M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Choosing the right job is one of the most important decisions one can make. Most of us not only spend more than half our lives at work, but how well we get on in our jobs has a marked effect on the rest of our lives as well. Dislike of one's job is a widespread cause of dissatisfaction and frustration (Tolbert, 1984:2). Two sorts of information are needed to choose a job: knowledge of oneself and knowledge of the widest possible range of jobs. Knowledge about jobs is the most critical part of the above statement which needs to be considered here. Knowing little about any job reduces job choice to a matter of luck rather than good judgement. The problem is that school leavers in Gazankulu are disadvantaged in this respect, hence they mainly choose careers which are in the public section such as teaching, police and nursing (Educational Journal Gazankulu, 1990:20). Our society considers it only natural that each member should enter the labour force. From childhood onwards, we are often asked: "What do you want to be one day?" We are always aware that it is necessary to focus on at least an occupational field, if not a specific job area. Work is the means of meeting needs in other areas of life. Awareness of work must begin in childhood. The child must be prepared to face all challenges in the future job market. The school as an agent for change must implement career counselling to help the child in self-understanding, self-acceptance, development of human needs (physical intellectual, psychological and spiritual), interest, aspirations and experiences. Through self-understanding students can begin to appreciate and utilize their aptitudes, interests, limitations and values (Sedibe, 1991:4).

Class of 2015 Abstract / Objectives: The objective of the study is to describe which factors influence career choice in Pharm.D. candidates, and determine what makes a potential employer attractive to graduating students. Methods: A descriptive focus group study was conducted to describe opinions of Pharm.D. candidates regarding factors that determine career choice. Subjects were recruited via email. All participants were required to have a scheduled graduation date in 2015 or 2016. Demographic data was collected anonymously. Focus group conversations were recorded. Results: There were 13 participants, 8 female (61.5%) and 5 male (38.5%). Six (46.2%) hope to work in the retail setting after graduation, and 5 (38.5%) wish to work in an institutional setting. Four participants (30.1%) plan to complete a PGY1 residency after graduation. Ten participants (76.8%) agree that they would consider working for their current employer after graduation from pharmacy school. The majority of participants changed their mind throughout their education in regards to their future career choice. Rotations, professors, employers, and family seem to be the most common factors that helped determine career choice in participants. All participants agreed that clinical pharmacy and residency are promoted career paths at University of Arizona. Conclusions: The clinical pharmacy career path is believed to be strongly promoted at the University of Arizona. Rotations, professors, family, and employers during pharmacy school appear to be determining factors in career choice for Pharm.D. candidates. Many students pursue a career with the same employer they had during their education.

Ph.D. (Human Resources Management) / This study explores the characteristics that prevent the derailment of women leaders. It further provides insight into leadership derailment as it is experienced and interpreted by women leaders. The study was done in the context of the scarcity of women in senior and executive leadership positions within organisations, whilst equality and transformation remain on the global leadership agenda, as well as the context of South African Transformation and Employment Equity Legislation. A qualitative study was undertaken based on the grounded theory research methodology. The purposeful and snowball sampling technique yielded five research participants. Through in-depth interviewing eleven themes emerged from the data. These were the personal and core constructs held by participants in relation to their conceptualization of the leadership landscape, derailment, and of themselves as leaders. While each participant‘s experience of derailment and the leadership landscape was unique, the findings of the study indicated that specific personal characteristics prevented their derailment or enabled them to overcome derailment. These were: pragmatic approach to gender issues and willingness to compromise, insight into behavior, positive outlook/optimism, building relationships and networks self-confidence and self-efficacy, resilience and coping, emotional maturity and managing emotions, recognition of significant others, achievement drive and perseverance, risk taking and openness to change, and balancing multiple roles. Whilst an exploration of the external factors leading to characteristics that prevent derailment as well as opting out and voluntary separation, was not the purpose of this study, emerging themes in respect to these were discussed. Finally, an integrated framework was formulated presenting the characteristics that prevent the derailment of women leaders.

M.Tech.

M.A. / There is a serious need for effective career guidance programmes in schools. Most of the research point out that the need is more evident in African schools. This can be linked to the high school dropout rate, resulting in unemployment and a low quality of life in some sectors of the population. Other factors like poverty and parents’ socio -economic status plays a part. This study sees the school as the most important setting and environment that is responsible for developing and promoting quality career development programmes that will produce learners that are going to be self-reliant in life. For such programmes to address the needs of the learners, they should be developmental in nature. Some of the characteristics of a developmental career development programme are that it takes all children in the school into consideration. It also has a preventative emphasis. The study raises concerns about the nature of career development in schools and whether their programmes are developmental in nature. The training of the guidance counsellors, as they are responsible for programme development, is also an issue. The study therefore describes at length a developmental career guidance programme, its characteristics, principles on which it is based and implementation. The psycho-education model is seen as a proper vehicle for training and for enhancing the skills of the guidance counsellors. A training manual in career development was developed as an intervention process in this study. Ten teachers who were firstly interviewed to assess their level of knowledge and training on career development were trained using this manual. The teachers were then interviewed, and gave a descriptive account of the knowledge acquired from the training. The results are discussed with reference to the theory and literature that are put forward in this study. The evaluation of the intervention of the study, which was the training manual, was positive. The teachers described it as helpful and easy to apply.

M.Ed.

D. Litt. et Phil. / The empirical aim of this study is the validation of a career guidance intervention, i.e. the SNUG-guide to career choices. Scheepers (1996) developed this guide for socio-economic deprived learners. An investigation will also be undertaken to ascertain whether the SNUG corresponds at a structural level with the SDS. If this assumption is validated, then the SNUG can replace the SDS as a measuring instrument in South Africa. The learners in the sample come from disadvantaged, socio-economic deprived backgrounds, and therefore Chapter One contained a discussion about the problems that face such communities in the career decision-making realm. The necessity of program development and validation to address these challenges was highlighted. It was determined that the focus should be on empowerment, in order to facilitate sustainability and to ensure that the community can regain control over their lives and future. The theoretical base was formed on Super (1990) and Bandura's assumptions and principles. The intervention was based on Holland's (1985) structural-inter-active model -just like the SDS. To meet the empirical aim of the study, a research method, namely the developmental research method, was utilized. The focus was on the evaluation phase, as this study focused on the validation of an intervention. Due to rationalization and other after-effects of the Apartheid era, there is a shortage of trained guidance personnel in disadvantaged communities. Applying the SNUG-guide can fill this gap, because both facilitators and learners can easily understand it. It was found that the SNUG-guide corresponded with the SDS on a structural level. The results of the research also revealed that most learners like their parents, still preferred Social and Conventional career fields. There is a welcome inclination towards the Investigative careers, which should be encouraged, because few disadvantaged people were historically represented in these careers. There was an absence of interest in the Enterprising fields, which should be investigated further. Learners also indicated that they have an aversion to Realistic careers, because of its historic negative connotation. The learners seemed to view the Artistic field as an extra-mural activity, rather as a career field. In the evaluation, most learners indicated that they had found the program beneficial and that they would be able to make and implement a career decision, due to the help that they have received. An empowerment program, like the SNUG - guide, proved to be a powerful tool to uplift and empower socio-economic deprived communities. It enhances their self-efficacy and leads to feelings of being in control of their lives. With the implementation of the SNUG-guide in this study, the intervention was validated as being an adequate tool to address the career decision-making difficulties of disadvantaged learners, and to empower the community.

Magister Artium - MA / The objective of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the personality preference and career anchors of police officers. The idea that personality relates meaningfully to the kinds of careers people choose and how they perform in these careers, has a long history in career psychology. / South Africa

Knowledge workers need to understand, leverage and capitalise on the new world of work to progress their careers through accumulating career competencies. Career capital is the concept of cumulative career competencies that are of value to the field of the individual’s work. A need exists for greater understanding of career path opportunities available and a possible sequence of accrual. This research adopts an exploratory approach and aims to probe rather than answer questions arising out of the need for more understanding. A qualitative methodology was used through a series of semi-structured but in-depth interviews on a sample of knowledge workers of engineers and information technology workers. The roadmap of career capital accrual for knowledge workers (Figure 5) transpired from empirical research findings founded from within the literature. The model concludes that career capital is accumulated along a recognisable path and sequence and that career gates generally act as reflection opportunities for workers. Not all workers enter these career gates, but value creation and career capital formation is possible for both workers entering and staying behind to specialise and optimise. The outcome of this research could support knowledge workers in unlocking value from their careers, making them more sufficient in creating careers with knowledge that is sought after by organisations. The research outcome could also facilitate organisations to retain top talent by understanding their career capital accrual approach. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The aim of this study is to gain a thorough understanding for the reasons why and how some mid-career managers are able to leave corporate organisations to start their own companies in SA and what perceived factors make them successful. SA needs to develop entrepreneurs so as to achieve a 6% growth rate, in order to overcome unemployment and poverty. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with successful entrepreneurs, who had already made the transition from corporate manager to entrepreneur. The feedback was analysed using a combination of narrative, content and constant comparative analysis. Convenience and snowball sampling generated a participant base that had extensive corporate experience, were well educated, had each been in entrepreneurship for many years and employed more than 1240 employees. The key findings were: (1) changing career – career reasons directly affect whether a mid-career entrepreneur (“MCE”) will engage in an entrepreneurial activity, as this is the basis of entrepreneurial intention, (2) motivation – human motivations directly influence who pursues entrepreneurial opportunities, and who persists and survives when challenges arise, (3) career development – both human capital and social capital are essential for success, and (4) entrepreneurialism – mid-career entrepreneurs gain considerable experience while in corporate which assist them to be a successful entrepreneurs. Years of corporate experience are the foundation for a MCE, as it provides knowledge, experience, networks and confidence. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted