The study sought to establish the effect of age, gender, job level and race on attitudes towards affirmative action. A research was conducted in a government organisation in the security cluster in one of the provinces in South Africa. Findings indicated that men and women’s disposition towards affirmative action was positive. Employees at different job levels and varying age groups were also positive towards affirmative action in general. There were significantly lower numbers of white participants and those on senior management levels such that this cannot be objectively reported. The generally positive regard employees have towards affirmative action is good for the organisation if it wants to build a cohesive culture that is non sexist and does not discriminate on the basis of job level and age. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / (M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))

M.A. / The problem highlighted above, based on the research done in local authorities (Annexure 1), led to the conclusion that it would be of considerable assistance to local authorities if provided with a guide containing applicable information and practical guidance to address and overcome the problem areas highlighted above. The study endeavours to provide such information and guidance. Based on theoretical research the study gives an overview of affirmative action in the United States of America with specific reference to court cases which deal with contentious aspects of affirmative action also faced by employers in South Africa. It also discusses the legal and developmental environments steering the implementation of affirmative action in South Africa and specifically in local government. In doing so, it focuses on lessons to be learned from the experience of other employers in South Africa with specific reference to local authorities as indicated by research done (Annexure 1). As highlighted guidance in respect of process and content will make a significant contribution to the success of affirmative action in the local government sector and will assist local authorities to avoid some of the problem areas and pitfalls highlighted. Therefore based on legislation and agreements pertaining to local government and practical research (Annexure 1), the study discusses a step-by-step organisation/sector-specific process to be followed in implementing affirmative action in local government and the basic content to be addressed during the various phases of the process. In so doing the study inter alia highlights the procedure to be followed to adopt and give effect to all legislation and agreements in the local government sector in a political and economic balanced manner; focuses on how to establish and task the appropriate and legitimate structures which must champion the process of planning and implementation, provides a working method and framework through which common ground can be reached on the extent and content of affirmative action and commitment obtained therefor, provides the procedures and methods through which perceptions, fears and expectations of employees can be determined and addressed as the basis for establishing a culture and climate conducive for affirmative action, discusses the process to be followed to establish an affirmative action policy and strategic plan including the basic contents of these documents and the specific key performance areas to be addressed and programmes to be developed during planning and implementation; Policy Framework for the Implementation of Affirmative Action in Local Government 6 • through the provision of abovementioned aspects, establishes a framework and methods for the continued evaluation and monitoring of the implementation process. In combining theory and practice to give a holistic perspective of affirmative action within the local government context, the study should make a valuable contribution to the successful implementation of affirmative action in the local government sector in South Africa. Given the historical constraints such as human perceptions and intolerance, cultural diversity, lack of education of certain groups, etc., achieving such a perfect balance will be a laudatory accomplishment in the interest of all South Africans and one that must be pursued. It is believed that through a proper implementation of the process detailed in this study and specifically through the establishment and utilisation of the structures and programmes identified, a workable and balanced implementation of affirmative action can be achieved. This is specifically so since it is a democratic, accountable and transparent process based on constructive engagement of, and consultation with, all the role-players involved in affirmative action.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

SAMMANFATTNING Titel: Är positiv särbehandling aktuellt? – Den positiva särbehandlingens inverkan på rekryteringsarbetet inom offentlig sektor. Nivå: C-uppsats i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Medul Aurangazeb och Rebecca Råsberg Handledare: Kristina Mickelsson och Pär Vilhelmson Datum: 2016 – Januari Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att få en ökad förståelse för hur rekryterare inom organisationer arbetar och hur de styrs av positiv särbehandling. Metod: Studien har gjorts utifrån en kvalitativ metod för att få en helhetsförståelse kring begreppet positiv särbehandling och empiriskt material har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Tio rekryterare inom den offentliga sektorn har intervjuats och materialet har därefter analyserats samt bearbetats med hjälp av den teoretiska referensramen, för att sedan presentera ett resultat av data. Resultat & Slutsats: Studien har visat att positiv särbehandling kan ha en inverkan i en organisations rekryteringsprocess. Vissa organisationer ansåg sig inte ha behov av att nyttja positiv särbehandling, medan andra tillämpade den genom riktad annonsering och för att kunna skilja två lika kvalificerade kandidater åt i slutfasen av rekryteringsprocessen. Med hjälp av att aktivt arbeta med positiv särbehandling kan en organisation få en jämnare könsfördelning och därmed uppnå mångfald. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: För att få ett ytterligare perspektiv behöver fler kvalitativa intervjuer göras för att fastställa hur organisationer inom offentlig sektor skapar och upprätthåller mångfaldiga arbetsgrupper om de inte arbetar utifrån positiv särbehandling. Det skulle även vara intressant att undersöka vidare om synen på jämställdhet har förändrats hos rekryterare och chefer inom organisationer. Studiens bidrag: Det finns skilda åsikter kring positiv särbehandling och den kan lätt missförstås. Studien har bidragit till att om positiv särbehandling tillämpas på ett korrekt sätt sker ingen diskriminering och kandidaten anställs utifrån sin kompetens samt att organisationen kan uppnå mångfald. Genom att öppna vägar för underrepresenterade grupper med riktad annonsering samt gå ut i samhället för att locka en bredare grupp av individer, kan även leda till ökad mångfald. Nyckelord: positiv särbehandling, kön, kvinnor, rekryterare, motstånd, mångfald / ABSTRACT Title: Is affirmative action up to date? - The influence of the affirmative action on recruitment in the public sector. Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration Author: Medul Aurangazeb and Rebecca Råsberg Supervisor: Kristina Mickelsson and Pär Vilhelmson Date: 2016 - January Aim: The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how recruiters in organizations work and how they are controlled by affirmative action. Method: The study was based on a qualitative method to get an overall understanding of the concept of affirmative action and the empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Ten recruiters in the public sector have been interviewed and the material is then analyzed and processed using the theoretical framework, this to report the results of the data. Conclusions: The study shows that affirmative action can have an impact on an organization's recruitment process. Some organizations did not have the need to use affirmative action, while others applied it with advertising and to be able to distinguish between two equally qualified candidates at the final stage of the recruitment process. By working actively with affirmative actions an organization can get a more equal gender balance and achieve diversity. Suggesstions for future research: In order to get an additional perspective more interviews are needed to determine how public sector organizations create and maintain diverse working groups, this if they do not work on the basis of affirmative action. It would also be interesting to further investigate if recruiters and managers view of equality has changed within organizations. Contribution of the thesis: There are different opinions regarding affirmative action and it can easily be misunderstood. The study has contributed with, if affirmative action is applied correctly, there is no discrimination and the candidate is hired based on their qualifications and the organization can achieve diversity. By making the way easier for underrepresented groups with targeted advertising, and go out into the community to attract a broader group of individuals, this could also lead to increased diversity. Key words: affirmative action, gender, women, recruiters, resistance, diversity

Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Growth, Employment and Redistribution strategy (GEAR) has not been successful in bringing about growth in the South African economy as planned. The biggest failure of GEAR has however been the fact that employment levels have continued to drop since its implementation. Unemployment levels, as well as the scales and levels of employment are furthermore still dramatically skewed in favour of the previously advantaged, namely white men. That group, is however, still the most highly skilled in our economy. AIDS may furthermore have a dramatic impact on the labour force in South Africa. Studies show that the reduction of inequality in society is a way of promoting economic growth. The upgrading of skills, improving access to jobs, occupations, training and promotion opportunities advance all members of the workforce and makes it possible for them to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. On a wider scale, the elimination of discrimination raises economic efficiency throughout the economy by ensuring a more rational allocation of labour resources. By increasing the pool of skilled and qualified employees and improving labour market mobility, economic efficiency is enhanced. Given this, it seems that a move to employment equity is the only manner in which the ailing South African economy can be addressed. The legislative framework to serve as the foundation for equity in the workplace is complete. Through the application of the Labour Relations Act (No 66 of 1995) (LRA) and the Basic Conditions Employment Act (BCEA) equitable collective bargaining processes and equitable treatment of employees can be obtained. The Employment Equity Act (No 55 of 1998) not only prohibits discrimination, but actually set up a framework within which affirmative action can take place. The process of transforming the profile of the labour force will, however, not be complete (or successful) if it is not accompanied by a programme to change the skills structure within South Africa. The Skills Development Act (No 97 of 1998) aims to distribute the necessary skills to previously disadvantaged groups in order to empower them to hold jobs at higher levels. If used correctly, this legislative framework will not only transform South African workplaces, but will also bring about much needed societal change. The transformation process at UPE, resulting in the Employment Equity Plan as well as the Policy on the Promotion of Equality, Diversity and Elimination of Unfair Discrimination has been transparent and inclusive in nature. The process and the resulting documents can serve as basis for other tertiary institutions to bring about the required change. Given the solid research and consultation that went into formulating the plan and policy, it is to be hoped that this plan will be consistently implemented and the success constantly monitored. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: GEAR was nie so suksesvol as wat verwag is om groter groei vir die Suid- Afrikaanse ekonomie mee te bring nie. Die grootste mislukking van GEAR was egter die feit dat werkloosheid steeds toeneem. Werkloosheidvlakke, sowel as die verdiensteskale en die vlakke van diensverrigting in Suid-Afrika is verder ook dramaties oneweredig ten gunste van blanke mans. Hierdie groep is egter steeds die groep met die beste vaardighede in Suid-Afrika. Vigs mag ook nog verder 'n dramatiese impak op die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmag hê. Navorsing vertoon dat die vermindering van ongelykheid binne die gemeenskap ekonomiese groei kan meebring. Dit is omdat beter opleiding en verbeterde toegang tot werksgeleenthede, opleiding en bevordering al die werknemers begunstig en sodoende dit moontlik maak vir hulle om met maksimale produktiwiteit en effektiwiteit hulle dagtaak te verrig. Op 'n breër vlak kan die verwydering van diskriminasie tot verbeterde ekonomiese effektiwiteit in die ekonomie deur 'n meer rasionele verdeling van arbeidsvaardighede lei. Indien 'n groter groep kundiges geskep word kan die ganse ekonomiese groei verbeter word. Om hierdie rede is billike arbeidspraktyke die enigste manier waarop die kwynende Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie herstel kan word. Die wetgewende raamwerk waarbinne billikheid in die arbeidsmag gereguleer word, is voltooi. Deur die toepassing van beide, die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge (Nr 66 van 1965) en die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes (Nr 55 van 1998) word billike kollektiewe bedinging en billike hantering van werknemers by die werkplek verseker. Die Wet met betrekking tot Billikheid ten opsigte van Indiensneming verbied nie net diskriminasie nie, maar stel 'n raamwerk daar waarbinne regstellende aksie kan geskied. Die proses van transformasie van die arbeidsmag sal egter nie volledig (of suksesvol) kan wees indien dit nie gepaard gaan met 'n program waardeur die vaardigheidstruktuur in Suid-Afrika verander word nie. Die Vaardighede Ontwikkelingswet (Nr 97 van 1998) poog om die nodige vaardighede aan voorheen agtergeblewe groepe te versprei om hulle sodoende te bemagtig om arbeid op 'n hoër vlak te kan verrig. Indien hierdie wetgewende raamwerk goed gebruik word sal dit nie net organisasies verander nie, maar lei tot 'n verandering binne die breë gemeenskap. Die proses van transformasie by UPE wat gelei het tot die daarstelling van 'n Plan vir Billike Indiensneming sowel as 'n Beleid vir die Bevordering van Gelykheid en Diversifikasie en die Verwydering van Onbillike Diskriminasie was deursigtig en inklusief van aard. Die proses en die beleid kan as basis dien vir ander tersiêre instellings om die nodige verandering mee te bring. Gegewe die navorsing en konsultasie waarmee die daarstelling van die plan en beleidsdokument gepaard gegaan het, sal die plan hopelik konsekwent toegepas en die sukses daarvan deurlopend geëvalueer word.

Kvinnor har länge varit exkluderade från ledarpositioner, såsom styrelser, men utvecklingen mot en mer jämställd könsfördelning går långsamt framåt. Syftet med uppsatsen är att skapa förståelse för hur kvinnor i styrelser kan bidra till utvecklingen mot en jämnare könsfördelning. Genom att intervjua fem kvinnliga styrelseledamöter har vi fått en inblick i deras upplevelser och erfarenheter av styrelsearbete och könsroller. Kvinnorna i undersökningen har, genom många års styrelsearbete i olika former samt genom gedigna arbetserfarenheter, arbetat sig fram till ledande positioner inom olika branscher och företag. Även om de överlag inte anser sig ha behandlats annorlunda i styrelsen på grund av sitt kön kan vissa av kvinnorna ändå uppleva att de ibland förväntas ansvara för specifika uppgifter just för att de är kvinnor, att de behöver tuffa till sig eller att de måste vara mer pålästa och duktigare än männen. De anser att kvotering kan vara det enda sättet att få jämställda styrelser men understryker att det bör vara kompetensen som avgör vem som får uppdraget. För att lyckas bra som ledamot krävs, enligt respondenterna, en viss baskunskap om ekonomi och ledarskap samt ett visst mått av självsäkerhet och att våga stå för sina åsikter. Kravbilden på styrelsemedlemmar i bolagsstyrelser har ökat under de senaste årtiondena och det krävs att medlemmarna som individer har en hög kompetens och att styrelsen i sin helhet besitter en bred kunskapsbas. Denna utveckling kan ha en positiv effekt på könsfördelningen då det är fler kvinnor än män som har universitetsutbildning och eftersom en mer heterogen grupp ger ett bredare spektrum av kunskaper. Kvinnorna i undersökningen har genom sina positioner bidragit till brytandet av normer och gör det därför lättare för andra kvinnor att följa i deras spår. Det råder ingen brist på kompetenta kvinnor men utmaningen ligger i att kartlägga och synliggöra dessa kvinnor och ge dem samma möjlighet som männen att nå ledande positioner. / Women have long been excluded from leadership positions, such as boards of directors, but the development towards an equal gender distribution is slowly progressing. The purpose of this paper is to create an understanding of how women in boards can contribute to the development of a more equal gender balance. By interviewing five female board members we have gained insights of their experiences of board work and gender roles. The women in our study have, through many years of board work in various forms and through extensive work experience, worked their way towards leading positions in different businesses and companies. Even though they don’t consider themselves being treated differently because of their gender some of the women can still experience expectations to do certain tasks just because they are women, that they need to toughen up or that they have to be better prepared and more capable than the male board members. They consider affirmative action to be the only way to make boards equal, but they emphasize that qualifications should be the determining factor of who gets the assignment. To succeed as a board member a basic knowledge of finances and leadership is required and also a certain degree of self-assurance and the courage to stand up for their opinions, according to the respondents. The requirements of corporate board members have increased in recent decades and it is required that the members, as individuals, have a high level of competence and that the board, as a whole, possesses a broad knowledge base. This development could have a positive effect on the gender balance since there are more women than men with a university education and since a heterogeneous group of people results in a wider range of knowledge. The women in the study have, through their positions, contributed to the breaking of norms and therefore make it easier for other women to follow in their tracks. There is no shortage of qualified women but the challenge is to identify and recognize these women and give them the same opportunity as men to reach senior positions.

Background- South Africa, the most southern country at the African continent as the name depicts, is a country where Apartheid has prevailed the historical and contemporary landscape of the nation.  The era of Apartheid, being a system of discrimination and segregation, produced racial imbalances within the South African society and polices of affirmative action was enforced as an attempt to redress the racial inequalities. Purpose- By studying a distinctive type of affirmative action in a historically ethnically distressed context (organizations in South Africa), the purpose of this thesis was to receive insight on what impact affirmative action has on employees’ attitudes towards equality. The purpose was divided into two research questions to get an understanding of the implications that shape employees’ attitudes. The first research area aimed to identify and investigate which key factors are influencing employees’ attitudes towards affirmative action. The second research area considered the underlying cause of affirmative action and thereby investigated what impact affirmative action has on individuals’ as well as groups’ attitudes towards equality. Method- In order to fulfill the purpose of this thesis we used a qualitative method approach.  The approach adopted for the qualitative study was a constructivist grounded theory approach and the research has been performed with both an inductive and a deductive approach. The empirical material has been gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight employees at four different multinational companies operating in South Africa, by informal interviews with individuals in South Africa and through parallel observations.  Results and Conclusion- We provide five key factors that influence employees’ attitudes towards affirmative action; organizational culture, top management support, incentive for teams versus individual performance, prior experience of diversity and cultural artifacts. Furthermore, we present a three-step model on how intergroup contact can impact employees’ attitudes towards equality. We found that increased exposure towards diversity, through group interactions, can decrease employees’ negative prejudices, evaluations of other groups and thus enable an understanding that can help create a more positive attitude towards equality. Practical Implications- The key influencing factors identified in this study will help increase the knowledge of how to manage affirmative action within organizations. The findings can help managers and business leaders dealing with the implementation and management of affirmative action, both for their own understanding as well as in terms of guiding their employees on their approach toward affirmative action programs.

This research focused on affirmative action, equity in the workplace, skills development and training. It examined the manner in which policies and practices aimed at realising representativeness were implemented by the City of Cape Town. Reasons for the slow progress made at realising representativeness in the City of Cape Town were identified as well as the shortcomings of current policies, procedures and practices.