A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Wits Business School, Johannesburg February 2017 / This research was conducted to explore the career experiences and career transitions of African women Chartered Accountants in the South African business environment where employment equity of race groups is sought. The international pursuit of gender transformation at the executive level, together with the South African employment equity targets, makes professional African women a key group for employers. Their lived experiences and career transitions challenges were the focus of this study. Qualitative research was deemed the most suitable approach to obtain depth of understanding of an area that has not previously been researched. Semi-structured interviews provided insight to participants who experienced transitions within professional services firms (PSF), returned to PSF, and transitioned out of PSF to other corporates. Since career transitions of this group of professionals did not appear in the literature, a theoretical framework of related literature was derived, which informed the development of a semi-structured interview guide. Sixteen interviews were conducted with participants from South Africa’s Gauteng province. Participants fell into four groups: those who remained in PSF, those who returned to PSF after having left, those who left and were at a managerial level, and finally, those who had left and were at executive levels. Interviews, with permission of the participants, were recorded, transcribed and analysed using ATLAS.ti software. The analysis resulted in 145 codes, 23 categories and 10 themes. The increase in black women professionals in organisations is slower than would have been expected, with monitoring emphasis placed on overall racial transformation rather than gender-specific change. This research found that African women CAs experienced being regularly targeted by recruiters and employers for positions. Participant career transitions were found to be impacted by South Africa’s employment equity legislation, resulting in career fast-tracking initiatives and being targeted as new hires by organisations. Participants’ lived experiences highlighted that their first transition into the work environment established a basis for comparison when experiencing subsequent transitions. Career transition challenges experienced include racial tensions resulting from perceived fast-tracking, organisational unpreparedness in assisting newcomers, and a lack of role models and structured support. Tenure is impacted by ineffective transition experiences. Organisations lack sufficient programmes to cater to the unique challenges faced in these career transitions. Thus, coaching is proposed as a suitable intervention. Family backgrounds, role models and other significant networks are not generally available as support resulting in a need for coaching. Based on different types of transitions identified in the study, a model was developed to guide business coaches in assisting future clients in preparing for transitions, going through career transitions, as well as establishing themselves within new organisations. Further research should take in a wider sample, as this study was limited to participants within Gauteng. Studies focussing on other professions such, as the legal, medical and engineering profession, are recommended to establish the lived experiences of African women’s career transitions. / MT2017

The advent of democracy in South Africa has brought about fundamental changes in the spheres of governance. One of these changes is the transformation of the public service. One of the constitutional imperatives of the country requires all government departments to be representative. The Department of Defence and in particular, the South African Navy (SA Navy) as part of the public service, is also expected to transform to ensure representivity. The SA Navy is not yet representative, specifically in terms of the African composition. The study seeks to establish the extent and knowledge of black youth about careers in the SA Navy. To achieve this, a questionnaire was circulated to various schools for completion. The findings indicate that black youth, specifically those from rural areas are unaware of the available career opportunities in the SA Navy. This could be a major cause of the current equity situation within the department. / Public Administration / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Migration and Displacement) July 2017 / This research report gives an account of the social networks, links, connections and relationships of undocumented Zimbabwean women working as domestic workers in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The primary aim was to understand the role of these ties in providing social, political, emotional and economic support in addressing the challenges that undocumented domestic workers face. The study also explored how social networks enhanced the capabilities and resources of non-national women, particularly focusing on how they defined wellbeing and development. Based on 12 semi-structured interviews with undocumented women living and working in Johannesburg, the findings that emerged from this study, show that unlike what the majority of literature in South Africa points to, undocumented domestic workers do not live in isolation from others, but rather have a diverse range of social networks that allow them to be active agents and participants in their lives. The results highlight that the majority of social networks that undocumented domestic workers use are in actual fact useful to them and how they navigate their contexts. Migrants in this instance are largely dependent on their families for support both in the originating country and in the host community. / XL2018

This study uses a narrative and hermeneutic approach to explore the career development often professional Black South African women. Using an interview guide developed by Brown and Gilligan (1991) and adapted by Mautner and Doucet (1996) career narratives were collected from the ten women. The narratives were analysed using a Reading Guide (Tappan and Brown, 1992). This method involved reading each narrative a number of times, focusing on a particular aspect of the respondent's narrative with each reading. Four major themes emerged through the process of interpretation; 1) contextualised career narratives, 2) positive non-directional career narratives, 3) the social embeddedness of the career narratives and 4) gendered career development. A number of recommendations for research, practice and theory building were made on the basis of the interpretation. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sci.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The advent of democracy in South Africa has brought about fundamental changes in the spheres of governance. One of these changes is the transformation of the public service. One of the constitutional imperatives of the country requires all government departments to be representative. The Department of Defence and in particular, the South African Navy (SA Navy) as part of the public service, is also expected to transform to ensure representivity. The SA Navy is not yet representative, specifically in terms of the African composition. The study seeks to establish the extent and knowledge of black youth about careers in the SA Navy. To achieve this, a questionnaire was circulated to various schools for completion. The findings indicate that black youth, specifically those from rural areas are unaware of the available career opportunities in the SA Navy. This could be a major cause of the current equity situation within the department. / Public Administration and Management / M. Admin. (Public Administration)

The subject of this dissertation is a fairly contentious issue, with advocates on all sides debating the effectiveness and value of affirmative action, as defined in the Black Economic Empowerment legislature. The goal is to determine the affect of BEE on the management of Small and Medium Enterprises in South Africa, although SME’s have been found by this study to have an influence on the effectiveness of BEE. An overview of the origins and history of affirmative action policies, cumulating in BEE, are discussed, and the various policies and their effectiveness are examined. Special emphasis was placed on the study of the Black Economic Empowerment Commission, and the recent policies around the enforcing of BEE compliance on corporate South Africa. The biggest problem with the implementation of BEE was found to be financing. Many financial models have been attempted to provide the necessary funding for empowerment to happen, but all seem to be flawed in some way or another. Insight was gained into how BEE policies are structured, the particular goals they are trying to achieve, and conclusions were drawn on how best these goals could be met. The study then provides an overview of the position and value of Small and Medium Enterprises in the South African economy and the particular issues that management of these enterprises face. The value of SME’s to the government’s policies of addressing massive unemployment in South Africa is examined, and certain conclusions are drawn around how effective these policies are. The various constraints and peculiar problems of the SME sector are examined, in order to place the topic of the dissertation in context. The dissertation then discusses the approach that was taken by the author in gathering the information and research material that was used to write the paper. These methods included meticulous research of the subject matter in the written press, internet sources, online libraries, as well as many personal interviews with leading industry and government personalities. This information is then used to discuss the effect of BEE in practice, with particular emphasis on impact that BEE has had and is having on the SME sector of the South African economy. Discussion is provided around the application of the BEE scorecard, as well as a section covering finance, both local and foreign, of BEE deals. The opinions of the industry leaders interviewed are discussed and particular issues raised by them are examined in the light of the previous discussions around BEE and SME’s. Lastly, the dissertation presents a set of conclusions drawn by the author, and backed up by industry comment. These conclusions provide a clear understanding of the impact that BEE is having on SME’s, as well as how SME’s will have an effect on the long-term success of BEE in South Africa. / Prof. S. Kruger

This study contributes to the limited academic knowledge (particularly anthropological knowledge) available on the working behaviour of black women workers. The study focuses on how black women workers perceive and experience certain western work values within a western workplace. A problem that constantly arises in South African industry is the correlation between work values and working behaviour. Hence, the study focuses on the African-oriented value judgements and life- and world-views of black women workers manifested in a South African factory and the perceptions of these women regarding selected western work values. The working behaviour of the black women workers, as employed at Automotive Mouldings cc (AMM) and their culturally determined value judgements and life¬and world-views concerning certain requirements and elements within the western labour system in general, and specifically at AMM, are examined. The empirical study provides an ethnographic description of the perceptions of black women workers at AMM of western work values and their working behaviour in the workplace. The culturally determined attitudes of these black women towards "work" are discussed. These selected western work values include career awareness, individualism, thoroughness and alertness, time concepts, discipline, communication, motivation to achieve, diligence, responsibility and accountability as well as work status. These western-oriented characteristics (criteria), however, are not necessarily present in the work value systems of black women workers. This creates conflict and reduces productivity within the workplace, as the working behaviour of the black women workers, in many instances, contrasts with western-oriented organisational values in general. Thus, it is difficult to predict the working behaviour of black women workers or to judge it from within western employers' own cultural frameworks. In order to prevent or reduce conflict in the workplace, and to enhance productivity, it is essential that employers are aware of the perceptions of western work values and working behaviour of traditional Africans in general, but specifically the working behaviour of black women workers. / Dissertation (MA (Anthropology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Anthropology and Archaeology / unrestricted

In this study, the sex-role identities adopted by young, middle-aged, and older working females South African were compared. The rationale of the study is based on changes which occurred within South Africa with regards to gender, race, education, as well as work place participation for women. Two hundred females from two South African organisations participated in the study. Two self-report questionnaires were utilised: a demographic questionnaire and Bem’s Sex-Role Inventory. Data was interpreted statistically, by means of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and frequencies. Results revealed that younger women have adopted more masculine characteristics than middle-aged and older females. Results further indicated that black women are more likely to reflect sex-role identity changes on age than white women, given that changes in the South African society many have been more impactful on them. Results on the levels of masculinity amongst the younger group of females are consistent with a study done on working females in India.

In this study an attempt is made to trace and analyse the changing nature of African youth in urban areas, with particular reference to the East London locations. The period covered is the period from the 1940s to the end of 1992. In common wisdom, an impression is often created that African youth is a homogeneous grouping. This has been particularly the case in the 1980s, when the youth of this country took to the streets and challenged the status quo in a manner unknown in South Africa's recorded history. However, the main conclusion of this study is that the African youth is not homogeneous, and has never been during the period under review. It is argued in the study that the youth divides into various categories which at times interact with one another, but are at times antagonistic to each other. It has been stressed though, that the various categories have not remained the same. Almost all underwent various changes and transformations. Some of the changes and transformations were radical, leading to the disappearance of some categories, for example, the old distinction of 'school' and 'red' youth. Where such took place, new categories have emerged, even in instances where the intentions were to bring the various categories under the roof of a single category, for example, bringing various categories under the wing of the political youth, or comrade (qabane), as was the case in the 1980s. In tracing the changing nature of African youth in urban areas, the underlying argument has been that there is no evidence of a single youth culture ever prevailing for long. This study attempts to explain why such a culture was not possible. Only a grasp of historical process will, moreover, help to explain the changing youth scene. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

Domestic service constitutes one of the largest sources of employment for black women in South Africa. Yet it is a largely unstudied occupation. There has been no previous investigation of domestic workers in the Eastern Cape, and to date only two comprehensive studies of domestic workers in other areas of South Africa. This neglect is significant, for such inquiry involves questioning the accepted pattern of inequalities on which the entire social order is based.