This research adds on to Chaulk & Brown (2008) research on the assessment of employees’ reaction towards management and the union in the pre-strike and post-strike period. Research problem: The study raised two aspects that form part of the statement of the problem. Firstly, strike action has been a major aspect describing the South African industrial relations climate. The high level of strike action prompts the question; “Are South Africans World Class Strikers?” (Anstey, 2006). Secondly, the analysis of strike action has focussed more on the economic and power testing impact analysis rather than psychological and affective impact analysis of the strike such as establishing the impact of the strike on job satisfaction, work climate satisfaction, organisational commitment, management satisfaction, and union commitment. Research objectives: To address the research problem, research objectives, research questions and hypotheses were established. The main objective of the study was to examine the causes, processes and the impact of the strike, thereby making a contribution to both theory and practice. Whereas the contribution to theory took a form of building on to the research carried out by Chaulk & Brown (2008), and exploring through the process analysis on how behaviour during the conflict impacts on the ongoing relationships within the organisation, the contribution to practice took a form of highlighting to management and unions the impact of the strike on employees so that necessary interventions to prevent the negative impact of the strike would be created. Research questions: Six research questions were established and these were; what were the causes of the strike; how did the strike unfold; what were the substantive outcomes of the strike; what were the procedural outcomes of the strike; what were the climate outcomes of the strike; is there a relationship between the demographic factors and the affective outcomes of the strike? Research hypotheses; Five research hypotheses were established for the research. These hypotheses were aimed at establishing the impact of the strike on the affective outcomes of the strike. These were; there was a significant change in the level of organizational commitment after the strike; there was a significant change in the level of job satisfaction after the strike; there was a significant change in the level of work climate satisfaction after the strike; there was a significant change in the level of management satisfaction after the strike; and there is was significant change in the level of union commitment after the strike. Research design and methodology: Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. Qualitatively, interviews, media reports and the Municipality records were being used to collect data on the causes, processes and outcomes of the strike. Quantitatively a survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was collected from 105 Traffic Officers who had recently been on strike in the NMBM. Measures of organisational and union commitment, employee job satisfaction, and work climate satisfaction were assessed using the Chaulk & Brown (2008) questionnaire. A paired sample t-test, ANOVA test, and Scheffe test and Cronbach’s alpha, were some of the quantitative methods used in data analysis. Henning’s approach was used to analyze qualitative data. Major findings: The results from the questionnaire revealed that job satisfaction, work climate satisfaction and management satisfaction significantly changed in the post-strike period. In addition, impact of demographic factors on affective factors was evident for participation in the strike and the level of union commitment; age and job satisfaction; occupational level and job satisfaction; and service length and union commitment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nmmu/vital:9421 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Kigozi, Annet Nakimuli |
| Publisher | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MA |
| Format | xvi, 125 leaves, pdf |
| Rights | Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University |
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