik ’n belangrike, dog verwaarloosde kwessie

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / This study will focus on conflict within organisations in the attempt to gain clarity on this very common phenomenon and to link conflict to financial cost. By gaining a financial grip on conflict this study attempts to give the reader the tools with which to estimate parameters and calculate financial costs within their own conflict situations. The reader will also be able to motivate the need for management to invest in pre-emptive conflict resolution structures. The study will focus on a sample population from the mining sector in South Africa. A multiple case study approach is used in order to understand the intricacies that make conflict a variable, situation-dependant occurrence after which data is collected to calculate a preliminary estimate of the financial costs incurred by the organisation due to hostilities within the sample population. The results of the study indicate that the samples chosen experience different types of conflict and also manage the conflict in different ways. The calculations reflect that conflict impacts on the organisation in a fiscally prominent way. Each case has its own unique major contributors to monetary costs incurred due to conflict depending on case specific attributes. The results clearly show that the financial cost of conflict has a severe impact on an organisation. The structured analysis provided by the study gives the reader a method with which to calculate the costs of conflict within other cases where conflict is assumed to have a negative impact on performance. In this way it becomes easier for the practitioner to effectively motivate for preventative action.

This study investigated the effect of cross-cultural differences on conflict episodes in a multicultural organisation in South Africa. The sample consisted of seven people, who represented six cultures. The phenomenological method of inquiry was used. Following the data collection process, the researcher identified the sources of conflict, then determined the qualities of leadership which aid in minimizing conflict. The five conflict management strategies were discussed, with further exploration into the use of confrontation and mediation. The researcher believes that the framework for describing conflict management strategies may need to be expanded as cross-cultural interaction is better understood. Finally, the study explored the positive and negative outcomes of conflict. Although many conflicts are costly to an organisation, some conflicts may assist people in cross-cultural understanding. Because diversity is becoming a more pressing issue in the 21st century, most people and organisations are facing the need to effectively communicate cross-culturally. The researcher recommends a three stage diversity training programme, which begins with new employees, then includes all employees and, finally, becomes an ongoing learning process in the organisation. / Education management / M.Ed.(Management)

This study investigated the effect of cross-cultural differences on conflict episodes in a multicultural organisation in South Africa. The sample consisted of seven people, who represented six cultures. The phenomenological method of inquiry was used. Following the data collection process, the researcher identified the sources of conflict, then determined the qualities of leadership which aid in minimizing conflict. The five conflict management strategies were discussed, with further exploration into the use of confrontation and mediation. The researcher believes that the framework for describing conflict management strategies may need to be expanded as cross-cultural interaction is better understood. Finally, the study explored the positive and negative outcomes of conflict. Although many conflicts are costly to an organisation, some conflicts may assist people in cross-cultural understanding. Because diversity is becoming a more pressing issue in the 21st century, most people and organisations are facing the need to effectively communicate cross-culturally. The researcher recommends a three stage diversity training programme, which begins with new employees, then includes all employees and, finally, becomes an ongoing learning process in the organisation. / Education management / M.Ed.(Management)