Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Sepedi / Approximately half of the people in the world is female and yet women hold just more than one in every five senior management positions. This underrepresentation is a worldwide phenomenon that is also evident in the audit profession where there are few women at audit partner level. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women audit managers – to gain an understanding of the reasons why they resign from audit firms before they are promoted to audit partner level. It was anticipated that this understanding could enable audit firms to develop and implement effective retention strategies to retain women in audit partner positions and to overcome the potential barriers to the equal representation of men and women in senior management positions in audit firms. An exploratory qualitative research approach and an interpretative phenomenological analysis design were used to explore and interpret the lived experiences of the women audit managers to understand the reasons why they resign from audit firms. The study found that unclear progression paths due to uncertain timelines, as well as the black economic empowerment pressures experienced by the audit firms, explained some of the women’s resignations from the audit firms. Unhealthy supervisor relationships, discrimination, no female role models and the “old boys club” as part of the audit firms’ leadership and organisational culture also played a prominent role in the women audit managers’ experiences. Moreover, unsatisfactory compensation together with no work-life balance were found to have influenced the majority of the women’s decisions to resign from the audit firms. Finally, the study also found that some of the participants’ aspirations to become audit partners were not distinct and that other matters were more important to them than their careers. / Alhoewel ongeveer die helfte van die wêreldbevolking vrouens is, is net een uit elke vyf senior bestuurders 'n vrou. Hierdie onderverteenwoordiging is 'n wêreldwye fenomeen, ook in die ouditberoep waar daar net 'n paar vrouens op ouditvennootvlak is. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die ervarings van vroulike ouditbestuurders te verken – om 'n begrip te kry van die redes waarom hulle bedank uit ouditfirmas voordat hulle tot ouditvennootvlak bevorder word. Die verwagting is dat hierdie begrip ouditfirmas in staat kan stel om effektiewe behoudstrategieë te ontwikkel en te implementeer om vrouens in ouditvennootposisies te behou en om die potensiële struikelblokke tot die gelyke verteenwoordiging van mans en vrouens in seniorbestuursposisies in ouditfirmas te bowe te kom. 'n Eksploratiewe, kwalitatiewe navorsingbenadering en 'n interpretatiewe, fenomenologiese ontledingsontwerp is gebruik om die geleefde ervarings van die vroulike ouditbestuurders te verken en te interpreteer om te kan verstaan waarom hulle uit ouditfirmas bedank. Die studie het bevind dat onduidelike progressiebane as gevolg van vae tydlyne, asook die druk van swart ekonomiese bemagtiging wat oudifirmas ervaar, kan verduidelik waarom sommige van die vrouens uit die ouditfirmas bedank. Ongesonde toesighouerverhoudings, diskriminasie, geen vroulike rolmodelle en die stelsel van baantjies vir boeties as deel van die ouditfirmas se leierskap- en organisasiekultuur speel ook 'n prominente rol in die vroulike ouditbestuurders se ervarings. Boonop is bevind dat onbevredigende vergoeding asook geen werk-lewebalans die meerderheid van die vrouens se besluite beïnvloed om uit die ouditfirmas te bedank. Die studie het ten slotte bevind dat dit nie sommige van die deelnemers se kennelike ambisie is om ouditvennote te word nie, en dat ander aangeleenthede van groter belang vir hulle is as hulle loopbane. / Tekanyetšo ya seripa sa batho mo lefaseng ke basadi efela basadi ke fela o tee godimo ga maemo a mahlano a bolaodi bja godimo. Kemedi ye ye nnyane ke setlwaedi sa motlalanaga seo se bonagalago ka go mošomo wa tlhakišo fao go nago le basadi ba bannyane maemong a bolekane bja tlhakišo. Mohola wa phatišišo ye e be e le go nyakolla maitemogelo a basadi ba balaodi ba batlhakiši – go kwešiša mabaka a go re ke ka lebaka la eng ba tlogela mešomo difemeng tša tlhakišo pele ba ka hlatlošetšwa maemong a bolekane bja tlhakišo. Go be go lebeletšwe gore kwešišo ye e ka kgontšha difeme tša tlhakišo go tlhabolla le go phethagatša maanotšhomo a maleba a go dula le bona sebaka mo go maemo a molekane wa tlhakišo le go fediša tšeo e ka bago mapheko go kemedi ya go lekana ga banna le basadi maemong a taolo ya godimo ka go difeme tša tlhakišo. Mokgwa wa diphatišišo tša boleng bja go nyakolla le tlhamo ya kahlaahlo ya ditiragalo tšeo di hlaloswago di be di šomišwa go nyakolla le go hlatholla maitemogelo ao balaodi ba tlhakišo ba basadi go kwešiša mabaka a go re ke ka lebaka la eng ba tlogela mošomo mo difemeng tša tlhakišo. Thuto ye e hweditše gore ditsela tša go se bonale tša kgatelopele ka lebaka la ditatelano tšeo di se nago bohlatse, go tee le matlafatšo ya ikonomi ya bathobaso tšeo di itemogetšwego ke difeme tša tlhakišo, e tlhalositše tše dingwe tša ditlogelo tša mošomo ka basadi go difeme tša tlhakišo. Dikamano tšeo di sa lokago le balebeledi, kgethollo, basadi ba go se tšewe bjalo ka mehlala le “old boys club” bjalo ka karolo ya boetapele bja difeme tša tlhakišo le setšo sa sehlongwa le tšona di ralokile karolo ya bohlokwa go boitemogelo bja balaodi ba basadi ba difeme tša tlhakišo. Go feta fao, tefelo yeo e sa kgotsofatšego go tee le tekanyetšo ya bophelo bja mošomo di hwetšagetše di na le khuetšo go bontši bja diphetho tša basadi tša go tlogela mošomo go tšwa go difeme tša tlhakišo. Mafelelong, phatišišo e hweditše go re ditumo tša batšeakarolo ba bangwe tša go ba balekane ba tlhakišo di be di sa bonale le go re merero ye mengwe e be e le bohlokwa kudu go bona go feta mešomo ya bona. / Auditing / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

This study examines how working women are represented in the news media, and its main aim is to determine to what extent ‘social class’ figures in the representations of women in news content. Using language, visual and narrative analysis, the thesis comprises four case studies each focusing on portrayals of different women from different socio-economic backgrounds determined by their occupation. The first two case studies examine portrayals of low paid working women through coverage of the National Minimum Wage introduction into Britain in April 1999 and the Council Workers’ Strike in England and Wales in 2002. The latter two case studies focus on women in particular professions: elite businesswomen, military women and women war reporters. The study concludes by noting that multiple voices occur in news texts around the key contrasting themes of progress/stagnation and visibility/invisibility and which can give contradictory discourses on the intersection of gender and class. From the massification and silencing of working class women, to the celebrity and sexualisation of the business elite, and the professional competency news frames of middle class women, class was shown to be a determining factor in how women figure in news content. However, these class determinants combined with other news frames pertaining to gender, whereby powerful and established myths of femininity can come to the fore. These myths can be particularly powerful when women enter non-feminine work ‘spaces’ such as business and the military, and class, particularly in the latter case, can tend to slip out of view, as sexist coverage is commonplace and debates are formed about the right and wrong behaviour for women.

This thesis is a case study of the implementation of Ontario's 1987 pay equity legislation. Ontario's pay equity legislation was very progressive and was aimed at eliminating the portion of the wage gap between men and women caused by discrimination. The legislation mandated both public and private sector employers with more than 10 employees to create pay equity plans to eliminate the discriminatory portion of the wage gap. The legislation has met with some success. However, measuring the progress of eliminating wage discrimination is difficult because the Ontario government was unwilling to impose a coercive implementation regime. Consequently, the government has little information to measure either employer compliance or the results of employer pay equity plans. Employers have few incentives to comply with the legislation and the implementing agency has insufficient financial resources to monitor compliance. Clearly this implementation regime was a delicate political balancing of the interests of business and labour and women.

Dissertation (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.

Women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have a role to play in the development of their country’s political, economical, educational and social goals. Although, social constraints exist for women and work, they presently dominate sectors like education. A qualitative research design was employed to identify barriers, current leadership roles and the participation of national female educators in the decision-making process. Barriers to both job entry and career progression were identified. In particular, married educators with children found difficulties in balancing their roles as care givers and career women. Educational leaders used transformational leadership styles, were considered role-models and contributed to decision-making by providing quality decisions based on their experience and expertise. Strategies to assist women in overcoming barriers are recommended because when women start forming an integral part of the workforce, their empowerment and their input in terms of leadership will be a key factor for the UAE government’s goal of Emiratisation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.

The aim of the study was to investigate the implications of the intersectionality of gender, race and class on the career progress of women in corporate South Africa and Zimbabwe in order to create a theoretical framework of the factors that can influence women career experiences. The research problem statement was derived from the continued underrepresentation of women in leadership positions shown in global annual reports despite undisputed research on the necessity for gender diversity in management teams. The key study objective was to investigate how the intersections of gender, race and class have contributed to career experiences of women in senior and executive leadership positions in corporate South Africa and Zimbabwe. The detailed objectives included: (i) Exploring the impact of authorisation processes and dynamics on the career journeys of women (i.e., study participants), (ii) Understanding the internal influences (meaning the woman herself, her confidence, self-esteem, interpersonal skills etc.) and their impact on the career journeys of women, (iii) Exploring the systemic influences and their impact on or contribution to the career journeys of women and, (iv) Creating a holistic theoretical framework that explores the career “twists and turns” that women have to navigate and proposes how they can do so, thus enabling the creation of retention strategies for women in corporates. The research questions formulated to unpack the research problem and study objectives were as follows: (i) How do gender, race and class simultaneously impact the experiences and career progression of women? (ii) How do organisations authorise or fail to authorise women in leadership positions? (iii) How do personal and internal factors influence the career journeys of women leaders? and lastly (iv) How do systemic and/or organisational factors impact the career experiences of women leaders? Methodology: Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews from a total of 18 participants (i.e., 12 South African and 6 Zimbabwean women in positions ranging from junior manager to chief executive officer) selected using a combination of purposeful and snowballing sampling techniques. The main study findings showed that gender, race and class intersect on the career starting points of the working class African, Coloured and Indian women, and that race plays the bigger role in career progression in South Africa, while in Zimbabwe, gender is the bigger challenge. The study outcomes resulted in the development of a theoretical framework that women could use as a reference to navigate the workplace. The study limitations are that it focused only on three primary identities. The study will significantly contribute to a better understanding of the experiences of African women in management and could potentially advance the debate on race and gender transformation premised on lived experiences of women. It also confronts the issues of sexual harassment and intergenerational dynamics in the workplace. In addition, several recommendations are made for future research. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Social Work / M.A. Social Science (Mental Health)

In contemporary society, work and home represent the two most significant domains in the life of working individuals. South Africa’s socioeconomic, political, and societal circumstances will influence employees’ experiences of work-life balance differently, compared to that of employees in other countries, suggesting that the construction of work-life balance amongst different race and cultural groups may differ. The present study used in-depth qualitative interviews with ten black women and men employed in a customer care environment, to explore their construction of work-life balance. A grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data and identify themes. This study suggests that work-life balance is a unique experience for individuals, which varies over time and in different situations. The study confirmed that attaining work-life balance is a process of balancing ever-changing experiences over time, and in different life stages. The results of this study are also discussed in relation to the relevant literature. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The need to carry out an analysis of gender issues in development stems from a concern about the persistent inequalities surrounding African rural women. Women assume social and economic roles inside and outside the household but their contribution does not receive due recognition. Having being excluded from crucial decision making processes, their productive roles have been secondary to their reproductive responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to highlight the negative impact imposed by gender oppression on women's economic and social progress. This necessitated an in-depth review of literature that included journals, books, newspaper articles and general publications. The review reflected that women have undisputedly faced social, cultural, economic, political and educational barriers and that simple rhetoric has not done much to alleviate women's subordinate position and dependency on men. Finally a suggested plan- of action followed to provide an axis around which gender issues in development should revolve. / Development Studies / M. Admin. (Development Administration)

Esta dissertação objetiva discutir e mapear o volume de produção científica de docentes em dois programas de pós-graduação do Campus Curitiba da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, a partir de três elementos: representatividade de homens e mulheres docentes em cada programa, volume de orientações e coorientações produzidas em um espaço temporal de catorze anos e o volume de publicações produzidas entre docentes homens e mulheres de cada programa nos últimos cinco anos. A problematização destes dados e informações levantados teve como fundamentos perspectivas de gênero, ciência e tecnologia, o que permitiu a comparação entre os programas selecionados para a pesquisa. É importante destacar que a natureza primeira desta pesquisa é quantitativa e interpretativa. Destaca-se também que as bases de dados oficiais (Plataforma Sucupira, Portais Capes, Plataforma Lattes e sítios dos programas), assim como a info/bibliometria, fizeram parte da composição dos aspectos quantitativos da pesquisa. Observou-se que em inúmeros casos, a produtividade das docentes mulheres foi superior com relação aos docentes homens, contrariando estudos que apontam que os homens produzem mais que as mulheres. Estas informações só foram obtidas quando foram consideradas médias de orientações/publicações de docentes por sexo, em detrimento apenas de análise dos números absolutos dispostos nas bases oficiais. Espera-se que a pesquisa motive ações institucionais para a desconstrução de possíveis estereótipos de gênero/sexo, assim como o fomento de pesquisas futuras sobre as relações de gênero, visibilidade da produção de docentes mulheres e as instituições acadêmicas, já que esta temática não é estanque. / This dissertation aims to discuss and map the volume of scientific production of teachers in two post-graduate programs in the Campus of Curitiba at the Technological Federal University of Paraná, from three elements: representation of men and women teachers in each program, volume of orientations and co-orientation produced in a timeline of fourteen years and the volume of publications produced between men and women teachers of each program in the last five years. The questioning of these raised data and information had as grounds gender perspective, science and technology, which allowed the comparison of the programs selected for the survey. It is important to highlight that the first category of this research is quantitative and interpretive. It is also pointed out that the databases (Sucupira Platform, Capes Portals, Lattes Platform and sites of programs), as well as the info/bibliometrics, took part in the composition of the quantitative aspects of the research. It was observed that in many cases, the productivity of women teachers was higher in relation to men teachers, and this information could only be obtained when the average of orientations/publications of teachers by sex was considered, rather than just absolute numbers of analyses shown in official bases. It is expected that the survey will motivate institutional actions for the deconstruction of gender/sex stereotypes, as well as the promotion of future research on gender relations, visibility of production of women teachers and the academic institutions, since this issue is not imperious.