AFRIKAANS: Die arbeidsmark en die wyse waarop die arbeidsmark funksioneer dra by tot die doeltreffende funksionering van enige ekonomie. Die swak prestasies van die Suid¬Afrikaanse ekonomie die afgelope aantal jare is indikatief van die ondoeltreffende wyse waarop veral die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark funksioneer. Ondernemings slaag dus oor die algemeen nie daarin om dinamiese arbeids- en indiensnamepraktyke toe te pas en produktiwiteit betekenisvol te verhoog nie. Verskeie faktore dra by tot die ondoeltreffendheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark. In dié verband kan in besonder verwys word na die invloed van apartheid. Hierdie beleidsrigting het die geleenthede van individue beperk en 'n besondere impak op die arbeidsmark gehad. Dit is hoofsaaklik weens die apartheidsbeleid dat die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark sterk gesegmenteerd is, dit wil sê, permanent verdeel is in twee hoofsaaklik nie-mededingende marksegmente (Barker, 1992:16). Die regering het egter sedert 1994 daadwerklike pogings aangewend om arbeidsverhoudinge en gevolglik die arbeidsmark by wyse van wetgewing te hervorm. In die studie word verskeie veranderlikes geïdentifiseer wat met die arbeidsmark verband hou, maar terselfdertyd indikatief is van die swak prestasies van die Suid¬Afrikaanse ekonomie, naamlik, hoë en stygende werkloosheidsvlakke, die lae werkskeppingskapasiteit van die ekonomie, armoede en ongelykheid, relatief lae produktiwiteitsvlakke en hoë eenheidsarbeidskoste, tekort aan vaardige en geskoolde arbeid, die relatief hoë koste van arbeid en die onbuigsaamheid van die arbeidsmark. Dit is in besonder die lae produktiwiteitsvlakke in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie wat Suid-Afrika se kapasiteit om vinnige en volgehoue ekonomiese groei te bewerkstellig (en gevolglik internasionaal mededingend te wees) nadelig beïnvloed. Die belangrikheid van produktiwiteit kan dus nie oorbeklemtoon word nie. Produktiwiteit dien as 'n maatstaf van die doeltreffendheid waarmee hulpbronne (ondermeer arbeid), aangewend word. Die vraag na en die aanbod van arbeid word dus beïnvloed deur die produktiewe aanwending van insette, Volgens Ehrenberg en Smith (1996:36) is produktiwiteit egter ook bepalend in terme van die uitset van 'n onderneming en die wyse waarop arbeid en kapitaal in die produksieproses gekombineer word. Ekonomiese ontwikkeling behels dus veranderinge in die struktuur van indiensname en betekenisvolle toenames in produktiwiteit. Die prestasies van die ekonomie word beïnvloed deur stygende produktiwiteitsvlakke en 'n styging in reële lone. Die welvaart van individue of 'n gemeenskap kan slegs verhoog word indien produktiwiteit betekenisvol verhoog. Die determinante van produktiwiteit (die verwantskap tussen reële uitset en die hoeveelheid insette wat aangewend word om die uitset te produseer), is egter veelvuldig en veelsoortig. Prokopenko (1987:4) voer aan dat "the essence of productivity improvement is working more intelligently, not harder". Die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking is 'n heterogene gemeenskap bestaande uit verskeie groeperinge met hul eie persepsies rakende politieke, ekonomiese, sosiale en arbeidsaangeleenthede, met die gevolg dat daar wyduiteenlopende opinies met betrekking tot produktiwiteit en die belangrikheid daarvan bestaan. So byvoorbeeld ervaar werknemers oor die algemeen produktiwiteit as negatief. Dit is egter noodsaaklik dat al die rolspelers in die ekonomie besef dat verhoogde produktiwiteit 'n belangrike bron van reële ekonomiese groei, sosiale vooruitgang en verhoogde lewenstandaarde is. In Hoofstuk 3 word die Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) makro-ekonomiese strategie van die regering en die produktiwiteitsimplikasies van die strategie ondersoek. Dit is duidelik dat produktiwiteitsvlakke betekenisvol moet verhoog indien die regering die gestelde doelwitte wil bereik. Produktiwiteit word ook beïnvloed deur arbeidsverhoudinge. Die strewe na minimum werkloosheid en die doeltreffende aanwending van menslike hulpbronne maak die arbeidsmark dus 'n sentrale fokus van die pogings om die algehele werking van die ekonomie te verbeter. Aangesien arbeid 'n komponent in enige produksieproses is, is arbeid en arbeidsverhoudinge 'n belangrike aspek in die studie rondom produktiwiteit en produktiwiteitsverhoging. Positiewe verhoudinge in die werkplek sal werknemers motiveer om hul werk op die mees doeltreffende en effektiewe wyse af te hande!. Dit lei tot verhoogde produktiwiteit. Die verhoudinge tussen werkgewers en werknemers word grootliks gereguleer deur arbeidswetgewing. Arbeidswetgewing het dus 'n direkte invloed op al die partye in die arbeidsmark en gevolglik ook op die werking van die arbeidsmark. In Hoofstuk 5 word aandag geskenk aan die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge van 1995, die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes van 1997 en die Wet op Gelyke indiensname van 1998. Deur middel van die wetgewing poog die regering om 'n wetlike raamwerk vir samewerking tussen werkgewers, werknemers en die regering daar te stel ten einde Suid¬-Afrikaanse ondernemings en nywerhede se internasionale mededingende posisie in stand te hou, en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, maatskaplike geregtigheid, arbeidsvrede en die demokratisering van die werkplek te bevorder. Indien produktiwiteitsvlakke nie verhoog word nie sal die lewenstandaard van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing deurlopend daal en werkloosheid toeneem. Ten einde die groeipotensiaal van die ekonomie te verhoog moet produksiemiddele doeltreffend benut en besparing en die investeringsgeneigdheid verhoog word. / Dissertation (M Com (Economics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Economics / unrestricted

Thesis (M.Comm.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This thesis examines the problem of skills shortages in the workplace by reviewing macro-policies, such as the Skills Development and Employment Equity Acts. It also looks at the impact of economic strategies in South Africa that seek to redress past injustices whilst stimulating growth. This study endeavours to provide a greater understanding of the development of skills in the South African workplace in general. It also attempts to determine whether or not skills acquired by employed workers help to sustain them when they become unemployed. Furthermore, it assesses the impact of changes in the workplace chosen for this study, whether it experienced segmentation and casualisation of the workforce and the manner in which it is affected by technological change. In conducting this study, a triangular approach has been adopted in order to collect more data on skill shortages; it adopted the qualitative and quantitative methods. In-depth interviews and semi-structured questionnaires were utilised to collect data from Durban Botanic Gardens’ Parks Department employees. The study found that previously disadvantaged workers face almost the same working conditions as during the days of apartheid. It also shows that progressive skills policies adopted by Government have not been appropriately implemented by various management structures. This study will assist the government, researchers and scholars in general in gaining a clearer understanding about skills development in South Africa. It also recommends that there is a need for the government to come up with mechanisms to ensure that all policies that are adopted are implemented effectively and monitored at all levels. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 1991.

Bibliography: pages 84-88. / This study focuses on the nature and degree of articulation between Technikon education and labour market needs in South Africa. More specifically, it examines the effectiveness of the assessment of labour market needs as well as the influence of institutional needs and dynamics within the formal decision-making process which governs the introduction of new programmes. The research takes the form of a case study in which the researcher examines the decision-making process relating to the introduction of a particular programme - the ND: Education: Home Economics - at a particular Technikon. Data consisted of official records and documents as well as transcripts of interviews with key participants in the decision-making process. The data was used to reconstruct and analyse the decision-making process as implemented in the case of this programme. The study argues that, in this case, the formal, prescribed process which purported to assess labour market needs did not effectively engage with the actual dynamics of the market place. The mechanisms designed to assess labour market needs were largely symbolic and highly bureaucratised. In addition to being weak in design, assessment procedures were not stringently implemented. While the introduction of new programmes is explicitly justified on the grounds of labour market needs, the decision-making process was in this case, strongly - though implicitly and informally - influenced by institutional needs and dynamics within the Technikon itself. This study points to the weaknesses in the design and control of the official prescribed process which guides decisions regarding the introduction of all new programmes at South African Technikons. On a theoretical level, it also calls into question an assumption on which much literature pertaining to Technikon education is premised, that is, the assumption that there is a relatively smooth articulation between the supply of Technikon graduates and labour market needs.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In order to evaluate the extent to which South Africa achieve the objectives of poverty and inequality reduction as well as job creation, up-to-date and reliable data are required. Since the transition, various survey data have been commonly used for these analyses, namely Census, Community Survey (CS) 2007, Income and Expenditure Survey (IES), October Household Survey (OHS), Labour Force Survey (LFS), Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), General Household Survey (GHS), Project for Statistics on Living Standards and Development (PSLSD), National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) and All Media Products Survey (AMPS). However, these datasets are not fully comparable, due to differences in the sampling design, sample size, questionnaire structure, methodology to derive labour market status, as well as the way the income and expenditure information was collected. Hence, this dissertation begins by analysing these issues in each survey in Chapter 2. With regard to the income and expenditure information, it was collected differently in the surveys: the recall method was used in all surveys except IES 2005/2006, the only survey that adopted the diary method; respondents were asked to report the actual amount in some surveys but only asked to declare the relevant interval in others; for the former approach, respondents could either declare the single estimate amount or amounts for sub-categories that were then aggregated; for interval data, various methods can be used to determine the amount in each interval. Thus, Chapter 3 begins by discussing the merits and drawbacks of these approaches, as well as how they would affect the reliability and comparability of income and expenditure variables across the surveys. In some surveys (e.g., the two censuses and CS 2007), quite high proportions of households incorrectly reported zero income or expenditure or did not specify their income or expenditure. Poverty and inequality estimates could be influenced by either including or excluding these households from the analyses. Hence, various approaches to deal with these households are examined in Chapter 3. As the surveys typically under-captured income or expenditure when compared with the national accounts income, the validity of the resultant poverty and inequality estimates might be affected. Hence, arguments for and against adjusting the survey means in line with the national accounts mean (e.g. by shifting the survey distribution rightwards) are discussed. As the survey data are, strictly speaking, crosssectional and not designed for time-series labour market, poverty and inequality analyses, it is sometimes argued that the data should be re-weighted to be consistent with demographic and geographic numbers presented by the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA) and Census data. This cross entropy re-weighting approach is discussed in Chapter 3. Finally, the chapter examines the labour market status derivation methodology in all OHSs, LFSs and QLFSs in greater detail, and investigates how the changes across the surveys could possibly affect the comparability of labour market estimates throughout the years. The dissertation then examines the labour market trends since the transition by using the OHS, LFS and QLFS data, and it is found that both the labour force and employment numbers increased in general since the transition, but the latter increase was not rapid enough to absorb the expanding labour force. In addition, the number of narrow unemployed doubled between 1994 and 2009, and the narrow unemployment rate showed an upward trend and peaked at just above 30% in 2003. It decreased between 2004 and 2007, before rising again in 2008- 2009 due to the impact of global recession. Application of the cross entropy approach does not substantially affect labour market trends, suggesting that the trends (including the abrupt increase in labour market estimates during the changeover from OHS to LFS) were either real or took place due to the improvement of the questionnaire to capture the labour market status of the respondents better. Furthermore, the application of the LFS 2000b-LFS 2007b methodology on the earlier surveys reduced the extent of the abrupt increase of the number of broad unemployed and broad unemployment rates during the changeover between OHS and LFS. Finally, the use of the QLFS methodology (which required minor revisions) on the LFSs greatly reduced the extent of the abrupt decrease of unemployment aggregates between LFS 2007b and QLFS 2008Q1, thereby improving the comparability of these aggregates across the surveys. In Chapter 5 poverty and inequality concepts are reviewed, followed by a detailed explanation of the sequential regression multiple imputation (SRMI) technique to deal with households with zero or missing income or expenditure, as well as the derivation of real income, expenditure and consumption variables in each survey. Poverty and inequality trends since the transition are examined in Chapter 6. With regard to poverty, with the exception of AMPS, the poverty trends were very similar across the surveys, that is, poverty increased since the transition, before a downward trend took place since 2000. As far as inequality is concerned, both the levels and trends in the Gini coefficients differed a lot amongst the surveys, as the estimates were very stable in the AMPSs, showed an upward trend in surveys like IESs and GHSs, but first increased until 2000 before a downward trend took place in others (e.g., the two censuses and CS 2007). The levels of inequality also differed when comparing the surveys. The abovementioned poverty and inequality estimates and trends could in part be affected by the various issues discussed in Chapter 3, thus there is a need for careful analysis. The impact of the number and width of intervals in which income or expenditure data are recorded on poverty and inequality estimates and trends are dealt with in greater detail in Chapter 6 by applying various intervals on the three IESs and NIDS 2008. It is found that the number and width of intervals only had some impact on these estimates and trends in some surveys. The effect of adjusting the survey means in line with the national accounts mean is also investigated. Finally, the application of the cross entropy re-weighting technique did not have any significant impact on the poverty and inequality estimates and trends. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Data wat op datum en betroubaar is word vereis om te kan evalueer in watter mate Suid- Afrika sy doelwitte rakende die vermindering van armoede en ongelykheid en die skepping van werkgeleenthede bereik. Sedert die politieke oorgang word verskeie opnamedatastelle gewoonlik vir sulke ontledings gebruik, byvoorbeeld Sensusse, die Gemeenskapsopname van 2007, Inkomste- en Bestedingsopnames, Oktober-huishoudingsopnames, Arbeidsmagopnames, Kwartaallikse Arbeidsmagopnames, Algemene-Huishoudingsopnames, die Nasionale-Inkomste-Dinamika-Studie en die Alle-Media-en-Produkte-opnames. Weens verskille in steekproef-ontwerp, struktuur van die vraelyste, metodologie om arbeidsmarkstatus te klassifiseer, asook maniere waarop inligting oor inkomste en besteding ingewin is, is hierdie datastelle egter nie ten volle vergelykbaar nie, Gevolglik begin hierdie proefskrif in Hoofstuk 2 om elk van hierdie kwessies in elke opname te ontleed. Inkomste- en bestedingsinligting is in die opnames verskillend ingewin: In die meeste opnames is respondente gevra om aan te dui hoeveel hulle in die verlede bestee of verdien het, maar in die Inkomste- en Bestedingsopname van 2005/2006 is die dagboekmetode gebruik; respondente is in party opnames gevra om die presiese bedrag te vermeld, terwyl hulle in ander opnames die betrokke inkomste- of bestedingsinterval moes aandui; vir eersgenoemde is hulle gevra om òf die enkelbedrag te verklaar, òf hulle moes ‘n aantal sub-komponente onderskei; vir intervaldata kan verskillende metodes gebruik word om skattings van die inkomste in elke interval te maak. Dus begin Hoofstuk 3 met ‘n oorsig van die voor- en nadele van die verskillende benaderings en ‘n bespreking van hoe dit die betroubaarheid en vergelykbaarheid van inkomste- en bestedingsveranderlikes oor die opnames beïnvloed. In party opnames (bv. die twee sensusse en die Gemeenskapsopname van 2007) dui heelwat huishoudings verkeerdelik aan dat hulle geen inkomste verdien of uitgawes aangaan nie, of hulle spesifiseer nie hoeveel hulle verdien of bestee nie. Ramings van armoede en ongelykheid kan geraak word deur sulke respondent in te sluit of deur hulle uit te laat in die ontledings. Gevolglik word verskeie benaderings in Hoofstuk 3 bespreek om hiermee om te gaan. Omdat opnames vergeleke met die nasionale rekeninge tipies inkomste of besteding onderskat, mag dit die geldigheid van daaruitvoortspruitende armoede- en ongelykheidsramings raak. Gevolglik word argumente vir en teen die aanpsssing van die opname-data om dit in ooreenstemming te bring met die nasionale rekeninge (d.w.s. deur die verdeling na regs te verskuif) bespreek. Ten slotte, omdat die opnamedata streng gesproke kruissnitdata is en nie ontwerp is vir tydreekse van die arbeidsmag, armoede en ongelykheid nie, word soms aangevoer dat die gewigte van die data herweeg moet word om in ooreenstemming te wees met demografiese en geografiese data soos verkry van die Aktuariële Vereniging van Suid-Afrika en sensusdata. Hierdie kruisentropie herwegingsmetode word in Hoofstuk 3 bespreek. Ten slotte ondersoek die laaste hoofstuk die metodologie vir die bepaling van arbeidsmarkstatus in all die OHS, LFS en QLFS opnames in groter besonderhede, en ook hoe die veranderings oor die verskillende opname-reekse heen dalk die vergelykbaarheid van arbeidsmarkramings deur die jare kan beïnvloed. Die proefskrif ontleed daarna arbeidsmarktendense sedert die politieke oorgang met gebruik van die Oktober-huishoudingsoponames, Arbeidsmagopnames en Kwartaallikse Arbeidsmagopnames. Beide die arbeidsmag en indiensneming het sedert die transisie toegeneem, maar die toename in indiensneming was onvoldoende om die uitbreiding van die arbeidsmag te absorbeer. Verder het die getal eng-gedefinieerde werkloses tussen 1994 en 2009 verdubbel, en die eng werkloosheidskoers het ‘n toename getoon en in 2003 ‘n toppunt van 30% bereik. Dit het daarna tussen 2004 en 2007 gedaal voordat dit weer in 2008-2009 gestyg het weens die wêreldreseessie. Die toepassing van die kruisentropie-benadering het arbeidsmarktendense nie noemenswaardig beïnvloed nie, wat daarop dui dat hierdie tendense (insluitende die skielike toename in arbeidsmagramings in die oorgang van die Oktoberhuishoudingsopname- data na die Arbeidsmarkopname-data) werklik was, of anders plaasgevind het weens veranderings in die opnamevraelyste om respondente se arbeidsmarkstatus beter te probeer bepaal. Verder het die toepassing van die LFS2000b tot LFS 2007B metodologie op die vroeëre opnames die abrupte verlaging in die oorgang tussen die OHS en LFS in die getal breed-gedefineerde werkloses en breë werkloosheidkoerse verminder. Ten slotte het die gebruik van die QLFS-metodologie op die LFS (wat kleiner hersienings benodig het) die abrupte verlaging tussen LFS2007b en QLFS2008Q1 aansienlik verminder, en dus die vergelykbaarheid van hierdie groothede oor die opnames heen verbeter. In Hoofstuk 5 word eers ‘n oorsig van armoede- en ongelykheidsbegrippe gegee, waarma die sekwensiële-regressie-veelvoudige-imputasie-tegniek in besonderhede bespreek word. Hierdie tegniek word veral gebruik vir gevalle waar huishoudings aandui dat hulle inkomste of besteding nul is, of waar hulle nie antwoord nie. Daar is ook ‘n bespreking van die bepaling van reële inkomste, besteding of verbruiksveranderlikes in elke opname. Armoedeen ongeleykheidstendense word in Hoofstul 6 bespreek. Rakende armoede is daar, met uitsondering van die Alle-Media-en-Produkte-opname, eenstemmigheid dat dit sedert die politieke oorgang eers gestyg het voor dit sedert 2000 begin daal het. Sover dit ongelykheid aanbetref verskil neigings in die Gini-koëffissiënt baie tussen die opnames, want die ramings is stabiel oor die periode vir die Alle-Media-en-Produkte-opname, styg vir die Inkomste- en Bestedingsopname en die Algemene-Huishoudingsopnames, en styg tot 2000 voordat dit afneem in ander opnames (bv. die twee sensusse en die Gemeenskapsopname van 2007). Vlakke van ongelykheid verskil ook tussen die opnames. Deels kan die genoemde tendense in armoede- en ongelykheid dalk toegeskryf word aan die kwessies wat in Hoofstuk 3 bespreek is. Die effek van die getal en wydte van die intervalle waarin inkomste- en bestedingsdata ingewin word op ramings van armoede en ongelykheid word in meer besonderheid in Hoofstuk 6 bespreek. Deur die toepassing van verskillende intervalle op data van die drie Inkomste- en Bestedingsopnames en die Nasionale-Inkomste-Dinamika-studie word bevind dat die getal en wydte van intervalle ‘n beperkte effek op hierdie ramings en tendense het. Verder word gekyk na die effek van die aanpssing van die opname-data om dit in ooreenstemming met die nasionale rekeninge te bring. Ten slotte word getoon dat die gebruik van die kruisentropie-metode nie enige beduidende uitwerking op armoede- en ongeleykheidsramings en -tendense het nie.

This thesis examines the labour market for medical laboratory specialists, specifically anatomical pathologists and haematologists in KwaZulu-Natal. It aimed to establish the extent of mobility of pathologists from the public to the private sector and vice versa. This study also aimed to investigate the reasons for such movement and importantly, the effects of this mobility. Lee’s (1966) push-pull theory of migration was assessed in terms of its applicability to mobility in the local context and is extended and adapted to this context. The five key research questions on which this thesis is based are: What is the nature of labour markets for medical laboratory specialists in KwaZulu-Natal? What is the extent of the mobility of medical laboratory specialists from the public sector to the private sector and vice versa in KwaZulu-Natal? What are the causes of such mobility between public and private sectors in KwaZulu-Natal? What are the effects or implications of the movement of medical laboratory specialists in KwaZulu-Natal? Lastly, to what extent can Lee’s (1966) push-pull theory of migration be adapted to account for the mobility of anatomical pathologists and haematologists between the public and private sectors in KwaZulu-Natal? This study adopted a case study design that used a purposive sampling strategy. There were 23 participants involved in the study. Of the 23 participants selected, 11 were anatomical pathologists and nine were haematologists. The remaining three participants were a microbiologist, a migration specialist and an international anatomical pathologist. Key findings indicated that mobility between the public and private sectors does occur. The labour market for medical laboratory specialists displayed 23 anatomical pathologists and 11 haematologists in KwaZulu-Natal. Financial reasons were not the only reasons that pathologists switched sectors; rather the decision rested on several other non-economic factors such as the working environment, flexibility and even management styles. The effects of mobility include delays in diagnosis and patient care as well as increased stress levels and workloads of specialists. Certain push-pull factors of Lee’s (1966) push-pull theory were found to apply to the local context of this study. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

South African companies are being exposed more than ever to the effects of the world economy, technological advancement, and tough international competition. Organisations are confronted with ever increasing, turbulence and change in their environment and the telecommunications market in particular has had to face large changes and challenges during the past ten years, and will continue to do so. This industry is changing shape with the continuous emergence of new technologies and the rapidly declining market for voice service is due to people increasingly using wireless telephones. / Thesis (M.B.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

This research project incorporates the theory that global integration is shaped by national, regional and local dynamics South Africa's integration into the globa arena is affected by its attempts to enhance empowerment, restructure the labour market, remove discrimination and increase participation. In this case study, the factors that encourage the retention of skilled IT professionals and graduates in KZN were investigated, to explore the reasons why despite opportunities for global advancement in the IT sector, skilled Individuals choose to remain in localities that are assumed to be " skill-exporting" areas This study has revealed that innovation is the key 10 a dynamic and successful IT sector in KZN. The formation of technology-intensive organizations is vital in order to develop local capabilities and 10 compete effectively in the global economy. They are also necessary to reinforce the relationship between academia, industry, and government and to encourage technological innovation. Innovation will not only contribute to the growth and development of the SMME sector, but also attract and retain skilled IT professionals and graduates in KZN. The potential of KZN to develop a successful IT sector can be significantly improved by employing a "cluster based approach" to attend to its development needs. The establishment of the Innovation Support Centre in KZN, therefore, can be regarded as a significant tool to promote regional development, and foster innovation and the development of a successful SMME sector in the province, which will in turn contribute to the retention of the skilled IT workforce in KZN. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

There has been a global move towards involving people in process of change by developing organizations technologically, providing skills training and building capacity in all sectors of society, in spheres of government, the economy and civil society. As a result of global trends in South Africa attention is being given to the question of skills development and technological training within institutions and organizations operating in the developing environment in the public and private sector. Attention is also given to ensuring that such skills development and training includes goals of social, economic and political development. In the view of the above, this study will examine the question of skills development and technological training at Portnet Durban Harbour (PDH) in view of changing demands imposed by globalisation and new socio - political environment in South Africa as well as national responses to those demands. In examining this question, it would be recognised that the skill question couldn't be isolated from technological changes and increased economic competition resulting from globalization. Within this context, this study's aim would be to detennine the response of PDH to global challenges that impact heavily on the skills needs of this organization and technological changes. It will also examine whether PDH's responses take into account the current legislative and policy objectives in SA aimed at addressing the skill question. This study is infonned by Labour market theory and globalization theories. The first part of this study will attempt to capture the historical policies and legislation's on the issue of skills development in SA. Reflecting on the role played by this policies and legislation's to segment the labour market. Secondly, the study will look at debates on globalisation and the era in which organizations are operating. Thirdly, the role played by the SA government in this global era to reverse the past skills development imbalances. Lastly, the study will report on PDH's response to challenges imposed by globalization and how they address the question of skill. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.