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published_or_final_version / SPACE / Master / Master of Arts

Gender equality has been a marginalised topic within policing studies, with a very small pool of academics conducting work on this subject in recent years. This thesis aims to make a contribution to this at both a theoretical and empirical level. This is done by refining and extending theoretical models proposed by previous researchers, in the light of new data on policewomen's and their male colleagues' perceptions of gender equality in policing. Key theories, themes and findings in the thesis relate to organisational change, power and social control, masculinities and exclusion. Some of these concepts have not previously been systematically applied to policewomen's experiences. Other themes which have been applied to women in organisations more generally and on occasion, specifically to women in policing, include: stereotyping, visibility, isolation, sisterhood, double standards, the work-home balance and sexual harassment. These concepts are analysed, reflected in the findings, and extended in the concluding chapters. Previously, where empirical studies have been conducted, these have rarely, if ever, been the subject of follow-up studies using either the same research instruments or the same police service. Such follow-ups are an important method of measuring change over time. This study is thus partly a follow-up study of Jones' (1986) survey of one police service in England and Wales and also, that of Brown's (1991) and Anderson, Brown and Campbell's (1993) studies. Methods employed include a questionnaire survey, interviews and a focus group, using the same police force as Jones (1986), and many of the same questions. Anderson et al's (1993) questionnaire is also drawn upon, with amendments and additions. The study thus synthesises the methods used in two pivotal empirical studies (Jones, 1986; Anderson et al, 1993) on gender equality in the UK in the last two decades, as well as using grounded theory methods to explore emerging priorities in this area. As well as following up earlier work, therefore, the study sets a new baseline for further work. Whilst I found evidence of some improvement in women officers' position since the studies by Jones (1986) and Anderson et al (1993), women are still a marginalised group within policing and experience a range of discriminatory behaviour, some of which may have become more covert in recent years, but some of which is still quite openly expressed and tolerated.

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The era of globalisation calls for a flexible, multi-skilled, knowledgeable, inter-changeable and adaptable healthy workforce. Employee wellness is essential to ensure an effective and efficient workforce. It is important. however. to measure wellness before it can be developed. Currently there is a need for a measuring instrument in South Africa which can measure all the dimensions of wellness as conceptualised in the literature. However, it is risky to apply psychometric instruments developed in other cultures to the South African contest without validating it. The objective of this study were to validate the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) in the South African Police Service (SAPS) The specific objectives of the study. included to conceptualise perceived wellness and the dimensions thereof from the literature to access the internal consistency and construct validity of the PWS in a sample of police personnel and to investigate differences in the perceived wellness of biographical groups. A cross-sectional survey design with an accidental sample (N=840) of police personnel was used. The sample was composed of personnel from multiple divisions in the SAPS, including Functional as well as Public Service Act personnel. The Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, target rotations, alpha coefficients and multivariate analysis of variance were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations failed to confirm the construct equivalence or the PWS for Afrikaans and Setswana language groups. Two reliable factors. namely wellness and illness were extracted in a random sample (n = 335) of the Setswana group and in a replication sample (n=338) However. an alternative interpretation was also possible. Statistically significant differences were found between perceived wellness of employees in terms of age and rank. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M.Com.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000.