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The dual concepts of 'power' and 'equality' are central to discussions of social policy In the Western World. The distribution of knowledge for the common good, with its attendant uses, is one of the controlling factors in both the conceptualisation and operation of 'power’. This essay begins with a discussion of two theories concerning the relationship of man with society, and follows with two different 'ideals' of human relationships which writers in Britain tend to support. These 'Ideals1 are transferrable to the Canadian context as Is partially illustrated by the brief discussion of 'the cultural paradigm'. The paradigm is of importance to the remainder of the essay since the experience of British, United States and Canadian Information Centres seems to be influenced by society's concept of 'human well-being'. Thus the pattern of development of Information Centres is seen in the totality of 'social policy' rather than as one part in isolation. It is emphasised that the essay Is a personal statement of the writer, all omissions and generalisations are 'his; and hence it is not to be considered as a definitive, total statement on the subject. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

This correlational study uses quantitative data as well as qualitative document and policy analysis to consider the role that social policy has played in achieving poverty reduction in Canada’s provinces since 1999. Because social policy is only one among many factors influencing poverty and a social protection system consists of many programs, this research seeks to identify those factors, including social policies and/or social policy changes, which are most likely to have influenced poverty. This research finds that social policy and economic factors influenced poverty rates and trends over this period, albeit inconsistently across demographic groups and jurisdictions. The analysis suggests that it is very likely that social policy reduced poverty among families with children in Quebec and Ontario over this period. In contrast, social policy has become increasingly ineffective at reducing poverty among unattached adults in terms of both incidence (poverty rate) and depth (poverty gap). Finally, the evidence suggests that economic factors likely played an important role in reducing poverty in British Columbia and, to a lesser extent, in Quebec, but likely did not contribute to poverty reduction in Ontario. This research demonstrates the need for additional comparative research on how social policy and its evolution influence poverty rates at the provincial and demographic levels. To support such research (and evidence-based policymaking), this research also shows that there is a need for provincial and federal governments to collect and publish data on social programs and beneficiaries. Finally, the findings demonstrate the need for additional social programming aimed at preventing and relieving poverty among unattached adults who have seen very little improvement in their poverty risk over the past 15 years.

Includes bibliographical references. / This is a quantitative study that was done in five homes of the elderly in the Western Cape where 51 nurses and 9 head nurses were studied This study attempts to determine if there is a significant relationship between a head nurse's leadership style and job satisfaction of nurses she/he supervises. The instrument used to determine the leadership style of head nurses is the Least Preferred Co-worker (LPC) scale. This scale identified 3 head nurses as task motivated leaders and 6 as relationship motivated leaders. To measure job satisfaction the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) was used. This instrument provided total satisfaction scores of nurses and it also gave satisfaction scores of different aspects of their job. The results of the study showed the existence of the relationship between these two leadership styles and the job satisfaction of the nurses. The results also indicated similar fluctuations patterns in the job satisfaction scores of nurses in both task and relationship motivated categories. On one hand nurses under task motivated leaders had higher overall job satisfaction scores than the nurses under relationship motivated leaders.

Organisational culture plays an essential role in the aetiology of job stress. Job stress has numerous negative effects including lower work performance and effectiveness, health problems and increased absenteeism. The direct and indirect costs associated with stress-related conditions, such as burnout, can result in reduced organisational commitment and engagement. Such situations require urgent attention from the management of any organisation, and it is essential that organisations take appropriate steps to avoid excessive stress of employees if they are to continue their vital work. The study uses the Culture-Work-Health Model as a framework to understand organisational culture and its contribution to job stress in Cape Town non-profit organisations (NPOs) working in the discipline of mental health and mental disability. An exploratory, qualitative research design was selected to develop an understanding of organisational culture in Cape Town NPOs. Seven employees from three NPOs, making up the total sample of 21 participants, were selected through non-probability, purposive sampling. From each organisation of seven employees, four were selected from management/leadership positions and three were selected from non-management in order to gain rich insightful data from both management and non-management perspectives. Data collection was done through semistructured, face-to-face interviews with the participants. The data was analysed through the use of Tesch's (1990) stages of analysis. Finally, a framework for analysis was developed based on the themes, categories and sub-categories that emerged. This study contributes to enhancing understanding of Cape Town NPO organisational culture, NPO management practices and job stress as well as providing a springboard for further research into these areas. A number of significant findings were made including: NPOs described a clan organisation-type culture with a committed and passionate staff; NPO management were perceived as unsupportive due to lack of transparency, which was exasperated by their inability to pay higher salaries; NPOs where management incorporate supervision and regular staff meetings were perceived more positively and reported fewer issues of miscommunication; and individuals who were able to incorporate a healthy work and non-work life balance thrived in the NPO setting. Based on these findings, a number of recommendations were made including: the development of an organisational mental health policy; mandatory regular staff meetings attended by all levels of staff to discuss general administrative issues; the communicated availability of support structures to staff, such as on-site counselling; and - very importantly - regular supervision for all staff members working directly with vulnerable clients.

The non-profit sector plays a significant role in development in Lesotho. The sustainability of the NPOs is important; however, there is limited research on Lesotho’s non-profit sector, in particular, on its financial sustainability. This study has explored the financial sustainability of the non-profit sector in Lesotho in particular, the factors that affect the sustainability of non-profit organisations. A qualitative methodology was adopted which used a semi-structured interview guide. The data was collected primarily through in-depth interviews with 20 Non-Profit organizations based in Maseru, Lesotho. The sample was selected from organizations, which were registered with the Lesotho Council of Non-governmental Organizations. Purposive sampling, which used a non-probability sampling method, was chosen to select the 20 NPOs that participated in this study. The data was analysed and presented thematically according to the main research objectives. The findings revealed that the financial sustainability of Non-Profit Organizations in Lesotho is severely challenged. NPOs depend on donor funding as a major source of funding. The NPOs founded locally had a greater struggle to get funding than the international NPOs which were guaranteed the support of their international organizations. The sustainability of these NPOs was threatened by several factors, however, Lesotho’s political instability was a threat to all Non-profit organizations’ sustainability because it resulted in the withdrawal of external donor funding. The findings revealed that donor funding has dwindled over the past couple of years. Nevertheless, international donors were still the most consistent sources of funding for the NPOs in Lesotho. All the NPOs in this study received international donor funding. Only a few that received government grants, which was also very unsatisfactory. The data also revealed that the NPOs struggled to raise sufficient funds and the majority did not have staff who were devoted to fundraising. Key recommendations are that: the NPOs in Lesotho need to explore other income generating activities to improve their financial sustainability; they also need to strengthen their fundraising capacity by training their staff in fundraising; and, lastly, they need to improve their online presence, as the internet has become an important fundraising tool.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-106). / The purpose of this research was to uncover determinants in the work of NGO lay counsellors in the Western Cape which both motivate and de-motivate. The methodology used was to administer questionnaires to these counsellors. Secondly, questionnaires were also administered to the project managers who co-ordinate the counsellors at each of the seven participating NGOs. In total 114 HIV/Aids counsellors completed the questionnaires.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-104). / The aim of this innovative, qualitative research was to explore the factors that led to the Solid Waste Management Department's resolution to prohibit landfill salvaging in the Cape Metropolitan Municipality and the intended and unintended consequences such a decision subsequently had for the landfill waste salvagers. Large numbers of poor, unemployed and illiterate people reside in the Western Cape. The chronic and devastating nature of poverty is forcing thousands of vulnerable people into subsistence waste picking. These people dig through ingrained dirt and filth-ridden mud to extract items that they can use to construct and furnish their homes, to sustain themselves and their dependents, and more importantly, to sell to intermediaries for an income. Although a poorly paid, insecure and unsanitary form of employment, waste salvaging still puts food on the table at the end of the day when all else fails. This novel social development exercise studied what implications the prohibition on landfill salvaging in the Cape Metro has had for an exceedingly marginalized sector of society. This qualitative study mapped out the territory of integrated waste management and the various role players involved. The report explores the drivers for and barriers against landfill salvaging from three different perspectives: policy and planning, management and operations and informal sector waste salvagers. Government policies can sometimes prove to be less than effective in changing the disadvantaged circumstances of vulnerable communities. This research has demonstrated how the Department's decision to ban landfill salvaging has caused an even greater decline in the well-being of a section of the population that is already at risk. The researcher used observation, semi-structured one-on-one interviewing, focus group interviewing and questionnaires as well as conducted a thorough review of waste management policy-related documents and secondary data analysis in this qualitative endeavour. The triangulation of data collection methods helped the researcher interpret how the Department's decision has adversely impacted on the informal sector landfill salvagers and to what extent and helped indicate a possible way out of the subsequent precarious development. The waste salvagers of the Cape Metro are unemployed, experiencing a poorer quality of life and feeling even more socially and economically excluded from the rest of society because of the ban on landfill salvaging. Moreover, they have developed feelings of resentment and anger that have resulted in defiant acts of trespassing and theft. This research has shown that repressive and neglectful policies on landfill salvaging will only be met with significant opposition from the salvagers. Furthermore, given the socio-economic backlog and anticipated population growth in the Province, landfill salvaging will continue to be an important source of revenue for the poor and homeless. It is therefore the researcher's recommendation that landfill salvaging be legitimised and that landfill salvagers be recognized and organized into cooperatives that can provide them with the necessary resources to lobby for better working conditions at the top. Landfill salvaging will persist as long as chronic poverty endures. For this reason, consideration should rather be given as to how to go about formalising and controlling waste recovery at landfill sites to cater for the immediate and most basic needs of the poor. The recommendations brought forth will hopefully influence thinking about waste management policy planning and implementation in general, and be of service to furthering the country's achievement goals of sustainable employment creation and poverty alleviation.

Family foundations are important vehicles that make a positive impact in society both locally and globally and can be a unifying force in which family members can work together for a common altruistic purpose. The same governance and management principles that are applied by families in family businesses should also pertain to family foundations. In the United States (U.S.) there exists various organisations that serve to guide family foundations with best practices on foundation governance and management principles. In South Africa much less information is available to family foundations. This research study explores the governance and management processes of family foundations in South Africa. I reviewed extensive literature on the governance structures and management processes of family foundations particularly in the U.S. Based on the literature review and the research questions, a suitable research methodology was selected. A convergent parallel mixed method approach was used. Ethics clearance was obtained from the University of Cape Town and a sample of ten family foundations was purposively selected to be part of the study. Data was collected from 15 respondents, eight of whom were non-family members and seven were family members related to the founding donor. A semi-structured interview schedule was used and the same research participants completed a survey. The data was analysed using Tesch's (1990) adaptation for data analysis. The contribution that this study makes is an enhanced understanding of the governance and management processes of family foundations in South Africa and the challenges that some face in this regard. The study makes a number of findings including: Family foundations felt that the fiduciary duties and responsibilities, fiscal oversight and internal controls were duly executed. Family foundations were satisfied that the board knew enough about investment principles, however environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices was not high on the agenda for most family foundations; family foundation boards were diverse in terms of gender, age, expertise and experience but were not racially diverse; in some instances there was conflict between family members but this did not stand in the way of foundation performance; decision making was collaborative and most often made by consensus; legacy was not important for all family foundations. Most family foundations thought they had a clear grant making strategy with some family foundations including newer generations values and ideas into grant making. Based on these findings, the research study concludes by making recommendations for family foundations to improve governance and management processes.

The most recent economic recession severely challenged civil society organisations and the communities they served. A survey was conducted during 2010 to measure the impact of the 2008/2009 financial crisis on sustainability and functioning of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in South Africa and to determine how organisations reacted to this challenge.