Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-89). / This study is a process and short-term outcome evaluation of two garden projects within a community gardening programme. The Abalimi community gardening programme supports individuals and community groups in the Cape Flats to develop and maintain garden projects, which produce vegetables. The goal of the Abalimi community gardening programme is to address the problems of hunger, household food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty which are affective the poor in the informal settlements of the Cape Flats.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-70).

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-61).

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-67).

Includes bibliographical references. / Since the end of the apartheid system in 1994, particular attention has been focused on transforming the education system in South Africa, specifically in terms of the demographic composition of both students and staff. However, progress towards historically white higher education institutions becoming more representative in terms of their academic staff has been slow. Two major contributing factors to the stagnant transformation found are the unfavourable working environment experienced by black and female academic staff, and also that the majority of academic positions, especially more senior positions, continue to be dominated by white and male individuals. Students' perceptions of black and female academic staff members might be one contributing factor to the negative working environment they experience. These perceptions are influenced by commonly held racial and gender stereotypes, which are explained and explored using Social Identity Theory and Stereotype Content Theory. The eight hypotheses proposed in this study were therefore based on the assumptions of these theories, as well as previous literature, and suggested that students perceive black and female academic staff as less competent and more warm than white and male academic staff; and also that students perceive lecturers of their same racial and gender group as more favourable than lecturers belonging to other groups. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these perceptions in terms of the lecturers' competence and warmth; and additionally evaluated the influence of lecturers' academic discipline on these perceptions. A total of 1,697 South African students were asked to rate the competence and warmth of two alleged white lecturers and two alleged black lecturers presented to them in photographs using a mixed factorial research design. Students perceived both the white and black lecturers, and both the male and female lecturers, to be highly similar in competence; however were found to perceive the black and the male lecturers as warmer. The results found in this study did not support the hypotheses that students rated white and male lecturers more competent, and female lecturers as higher in warmth. They did, however, provide support for the hypothesis that students perceive black lecturers as warmer than white lecturers. The study also found that the black female lecturer was rated the lowest in terms of competence; and that students' race and gender, as well as the academic discipline of the lecturers', did not significantly influence students' perceptions. The results therefore suggest that students might not be as much of a contributing factor to creating a negative work climate for black and female lecturers as initially assumed, and that the young generation in South Africa may not be as influenced by racial and gender stereotypes as previous generations. The research makes an important theoretical contribution as it expands on limited research regarding the effects of the respondents' own racial and gender group when assessing racial and gender stereotypes; and provides important considerations for future research on racial and gender stereotypes in the context of South Africa.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-68). / This study examined the effects of family-friendly human resource practices(FFHRP) on work-family conflict and organisational commitment, amongstworking parents. A total of 146 participants employed in a multinationalcompany in South Africa responded to an online survey (response rate =65%). A process of factor analysis determined the underlying dimensions ofconstructs, from which summary scales were devised. The results wereanalysed using correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regressionanalysis. The findings suggest that the use of specific FFHRP reduced workfamilyconflict amongst working parents and that supportive workenvironments can translate into benefits such as reduced work-family conflictand increased affective commitment. In this study, control over the workenvironment had a moderating effect on the relationship between work interference in family and organisations commitment.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-44). / This study evaluates a pay-for-performance (PFP) system implemented at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Joseph and Louw-Potgieter (2007) did a previous evaluation that found the PFP system at UCT worked partially for some Professional, Administrative and Support Staff (PASS). Thus, this study asked the following evaluation questions: Why did the PFP system at UCT work for some PASS employees and not for others? Are there interventions/variables which can predict for whom the system would work? It was assumed that the PFP would work effectively if Cooperative Objective Setting with line managers were to take place, and if a PASS employee could show the output of this cooperation, namely an Existing Development Plan. It was however not known what variables would predict the occurrence of these two components.

This study examined the relationship between the use of flexible work arrangements and satisfaction with work-family balance amongst working fathers in South Africa. Two types of flexible work arrangements were examined. Formal flexible work arrangements included flextime, flexplace and paternity leave. Informal flexibility was examined as job control. Survey responses were collected online via Qualtrics (2014). Based on the data from a sample of working fathers employed on a full-time basis in South Africa (N = 371), hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the use of flexible work arrangements was not significantly related to satisfaction with work-family balance. This finding was inconsistent with conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) whereby it was expected that using flexible work arrangements would generate employee resources required to effectively manage multiple role responsibilities, therefore facilitating satisfaction with work-family balance. Interestingly however, job control was found to explain a significant proportion of variance in satisfaction with work-family balance over and above work hours, commute time, neuroticism and number of children living at home. Moderated multiple regression analysis indicated that commute time moderated the relationship between job control and satisfaction with work-family balance such that as job control increased, employees with high and low commute time experienced greater satisfaction with work-family balance. The results of this study encourage greater attention to employee characteristics, such as job control, that represent resources useful for the effective management of work and family roles. Suggestions for future research and management implications are discussed.

Over the past two decades work-family researchers have increasingly explored the benefits of multiple role engagement. Work-family enrichment (WFE) is one construct reflecting the positive interaction between work and family. Yet there is a gap in our understanding of how fathers in South Africa experience WFE and how their organisations and their families can support them in managing their multiple role involvement in a way that enhances their performance in both domains. This study examined three sources of work based support (top management, supervisor and co-worker) and three sources of family-based support (spousal, extended family and paid domestic helpers) in relation to work-to-family and family-to-work enrichment. Working fathers in South African organisations responded to a self-report survey (N = 229). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that WFE is a unidimensional construct, contrary to expectations. Multiple regression analysis showed that co-worker and spousal support were statistically significant predictors of WFE. Baron and Kenny's (1986) approach was used to test the mediational effect of opportunities for professional development (OPD) on the relationship between work support (supervisor and co-worker) and WFE; however, OPD was not a significant mediator. Suggestions for future research are discussed in addition to theoretical and managerial implications associated with this study.