Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been a dramatic increase in the use of the drug methamphetamine, also
known locally as tik, in the Western Cape, specifically in Cape Town. This trend
impacts the availability and the quality of labour as well as the productivity of current
employees. The presence of tik abuse in the workplace represents both legal and
ethical challenges to employers. The Labour Relations Act of 1995 states that
employers must ensure a safe working environment for their employees. The actions
of tik users tend to increase the risk of injuries at work and the occurrences of workrelated
accidents that may harm others. Social responsibility requires employers to
operate their business in an honourable manner, to provide good working conditions
and to work actively to better the quality of life of the local communities where it
operates. This responsibility translates into helping the tik users that they employ.
The current relationship between employer and employee regarding tik is marred by
conflict and misunderstanding. Employers seem unsure what to do and are unaware
of how far-reaching tik abuse is. Tik abuse causes many problems for employees
and also for their family and friends. By gathering information in a structured way the
study aims to improve the understanding of employers so that they can help and
prevent tik-related problems in the future.
The study utilized descriptive qualitative research in the form of a questionnaire given
to recovering tik users at two treatment centres in Cape Town, SANCA and De Novo.
The research ran for about a month and gathered 82 usable questionnaires. Results,
along with a literature study, were used to create a framework to guide employers on
identifying tik users and on how to deal with them. The framework, the Tik
Identification and Intervention Protocol (TIIP), contains criteria to help identify
employees that may be using tik. The study showed that many international trends
are evident in Cape Town. Approximately 40% of participants indicated that they
were absent from work more often than prescribed by labour legislation; 70% of
participants experienced that tik affected their ability to perform their duties; 32% of
participants admitted that they stole to obtain funding for their drug habit. Some new
findings became evident, such as the impact of the family on the participant's
decision to go for treatment.
The Western Cape's treatment centres are severely hampered by a lack of resources
and are incapable at present of dealing with the current flood of patients. While plans
are in place to rectify this, it is clear that in the short term at least, employers will
have to take up more of the slack. The recovery process for a drug addict takes a
long time; experts suggest it may take up to two years. Therefore employers need to
be involved and create support programs at work to assist employees in their
recovery. Employees can be cured from their dependency on tik, so that they can
become healthy and contribute to the community and to their employer. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is 'n dramatiese toename in die voorkoms en gebruik van metaphetamien
(plaaslik bekend as tik) in die Wes-Kaap, spesifiek in Kaapstad. Die tendens het 'n
impak op die verskaffing en die kwaliteit van beskikbare arbeid, sowel as die
produktiwiteit van huidige werknemers. Die voorkoms en gebruik van tik in die
werksplek het beide wetlike en etiese uitdagings vir werkgewers. Die Arbeidswet van
1995 verklaar dat die werkgewer daarvoor verantwoordelik is om te verseker dat hul
werksplek veilig is vir hul werknemers. Tik gebruikers verhoog die risiko en die
voorkoms van werksbeserings en werksongelukke wat ander werknemers ook mag
beinvloed. Sosiale verantwoordelikheid vereis van werkgewers om hul besighede
op 'n eerbare wyse te bestuur, om goeie werksomstandighede te verseker en 'n
aktiewe bedrae te lewer in die plaaslike gemeenskap waar hulle hul ook mag bevind.
Die verantwoordelikheid sluit tik gebruikers in.
Die huidige verhouding tussen werkgewers en werknemers in verband met die
misbruik van tik word gekenmerk deur konflik. Werkgewers blyk onseker te wees ten
opsigte van wat hul te doen staan en hoe verreikend die impak van die misbruik van
tik mag wees. Die misbruik van tik veroorsaak 'n menigte probleme vir werknemers,
sowel as vir hul vriende en families. Hierdie studie poog am deur 'n gestruktureerde
wyse informasie te versamel met die doel om die begrip van werkgewers te verbeter,
sodat hul tik gebruikers kan help en tik-verwante probleme in die toekoms kan
voorkom.
Die studie is beskrywend kwalitatief van aard en gebruik 'n vraelys om informasie te
versamel by twee behandelingsentrums in Kaapstad, SANCA en De Novo. Die
navorsing het vir omtrent 'n maand geduur waarna 82 bruikbare vraelyste ingewin is.
Die resultate, sowel as die literatuurstudie wat gedoen is, is gebruik om 'n raamwerk
op te stel wat werkgewers kan help om tik gebruikers te identifiseer, sowel as hoe om
hulle te ondersteun. Die eerste gedeelte van die raamwerk, die Tik Identifikasie en
Ingrypings Protokol (TIIP), bestaan uit kriteria wat gebruik kan word om werknemers
te identifiseer wat tik gebruik.
Hierdie studie het gewys dat verskeie internasionale tendense sigbaar is in
Kaapstad. Ongeveer 40% van die deelnemers het aangewys dat hulle meer as die
wetlike hoeveelheid dae afwesig was van die werk, 70% van die deelnemers het
erken dat tik hulle vermoe am hul werk behoorlik te kan doen beinvloed het en 32%
van die deelnemers het erken dat hulle gesteel het om geld te verkry am tik te koop.
Die studie het daarop gedui dat die familie 'n integrale rol gespeel het in die
deelnemers se besluit om vir behandeling te gaan. Dit blyk dat die Wes-Kaapse
behandelings-hulpbronne ver te kort skiet om die saak te hanteer. Daar is tans
planne in plek am die probleem die hoof te bied, maar dit is duidelik dat in die
korttermyn, werkgewers 'n groter rol sal moet speel. Die herstelproses is van lange
duur, en kenners meen dat dit tot twee jaar mag neem voor tik gebruikers volkome
herstel het. Die werkemers het ondersteuning nodig gedurende hierdie moeilike
proses. Die studie het bevind dat werknemers herstel en gesond kan word om weer
'n bydrae te kan lewer vir beide die werkgewer en die bree samelewing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/14622 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Hagen, Gawie |
| Contributors | Puhl-Snyman, C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and 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 |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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