Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-96). / The purpose of this study is to examine if personal values/value systems held by employees can be used to accurately assign them to levels of work to which they will be best suited and, by implication, are likely to perform well. To fulfil this purpose, data covering a biographically mixed sample (N=399), being employees of various organisations was obtained by way of psychological assessment. Two psychological measures were used - one that measures employees' level of work profiles (CPP) and the other, their personal value systems (VO). Using correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis, the study finds a statistically significant association between an employee's value system and his/her level of work profile (p<.05), and a moderate but also statistically significant ability of values to predict an employee's level of work profile (p<.001). The study concludes by recommending that, as part of the many considerations that should be taken into account in pursuit of successful initial and subsequent placement of people in organisations, personal values held by employees should be one of the qualities to be assessed and taken into consideration. The study further notes that the consideration of employee value systems as a quality necessary for on-the-job success should be done in addition to, rather than in replacement of the traditionally preferred qualities of cognitive abilities, personality and acquired knowledge/skills.

The South African economy is hindered by high unemployment, partly due to a lack of required skills in the country. Learnership programmes were implemented to contribute to skills development however there is limited research into the scope, magnitude and outcomes of these programmes. Previous research into learnerships has highlighted the importance of building support structures into these programmes in order to ensure their effectiveness. This study considered the role that workplace adjustment (self-efficacy, role clarity and social acceptance) has on the relationship between social support (co-workers, family, supervisors and mentors) and job satisfaction and self-perceived performance. Results indicated that coworker, supervisor and mentor support are related to performance via their link with workplace adjustment and that family support is related to job satisfaction via its link with workplace adjustment. This research aimed to create awareness about the internal processes and benefits of support personnel within South African learnerships. The results revealed that the quality rather than the number of support sources provided is important. Positive perceptions of support from co-workers, family, supervisors and/ or mentors was related to higher levels of job satisfaction and self-perceived performance. Additionally, learners who perceived the quality of support offered as high were more adjusted to the workplace. The study may not provide an accurate representation of learnerships in South Africa as a result of limitations such as the use of a self-reporting performance measure. Future research may elicit more accurate and representative analysis through the use of interviews or more objective measures when collecting data.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / The aim of this study was to investigate some of the factors that are associated with support of diversity in the South African workplace. Three particular factors were considered: employees’ race and gender and the degree to which employees felt their socio-emotional needs for acceptance or empowerment had been addressed. The importance of satisfying individuals’ socio-emotional needs for them to be willing to engage with members of other groups is highlighted in Shnabel and Nadler’s (2008) Needs-Based Model of Reconciliation (NBMR), which states that groups are only willing to reconcile once their socio-emotional needs have been addressed. Furthermore, the model specifies that these needs are different for members of groups who were victims in a conflict situation compared to those who belong to the perpetrating group. While victims have a need for empowerment in order to be seen as equal players in society, perpetrators want to feel accepted in society and thus have a need for acceptance. Based on the literature reviewed the study’s first hypothesis stated that previously disadvantaged groups would place more value on diversity than previously advantaged groups and that women would value diversity more than men. The second hypothesis was that previously advantaged groups have a higher need for acceptance than empowerment and previously disadvantaged groups have a higher need for empowerment than acceptance. The last hypothesis proposed that the lower their need for empowerment, the more previously disadvantaged individuals would value diversity and the lower their need for acceptance, the more previously advantaged individuals would value diversity.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-71). / To investigate the factors related to performance in a first year Commerce Academic Development (AD) Programme at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, the independent variables chosen were Matriculation result, self-efficacy, goal-setting orientation and locus of control. The results from the study will be useful to the Educational Development Unit at the university in assessing which psychological variables are having the most influence on their student population. The results will also assist in explaining why, in several cases, these AD students are outperforming the main- stream students. Limited statistically significant relationships were found between the independent variables and academic performance. The research design was critiqued and deemed to be problematic. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Organisations are increasingly introducing flexible workplace practices and policies such as flextime and flexplace to increase the commitment of their employees and assist them to balance the competing work-life demands. At first, they were designed to create a family-friendly workplace for working mothers and, later, also for working fathers. Childfree employees (i.e., those with no children) were not included. There is little research on the impact of these work arrangements on the organisational commitment of these childfree employees. This dissertation tries to close that gap. Childfree employees (N = 134) working in over a dozen South African organisations participated in a self-report quantitative survey. It seems that the availability and use of flexible work arrangements did not significantly predict their organisational commitment. Organisational commitment related to only one dimension of the childfree-friendly culture scale, equal work expectations. Perceived organisational support (POS) mediated the relationship between organisational commitment and equal work expectations.

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).