scholarly journals The impact of social media on recruitment: Are you LinkedIn?

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Koch ◽  
Charlene Gerber ◽  
Jeremias J. De Klerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Recruitment Process ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Orientation: With many organisations vying for the same talent, it is important to ensure that the correct methods are utilised in identifying and attracting the best talent to an organisation.Research purpose: This research investigates the impact of social media on the recruitment process in South Africa.Motivation for the study: As the competition for qualified talent increases, organisations need to understand where to focus their resources to attract the best talent possible. The use of social media is growing daily and its use in the recruitment process seems to have grown exponentially.Research design, approach and method: The sample comprised 12 recruiters, spanning a wide range of industries in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and a thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes and subthemes.Main findings: Despite still utilising some traditional methods of recruiting, South African recruiters follow their international counterparts, with LinkedIn being central to their respective recruitment processes. The use of Twitter and Facebook for recruitment was found to be substantially lower in South Africa than elsewhere. Without following a focused approach, the volume of work that emanates from using social media may overwhelm a recruiter.Practical and managerial implications: Recruiters cannot execute effective recruitment without applying social media tools such as LinkedIn. However, training in the optimal use of social media is essential.Contribution: This study indicates that LinkedIn has a major impact on recruitment in South Africa, but that social media is not a panacea for recruitment issues.

scholarly journals The transition to general management in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Mallaby ◽  
Gavin Price ◽  
Karl Hofmeyr
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
General Manager ◽  
General Management ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
The Right

Orientation: Understanding the nature and challenges of making the transition from a functional role to a general management role in South African organisations.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to gain insight into the obstacles that affect the transition from functional to general management and identify steps that may be taken to overcome these challenges.Motivation for the study: One of the most difficult crossroads for a manager is making the shift from being a functional specialist to becoming a general manager. New competencies and behaviours are required, as well as a more strategic mind set. If the transition is not made successfully, the manager and the organisation suffer.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was used consisting of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, with 19 senior business leaders who had successfully made the transition. The interviews were used to gather insights into the challenges they faced during their transitions, and how these were overcome.Main findings: To make the transition successfully, functional managers need to gain relevant experience to prepare them for the broader scope of a general management role. They need to develop appropriate skills, attitudes and personal characteristics. Mentoring is an effective development process. Newly appointed general managers need to learn to let go of control while maintaining ownership, build relationships and strike the right balance between strategic thinking and execution. There are unique aspects of being a general manager in South Africa, such as dealing with Black Economic Empowerment and challenges of race and identity, given the country’s history.Practical and managerial implications: Specific interventions are suggested which are directed at both aspiring general managers and organisations seeking to assist middle managers to make the transition to general managers.Contribution: This study contributes to knowledge concerning the skills and attributes required by potential general managers, and the practical steps to be taken by South African organisations to facilitate the development of general managers. 

scholarly journals SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE ACTIO INJURIARIUM IN SOUTH AFRICA – AN EXPLORATION OF NEW CHALLENGES IN THE ONLINE ERA

Obiter ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya P Singh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
News Media ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
The Law ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Alternative Remedies

The rapid rise in the use of social media networking sites in South Africa has posed new challenges to our courts. The law of defamation and privacy, which has long been considered well established, is now facing new demands on its boundaries because of the unique characteristics of social media in the online era.This note will discuss and critique three recent cases individually, concerning issues arising from the use of Facebook (a social media website) and the approach of the courts in extending the traditional law to the new demands of social media interaction.The aim of the note is to evaluate: the considerations which should apply to the granting of an interdict in respect of comments posted on Facebook, especially where alternative remedies are available; whether social media should be treated differently from electronic news media; how to establish ownership of a Facebook profile where such ownership is disputed; liability for anonymous defamatory posts on an individual’s Facebook profile; whether an individual can be liable for defamatory posts not made by himself personally, but in which he has been tagged; whether comments posed as questions can be regarded as defamatory; and the role played by apologies in claims for damages in defamation.The note concludes by discussing how South African courts have extended the traditional principles governing the actio injuriarium action in South African law – to the new challenges posed by the rise in popularity of social media networking sites.

scholarly journals Social Media in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1821
Author(s):  
Zvezdan Stojanović
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Telecommunication Infrastructure ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Tourism Education ◽  
Education Marketing ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

The use of social media has a wide range of applications in different areas of life. Accordingly, the impact of social networks in everyday life is growing. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a solid telecommunication infrastructure, which is of great importance for the development of social networks. This paper will show the application of social networks in areas such as tourism, education, marketing, politics and local and state administration bodies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

scholarly journals THE VIEWS OF PH.D. SAUDI STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW TO UTILISE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS TO SUPPORT LEARNING

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Omar Abdullah Alshehri
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The University

This paper examined the perception of using social media tools to support learning among Ph.D. Saudi students at the University of Glasgow. It also examined the benefits of using social media tools for learning and the important role that these tools can play to facilitate the educational process. Moreover, it examined the barriers they could face during the use of social media tools in the education process. Participants in this study were 3 Ph.D. Saudi students at the University of Glasgow. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data for this study. The results indicate that students, both male and female, are using social media tools and their opinions largely coincide regarding the benefits of and barriers to social media usage. The results pointed out that the major barriers to using these tools in learning were a distraction, privacy, and the lack of available high-speed Internet. The study recommended that this study could be replicated at other Saudi Ph.D. students at different universities to investigate teachers and students' perception to use these modern technologies for learning as well as find out factors and barriers that might affect Saudi teachers and students’ attitudes toward using social media tools for learning.

scholarly journals Constructing racial hierarchies of skill – Experiencing affirmative action in a South African organisation: A qualitative review

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanya Reuben ◽  
Shaida Bobat
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
South African ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Orientation: Apartheid in South Africa constructed racial, economic, social and political segregation, the consequences of which are still experienced today. Government has made concerted efforts to ‘deracialise’ South Africa, most notably through affirmative action (AA) measures.Research purpose: This study aimed to explore employees’ social constructions of AA in a South African organisation.Motivation for the study: Research in this field focuses mostly on attitudinal perspectives of AA with an emphasis on traditional approaches. Subjective, contextualised approaches to AA have received little attention. Thus, this study aimed to critically engage with the embodied nature of prejudice, particularly in reference to how we understand and experience AA.Research approach, design and method: This study aimed to explore AA from a social constructionist orientation, using semi-structured interviews. More specifically, this study used Potter and Wetherell’s discursive psychology.Main findings: The findings illustrate how participants engage in discursive devices that continue to rationalise a racial order of competence. Ultimately, AA is a controversial subject that traverses many segments of life for all South Africans.Practical/managerial implications: The findings contribute to the discipline of industrial psychology, particularly with regard to policies around preferential treatment, and can add value to the ways in which organisational policy documents are conceptualised. The findings also suggest the importance of developing an inclusive, non-discriminatory organisational culture.Contribution/value-add: This approach adds to the existing body of knowledge around the embodied nature of prejudice. The study’s methodology highlights the value of studying context in meaning-making and implied inferences that underlie talk.

Social Media Tools Adoption and Use by SMEs

2015 ◽  
pp. 791-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Fosso Wamba ◽  
Lemuria Carter
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Hierarchical Logistic Regression ◽  
Industry Sector ◽  
Firm Innovativeness ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Despite the recent increase in the adoption and use of social media tools to support firm operations, very little empirical research focusing on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been conducted to-date. The aim of this study is to fill this knowledge gap by investigating SME adoption of social media tools. In particular, we assess the impact of organizational, manager and environmental characteristics on SME utilization of the Facebook Events Page. To test our proposed research model, we administered a survey to 453 SME managers. Results of a hierarchical logistic regression indicate that firm innovativeness, firm size, manager's age and industry sector all have a significant impact on social media adoption. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

“We sing to touch hearts”: Choral musical culture in Pretoria East, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Bartolome
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
African Identity ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

The purpose of this study was to explore the culture of choral singing among children and youth in Pretoria East, South Africa. The philosophical underpinnings of the choirs, the roles of choirs within local and national communities, and the perceived values and benefits of participation were examined. This collective case study required the integration of standard ethnographic strategies employed over the course of a month-long period of fieldwork and two shorter follow-up visits. I observed approximately 40 hours of rehearsal and 25 hours of performance, focusing on five choirs in and around the University of Pretoria. I also conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with choristers, directors, staff members, and parents. Participants identified a philosophy of “message bearing” as the primary goal of choral performance. Innovation and diversity in programming and competition were additional emergent themes related to this philosophy. Choirs were found to have multiple roles, including recruiting and marketing, promoting diverse South African musical cultures, and cultivating a national, South African identity. Participants described a wide range of musical, social, educational, and personal benefits associated with participation, with choristers most commonly alluding to choir as a means of “relaxing.” Choir emerged as a source of bridging social capital, encouraging cooperation among participants from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, promoting intercultural understanding and trust, and cultivating a broadened sense of national South African identity.

Social Media Tools Adoption and Use by SMES

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Fosso Wamba ◽  
Lemuria Carter
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Hierarchical Logistic Regression ◽  
Industry Sector ◽  
Firm Innovativeness ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Despite the recent increase in the adoption and use of social media tools to support firm operations, very little empirical research focusing on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been conducted to-date. The aim of this study is to fill this knowledge gap by investigating SME adoption of social media tools. In particular, we assess the impact of organizational, manager and environmental characteristics on SME utilization of the Facebook Events Page. To test our proposed research model, we administered a survey to 453 SME managers. Results of a hierarchical logistic regression indicate that firm innovativeness, firm size, manager's age and industry sector all have a significant impact on social media adoption. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Determinants of cross-border mergers and acquisitions in the freight and logistics industry of South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantelle De Villiers ◽  
Henri Bezuidenhout ◽  
Sonja Grater ◽  
Ewert P.J. Kleynhans
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
South African ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Logistics Industry ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
African Context

Orientation: The article reports on applied and practical research that focuses on the understanding of the motivation and actions of Multinational Enterprises in Africa as far as mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are concerned.Research purpose: This study examines developments in the freight and logistics industry through MAs in South Africa.Motivation for the study: It is necessary to gain a better understanding of MAs from a firm-level perspective in the South African context. Little research exists on the dynamics of MAs, and even less relating to the logistics industry that plays such a large role in trade in the region. This research adds substantial and significant original work to the scarce body of meaningful literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa.Research design, approach and method: This study used a case study approach employing structured interviews. The population was freight and logistics companies that were involved in MA activities in South Africa. Quantitative data and other information from various databases, published MA data and financial statements were analysed to obtain background views of the companies’ where after, three companies were eventually selected. Direct unstructured interviews were then conducted with the main decision makers and a qualitative thematic analysis of the companies’ responses. Related themes and patterns were identified through the frequency of occurrence, similarities, differences and general patterns observed. This method yielded the most insight into the processes and company dynamics involved.Main findings: International MAs in the freight and logistics industry provide companies with international scale and effectively link to international markets. Companies benefit from expanded market opportunities across national borders, which generate substantial revenues, geographical growth and business expansion. It renders synergy and additional competitive advantage.Practical/managerial implications: Theoretical and practical aspects of FDI, such as motives for market entry, ownership, location and entry barriers within the context of multinational enterprises, globally, were investigated. Little data exist on the freight and logistics industry in Africa and also on MAs, which presented limitations. Companies are inexperienced and need to involve more expertise in MA processes. The results also found that South African companies need to expand their cultural intelligence and negotiation skills, especially within a diverse cultural realm, before entering into MA deals with foreign companies.Contribution/value-add: Services are determinants of trade volumes and offer distributional effects and patterns of economic growth, development and FDI inflows. Little research exists on the dynamics of MAs in the freight and logistics industry, especially within the African context. This study also makes some contribution in that regard.

scholarly journals The establishment and early history of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), 1977–1991

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huma Van Rensburg ◽  
Johan S. Basson ◽  
Nasima M.H. Carrim
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Field Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
History Of ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Human resource (HR) management is recognised as a profession worldwide, especially in countries that are forerunners in the field. Research purpose: The main purpose of this study is to record the historical development of HR management as a profession. This study will provide a platform for evaluating the professional standing of HR management in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The motivation for the study is to record the historical development of HR management in South Africa because this is long overdue.Research design, approach and method: The researchers achieved triangulation by examining archived documents they obtained from the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) and semi-structured interviews with five founding members of the SABPP who were involved during the whole period of the study. The founding members also verified the researchers’ interpretations of the information they obtained from the documents and the interviews. The researchers used content analysis and coding to analyse the data they obtained from the archived documents and the semi-structured interviews.Main findings: The history of HR management in South Africa shows that it meets the four founding pillars of professionalism.Practical/managerial implications: The study also gives HR professionals confidence because HR management is achieving recognition as a profession.Contribution/value-add: The main contribution of the study is that it has recorded the history of HR management as a profession in South Africa properly for the first time.

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