Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic
Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument
underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these
programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The
specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and
students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group. A literature review traces the origin of ABET and its historical development within other
countries as well as in the South African context. The role of ABET within the context of
Human Resources Development is identified and explored. The research entails a case study
of the implementation of ABET within the Grindrod Group of Companies. Quantative as well
as qualitative information regarding managers' and students' attitudes were obtained. The
attitudes of both the managers and students at Grindrod's were identified by using structured
questionnaires during 1998-1999. The questionnaire included closed as well as open
questions. In-depth interviews were also conducted with a selected group of managers and
students. The aim of the interviews was to facilitate a deeper understanding of managers' and
students' attitude towards ABET and the variables that might influence these attitudes. In the
case of students interviews were conducted with those who had dropped out of ABET
programmes.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic
Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument
underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these
programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The
specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and
students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group.
While the attitude of both managers and students could be described as positive, the study
suggests that the following variables can be seen to influence managers' attitudes towards
ABET: seniority of managers, their political orientation, their educational qualifications and
the number of years that ABET has been in operation in a specific company. As far as
students are concerned, the following variables seem to play a role: the length of their
employment, their occupational status, the level of the ABET module that they participate in
as well as their formal educational level.
The problem that was most commonly cited by managers was that the ABET programme
resulted in operational disruptions because the programme was run in working hours. The
most regularly identified benefits included improved communication between managers and
employees, improved motivation of employees and identification of development potential of
employees. The vast majority of all the employees that partook in ABET stated that they
believed that they had benefited from the programme. The most commonly cited benefits
included being able to write, speak, read and understand English. While the study focuses on a specific group of companies within a specific industrial sector
and does not allow generalisations to be made, it nevertheless attempts to lay a foundation for
further research to be undertaken regarding the implementation of these programmes in
different sectors of the economy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die effektiewe en doeltreffende
implementering van programme vir die Basiese Onderrig en Opleiding vir Volwassenes
(ABET - Adult Basic Education and Training) binne 'n spesifieke groep van maatskappye. 'n
Belangrike uitgangspunt van die studie is dat die houdings van bestuurders en studente wat
aan hierdie programme deelneem 'n kritiese rol speel in die suksesvolle implementering al
dan nie van sodanige programme. Die studie poog om enkele faktore wat moontlik verband
hou met bestuurders en studente se houdings teenoor programme binne die Grindrod Groep te
identifiseer.
'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen van die oorsprong en historiese ontwikkeling van ABET
wêreldwyd sowel as in Suid-Afrika. Die rol van ABET binne die konteks van Menslike
Hulpbronontwikkeling is ook geidentifiseer en ondersoek. Die navorsing behels 'n
gevallestudie van die implementering van ABET binne die Grindrod Groep van Maatskappye.
Kwantitatiewe sowel as kwalitatiewe inligting betreffende bestuurders en studente se
houdings is bekom. Die bestuurders en studente by Grindrod se onderskeie maatskappye se
houding teenoor ABET is vasgestel d.m.v. gestruktureerde vraelyste gedurende 1998-1999.
Die vraelyste het beide geslote en 'oop' vrae ingesluit. Benewens die aanwending van
vraelyste, is daar ook in-diepte onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep bestuurders en
studente gevoer. Die doel van die onderhoude was om 'n beter begrip te ontwikkel
betreffende bestuurders en studente se houding teenoor ABET en die faktore wat hul houding
beinvloed. In die geval van studente is onderhoude gevoer met diegene wat nie die program
suksesvol voltooi het nie.
Terwyl die houding van bestuurders en studente in die algemeen as positief beskryf kan word,
suggereer die ondersoek dat die volgende faktore bestuur se houding teenoor ABET
beinvloed, naamlik, die senioriteit van bestuurders, hul politieke oriëntasie, hul
opvoedkundige kwalifikasies en die aantal jare wat programme in die betrokke onderneming
geimplementeer is. In die geval van studente blyk die volgende faktore 'n rol te speel: aantal
jare wat studente in diens van die onderneming is, hul posisie binne die onderneming, die vlak
van die module wat deur die studente gevolg word asook die vlak van skoolonderrig wat hulle
oritvang het.
Die mees algemene probleem wat bestuurders identifiseer is dat ABET programme
operasionele onderbrekings veroorsaak omdat die program tydens werksure geimplimenteer
word. Voordele wat met die program geassosieer word behels verbetering van kommunikasie tussen bestuurders en werknemers, verhoogde motivering van werknemers en die
identifisering van die ontwikkelingspotensiaal van werknemers. Die oorgrote meerderheid
van die studente wat deelgeneem het in die ABET program was van mening dat die program
vir hulle van nut was. Die belangrikste voordeel wat deur die studente geidentifiseer is, is dat
dit hulle in staat gestel het om Engels te skryf, praat, lees en verstaan. Terwyl die ondersoek fokus op 'n bepaalde groep maatskappye binne 'n bepaalde
nywerheidsektor en dus nie veralgemenings toelaat nie, poog dit om 'n grondslag te lê
vir verdere navorsing oor die implementering van sodanige programme in verskillende
sektore van die ekonomie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51941 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van Zyl, Daniel Johannes Rossouw |
| Contributors | Kritzinger, A.S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 94 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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