Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations have to address the issues of discrimination and bullying in the
workplace, issues that have a negative impact on productivity. Organisations also need
to address discrimination and bullying, as these phenomena have a large impact on the
morale of employees within the organisation; morale that in turn influence productivity.
Discrimination and bullying have been addressed by research in the past; however,
more research has been done on discrimination than on bullying which is a fairly new
field of study. Therefore the purpose of this report is to shed more light on the topic of
bullying in the workplace and how to overcome it.
It is necessary that discrimination and bullying as phenomena, is thoroughly understood,
if one wants to attempt to find remedies for these issues. Therefore this research has
been conducted by describing discrimination in the workplace, in order to create a
thorough base from which to look at bullying in the workplace (a manifestation of
discrimination).
After the discussion on discrimination, bullying in the workplace is described by means
of defining it, and describing its various aspects; how bullies work, examples of bullying,
circumstances leading to bullying and its impact on all parties involved.
A phenomenological analysis (research that attempts to describe a phenomena as it
happen rather than trying to explain it) of bullying behaviour has been conducted by
looking at the role of reinforcement, experience, knowledge and intrinsic values in
creating a bullying personality. Childhood bullies has been discussed, bullies described
and how they are created, together with their psychology, in order to understand more
about the bully as an adult. The research also dealt with the victim and his psychology,
in order to understand the bully-victim dyad (the relationship between the bully and the
victim). Further, prejudice and power also plays a role in supporting bullying behaviour. Various remedies that can be used to eradicate discrimination and bullying from the
workplace have been identified and described. These remedies are:
• Legislation and the burden of proof.
• Education and training to empower individuals to recognise and act against
discrimination and bullying.
• Social learning.
• Continuous evaluation of the corporate culture of the organisation which will identify
problem areas with regards to discrimination and bullying.
• The establishment of support networks for minority groups.
• Proactive, reasonable accommodation of differences (such as disability, HIV or
AIDS, cancer, diabetes and the mental and emotional illnesses, left-handedness).
• All parties should be informed about their responsibilities in combating the problem.
• Workplace policies to deal with discrimination and bullying.
• Establishment of efficient communication within the organisation.
• Using mediation as a less expensive and quicker solution.
• Emotional intelligence training or coaching.
This research has shown that:
• Discrimination is still a problem in South Africa and will prevail to be one in future as
a result of the changing nature of the phenomenon.
• Bullying is a live phenomenon in the workplace of today and its incidence is on the
increase.
• Bullies are created. Sufficient evidence to conclude that bullies are born, has not
been found.
• It is not clear from the literature to what extent human resource practitioners are
equipped to deal with discrimination and bullying in the workplace.
• Managers have the responsibility to deal with discrimination and bullying in the
workplace. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies moet diskriminasie en karnuffelry (gedrag van boelies) in die werkplek
aanspreek aangesien dit produktiwiteit en moraal van werknemers negatief beïnvloed.
Moraal opsig self beïnvloed produktiwiteit.
Diskriminasie en karnuffelry is in die verlede in navorsing aangespreek. Meer navorsing
oor diskriminasie bestaan egter as oor karnuffelry, wat 'n nuwer studieveld is. Die doel
van hierdie navorsingsverslag is dan juis om meer lig te plaas op die onderwerp van
boelies in die werkplek en hoe om die probleem te oorkom.
'n Goeie kennis oor die verskynsels van diskriminasie en karnuffelry is nodig, indien 'n
poging aangewend gaan word om die probleem aan te spreek. Om die rede het hierdie
navorsing diskriminasie in die eerste plek aangespreek, met die doel om 'n goeie basis
daar te stel waarvandaan daar na karnuffelry ('n manifestasie van diskriminasie) gekyk
kan word.
Karnuffelry word dan vervolgens bespreek deur te kyk na die definisie daarvan, 'n
beskrywing van die verskeie aspekte daar rondom, hoe boelies te werk gaan,
voorbeelde van karnuffelry, omstandighede wat daartoe aanleiding gee en die impak
daarvan op alle betrokke partye.
'n Fenomenologiese ondersoek (navorsing wat 'n fenomeen beskryf soos dit gebeur
eerder as om dit te probeer verklaar) oor die gedrag van boelies is onderneem deur te
kyk na die rol wat versterkingsteorie, ervaring, kennis en intrinsieke waardes speel in die
totstandkoming van boelies. Boelies as kinders is bespreek en boelies beskryf, asook
hoe hulle gevorm word, tesame met hulle psigologie met die doel om meer van die
boelie as volwassene te verstaan. Die navorsing het ook gekyk na die slagoffer en sy
psigologie met die doel om die boelie-slagoffer verhouding te verstaan. Vooroordeel en
mag is verdere aspekte wat 'n rol speel in die gedrag van boelies. Hulpmiddels wat aangewend kan word in die stryd teen diskriminasie en karnuffelry,
soos vervolgens gelys, is geïdentifiseer en bespreek:
• Wetgewing en bewyslas.
• Opvoeding en opleiding vir die bemagtiging van individue.
• Aanleer van gedrag uit sosiale omstandighede.
• Deurlopende evaluering van die kultuur binne die organisasie om probleemareas
rondom diskriminasie en karnuffelry uit te wys.
• Die daar stel van ondersteuningsnetwerke vir minderheidsgroepe.
• Pro-aktiewe en billike tegemoetkoming van verskille (soos gebrek, MIV of VIGS,
kanker, diabetes, verstandelike of emosionele siektes, linkshandigheid).
• Alle partye moet ingelig word oor die verantwoordelikheid wat hulle dra met
betrekking tot die bekamping van die probleem.
• Werkplek beleid rakende die verskynsels.
• Verseker dat daar effektiewe kommunikasie binne die organisasie plaasvind.
• Mediasie moet gebruik word as 'n vinnige en kostebesparende metode van
afrekening met die probleem.
• Mentorskap en opleiding in emosionele intelligensie.
Die navorsing het verder bewys dat:
• Diskriminasie steeds 'n probleem is in Suid-Afrika en dat dit een sal bly in die
toekoms.
• Karnuffelry in die werkplek is 'n lewendige verskynsel en die insidensie daarvan is
aan die toeneem.
• Boelies word geskep. Daar kon egter nie voldoende bewyse gevind word dat boelies
gebore word nie.
• Die bestudeerde literatuur kon nie bewys tot watter mate personeelbestuur
praktiseerders toegerus is om die probleem te hanteer nie.
• Dit is bestuurders se verantwoordelikheid om af te reken met diskriminasie en
karnuffelry in hulle organisasies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53350 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | De Villiers, Charl Johan |
| Contributors | Denton, M., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 119 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
Page generated in 0.0032 seconds