My career development journey to an authentic work identity

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 581-596
Author(s):  
Ruwayne Garth Kock
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Work Identity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Authentic Identity ◽  
Multiple Accounts ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Authentic Work

PurposeThis paper describes the author's lived experiences as a marginalised professional. It offers a nuanced understanding of the author's career development journey to an authentic work identity.Design/methodology/approachThis analytic autoethnography, situated in multicultural, democratic South Africa, describes how historic moments in the country's political evolution influenced the author personally: the author’s sense of belonging and the author’s various roles socially, as well as at work.FindingsThe paper tracks selected stories in the author's professional career journey to an authentic work identity, as indexed by the themes: I am a Black South African; I am a gay professional and so, who am I at work? On reflection, the author realised how the bounded nature of authenticity allowed psychological safety while exploring congruency between the author’s multiple work identities.Originality/valueThe autoethnography demonstrates how multiple accounts by the same author may be a valuable way of contributing to the literature on authentic work identity. This autoethnographic work extends the authentic identity literature of marginalised professionals beyond the narrow authenticity–inauthenticity binary of most organisational studies. The paper introduces limited authentic work identity as an ameliorative self-concept in organisations.

Analysis of factors influencing black South African millennials when considering African Ankara fabric fashion

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-576
Author(s):  
Tendai Ramona Mbumbwa ◽  
Joel Chigada
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse factors influencing black South African millennials when considering African Ankara fabric fashion. Fashion adoption, particularly consumers’ intentions to adopt new fashion is valuable to companies and marketers of the vibrant clothing product. Therefore, this study helped to create awareness to marketers on what characteristics to look for and address when dealing with millennials. Design/methodology/approach The study was informed by the interpretivist research paradigm resulting in the adoption and use of a qualitative research methodology. The exploratory research design helped the authors to collect data for this study because the objective was to address a subject where the problem was not well understood and there was little research on the subject matter. In addition, the exploratory research design helped to identify the boundaries in which the research problems and situations of interest resided, thus, the “what if” type of questions were addressed in the study. Findings The study established that black South African millennials were aware and conversant with African Ankara fabric fashion because it communicated African culture as well as personality. It was revealed that attitude, influence of fashion involvement, country-of-origin effect, consumer ethnocentrism and opinion leaders played significant roles in influencing millennials in fashion adoption. Particularly of importance, the study observed that celebrities influenced black South African millennials in fashion adoption and purchase intentions. Black South African millennials confirmed that their technologically savvy nature and social media usage had morphed them into depending on information communication technology. Research limitations/implications The sample for the study was composed of individuals from the University of Cape Town which excluded potential sample participants from the rest of South Africa. The exclusion of potential sample members was attributed to the research methodology adopted and data collection techniques used. The limitations would have been mitigated if a different research methodology had been used. Practical implications The practical implications identified in this study are black South African millennials who are frugal and fluid customers, whose tastes and preferences are difficult to understand unless thorough research is done by marketers; black South African millennials are technologically savvy, therefore firms and marketers should use information communication technologies if they are to win loyalty of black South African millennials. Utilisation of traditional marketing (bricks and mortar) approaches do not work for this cohort of consumers; when designing products or services, marketers and firms should engage and involve millennials as part of the design strategy. Originality/value This study investigated influencing factors on millennials when considering African Ankara fabric fashion. Most studies focussed on Western clothing fashion, yet African fashion was symbolic and it communicated African culture. Failure to research on African Ankara fabric fashion creates a gap and dearth of literature, which is the reason why this study was undertaken. This study has implications for clothing designers and manufacturers who are excluding African Ankara fabric fashion.

When affirmative action is not enough: challenges in career development of persons with disability

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 617-639
Author(s):  
Amit Gupta ◽  
Pushpendra Priyadarshi
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Social Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Model Of Disability ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
The Social ◽  
Positive Discrimination

PurposeThere is dearth of research pertaining to how persons with disability (PWDs) view their career and the issues they face in career development; past studies highlight either the organizational initiatives or individual factors in this regard. The present study bridges this gap by studying the PWDs' experiences and perceptions on challenges in their career development.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory study through interview of professionally qualified PWDs in India, who have a permanent employment.FindingsPWDs experience that affirmative action has a negative fallout as it leads to positive discrimination and hence, adversely affects their confidence and development.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study throws up new themes in the organizational climate that the PWDs face in career development, future studies can understand the aspirations of PWDs toward career and focus on the how the PWDs engage in shaping their career. Researchers can explore strategies that PWDs plan/adopt in creating a sustainable career for themselves. Scholars can also map the issues raised by PWDs with the career outcomes.Social implicationsThe Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, of Government of India introduces a social model of disability in India. This paper deploys the social model of disability to enhance our understanding of the disability climate in India from a new lens.Originality/valueThis study introduces new themes that depict the environmental factors and are related to the organizational climate rather than self-focused issues of PWDs. The paper introduces two new subjective criteria, voiced by PWDs, for career development – a well-crafted capability-based career path and role of inspirational platforms. It introduces hitherto undiscovered issues toward career development, faced by PWDs who have a secure employment and a professional career. This is the first exclusive study of PWDs employed in public sector and thus, brings uniqueness in the context.

Sakhumzi Restaurant: exploring new avenues

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Alison Gaylard
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Deep Appreciation ◽  
New Business ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Start Ups

Subject area Entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability Postgraduate Management Diploma Masters of Business Administration. Case overview Sakhumzi Restaurant on Vilakazi Street, in Soweto’s Orlando West, had grown exponentially since it opened in October 2001. Vilakazi Street was named after a South African Zulu poet, novelist and educator, Benedict Wallet Vilakazi, who was the first black South African to obtain a PhD in 1946. The street was famous for housing two Nobel Peace Prize laureates – Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu – as well as for being the site of the shooting of Hector Pieterson during the Soweto Uprising. There were two museums in the vicinity that attracted thousands of tourists every year – Mandela House and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum. The founder of Sakhumzi Restaurant, Sakhumzi Maqubela, had no experience of the hospitality industry but, nevertheless, had a “deep appreciation” of customer satisfaction, which he had learnt through his previous job in the banking sector. During the start-up phase of the restaurant, Maqubela immersed himself in books on business, focusing on leadership and communication. From such humble beginnings, the restaurant had become a thriving magnet for the tourist and local markets – tourists enjoyed sampling traditional Soweto fare, and for locals, Sakhumzi offered a culinary “home away from home”. Dressed smartly, Maqubela could be seen every day at his restaurant, mingling with patrons and greeting tour operators warmly. But what worried Maqubela was how to keep growing. Should he open another Sakhumzi? Would it work away from the tourist hub of Vilakazi Street? Or were there other options that he needed to explore? Expected learning outcomes The outcomes are as follows: evaluate the entrepreneurial mindset and how entrepreneurial opportunities are recognised, assess the individual-opportunity fit of an opportunity that is being pursued, navigate the entrepreneurial process, identify sources of entrepreneurial finance, identify and overcome resistance and obstacles to start-ups and growing the venture, rigorously analyse the potential of a new business opportunity/venture and assess the relevance of the practice of entrepreneurship to firms and society. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

The Socio-Economic Challenges of South African Indigenous Musicians: A Case Study of Venda-Based Vho-Ntshengedzeni Mamphodo

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N G Mugovhani ◽  
Lebogang Lance Nawa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Arts Management ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Indigenous Music ◽  
Entire Country

This article discusses and raises awareness about the socio-economic plight of indigenous musicians in South Africa. Through a qualitative case study of the Venda musician, Vho-Talelani Andries Ntshengedzeni Mamphodo, dubbed the “Father of mbila music,” the article highlights the fact that the welfare of Black South African artists, particularly indigenous musicians in South Africa, is generally a precarious affair. Their popularity, at the height of their careers, sometimes masks shocking details of exploitation, neglect, and the poverty they are subjected to, which are exposed only after they have died. Empirical data identifies this as a symptom of, among other things, cultural policy and arts management deficiencies in the promotion of indigenous music. The article aims to find ways to redress this unfortunate situation, which is partially a product of general apathy and scant regard that these artists have perennially been subjected to, even by their own governments, as well as some members of their societies. All these factors mentioned are compounded by ignorance on the part of South African artists. Part of the objective of this study was to establish whether the exposition of the Vhavenda musicians is a typical example of all Black South African indigenous musicians and, if this is the case, whether the suggested ways to redress this unfortunate situation could contribute to or play a role in alleviating the plight of such artists in the entire country.

Disclosing Child Sexual Abuse during Forensic Assessments of the Black South African Child

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabulani Makhubele ◽  
Selelo Frank Rapholo
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
South African ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
African Child ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Forensic Assessments ◽  
South African Child ◽  
Forensic Interviewers

Child sexual abuse is a social and health issue that affects citizens across the globe. It has a number of physical, psychological and emotional consequences. Children are reluctant to talk about their involvement in sexual abuse owing to various reasons. Therefore, forensic interviewers need to understand the process of disclosure when conducting forensic assessments. They also need to be watchful of various dynamics that are likely to have an impact on the disclosure rate. The aim of this study was to describe the dynamics during forensic assessments in the context of the black South African child when disclosing child sexual abuse. A descriptive design using stratified random, purposive and convenient sampling techniques to select the participants was employed, resulting in 14 participants (13 were females and only one was male). The data were collected by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews and were thematically analysed using the Nvivo program. The findings reveal that personal characteristics of the child and the interviewer, their communication abilities, blind assessments and informed allegation interviews have an impact on forensic assessments of black South African children. It is concluded that the dynamics of disclosing child sexual abuse during forensic assessments in terms of the variables of the study are not unique, except in terms of sociocultural value systems, beliefs and customs. As a result, it is recommended that the forensic interviewers come to the developmental level of the child, speak his/her language or use translators for him/her to understand, and to follow blind assessments interviews as opposed to informed allegation interviews. However, informed allegations interviews are recommended when assessing very young children.

scholarly journals ‘You're not sure that you are gay yet’: The perpetuation of the ‘phase’ in the lives of young disabled LGBT + people

Sexualities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Toft ◽  
Anita Franklin ◽  
Emma Langley
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Authentic Identity ◽  
Sexuality And Gender ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Lgbt People ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Identity Shifts

Contemporary discourse on sexuality presents a picture of fluidity and malleability, with research continuing to frame sexuality as negotiable, within certain parameters and social structures. Such investigation is fraught with difficulties, due in part to the fact that as one explores how identity shifts, language terms such as ‘phase’ emerge conjuring images of a definitive path towards an end-goal, as young people battle through a period of confusion and emerge at their true or authentic identity. Seeing sexuality and gender identity as a phase can delegitimise and prevent access to support, which is not offered due to the misconception that it is not relevant and that one can grow out of being LGBT+. This article explores the lives of disabled LGBT + young people from their perspective, using their experiences and stories to explore their identities and examine how this links to the misconception of their sexuality and gender as a phase. Taking inspiration from the work of scholars exploring sexual and gender identity, and sexual storytelling; the article is framed by intersectionality which allows for a detailed analysis of how identities interact and inform, when used as an analytic tool. The article calls for a more nuanced understanding of sexuality and gender in the lives of disabled LGBT + young people, which will help to reduce inequality and exclusion.

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