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More than one-third of US-listed companies had all-male corporate boards in 2015. Quotas are discussed as policy levers to increase gender diversity, but there is much controversy whether they can increase female representation without harming organizational outcomes. Using the passage of a California law in 2018 that required the presence of at least one woman on corporate boards by the end of the following year, in the first chapter of my dissertation I estimate the effects of gender quotas on firm performance. I find the quota reduced the share of all-male boards by thirty percentage points within one year, with no reductions in operating performance, firm values, or shareholder returns within three years. These results question why all-male boards were prevalent prior to the legislation. I find that women directors are less likely to possess top-level experience and employment connections with corporate executives, which both appear as viable explanations. These findings provide insight on why women continue to lack representation in corporate leadership. Non-compete agreements are provisions within employment contracts that prevent workers from joining competing firms. They are prevalent in the US workforce, with 38% of workers having signed such clauses at some point in their careers. Despite their vast usage, there is limited research on the incentives for workers and firms to use non-compete agreements. In the second chapter, we show that non-compete agreements can create one market failure – inefficient lack of job separation – while mitigating a separate market failure – inefficient provision of industry-specific investment by firms. The model yields the predictions that (i) non-compete agreements are more likely to be used in industries where employer training is more "general" and (ii) non-compete signers have longer job tenures and receive more firm-provided investment relative to similar workers without non-compete agreements. Using newly-released panel data on the usage of non-compete agreements from the NLSY97, we confirm the model's predictions. Non-compete signers are more concentrated in knowledge-intensive industries and remain with their employers for 3 more months than individuals without such agreements. Non-compete signers also receive more employer-provided investment, but do not experience higher wage growth. Non-compete agreements are provisions within employment contracts that prevent workers from joining competing firms. In the third chapter, using the Current Population Survey, 18 state-level non-compete policy changes between 1992-2014, and hand-collected data on workers exempt from non-compete enforcement, I study the effects of non-compete regulation on labor market outcomes using a triple-differences research design. I find that a standard deviation increase in non-compete enforcement raises hourly wages by 3-7%, with larger gains for job leavers than job stayers. Non-compete enforcement is not associated with job mobility, unemployment, or labor force participation decisions. The findings are interpreted through the lens of an incomplete contracting model. Under the model’s assumptions, non-compete agreements mitigate the market failure of underprovided firm-sponsored general training, thus increasing the worker’s productivity. The extent to which the worker is compensated for this increase in productivity depends on labor market competition at the time of contracting. The fact that increased enforcement raises the wages of job leavers more than job stayers is consistent with the model’s predictions.

This thesis examines the integration of gender concerns into development planning in the non-profit sector through a case study of planning a development program in a non-profit nongovernmental organization. The dependent variable of the study is the degree of "gender sensitivity," the extent to which gender concerns are taken into account in the planning process of a development program. The thesis constructs evaluative and explanatory frameworks on the basis of recent research to be used to examine a gender-sensitive planning process for NGOs in general and in the case study in particular. The evaluative framework distinguishes among three dimensions that are evaluated in the planning process: design process, plan for implementation, and policy approach. The degree of gender sensitivity determined by applying the evaluative framework is then explained by examining five explanatory factors: organizational goals, structures, personnel, environment, and resources. Finally, the conclusion suggests strategies for improving the gender sensitivity of the planning process. / Master of Arts

Educational Studies / M.Ed (Educational Management)

This dissertation explored perceptions of the link between religion and the feminization of poverty amongst research participants attached to the Johane Marange Church of Seke area in Zimbabwe. The study sought to explore whether the practices in the Johane Marange church exacerbated the feminization of poverty. A qualitative research approach was selected. Data included documentary sources, notes from observation, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It is found that according to the research participants, some of the church’s traditions may drive the feminization of poverty in the area. In particular, the church’s stance concerning young women’s participation in higher education, people’s health-seeking behaviour, its own understanding of the causes of and treatment for HIV and AIDS, its encouragement of early age at marriage for women and support of the practice of widow inheritance all contribute to a deepening feminization of poverty / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

Sociology / M.A. (Sociology)

Thesis (MAdmin)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sexual harassment has different meanings for different individuals. This is clearly evident from the wide variety of definitions that are noted on the theme. Sexual harassment can be divided into two main categories. Firstly there is quid pro quo harassment which boils down to the fact that an agreement must be established between two individuals where sexual favours are exchanged for more favourable work benefits. The next sexual harassment category is where one individual makes the working environment of the next individual intolerable in order to solicit sexual favours. Sexual harassment can be explained using a number of models. These models vary from the point of departure that sexual harassment is driven by the individual's sex drive to a model where the economy has an influence on the individual's behaviour. None of the existing models, however, fully explain sexual harassment and sexual harassment can best be explained using a synthesis between various models. These models have the advantage that a better understanding of the subject exists and could thus ease the prevention and management of sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment manifests over a wide varitey of actions. A difference can be drawn between direct and indirect harassment. Direct harassment could be physical and lead to charges of sexual assault or rape. Indirect harassment could be where an individual through his/her actions causes another individual to feel uncomfortable without the action being directed at that specific individual. It could be that sexually explicit pictures are being displayed without the intention to harass but that the mere displaying of the pictures is experienced as harassment by certain individuals. There are various actions leading up to sexual harassment. However, it was found that sexual harassment is not romantic attention with the view of courting towards a consenting love affair. Consenting love affairs may also exist in the workplace and although not prohibited by any rule or prescript the affair could end and then transform towards sexual harassment. Sexual harassment was found not to be restricted to one sex only. Although the profiles of male and female harassers differ both can present themselves as harassers. Sexual harassment is not restricted to harassing the opposite sex only and man to man and woman to woman harassment is also found. In the South African Civil Service there are certain acts that regulate sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is, however, not addressed by definition and general deductions must be made that could include atcs of sexual harassment. This was tested by contacting a variety of government departments and provincial administrations to gain insight into their sexual harassment policies. The majortiy of respondents did not have a formal or approved policy on sexual harassment. The sexual harassment policies that were \ analysed revealed certain inadequicies and a scientifically based questionnaire was developed to determine the prevelance of sexual harassment in the workplace. Normatively speaking certain guidelines or a definition of sexual harassment should exist to show which conduct or behaviour can be construed as sexual harassment. An employee's complaints procedure should at least contain a mechanism to ensure that policy is not ignored, that alternative methods of reporting sexual harassment are being catered for and that adequate training is provided to ensure that all employees are au fait with the complaints procedure. Confidentiality is a critical element and the employer should try to maintain this throughout the investigation. Investigation officers should have a certain knowledge on the theme of sexual harassment. The appointment of an investigation officer should also be sex sensitive. The imposing of sanctions after the investigation into complaints of sexual harassment should be done with due cognisance of the degree of seriousness of the violation and other mitigating and extenuating circumstances. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Seksuele teistering het verskillende betekenisse vir verskillende indiwidue. Hierdie kom duidelik na vore uit die wye verskeidenheid van definisies wat oor die tema opgeteken is. Seksuele teistering kan in twee hoof groeperings ingedeel word. Eerstens is daar quid pro quo-teistering wat daarop neerkom dat daar 'n ooreenkoms tussen twee indiwidue tot stand moet kom, waar seksuele gunste vir werksvoordele uitgeruil word. Die ander tipe seksuele teistering is waar die een indiwidu die werksomgewing vir die volgende indiwidu ondraagbaar maak om die indiwidu tot seksuele gunste te laat toegee. Seksuele teistering kan aan die hand van 'n aantal modelle verklaar word. Hierdie modelle wissel vanaf die uitgangspunt dat dit deur die indiwidu se seksdrang aangedryf word tot waar die ekonomie 'n invloed op die indiwidu se gedrag kan hê. Nie een van die bestaande modelle gee egter 'n volledige verklaring van seksuele teistering nie en kan seksuele teistering aan die hand van 'n sintese tussen die modelle verklaar word. Hierdie modelle het die voordeel dat dit 'n beter begrip van die onderwerp stel en kan die voorkoming of bestuur van seksuele teistering in die werksplek hierdeur vergemaklik word. Seksuele teistering manifesteer oor 'n wye front van aksies. Daar kan 'n onderskeid tussen direkte en indirekte teistering getref word. Direkte teistering kan fisies wees en aanleiding tot klagtes van seksuele aanranding of verkragting wees. Indirekte teistering kan wees waar 'n indiwidu deur sy/haar optrede 'n volgende indiwidu ongemaklik laat voel sonder dat dit spesifiek teen daardie indiwidu gemik is. Dit sou kon wees dat seksueel eksplisiete prente sonder die bedoeling om te teister, opgeplak word, maar dat dit deur bepaalde indiwidue as teisterend ervaar word. Daar is verskeie aanleidende oorsake tot seksuele teistering. Seksuele teistering is egter gevind om nie romatiese aandag te wees met die oog op hofmakery vir 'n konsente liefdesverhouding nie. Konsente liefdesverhoudings kan ook in die werksplek voorkom en alhoewel dit nie teen enige reël indruis nie, kan die verhouding tot niet gaan en dan in seksuele teistering oorgaan. Seksuele teistering is gevind om nie net tot een geslag beperk te wees nie. Alhoewel die profiele van 'n manlike en vroulike teisteraar verskil, kan beide geslagte as teisteraar voordoen. Seksuele teistering is ook nie net tot die teenoorgestelde geslag beperk nie en kom man-tot-man en vrou-tot-vrou teistering ook voor. In die Suid-Afrikaanse Staatsdiens is daar bepaalde wetgewing wat seksuele teistering reguleer. Seksuele teistering word per se egter nie by definisie aangespreek nie en moet daar meer algemene afleidings gemaak word wat die oortreding van seksuele teistering sou kon insluit. Hierdie is getoets deur 'n verskeidenheid staatsdepartemente en provinsiale administrasies te nader om insae in hul seksueleteistering-beleide te kry. Die meerderheid respondente het nie oor 'n formele of goedgekeurde beleid oor seksuele teistering beskik nie. Die seksueleteistering-beleide wat wel ontleed was, het bepaalde gebreke getoon en is daar 'n wetenskaplik fundeerde vraelys ontwikkel om die voorkoms van seksuele teistering in die werksplek te bepaal. Normatief beskou behoort daar riglyne of 'n definisie te bestaan om aan te toon watter gedrag of optrede as seksuele teistering beskou kan word. 'n Werkgewer se klagteprosedure behoort minstens 'n meganisme te bevat om te verseker dat indiwidue nie beleid ignoreer nie, daar alternatiewe metodes voor voorsiening gemaak word om seksuele teistering te rapporteer en dat daar voldoende opleiding verskaf word om te verseker dat alle werknemers met die klagteprosedure vertroud is. Die handhawing van konfidensialiteit is 'n kritiese element en die werkgewer behoort te poog om gedurende ondersoek die hoogste graad van konfidensialiteit te handhaaf. Ondersoekbeamptes behoort 'n bepaalde kundigheid oor die onderwerp van seksuele teistering te hê. Die aanwys van 'n ondersoekbeampte behoort geslagsensitief gedoen te word. Die oplê van sanksies na ondersoek van klagtes van seksuele teistering behoort die ernstigheidsgraad van die oortreding en ander verswarende of versagtende getuienis in ag te neem.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fatherhood literature in South Africa agrees that a look beyond the absent father phenomenon is necessary and that the focus should rather be on the potential of biological and social fathers who are present in their children’s lives. Although fathers are important in the healthy development of both boys and girls, the fathering of adolescents daughters has received limited research attention. For these reasons, this study focused on fathers and their adolescent daughters in one low-income, semi-rural, Coloured community in the Cape Winelands district of the Western Cape, South Africa. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate fathers’ and adolescent daughters’ constructions of fatherhood. The study was informed by social constructionism and utilised a social constructionist informed grounded theory methodology. Forty-two interviews were conducted with fourteen fathers and adolescent daughters. They were interviewed separately and 29 hours and 47 minutes of interview material were obtained. Data collection, transcription, and analysis took place concurrently. Five conceptual categories were identified: Both the fathers and the daughters focused on the importance of the provider role and daughters’ obedience. Their relationship was spoken of in terms of having an understanding, while the expression of affection appeared to accompany special occasions only. Fathers also emphasised their wish for their daughters to have a better future and spoke at length about their efforts and strategies for ensuring this. Lastly, fathers’ expected daughters to do as they were told and not to follow fathers’ bad examples (e.g. alcohol abuse). The core category focused on the underlying assumptions inherent in the dynamic of the relationship, namely an hierarchical and patriarchal gender order. There seemed to be evidence of both affirmation of and resistance against the patriarchal gender order. Although it seemed that the traditional masculine and feminine ideology continue to hold sway, the presence of New Father discourse suggests the beginning of a shift towards more equitable gender relations and therefore the possibility of change. Recommendations for future research and interventions based on this analysis were also discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse literatuur oor vaderskap is daar ooreenstemming dat daar nie hoofsaaklik op die afwesige vader fenomeen gekonsentreer moet word nie, maar dat die potensiaal van biologiese en sosiale vaders wie wel teenwoordig in hulle kinders se lewe is, ook ondersoek moet word. Alhoewel vaders belangrik in die gesonde ontwikkeling van beide seuns en meisies is, is die navorsing oor die vaderskap van adolessente dogters beperk. Vir hierdie redes sal die studie fokus op vaders en hulle adolessente dogters in lae-inkomste, semi-landelike, Kleurling gemeenskap in die Kaapse Wynland distrik van die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Die doelwit van hierdie ondersoekende studie was om die vaders en adolessente dogters se konstruksie oor vaderskap te ondersoek. Die studie was ingelig deur sosiale konstruksionisme en het ingeligte sosiale konstruksionistiese gegronde teoretiese metodologie gebruik. Twee-en-veertig onderhoude is afsonderlik gevoer met veertien vaders en hul adolessente dogters. Nege-en-twintig ure en 47 minute se onderhoudmateriaal is verkry. Data insameling, transkripsie en analise het gelyktydig plaasgevind. Vyf begripskategorieë was geïdentifiseer: Beide die vaders en dogters het gefokus op die belangrikheid van die pa se voorsienersrol. Verder het hul oor hul verhouding gepraat in terme van 'n “verstandhouding” waarin die vader se outoritere posisie en die dogter se gehoorsame posisie vanselfsprekend aanvaar is. Die woordelikse en fisiese uitdrukking van liefde het net sekere spesiale geleenthede vergesel. Vaders het ook die klem geplaas op hulle begeerte vir hulle dogters om beter toekoms te hê en het breedvoerig hulle pogings en strategieë bespreek om dit toe te sien. Laastens, het vaders van hul dogters verwag om hul vaders se woordelikse opdragte en leringe te volg en hul nie-navolginswaardige voorbeelde (byvoorbeeld alkoholmisbruik) te ignoreer. Die kern kategorie van die gegronde teorie wat in hierdie studie ontwikkel is, belig die onderliggende aannames inherent in die dinamika van die vader-dogter verhouding, naamlik hiërargiese en vaderregtelike geslagsorde. Dit blyk uit die narratiewe van vaders en dogtersl asof daar beide bevestiging van en weerstand teen die vaderregtelike geslagsorde is. Al het dit voorgekom dat die tradisionele manlike- en vroulike ideologie steeds aan die orde van die dag is, kan die aanwesigheid van die Nuwe Vader diskoers dui op verskuiwing na meer billike geslagsverhouding en daarom ook die moontlikheid van verandering. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing en ingrypings, gebaseer op hierdie analise, word ook bespreek.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research question of this thesis was: What is the nature of the social boundaries that define women as a group, how has this been depicted throughout the ages and, more specifically, in the work of South African artists, Vladimir Tretchikoff and Irma Stern, and what comment does my own work seem to make on these boundaries? The study used an analytical approach to pursue these questions, while the works of art were analysed according to the levels of interpretation suggested by Panofsky and Dietrich, The aim of this research was also to analyse my own body of work more theoretically within the context of postmodern feminist thought to determine how it resonates with earlier assumptions regarding women. For this purpose a comparison was made between, on the one hand, what Tretchikoff and Stern's respective depictions of women reveal about traditional conventions that hold women captive and, on the other, how my own work seems to question the boundaries that society imposes on women. Both Tretchikoff and Stern were successful enough to raise public consciousness on issues that concerned female subjugation. Seemingly for very different reasons, however, they remained apathetic to the quest for women's liberation. The study shows that Tretchikoff's work reflects a blatant disregard of the identities and social realities of his models, and romanticises their constraints instead. Stern, on the other hand, could not have been unaware of the societal limitations imposed on women. Yet she chose to remain aloof. While she seemed to be able to move masculine requirements and the demands of society to the background to depict women as natural and almost free of stereotype in some of her works, she cannot be seen to have made a major contribution to the liberation of women. In contrast, I have found many similarities throughout the study between feminist thought of the Second Wave and the thought processes mirrored in my art. In addition to the expected outcome, the study has shown that it is possible to trace developments in feminist thought in art. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingsvraag behels die volgende: Wat is die aard van die maatskaplike grense wat vroue in 'n ondergeskikte posisie in die gemeenskap gehou het, en hoe is dit naspeurbaar in kuns, en meer spesifiek in die werk van twee Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaars, Vladimir Tretchikoff en Irma Stem. Laastens, hoe lewer my eie werk kommentaar op hierdie vorm van onderdrukking. Die studie volg 'n analitiese benadering in die ontleding van die geselekteerde kunswerke, soos voorgestel deur Panofsky en Dietriech. Die doel van die studie was om binne die konteks van 'n postmodernistiese feministiese raamwerk 'n meer teoretiese ontleding van my eie werk te maak om vas te stel hoe dit ooreenkom met vroeer aannames oor die vrou. Vir hierdie doel is daar 'n vergelyking getref tussen, aan die een kant, die kommentaar wat Tretchikoff en Stem se werk oor die onderdrukking van vroue maak en, aan die ander kant, hoe my eie werk hierdie konvensies blootle. Beide Tretchikoff en Stern was in die posisie om die publiek bewus te maak van die ondergeskiktheid van vroue binne hulle gemeenskap. Ten spyte hiervan, toon die studie dat beide apaties gestaan het teenoor die lot van vroue, hoewel om verskillende redes. Terwyl Tretchikoff se werk die toonbeeld van 'n blatante miskenning van die verskillende indentiteite en maatskaplike realiteite van sy modelle is, en eerder kies om hulle toestande te romantiseer, kon Stern, as 'n vrou, nie onbewus gewees het van die lot van die vroue van haar tyd nie. Ten spyte hiervan, het sy apaties teenoor die ondergeskiktheid van vroue gestaan. Terwyl dit wil voorkom as of sy die patriargale eise van die gemeenskap op die agtergrond kon skuif om haar vroue as natuurlik en bykans vry van stereotipes uit te beeld, kan sy nie gesien word as iemand wat daadwerklik tot vroue se strewe na gelykheid bygedra het nie. In teenstelling hiermee, het die studie deurgaans 'n ooreenkoms aangetoon tussen die feministiese denke van die "Tweede Golf' en die denkprosesse wat in my eie kuns weerspieel word. 'n Bykomende bevinding van die studie is dat die ontwikkeling van feministiese denke in die kuns nagespeur kan word.