This research paper aimed to investigate the factors influencing career choice and development among previously disadvantaged individuals, specifically focusing on MBA students. The core aim was to analyse and better understand the factors that have played a key role in shaping the careers of people of colour within the South African context, taking into consideration the political, social and economic climate and its impact on previously disadvantaged individuals from a career perspective. The research group comprised of both male and female South Africans of colour, namely Indian or African or Coloured. These participants ranged in terms of age from thirty to forty one years old. Participants were sourced from a business school in Kwa Zulu - Natal and were all in the process of completing their MBA (Master of Business Administration) degrees. Participants were interviewed using semi- structured, in depth interviews that ran for approximately forty five minutes each. Each interview was recorded. This information was then transcribed and analysed using Inductive Thematic Analysis. This approach to data interpretation ensured that the rich wealth of information was analysed effectively by the researcher and more importantly, made sense of. Seven key themes emerged from the data. Themes such as the impact of circumstance, parental and family life, culture and society, and context and the environment emerged and were discussed further. Other key themes emerging from the data included identity and self awareness, interests versus goals, and drive and self belief. Factors Influencing Career Choice 8 Findings indicated that the careers of previously disadvantaged individuals were impacted by unique circumstances experienced by these individuals. The political, social and economic climate had a profound role to play in shaping the paths taken by these individuals and also significantly impacted their development within organisations thereafter. Findings indicated mixed reactions to the pro transformation policies and unveiled thought provoking feedback from participants on their experiences and opinions with regards to the above. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

The Human Resources department, through the policies and practices that it develops, stands as a steering function for the rest of the organisation. Human Resource policies and practices, dealing with issues that most often directly affect every employee, set out the guidelines which govern the behaviour, thinking and action of all members of the organisation. The extensive influence of these policies, therefore, make it an interesting subject of research to explore the process that is conducted to develop these policies, the individuals involved and the personal impact of practitioners from the Human Resource department who are often the leaders of this policy development process. Through face to face interviews, coupled with short, factual questionnaires, subjects from information-rich organisations were questioned regarding the nature of their policy development process and the role that individual Human Resource practitioners play in this process. It has been determined through the results of the study that Human Resource practitioners primarily influence the development of policies, with some input from management and very little, if any, participation by employees. Essentially, these practitioners draw up the policies themselves and suggestions are then given and the policies ratified by top management before being implemented in the organisation. In most cases, no involvement of employees is permitted although in some instances, partial participation through representatives is allowed. The theoretical basis of the study rests primarily on systems theory which identifies how changes in one part of the organisation system, such as Human Resource policies and practices, has an effect on every other part of the system, in other words, every employee. This is important when considering that only a small group of individuals, and primarily one Human Resource practitioner, develop policies that affect an entire organisation. The competing values approach also impacts on the study here where it must be identified that the values of one, or a group, of individuals should not dominate an entire organisation where individuals are guided by different values and goals. The research addresses this issue by examining the impact that the personal values, beliefs and opinions of the Human Resource practitioner, who predominantly has the main influence on the process, has on the policies developed. The study reveals that when developing policies, practitioners are in fact guided by a balance between their personal values and the values and beliefs of the organisation. This means that they try to remain neutral in the process, not allowing either their personal values or those of the organisation to dominate the policies. This means that practitioners do not allow their own personal values and opinions to guide the way they influence the process and develop policies which affect the entire organisation. This study, therefore, is an exploration aimed at the discovery of the current practices that dominate South African organisations, with the focus on the Durban region, concerning Human Resource policy development. The study then extends beyond the South African borders to consider the first world situation in the United Kingdom, allowing a comparison between the first world and South African third world policy development process. This allows an opportunity to identify where the first world and third world differ regarding this process and whether there may be anything that can be learnt from the United Kingdom which could be adapted to the South African situation. The results of the study reveal, however, that although differences could be identified, these were neither suitable nor viable to be transferred to the South African situation. Therefore, through the use of current literature, past research and the exploratory interviews, this study has gathered a picture of how the process of Human Resource policy development functions in South African organisations today. Although the focus has been on the Durban region, the results can be generalised, both between industries and nationally. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Assessment Centres within the South African Workplace: Relationship between a Situational Judgement Test and Ability and Personality Measures.This research investigates the relationship of a specific situational judgement test, Scenarios, to that of ability and personality measures through a discriminant validation study. The Scenarios Test was developed in order to assess the construct of Managerial Judgement within the work context. Despite the fact that this instrument has demonstrated reliability and validity evidence, this has been primarily obtained within a European context. Therefore, this study will contribute towards the growing body of evidence supporting the psychometric integrity of the use of Scenarios within a South African context. Moreover, this research aims to determine whether or not a situational judgement test of Managerial Judgement provides information relating to constructs which are not sufficiently measured by ability tests and personality questionnaires. The results indicate that there is significant inter-correlation between the scales of Scenarios, but not between Scenarios and the other instruments used (cognitive ability tests and a trait personality measure). This may support the hypothesis that SJTs could measure a broader underlying construct, such as tacit knowledge, as well as the fact that they may provide unique information relating to candidates‟ potential job performance which is not provided by tests of ability and personality. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

The aim of the present study was to compare the values and achievement motivation of managerial and non-managerial female employees within the banking industry in South Africa.This research investigation was primarily aimed at determining whether there is a difference between these two groups in terms of their values and their achievement motivation and, if there is such a difference, whether this is a key to an understanding of upward mobility in women. One hundred and twenty-one female subjects were selected from four different financial institutions in the banking industry to participate in the project. The Values Questionnaire and the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire were administered to the subjects under controlled conditions. The values include sense of belonging, security, self-respect, warm relationships with others, fun and enjoyment in life, being well respected, sense of accomplishment, self-fulfilment and excitement. The achievement motivation factors include goal directedness which comprises persistence, awareness of time and action orientation, and personal excellence comprising aspiration level and personal causation. After the data was statistically analysed using intercorrelation, a number of significant relationships were found between the values for the total sample, the managerial and the non-managerial subject group, and between the achievement motivation factors for each of these three groups. When the t-test was applied, no significant differences were found between the managerial and the non-managerial groups in terms of their values, but when considering their achievement motivation, a significant difference emerged in terms of aspiration level. Correlations revealed a number of significant relationships between the values and the achievement motivation factors for both the managerial and the non-managerial subjects. Finally, using analysis of variance (ANOVA), significant relationships were found between a number of the biographical variables and the values both of the managerial and the non-managerial groups, and between the biographical variables and the achievement motivation both of the managerial and the non-managerial groups. Various tentative explanations for these findings have been provided. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.

Throughout history the discipline of psychology has been dominated by the study of mental illness as opposed to mental wellness. The introduction of positive psychology has caused a shift from the bias towards mental illness to a focus on psychological wellbeing. The aim of positive psychology is to begin to catalyse a change in the focus of psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst in life to building positive qualities. This has resulted in an increase of studies on positive traits and feelings. In light of this, work engagement has become a focus area particularly given that research has shown that disengagement or alienation at the workplace is central to the problem of employees’ lack of commitment and motivation. It is therefore important to understand why some employees stay engaged at work even whilst facing challenges with constant change and why others disengage at work. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between three psychological conditions namely psychological meaningfulness, psychological safety, and psychological; availability; job characteristics; and work engagement. Furthermore, the study sought to investigate the mediating effects of psychological conditions on the relationship between work engagement and job characteristics. A survey design was used with a questionnaire as a data gathering instrument. The sample consisted of 150 employees of a university. Descriptive statistics (e.g. mean and standard deviations), Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regressions were used to analyse the data. The results showed that psychological meaningfulness was the strongest predictor of work engagement and that it fully mediated the relationship between job characteristics (job enrichment, work role fit and rewarding co-worker relations). Psychological availability did not predict work engagement but indicated a statistically significant correlation with cognitive, emotional and psychical resources. Limitations in this research are identified and recommendations are made for future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Orientation: Teachers have a vital role to play within any society. Of late, it can be seen that, generally, teachers within South African schools are becoming increasingly unhappy and dissatisfied with their work. This can be seen as a result of the various strikes and protests over the recent years. Since the South African education system is still very much fragmented and unequal, a legacy of the apartheid era, teachers working within former model C schools, in particular, can be seen as having numerous job demands placed on them in spite of low levels of job resources with which to cope. It is thus important to determine the impact that certain job resources and job demands have on the levels of work engagement and organisational commitment of teachers working within former model C schools in particular. Research Purpose: The purpose of this research was three-fold. Firstly, to determine the relationship between work engagement, organisational commitment, job resources and job demands. Secondly, to determine whether a differentiated approach to job demands (challenge demands and hindrance demands) impacted on positive organisational outcomes, such as work engagement. Thirdly, to determine the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between certain job resources and organisational commitment; and between challenge job demands and organisational commitment. Motivation for the Study: This study was aimed at enabling an identification of the relationship between work engagement, organisational commitment, job resources and job demands. Further, the study was aimed at identifying the impacting role that specific job resources and job demands have on positive organisational outcomes, such as work engagement and organisational commitment. Research Design, Approach and Method: A cross-sectional survey design was used. A sample (n= 117) was taken from teachers working at former model C high schools in Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal. A demographic questionnaire, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and Job Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS) were used to collect data from the sample. Main Findings: The findings of the study suggest that job resources are positively related to work engagement. The differentiated classification of job demands within the study was tested in terms of its relationship with work engagement. Interestingly it was found that overload (a challenge job demand) was both statistically as well as practically significantly related to work engagement; while job insecurity (a hindrance job demand) was not. Further, it was found that the job resources of organisational support and growth opportunities held predictive value for work engagement. Lastly, findings suggested that work engagement mediated the relationship between job resources and the positive organisational outcome of organisational commitment. The hypothesised mediating role that work engagement could play in the relationship between overload (a challenge job demand) and organisational commitment could not be tested in the present study. Practical/Managerial Implications: Job resources play a vital role in harnessing positive organisational outcomes such as work engagement and organisational commitment. Further, some job demands are positively related to work engagement. Therefore, managers and heads of schools need to look seriously at evaluating the state of the job demands and resources that are available to their teaching staff, and implement interventions that could increase various job resources and decrease major hindrance demands faced by teachers. These interventions could go a great way in developing more work-engaged as well as organisationally committed teachers. Contribution/Value-Add: The present research study contributes greatly to the knowledge pertaining to teachers working within former model C high schools within South Africa. Further the present study can be seen to extend the existing literature with regards to the Job Demands-Resource Model by adopting a differentiated approach to job demands and thus consequently investigating the positive relationships that certain job demands may have in terms of organisational outcomes. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between work engagement, job demands and job resources in a sample of educators. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Convenience samples (N = 157) were taken of educators in an area of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Job Demands Resources Scale were administered to the sample of educators. The results showed that job resources are significant predictors of work engagement. Also, growth opportunities and organisational support played a major role in educators’ engagement and thus needs to be made a priority in the education system. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study was a qualitative exploration of women’s work – life balance over the life course in retail management. Ten women who worked in the centre management of a mall in Durban were interviewed between June 2011 and August 2011. Through the use of thematic analysis, five themes were identified. These themes are: (a) the integration of work and life roles (b) the career as a learning process which is personally meaningful, (c) the retail industry and people dynamics (d) the value of time and (f) perceived autonomy among options for work and life development. The experiences of the participants were integrated with literature to arrive at an in depth understanding of the experiences of women’s work- life balance within retail. The findings suggest that work-life balance within retail is perceived as a subjective, continuous experience which changes over time. Moreover, there is integration of work and life roles. The study contributes to the evolving body of knowledge on work-life balance of women within the retail sector; it also provides a unique context specific perspective to the understanding of work- life balance. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This study explores the perceptions and experiences of senior managers regarding organisational transformation and change. To achieve this objective, a qualitative methodology was undertaken and twelve open-ended questions were formulated for the study. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted. A non-probability sampling technique was utilised, along with snowball sampling and judgement sampling methods to select participants for the study. The sample consisted of twenty-two senior managers from different Units and Departments within the eThekwini Municipality. The data collected were then qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study were presented under key themes that had emerged during the study. The main findings of the study showed that the municipality had radically transformed in response to the new political dispensation in South Africa, as of 1994. The study highlighted the general consensus amongst senior managers that fundamental transformation of the Municipality was imperative. The participants of the study expressed the view that the former municipal organisation had become misaligned with its environment. It was therefore imperative to ensure fundamental transformation of the municipality. Most senior managers, however, felt that the transformation process was poorly managed. These negative views were attributed to, inter alia, the long period of transformation, poor change management, and lack of a clearly articulated organisational culture coupled with some poorly implemented systems. Although negative views were expressed with regard to the transformation process, most senior managers were satisfied with their specific jobs. This surprising finding was attributed to positive personality characteristics and humanistic-existential perspectives that most senior managers were found to possess. Existentialists believe in people taking responsibility for their lives and the humanists stresses the importance of self-actualisation. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

HIV and AIDS might not necessarily be considered by South African companies to be the primary health condition impacting on their production costs and influence related interventions. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of automotive companies' perceptions regarding the health conditions that impact on their productions costs and their related workplace interventions. A cross sectional, electronic survey was conducted amongst 167 companies from the automotive manufacturing sector in South Africa, using stratified random sampling from a representative South African database. The realized sample comprised 74 companies. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were conducted to investigate the perceived health influencing factors impacting production costs, the monitoring thereof, extent of containment, interventions implemented as well as perceived success of workplace interventions to address company health challenges in terms of company size (small, medium and large organisations) and ownership (multinational versus national). The health factors perceived to have a moderate to large impact are HIV/AIDS, smoking, alcohol use, stress, back/neck ache and tuberculosis. These are reported to be better monitored and managed by medium and large organisations. Small organisations reported a smaller impact, fewer efforts and less success. Large organisations have HIV/AIDS interventions while those with wellness programmes seemed better able to monitor and manage health issues. Smaller organisations were not convinced of the benefits of interventions in addressing health challenges. As the impacting health conditions seemed linked, comprehensive and integrated wellness programmes in health supportive environments are required to address the health issues and ensure organisation competitiveness. Evidence for the effectiveness of workplace wellness programmes in South African is limited and calls for the evaluation of interventions as a priority. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.