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The retention of scarce skills : the case of City of Cape Town Municipality - an analysis

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The scarce skills phenomenon has become a cause for concern and priority for both public and private sectors as discussed in various research studies. Both these sectors have a quest to retain these scarce skills by making use of their limited resources.
In the light of the above context, this study focuses on the analysis of the retention of scarce skills within the City of Cape Town Municipality, with the primary objective of ascertaining the effectiveness of its retention strategy on retaining civil engineers. For purposes of this research, a case study design was used to answer the study question. The sample consisted of 30 percent of the present and past civil engineers, from junior to senior levels. This sample also included employees from the human resource department of the municipality. Content analysis was used to analyse data which was gathered through focus groups, exit and personal interviews.
The literature investigation explored reasons why employees were leaving their organisations. The study further traced various thoughts and debates related to challenges and strategies associated with scarce skills retention. From the literature review it became evident that although the retention approaches and strategies vary from one organisation to another, they share common traits. However there is no one cap fits all.
Results indicate that the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction about all pre-determined themes of the study. These themes were based on aspects related to remuneration and benefits, job satisfaction and working conditions, climate and culture, leadership and career development. Areas of dissatisfaction were raised under common themes which emerged during the study. These themes included, amongst others, outsourcing of major projects, bureaucracy, political environment and human resource policies and procedures.
Based on the findings of the study, the research concludes with recommendations applicable to the municipality and also provides those relevant for further study. Due to the technical composition of the sample, the results of the study cannot be inferred to all occupational groups within the organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die skaarsheid van vaardighede het „n kommerwekkende verskynsel geword vir private en publieke sektore. Dit is die taak van albei sektore om skaars vaardighede te behou, deur gebruik te maak van hul beperkte bronne.
In die lig van bostaande stellings, fokus hierdie studie op die analise van skaars vaardighede binne die Kaapstadse Munisipaliteit, met die primêre doel om die effektiwiteit van sy behoudstrategie vir die behoud van siviele ingenieurs te bepaal. „n Gevallestudie-ontwerp was gebruik vir hierdie ondersoek, om die studievraagstuk te beantwoord. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit „n samestelling van 30 persent van huidige en voormalige siviele ingenieurs, vanaf junior tot senior vlakke. Die ondersoekgroep het ook werkers binne die departement van personeelbestuur in die munisipaliteit ingesluit. Inhoudsanalise was gebruik om data te analiseer wat deur fokusgroepe, uitgang en persoonlike onderhoude ingesamel is.
Die literêre ondersoek het die redes waarom werkers hul organisasies verlaat, verken. Die studie weerspieël verder denke wat verband hou met die uitdagings en strategieë wat met die behoud van skaars vaardighede geassosieer word. Die literêre ondersoek het bewys dat behoudstrategieë onderling eienskappe deel, alhoewel die strategieë van een organisasie van diè van „n ander in geheel verskil. Daar is egter geen jas wat by almal pas nie.
Resultate toon dat die meerderheid van respondente tevredenheid toon met alle voorafbepaalde studietemas. Hierdie temas is gebaseer op aspekte wat verband hou met besoldiging en voordele, werktevredenheid en werksomstandighede, klimaat en kultuur, leierskap en beroepsontwikkeling. Areas van ontevredenheid is geïdentifiseer onder algemene temas wat tydens die studie opgekom het. Hierdie temas sluit in, onder andere, eksterne bronontginning vir groot projekte, burokrasie, politieke konteks, asook beleid en prosedures van menslike hulpbronne. Ter afsluiting: voorstelle word gemaak wat gebaseer is op die resultate van die ondersoek, wat van toepassing is op die munisipaliteit en voorsien dit wat relevant is vir verdere studie. Die resultate van die ondersoek kan nie op alle werksgroepe binne die organisasie van toepassing wees nie, weens die tegniese samestalling van die ondersoekgroep.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20227
Date03 1900
CreatorsLepheana , Nothemba Griselds
ContributorsBurger, A. P. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsStellenbosch University

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