Considering the increasing shortage of newly qualified chartered accountants in South Africa, this study focused on investigating factors that influence newly qualified chartered accountants to either leave or stay with their employing organisation. This study was conducted at a financial services organisation situated in Cape Town, which like all other financial institutions, would like to decrease the exit of newly qualified accounting professionals and ensure that skilled employees remain within the organisation. • Participants in this study completed an open ended written questionnaire (N =19) and were then interviewed (N = 19) about the factors that determine whether or not they would leave the organisation. The following five reasons were identfied as the most important: bureaucracy (lack of autonomy); career possibilities; good line management; organisational culture; work-life balance. Retention strategy policies that were meant to assist with employee attrition were not effective in achieving the retention of the newly qualified chartered accountants. The main reason for the lack of graduate retention was that the policies were not properly communicated to the employees. The findings of this study indicate the necessity for the financial services organisation to do a rigorous reassessment of their retention policies and to put processes in place to decrease the exits of talented and knowledgeable employees.

Globalisation and the skills shortage worldwide has increased the mobility of employees, and in turn, given employees access to more job opportunities globally. The mobility of employees makes employee retention more challenging than ever before. The topic of employee retention has been vastly researched over the years and human resource practitioners have identified multiple factors which influence employees’ intention to stay. This study focuses on six variables which were found to influence an employee’s intention to stay: job satisfaction, supervisor support, compensation, career advancement, work-life balance and affective commitment. The study assessed whether the factors which influence employees’ intention to stay differed between the locations of an international financial-technology organisation, Prodigy Finance. There are 98 participants in the sample. The data was collected via a selfadministered online survey. Results show that whilst the six variables do influence the employees’ intention to stay within the organisation as expected, the employees’ perception of work-life balance and compensation differed between locations. The employees’ perception of work-life balance in London and the employees’ perception of compensation in New York had more of on influence on their intention to stay, compared to the other locations. Suggestions for future research, limitations and other implications are discussed.

This study aims to explore how human resource management (HRM) practices are implemented in small organisations in the event and exhibition industry in Cape Town, and to examine to what extent these practices influence these organisations' organisational performance. The researcher followed a qualitative case study research design and utilised a semi-structured interview and Likert scale survey. A review of current academic literature has revealed that small organisations, functioning within a highly pressurised environment, focus more on operational survival than on the organisational management of human resources (HR). The event and exhibition industry in Cape Town is characterised by short bursts of high pressurised projects, with fixed deadlines, high profile clients and intense, irregular work periods. Taking into account the aforementioned factors, it is therefore paramount to examine how these small organisations understand HRM practices, as well as how said practices are implemented amidst the challenges experienced in this industry. Overall, the results suggest a positive association between the prioritisation of HRM practices, the alignment of HRM practices to the business plan and the successful implementation of HRM practices in the ten organisations that participated in this study.

Orientation : The current global scarcity of highly skilled employees has forced employers to better understand what attracts these kinds of employees, as they are vital to ensure organisational competitiveness and for the continued success of organisations. In the so- called war for talent, small companies believe they are at a disadvantage compared to large corporates in the battle to attract talented employees given limiting or constraining factors associated with being a smaller sized organisation. Research purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative importance of various reward elements or reward factors that Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can manipulate in order to compile compelling job offers that are attractive to top talent. An ideal total rewards offering for the attraction of skilled employees that capitalises on the strengths that smaller companies possess, will be proposed. Motivation for the study : Retaining highly performing employees is one of the most important factors that contribute to organisational competitiveness. Companies need to understand how they can attract scarce human resources and specifically in the South African context, understand how to attract even scarcer employees from designated demographic groups in order to meet employment equity targets. Small companies find it difficult to compete with large corporations, for example when it comes to employer branding and so feel at a disadvantage when attempting to attract from the same group of employees that corporates also endeavour to attract. Research design : A quantitative research approach was adopted. Convenience and snowball sampling approaches were employed to gather data by means of three different questionnaires. Firstly, employees that recently moved from large corporate positions to positions within SMEs were asked what was offered to them in order for them to accept the job offer at a small company (n=11). These results were used to develop the second questionnaire (i.e. to develop the attributes and levels used in the conjoint tasks). The second and third questionnaires (the conjoint task and total reward questionnaires, respectively) were distributed to working adults in South Africa (n=105). Conjoint analysis was used to identify an ideal talent attraction mix and to assess how employer branding compares to traditional reward elements in talent attraction. Data from the third questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. Main findings : The results of the conjoint analysis revealed that respondents valued the possibility of career advancement most, specifically referring to promotion opportunities or overseas assignments. Significant differences in preference between demographic groups were found when considering performance and recognition, remuneration and benefits, and work culture. Work-life balance were ranked second last by all respondents, while employer brand was consistently viewed as the least attractive factor in talent attraction. Practical and/or managerial implications : Conjoint analysis enables the unique identification of both the combination and quantum of elements that make a job attractive for various demographic groups. Companies can utilise these findings when crafting job offers in order to attract different cohorts of candidates. Contribution and/ or value-add : Limited research exists in South Africa that can assist small companies in attracting top talent. The current study succeeded in identifying that small companies can attract top talent by capitalising on strengths they possess and furthermore assist SMEs to craft compelling job offers for different cohorts of candidates.

Background There has been slow employment equity (EE) transformation in the South African mining industry, particularly within middle and executive management levels. The number of black Africans in management positions remains low and more needs to be done to bring about the desired levels of representation. If meaningful progress is to be made, it is imperative for the Government and mining companies to implement policies and strategies that aim to improve the representation of EE candidates within management levels. In the present study, management teams were chosen as the focus because they constitute the strategic leadership of the mining companies and are also the individuals that have the positional authority to design, initiate and manage transformation policies and strategies. It is argued that if management teams embrace and champion EE transformation, organisations are most likely to achieve EE targets. When the EE statistics of mines in the South African mining industry are compared with one another, it is apparent that certain mines have been more successful in bringing about equity transformation within their middle and executive management teams, than others. The reasons for their success, however, are not apparent and present an opportunity for mining companies to learn from those that have been able to achieve more desired levels of equity representation. Aim of the study The aim of the present research study was to investigate mines that have been successful in bringing about equity transformation within their middle- and executive management teams (success cases) to identify possible reasons that explain their success, while also investigating mines that have not been able to bring about meaningful transformation (non-success cases) to so understand what the barriers were that they experience. Method An exploratory research design and a qualitative approach to data collection, was utilised for the purposes of the present study. Purposive non-probability or judgement sampling was used to identify nine mining organisations and their EE statistics obtained from the Employment Equity Report (2015/2016). The nine mines were ranked according to equity representation at management levels, using a weighted average. The three success cases, in other words the three mines that had achieved the highest weighted average and three non-success cases (that achieved the lowest weighted averages) constituted a convenient sample of six mines. The human resources (HR) managers for each of these six mines were contacted and asked to participate in the research study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the six human resources practitioners. The focus of the interviews with the HR managers from the success case mines was to identify reasons or factors that they believe explain why their mines were able to bring about greater levels of equity in their management teams. In the interviews with the three HR managers from the non-success mines, the focus was on identifying what they believed to be the barriers that are hampering them from achieving there EE targets. Results It was found that leadership played the single most important role in promoting and achieving successful EE transformation within management levels. Leaders provide strategic leadership and are able to align transformation to the strategic objectives of the organisation; design and successfully implement change management process; ensure compliance with labour laws; and put EE monitoring and evaluation systems in place. Within the success cases HR practices, including recruitment and selection, training and development, job rotation, mentoring and coaching, succession planning and talent management policies and practices were effectively implemented and managed. There was further strategic (vertical) alignment between HR practices and policies and the business strategy, as well as horizontal alignment between the HR functions. Although non-success cases had implemented some of the HR policies and practices stated above, the findings revealed that they were less effective and various obstacles that impeded the attainment of EE targets were present, including a lack of effective change management processes, poor recruitment practices, lack of qualified and experienced human resource practitioners, nepotism and favouritism, an ineffective EE committee, poor monitoring and evaluation of transformation, a lack of succession planning, no or small graduate programmes, lack of job rotation, poor facilities, weak retention and/or performance management, no leadership development programmes, and an organisational culture that does not support transformation. Contribution The findings of the present study hopefully provided new insights on the success factors that cause some mines to have success cases of EE representation within management levels, as well as identifying the barriers to effective implementation of EE reforms in non-success mines. Managers in non-success mines are expected to learn about ways to stimulate substantial change to achieve EE targets. Hopefully by effectively implementing the critical success factors these managers will yield better EE targets. It is imperative for managers and EE consultants to adopt suitable measures such as 1) adopting EE reforms as corporate strategy embrace by the entire organisation; 2) providing effective and committed leadership to champion the implementation of the EE strategy; 3) establishing an EE committee with a mandate to develop a clear EE plan, monitor and oversee the effective implementation of the plan; 4) intertwining the EE plan and employment policies and practices; and 5) providing tangible incentives aligned to the EE targets to ensure success of EE reforms.

The objective of this study was to assess the appropriateness of the performance management system (PMS) introduced at the Development Bank of Namibia (the DBN) in 2013, and to identify potential strengths and areas of development. A review of performance management (PM) assessment models identified Jääskeläinen and Roitto's (2015) PM maturity model as the most suitable assessment framework. The PM maturity questionnaire (administered to management), which Jääskeläinen and Roitto developed as part of the model, and the satisfaction survey (administered to employees), which were adapted from the latter, were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from n = 21 management staff members (53.9% of the total management staff) and n = 21 employees (52.5% of all employees) at the DBN. The results showed that overall the DBN's PMS is mature, indicated by high maturity and high satisfaction ratings. Since both, the PM maturity and the satisfaction ratings, fell just above the cut-off value required for the PMS to be considered mature, it was evident, though, that while the PMS had definitive strengths, there were also areas of development. During the quantitative analysis, it was found that the strength of the PMS is the performance measurement practices. Both management and employees are satisfied with all the PM dimensions including performance measurement practices, information systems supporting the PMS, communication and commitment, planning and strategy and leadership and management. The areas in need of development were identified as the information systems supporting the PMS, communication and commitment, planning and strategy and leadership and management, both in terms of maturity rating by management and the satisfaction ratings by management and employees. Based on the outcome of the study, it is recommended that capacity enhancement be applied to enable effective leadership, performance management, innovation and communication; the role of the business strategy office to be enhanced to formalise performance measures and to track targets; a review of the effectiveness of the performance reward system be performed and that an online, centralised and integrated PMS be implemented.

The challenges women face in progressing to senior ranking positions are widely acknowledged and have been investigated in numerous studies, both in South Africa and abroad. The present study sought to contribute to this body of knowledge by identifying factors that hinder, as well as support specifically black South African female researchers in progressing to senior ranking positions within a Research and Development or scientific organisation. Research and Development (R&D) organisations within the Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) sector, as is the case in most South African organisations, have seen an increase in the employment of female researchers, particularly at lower ranking positions. However, there seem to be factors that continually hinder black South African female researchers from being appointed into senior ranks, despite clear growth and development strategies and processes, training and development opportunities and increasing organisational support that is meant to bring about greater gender equity at the senior levels. As such, it proved imperative to undertake this study not only to understand the factors that support or hinder the progress of black South African women researchers into senior ranking positions, but also to ensure that organisations develop responsive and supportive interventions that facilitate the advancement of this cohort of researchers. A quantitative approach to addressing the research question was utilised. Following a literature review to identify both individual and organisational/structural level factors that have been shown to either support or hinder the career success of woman, an online questionnaire was developed and distributed to all the female researchers (of all race groups, career levels and age groups) employed in a South African R&D organisation (n=104). Data was obtained from a convenient sample of them (n=41). It was noted though that at the time the data was collected there were no black South African females employed in the highest scientific/researcher rank of the organisation. Whilst the organisation seems to deploy resources equally to all its' employees, black South African women continue to be under represented at the top ranks in the organisation. Arguably, R&D organisations seem to perpetuate a masculine culture that makes it increasingly difficult for women in general to progress to higher ranking positions. It seems that the situation is being further exasperated by career advancement requirements that do not take into account the different roles that women typically need to fulfil at work and at home, nor that support work-life balance for them. It was apparent that the organisation did provide them with organisational and supervisory support and that they are found to be loyal to the organisation, however, women particularly black South African researchers still fail to progress to senior ranking positions in the organisation. Organisations struggle to achieve gender equity at the senior ranking positions, and hopefully the present study will provide some insight into factors that negatively affect the career advancement of female equity candidates in the organisation, while also providing insight into factors that have proven to facilitate this process. The outcomes of the present study would potentially lead to more structured frameworks and strategic female development programmes that ensure that black female South African researchers do indeed advance through the different ranks and achieve the highest ranks within the SET sector of the economy.

Performance appraisal is a human resources function that many organisations undertake. Organisations should therefore try to understand why many often perceive their performance system to be unfair. The purpose of this study was to examine employee perception of performance appraisal and its relationship with their organisational commitment. Using a justice approach, this study considers issues regarding perceived fairness, trust, process clarity, and quality of communication regarding the performance appraisal system. Performance appraisal is a tool, which if managed well, will increase work performance. A quantitative research approach was used and a cross-sectional field survey generated the primary research data. An online survey consisting of 55 questions was e-mailed to 150 staff members who participate in the performance appraisal system at a Meat processing plant in Namibia. Regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between employee perception of performance appraisal and organisational commitment. The results of the statistical analyses show that very weak to moderate relationships exist between organisational commitment and employees' perceptions' of performance appraisal. The results indicate that for an organisation to obtain employee commitment, the organisation should ensure that performance appraisal is a company-wide system that is well understood, fair and clearly communicated to the employees. Furthermore, managers should create an environment within the organisation to enhance employees' perceptions about the performance appraisal system.

Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify enablers of upward mobility into middle and senior management positions among female employees in a particular organisation of the financial services sector. Motivation for the study: In the South African context, it was demonstrated that although women comprised 51.2% of the adult population in 2016 (numbering approximately 28 53 million and were supported by progressive legislation and had a 45.8% representation in the workforce, they occupied a relatively low percentage of management positions. South African research on enabling factors that are important for the career progression of women has been conducted in national banks, South African business schools and the education sector. The findings revealed that enabling factors for the career progression of women include supervisor support, education, social networks, top management support and family-friendly policies. Identifying such enabling factors is important since there is strong evidence that the promotion of women into management roles is not only morally right but can also increase business performance. Research design and method: The research design was descriptive. A cross-sectional qualitative approach was used to collect the primary data. Data analysis was exploratory. Since the aim of the study was to investigate perceptions of female employees in middle and senior management positions through their lived experiences, in-depth one-on-one interviews with 15 female employees were completed. Purposive sampling was used to secure the research participant sample. The results from the qualitative data were collected and analysed using content analysis. Themes extracted were used to report the findings of the study. Findings: The results show that organisational support structures (i.e. supervisor support and career development), employee competence (i.e. education and social networks) and strategic interventions (i.e. top management support and family-friendly policies) are important factors for the career progression of women in the financial services sector under investigation. Practical implications: The enabling factors identified in this study can be used to enhance interventions for the advancement of promotion of women into senior management positions. Contribution: The findings of the study indicate that organisational support structures, employee competence and strategic interventions are important factors for the career progression of women, adding to the discourse of the promotion of women into senior management positions.

Includes bibliographical references / Orientation: Employee turnover (ET) has become one of the central challenges faced by organisations today. Managers of local organisations should be asking themselves the following pivotal question: Why are skilled and top-performing employees leaving organisations? Research purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding and to examine the relationship of trust- in -leadership (TIL) and intention to quit (ITQ) and the effects on ET within a financial institution in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Cost of ET is not the only negative impact for an organisation, the loss of human capital (human intellect) in terms of knowledge, skills and experience also effects the organisation negatively. Managers need to understand how they can decrease their ET and retain their talented and skilled employees. Prior to leaving an organisation staff have an intention to quit (ITQ) and managers are encouraged to focus on preventative measures by identifying the antecedents of ITQ. Research design: A quantitative research approach was used to determine the extent of the relationship between TIL and ITQ among staff, where a cross-sectional field survey generated the primary research data for this study. An online survey consisting of 19 questions was e- mailed to all 400 employees within a financial institution within South Africa staff. Main Findings: Study results showed a significant negative relationship between TIL and ITQ. Practical and/or managerial limitations/implications: This paper highlights the importance of considering the relationship of TIL on ITQ, directed at employees to become proactive with retention strategies in order to reduce ET. TIL is a variable that is often overlooked in ITS and it is crucial for understand. The implications of ET, as a consequence of ITQ, can affect the bottom line of an organisation. It thus becomes critical for managers to find means to limit the loss of employees. Contribution and/or value-add: In the South African context, only a few recent studies has been found in this field. Notwithstanding, this study differs from previous research in this area in that it was conducted in the financial service sector in South Africa with a specific focus on TIL and ITQ.