scholarly journals An investigation of entrepreneurial skills for contingent employees in small retail businesses as job security determinants

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 642-649
Author(s):  
Germinah Evelyn Chiloane-Tsoka ◽  
Bheki Tshabangu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Activity Rate ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Contingent Employees

SMEs provide employment to approximately 61 per cent of households in South Africa (SA). Though, entrepreneurial activity rate (TEA) still poses a great concern, at 5.9% which is far below that of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Contingent employees in small retail businesses continue to face job insecurity as a result of poor working conditions and un-unionized. This study aims to explore whether contingent employees have entrepreneurial skills for self-employability as an opportunity to offset job insecurity in Roodepoort, SA. Likewise, the study used a quantitative approach and sampled 129 contingent employees from 60 small retail businesses in Roodepoort. Findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between entrepreneurial skills, job insecurity and contingent employees regarding job insecurity. Keywords: contingent employees, SME, job insecurity, unions, entrepreneurial skills, Roodepoort and South Africa. JEL Classification: J46, L26

Correlations between Job Insecurity and Psychological Well-Being among White and Black Employees in South Africa

1993 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 885-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Orpen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Manufacturing Company ◽  
Black Employees ◽  
Perceived Job Insecurity

In a South African manufacturing company the correlations between perceived job insecurity and psychological well-being were examined among 54 white managers in relatively ‘safe’ jobs and 78 black production workers in relatively ‘unsafe’ jobs. The former felt more secure in their jobs but not less anxious or depressed than the latter. Job insecurity was positively related to both anxiety and depression (.30 to .40) in both groups, confirming the benefits of perceived job security to employees, irrespective of whether they felt initially secure or not in their jobs.

scholarly journals Temporary Agency Workers—Precarious Workers? Perceived Job Security and Employability for Temporary Agency Workers and Client Organization Employees at a Swedish Manufacturing Plant

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Håkansson ◽  
Tommy Isidorsson
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Employment Protection ◽  
Manufacturing Plant ◽  
Temporary Work ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Temporary Agency Workers

The vulnerable situation of temporary agency workers is manifested in previous research that evidences the job insecurity of this group. However, research shows that this insecurity is due to the temporary nature of employment contracts for this group of workers. In Sweden, where temporary agency workers have the same type of employment contracts (i.e., temporary or permanent contracts) and are entitled to the same employment protection as other groups of employees, one might expect a different picture. This article examines the situation of temporary agency workers who have the same working conditions as client organization employees. These workers have permanent contracts and are treated like client organization employees. We have chosen to examine this case because we anticipate it to be very likely to contradict statements regarding temporary agency workers’ affiliation with the precariat. This article aims to empirically elucidate the precariousness of temporary agency workers who are highly integrated with client organization employees and who share the same work tasks. Our analysis shows that competence development is crucial to perceptions of job security. However, temporary agency workers lack competence development, both on the part of the employer (the temporary work agency) and on the part of the client organization. The client organization has no incentive to invest more than the required competencies, since temporary agency workers only constitute a buffer in case of a downturn. We argue that it is the agency workers’ connection with a buffer that results in a lack of job security. Our results also show that temporary agency workers’ job security could be increased if temporary agencies were to invest in competence development for the agency workers, thus overcoming these workers’ vulnerability in constituting a buffer.

scholarly journals Increasing income-based inequality in suicide mortality among working-age women and men, Sweden, 1990–2007: is there a point of trend change?

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 1009-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Hiyoshi ◽  
Naoki Kondo ◽  
Mikael Rostila
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Income Inequalities ◽  
Working Age ◽  
National Register Data ◽  
Generous Welfare

BackgroundIncome inequalities have risen from the 1990s to 2000s, following the economic recession in 1994, but little research has investigated socioeconomic inequalities in suicide mortality for working-age men and women (aged between 30 and 64 years) over the time using longitudinal data in Sweden.MethodsUsing Swedish national register data between 1990 and 2007 as a series of repeated cohort studies with a 3-year follow-up (sample sizes were approximately 3.7 to 4.0 million in each year), relative and slope indices of inequality (RII and SII respectively) based on quintiles of individual disposable income were calculated and tested for temporal trends.ResultsSII for the risk of suicide mortality ranged from 27.6 (95% CI 19.5 to 35.8) to 44.5 (36.3 to 52.6) in men and 5.2 (0.2 to 10.4) to 16.6 (10.7 to 22.4) in women (per 100 000 population). In men, temporal trends in suicide inequalities were stable in SII but increasing in RII by 3% each year (p=0.002). In women, inequalities tended to increase in both RII and SII, especially after the late-1990s, with 10% increment in RII per year (p<0.001).ConclusionsDespite universal social security and generous welfare provision, income inequalities in suicide were considerable and have widened, especially in women. The steeper rise in women may be partially related to higher job insecurity and poorer working conditions in the female dominated public sector after the recession. To reduce health consequences following an economic crisis and widened income inequalities, additional measures may be necessary in proportion to the levels of financial vulnerability.

scholarly journals Impact of unemployment and income on entrepreneurship in post-apartheid South Africa: 1994–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Darma Mahadea ◽  
Irrshad Kaseeram
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Employment Growth ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
National Development ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Per Capita Gdp ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Impact

Background: South Africa has made significant progress since the dawn of democracy in 1994. It registered positive economic growth rates and its real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita increased from R42 849 in 1994 to over R56 000 in 2015. However, employment growth lagged behind GDP growth, resulting in rising unemployment. Aim and setting: Entrepreneurship brings together labour and capital in generating income, output and employment. According to South Africa’s National Development Plan, employment growth would come mainly from small-firm entrepreneurship and economic growth. Accordingly, this article investigates the impact unemployment and per capita income have on early stage total entrepreneurship activity (TEA) in South Africa, using data covering the 1994–2015 period. Methods: The methodology used is the dynamic least squares regression. The article tests the assertion that economic growth, proxied by real per capita GDP income, promotes entrepreneurship and that high unemployment forces necessity entrepreneurship. Results: The regression results indicate that per capita real GDP, which increases with economic growth, has a highly significant, positive impact on entrepreneurial activity, while unemployment has a weaker effect. A 1% rise in real per capita GDP results in a 0.16% rise in TEA entrepreneurship, and a 1% rise in unemployment is associated with a 0.25% rise in TEA. Conclusion: There seems to be a strong pull factor, from income growth to entrepreneurship and a reasonable push from unemployment to entrepreneurship, as individuals without employment are forced to self-employment as a necessity, survival mechanism. Overall, a long-run co-integrating relationship seems plausible between unemployment, income and entrepreneurship in South Africa.

scholarly journals Job insecurity, sense of coherence and the general health of employees at a higher education institution in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 660-670
Author(s):  
Sam T Setati ◽  
Marius Stander ◽  
Wilfred Isioma Ukpere
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
General Health ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Cross Sectional

This study investigated the relationship between job insecurity, sense of coherence and general health of employees in a higher education institution in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A random sample (n = 229) was taken from academic and non-academic staff members of the institution. The Job Insecurity Inventory, General Health Questionnaire and Orientation to Life Questionnaire were administered. The results showed that a negative relationship exists between job insecurity and general health, while a positive relationship exists between sense of coherence and general health. High job insecurity and a weak sense of coherence predicted ill health. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that higher education institutions should attend to job insecurity by communicating effectively with employees, in order to clarify expectations, and ensure support from supervisors. Developing the employees’ sense of coherence can positively impact on their wellness. Owing to the cross-sectional design of the study, no conclusions regarding causality was drawn.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction among Academic Employees in Polytechnic

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 209-216
Author(s):  
Muhamad Saufiyudin Omar ◽  
Siti Fatimah Abdul Aziz ◽  
Nurasyikin Mohd Salleh
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Stratified Random Sampling ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting

Satisfied employees are crucial in developing a successful organization. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that affect job satisfaction among polytechnic academic employees in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was employed and stratified random sampling was used to collect the data. A total of 130 respondents answered the questionnaires. The results revealed that job security, salary and working conditions had significant and positive influence on job satisfaction among polytechnic academic employees. Hence, strengthening the factors of job security, salary and working conditions among the polytechnic academic employees is critically important to ensure the employees are satisfied which will then lead towards a successful polytechnic.

scholarly journals Job Security, Labour-Management Relations And Perceived Workers` Productivity In Industrial Organizations: Impact Of Technological Innovation

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dayo Idowu Akintayo
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Job Security ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Industrial Organizations ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Implementation Stages ◽  
Labour Management

This study investigated the influence of technological innovation on job security, labour-management relations and perceived workers’ productivity in industrial organizations in Nigeria. The descriptive ex-post-facto research method was adopted for the study. A total of 321 respondents were selected for the purpose of the study using the proportionate stratified sampling technique. Three sets of questionnaires were utilized for data collection. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t- test statistics were used to test hypotheses generated for the study at 0.05 alpha levels. Findings revealed that a significant relationship does not exist between technological innovation and workers` job security. The findings further revealed that technological innovation has not significantly influenced harmonious labour-management relations. It was also found that there is no significant relationship between technological innovation and perceived workers` productivity. It is recommended that a participatory management style, which could foster workers` participation at the planning and implementation stages of technological innovation, should be encouraged among the managers in order to foster workers` participation in decision-making and workers` supportiveness towards implementation of technological innovation. Moreover, skill re-engineering programmes should be organized for workers at regular intervals in order to sensitize them and foster skill acquisition and utilization towards improved labour-management relations and increased productivity.

scholarly journals Prominent challenges of fixed-term contracts for administrative and professional employees in higher learning institutions of Gauteng Province, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 650-656
Author(s):  
Elsie Skeni Monkwe ◽  
Solly Matshonisa Seeletse
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Temporary Workers ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Term Contract ◽  
Professional Employees ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
Learning Institutions

The use of temporary workers by organizations is growing, and has extensively extended to higher learning institutions (HLIs). This paper discusses the challenges of fixed term contract administrative and professional employees (FTC A/Ps) in Gauteng Provinces’ HLIs in South Africa. The research methodology used was exploratory. Surveys were used to collect data. The study sample consisted of 107 FTC A/Ps. Primary data were collected using a questionnaire. Text data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis of qualitative design. The study revealed that the HLIs did not provide training to the FTC A/Ps, but required them to perform as if they were trained. The FTC A/Ps were not getting employee benefits, were abused, underpaid, lacked privileges, lacked morale, could be dismissed any time, were driven to lose trust on managers and to be disloyal to their HLIs. They sometimes caused unscheduled turnover. Their commitment to work diminished. Still, they were bound to increase their productivity under punitive working conditions. The study recommends involving of FTC A/Ps when necessary, and not to abuse them. This also includes possibilities of integrating them in the HLI workforce, but to put proper precautionary measures when empowering them. Keywords: abuse, fixed term contract, higher learning institutions, roll over. JEL Classification: J71, J81, J82

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