scholarly journals Multiculturalism in the workplace: Model and test

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon T.B. Jackson ◽  
Fons J.R. Van de Vijver
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mixed Race ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
National Unity ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
Antecedent Conditions ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: This article addresses the role of multiculturalism in employee attitudes.Research purpose: It proposes a model of positive features of multiculturalism in organisations and tests it in South Africa. The model postulates three levels in multiculturalism: antecedent conditions, such as multiculturalism practices and norms that define the diversity climate; mediators, such as diversity-enhancing employee attitudes; and positive work outcomes.Motivation for the study: South Africans from diverse backgrounds hardly meet in their private spaces. Given this forced contact in the workplace and the calls for national unity and social cohesion, we propose that a workplace that is characterised by mutual respect, accommodation and tolerance for difference could have a positive impact on employee work attitudes.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach was adopted using survey questionnaires that were distributed to employees selected on the basis of convenience sampling (N = 299) in various workplaces.Main findings: A multi-group path analysis confirmed the validity of the model for the white, black and mixed race ethnic groups. Although the differences were negligible to medium, white groups seemed to experience a slightly more favourable multicultural environment compared to black and mixed race groups.Practical/managerial implications: All dimension scores were well above the mid-point of the scale, which suggests that psychometrically speaking, the multicultural climate, ethnic integration orientations and employee attitudes are experienced by these employees as favourable.Contribution/value-add: From a conceptual perspective, the model implies that the more distal variable of a multicultural climate influences employee attitudes through a set of more proximal integration attitudes and practices. From a practical perspective, an inclusive climate has more distal characteristics such as the general multiculturalism climate and more proximal characteristics such as ethnic vitality.

scholarly journals The intention of South Africans to engage in collaborative consumption: The case of Uber

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele Berndt ◽  
Anmar Pretorius ◽  
Derick Blaauw
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
T Test ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
F Test ◽  
Collaborative Consumption ◽  
Electronic Data Collection ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: The idea of collaborative consumption is developing among consumers, where underutilised or excess resources, skills and money are shared among peers for compensation. Collaborative consumption involves sharing, and as such, Uber, an app-based transport service enables those with spare vehicle capacity to provide a fee-based transport solution.Research purpose: This study investigates the intention to use this service in a South African context, specifically through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) because of the suitability of these models in this context. Differences between regular and seldom users are also examined.Motivation for the study: With the widespread use of Uber in South Africa, understanding the factors contributing to the intention to use Uber requires examination.Research design, approach and method: Data were collected using a quantitative survey among panel respondents of South Africans, using electronic data collection. The research instrument comprised pre-existing items measured on a 6-point Likert scale. A total of 367 usable responses were received. Data analysis included testing for differences in means (t-test, Satterthwaite-Welch t-test, Anova F-test, Welch F-test) as well as regression analysis (by means of multiple regressions and two-stage least squares).Main findings: The findings indicate that South Africans intend to use the service largely due to their positive attitude towards the service, the perceived usefulness (PU) of the app and perceived behavioural (PB) control associated with the service. The value of the app has been highlighted in this research, and the importance of its functioning is evident.Practical/managerial implications: The importance of providing a positive service experience impacts the intention to use the service in the future. This emphasises the importance of the service itself and the functioning of the app.Contribution/value-add: Understanding the intention to use this service enables further development of this app and associated services.

scholarly journals Beneficiary contact moderates relationship between authentic leadership and engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caren B. Scheepers ◽  
Sarah L. Elstob
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Situational Factor ◽  
Leaders And Followers ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: Beneficiary contact moderates the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the moderating effect of the breadth, depth and frequency of employee interaction with the beneficiaries of their work on the positive impact of authentic leadership on work engagement.Motivation for the study: Investigating the boundary conditions of the relationship between leaders and followers is vital to enhance the positive effect of leadership. Authentic leadership has not previously been examined with respect to beneficiary contact as a specific situational factor. The researchers therefore set out to ascertain whether beneficiary contact has a strengthening or weakening effect on the impact of authentic leadership on work engagement.Research design, approach and method: The researchers administered the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and Grant’s scale on Beneficiary Contact.Main findings: The findings showed that beneficiary contact had a weakening effect on the positive relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement.Practical/managerial implications: Ideally, organisations create environments conducive to work engagement in which leadership plays an important role. This study found that one factor in the work environment, namely beneficiary contact, might have an adverse effect on the positive relationship that authentic leadership has on work engagement. Leaders should therefore take organisational contextual realities into account, such as regular, intense interaction of employees with the beneficiaries of their work. This situation could create strain for individual employees, requiring additional organisational support.Contribution/value-add: Organisations need to recognise the impact of beneficiary contact on the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement. The researchers propose further studies on the influence of contextual variables on the relationship between leaders and followers.

Visitor Satisfaction of the Palace Museum Website in China: An Empirical and Integrated Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-437
Author(s):  
Qiong Dang ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Visitor Satisfaction ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Museum Websites ◽  
Perceived Usability

In 2001, the website of the Palace Museum was opened to the public, marking that museum’s first step into the digital era in China. Numerous studies and much research has concentrated on how to employ this new technology in order to digitize the museum and its collection. However, little attention has been paid to research regarding visitor satisfaction’s regarding museum websites in China. This research aims to fill the gap. Consequently, this conceptual model has been proposed, and the Palace Museum website was as the research objective. Empirical methodology has been applied and the online survey was created to gather data, which results in a total of 557 questionnaires being analyzed though the SPSS 20.0. The findings demonstrate that system quality, perceived usefulness, perceived usability, and the museum’s image have a positive impact on visitor satisfaction regarding their continuance intention. Furthermore, managerial implications are proposed for museum practitioners.

scholarly journals The impact of job description and career prospect on job satisfaction: A quantitative study in Mauritius

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ketan S. Ramhit
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Team Leaders ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Career Prospect ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Negative Relationships ◽  
Good Career

Orientation: Literature shows that job description and career prospect are connected to job satisfaction and it is seen that, in Mauritius, job description and career prospect impact job satisfaction.Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction in Mauritius.Motivation for the study: It has been noticed that employees are dissatisfied when they perform duties outside their job description and also when they see that they do not have a good career prospect. Despite the existence of several researches, limited research exists in the Mauritian context. The outcome will provide significant relevance to existing knowledge.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach was adopted and a survey was conducted in a multinational company in Mauritius. A sample of 132 employees was chosen.Main findings: This research unravelled significant negative relationships between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction. The results revealed that, when duties are not well described or when duties are not in line with current responsibilities, the employees are dissatisfied. Similarly, the greater the chances that employees are not given the opportunity to get promoted, the more they are dissatisfied.Practical/managerial implications: Human resource practitioners, managers and team leaders need to recognise that employee’s moods influence the work pattern in the organisation and a clear job description and an appropriate career plan should exist.Contribution/value-add: Literature on the relationship between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction in the context of Mauritius is almost inexistent. This study will add to existing knowledge.

scholarly journals Gender pay gap in salary bands among employees in the formal sector of South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeboye M. Adelekan ◽  
Mark H.R. Bussin
Keyword(s):  
Top Management ◽  
Gender Pay Gap ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
The Status ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: The gender pay gap is a worldwide challenge that has persisted despite political will and interventions. Comparably qualified women performing similar work as men continue to earn less. There are conflicting views in the literature regarding the status of the gender pay gap.Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine status of the gender pay gap among employees in the same salary band and to establish whether men and women receive similar pay for similar work in the study population.Motivation for study: The status of the gender pay gap would establish the progress made towards closing the gap and guide necessary adjustments to interventions.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative analysis was conducted on the pay information of 217 902 employees collected in a survey from over 700 companies, across 10 job families and 6 industries.Main findings: Men’s pay was consistently higher than that of women in all salary bands except at the 75th and 95th percentile in sub-bands B-lower and B-upper and 25th percentile in sub-band E-upper. The gender pay gap ranged from 8% in band A to 27.1% in sub-band F-upper. The gaps observed in the salary bands were statistically significant (p < 0.0001) except in sub-band E-upper, F-lower and F-upper, indicating convergence towards similar pay for similar work at senior to top management levels. Women were under-represented in all salary bands with the lowest presence in band F, especially sub-band F-upper. Gender, race, job family and industry have a significant effect on income earned in the study sample.Practical/managerial implications: Government’s efforts seemed to have produced minimal results as women are represented in all job families, industries and salary bands. The pay of men and women in senior and top management levels was similar. However, more still needs to be done to achieve the 50% target representation of women in senior management and close the gap at all levels.Contribution/value-add: The number of women at management levels is still very low when compared to their male counterparts. However, the gender pay gap in senior to top management positions are converging towards similar pay for work of similar value.

scholarly journals Prevalence of workplace bullying of South African employees

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanri Cunniff ◽  
Karina Mostert
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Diversity Experiences ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Survey Approach

Orientation: Workplace bullying has negative physical and psychological effects on employees and several negative effects on organisations. Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to determine the prevalence of workplace bullying in South Africa and whether there are differences in employees’ experiences of bullying with regard to socio-demographic characteristics, sense of coherence (SOC) and diversity experiences.Motivation for the study: This study intended to draw attention to the implications and negative effects of workplace bullying and to determine whether employees with certain socio-demographic characteristics, SOC levels and diversity experiences experience higher levels of bullying than others do.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a cross-sectional field survey approach. They used an availability sample (N = 13 911). They computed frequencies to determine the prevalence of workplace bullying and used a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to determine the differences between the groups.Main findings: The results showed that 31.1% of the sample had experienced workplace bullying. The researchers found significant differences between all the socio-demographic groups. Participants with higher levels of SOC, and who experienced diversity positively, reported lower levels of workplace bullying.Practical/managerial implications: Employers need to realise that workplace bullying is a common problem amongst South African employees and should ensure that they have the necessary prevention methods.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research on the prevalence of workplace bullying and its relationship with SOC and diversity experiences in the South African workplace.

scholarly journals The validity of world class business criteria across developed and developing countries

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre J. Parker ◽  
Theo H. Veldsman
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
General Assumption ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Class Standing ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
World Class ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Business Challenges ◽  
Developing And Developed Countries

Orientation: World class implies being able to respond effectively to the prevailing business challenges in a manner that surpasses competitors and to compete effectively in the global economy.Research purpose: To assess the validity of the general assumption in the literature that world class criteria are equally applicable worldwide.Motivation for research: The possibility exists that developing countries require an adjusted mix of world class criteria and practices to become globally competitive.Research design, approach and method: A quantitative field survey research approach was adopted. A web-enabled questionnaire was designed, covering 35 world class practices grouped under 7 world class criteria. A cross-section of the senior management from 14 developing and 20 developed country’s organisations partook in the study.Main findings: It was empirically confirmed that the majority of world class practices posited in the literature are used by participating organisations; that world class criteria do not apply equally across developed and developing countries; and that more important than country location, is the deliberate choice by an organisation’s leadership to become world class. An empirically based model of ascending to world class was proposed.Practical/managerial implications: Regardless of country location, the leadership of an organisation can make their organisation world class by applying the proposed world class model.Contribution/value add: A reliable web enabled instrument was designed that can be used to assess an organisation’s world class standing; the assumption that world class criteria are equally valid across developing and developed countries was proven partially incorrect; since becoming or being world class is also a leadership choice regardless of location.

scholarly journals Developing and supporting coordinators of structured mentoring schemes in South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Abbott ◽  
Xenia Goosen ◽  
Jos Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Job Description ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
People Development ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Purposive Sample ◽  
The Coordinator

Orientation: Mentoring is considered to be such an important contributor to accelerated people development in South Africa that structured mentoring schemes are often used by organisations. There are at present few sources of development and support for coordinators of such schemes.Research purpose: The aim of this research is to discover what the characteristics of coordinators of structured mentoring schemes in South Africa are, what is required of such coordinators and how they feel about their role, with a view to improving development and support for them.Motivation for the study: The limited amount of information about role requirements for coordinators which is available in the literature is not based on empirical research. This study aims to supply the empirical basis for improved development and support for coordinators.Research design and method: A purposive sample of 25 schemes was identified and both quantitative and qualitative data, obtained through questionnaires and interviews, were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.Main findings: Functions of coordinators tend to be similar across different types of mentoring schemes. A passion for mentoring is important, as the role involves many frustrations. There is little formalised development and support for coordinators.Practical/managerial implications: The study clarifies the functions of the coordinator, offers a job description and profile and makes suggestions on how to improve the development of the coordinator’s skills.Contribution/value-add: An understanding of what is required from a coordinator, how the necessary knowledge and skills can be developed and how the coordinator can be supported,adds value to an organisation setting up or reviewing its structured mentoring schemes.

scholarly journals Transformative consumer research: Its origins and possible enrichment of the field of consumer research in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leona M. Ungerer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Consumer Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Traditional Research ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Additional Approach ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Transformative Consumer Research

Orientation: This article provides a rationale for considering transformative consumer research as a research approach for investigating the relationship between consumption and consumers’ well-being in South Africa.Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the principles underlying transformative consumer research, including how it differs from traditional research methods and pointing out some established research areas in this field.Motivation for the study: Apart from pointing to a lack of literature, this article highlights the relevance of this approach for emerging countries by investigating the principles and practices embedded in transformative consumer research. It provides some indication of how an investigation of these areas may contribute to enhancing the relevance of consumer research to its various stakeholders.Research design, approach and method: The author used a literature review to conduct the study.Main findings: It appears that consumer research currently lacks external and internal relevance. A transformative consumer-research approach may address some of the fundamental problems in the way consumer psychologists plan and conduct their research, contributing to this lack of relevance.Practical/managerial implications: Most stages of the traditional research approach may need to be adapted for transformative research purposes. Some approaches appear particularly suited to transformative consumer research, including revelatory, incendiary, policy, participatory and coalition research. Contribution/value-add: This study’s primary contribution stems from suggesting a rather novel additional approach to enhance the relevance of consumer research in South Africa, pointing out some established practices in the field of transformative consumer research and suggesting how they may augment consumer research in South Africa.

scholarly journals How can work be designed to be intrinsically rewarding? Qualitative insights from South African non-profit employees

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Renard ◽  
Robin J. Snelgar
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Extrinsic Rewards ◽  
Intrinsic Rewards ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Traditional Performance

Orientation: Intrinsic rewards are personal, psychological responses to the work thatemployees perform, which stem from the manner in which their work is designed.Research purpose: This study sought to discover in what ways non-profit employees arepsychologically rewarded by the nature of their work tasks. The use of a qualitative approachto data collection and analysis ensured that in-depth responses from participants were gained.Motivation for the study: Intrinsic rewards are of particular importance to non-profitemployees, who tend to earn below-market salaries. This implies that their motivationoriginates predominantly from intrinsic as opposed to extrinsic rewards; yet, research into thisarea of rewards is lacking.Research approach, design and method: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conductedusing a sample of 15 extrinsically rewarded non-profit employees working within South Africa.Thematic analysis was utilised in order to generate codes which led to the formation of fiveintrinsic rewards categories.Main findings: Intrinsic rewards were classified into five categories, namely (1) MeaningfulWork, (2) Flexible Work, (3) Challenging Work, (4) Varied Work and (5) Enjoyable Work.These rewards each comprise of various subcategories, which provide insight into why suchwork is rewarding to non-profit employees.Practical/managerial implications: Traditional performance management systems shouldbe re-evaluated in the non-profit sector to shift focus towards intrinsic rewards, asopposed to focusing only on the use of extrinsic rewards such as incentives to motivateemployees.Contribution/value-add: The study provides a qualitative understanding of how extrinsicallyrewarded non-profit employees perceive their work to be intrinsically rewarding, whichbridges the empirical gap pertaining to intrinsic rewards within this sector.

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