scholarly journals Diversity dynamics operating between students lecturers and management in a historically Black university: The lecturers perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle S. May
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
South African ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Historically Black University ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Diversity Dynamics ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: The historically Black and White universities in South Africa were shaped by apartheid policies (Abdi, 2003). This research project started, within this socio-political context, because lecturers in a historically Black university (HBU) were confronted with unresolved experiences concerning their relationship with students and management. The researcher describes the diversity dynamics in a historically Black university, by forming an in-depth understanding of these dynamics, operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management, from the systems psychodynamic perspective.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of nine lecturers in a particular HBU. This was undertaken to analyse and interpret the conscious and unconscious diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management, from the lecturers’ perspective.Motivation for the study: The researcher was interested in the nature of the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management in an HBU, as a platform towards understanding diversity dynamics in educational institutions and South African organisations.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative and descriptive research approaches were used. Hermeneutic phenomenology, using the systems psychodynamic perspective, allowed for the description and interpretation of diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between the students, lecturers and management. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews with nine lecturers. Thematic analysis resulted in two broad themes for which a discussion was provided and a research hypothesis formulated.Main findings: Two broad themes manifested, firstly diversity characteristics and secondly struggle skills entrenching the Black and White divide.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlighted the importance of understanding the diversity dynamics operating in the relationship between students, lecturers and management. This was in order to develop our understanding of diversity dynamics operating in educational institutions specifically, and organisations in general.Contribution/value-add: The understanding about diversity dynamics is available for application, by lecturers and management, to form a different understanding of conscious and unconscious factors impacting on the relationship between the three stakeholders, and subsequently the effectiveness of the three stakeholders in their respective roles. This understanding can also be transferred to other organisations.

scholarly journals The Robben Island diversity experience. An exploration of South African diversity dynamics

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Pretorius ◽  
Frans Cilliers ◽  
May Michelle
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Depth Psychology ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Many ◽  
Diversity Dynamics ◽  
Robben Island

Orientation: Because of its historic, symbolic and psychological representation, presenting a diversity event on Robben Island posed invaluable opportunities to form an in-depth understanding of South African diversity dynamics. This research focussed on such an event interpreted from the systems psychodynamic perspective.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of participants attending the Robben Island Diversity Experience (RIDE) in order to understand South African diversity dynamics from a depth psychology perspective.Motivation for the study: Of the many and different diversity events presented in South African organisations, RIDE is the only annual systems psycho-dynamically designed and presented event. This research was an effort to explore the nature of these dynamics which manifest themselves from below the surface.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative and descriptive research from a hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm was used. The 15 participants who attended a RIDE event formed a case study. The data from an unstructured interview was content-analysed and interpreted using the systems psychodynamic perspective. The themes were integrated into a research hypothesis.Main findings: Five themes manifested themselves, namely, crossing boundaries, engaging the brave new world, ties that bind, being imprisoned and the struggle.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlighted the importance of understanding unconscious dynamics in the context of diversity in order to inform consultants about diversity management interventions in organisations.Contribution/value-add: The research contributed towards how South African diversity dynamics manifest themselves and how that can be addressed in organisations.

scholarly journals Exploring the (k)not of relationship between lecturers and management at a historically Black university: The lecturer’s perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle S. May ◽  
Frans Cilliers ◽  
Vasie Van Deventer
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
South African ◽  
Depth Psychological ◽  
Historically Black University ◽  
Black Universities ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Role Players ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Management Power

Orientation: Within the new South African socio-political context this research focussed on lecturers’ at historically Black universities who were confronted with unresolved experiences in their relationship with management. The analysis of these experiences provided an in-depth understanding of systems psychodynamics in tertiary education.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of nine lecturers in a particular historically Black university (HBU), in order to analyse and interpret the conscious and unconscious dynamics operating in their relationship with management.Motivation for the study: The researchers were interested in the in-depth psychological experiences of lecturers at this HBU as a platform towards understanding present day South African lecturing experiences.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative, descriptive research was used. Hermeneutic phenomenology, using the systems psychodynamic perspective, allowed for the description and interpretation of the lecturers’ experiences of their relationship with management. In-depth interviews with nine lecturers were thematically analysed which resulted in five themes. Five working hypotheses were formulated and integrated into the research hypothesis.Main findings: Five themes manifested, namely, the (k)not of performance, mutual disqualification and mistrust, White lecturers and Black management, power struggle and the (k)not of relationship.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlighted the importance of understanding the psychodynamics operating in the relationship between lecturers and management as a result of certain ineffective socio-technical aspects in the organisation.Contribution/value-add: The research contributed towards knowledge about inter-group relations between different role players in HBUs and how these dynamics impact on the performance of both lecturers and management.

scholarly journals A systems psychodynamic description of organisational bullying experiences

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frans Cilliers
Keyword(s):  
Free Association ◽  
Dyadic Relationship ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Bullying Experiences ◽  
Narrative Interviewing ◽  
Systemic Understanding ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Behavioural Dynamics

Orientation: Organisational bullying experiences manifest themselves as an intense unconscious systemic dynamic involving the bully, the victim and the organisational culture. The relatedness between the objects is characterised by valences and mutual defence mechanisms such as splitting, projection and projective identification.Research purpose: The purpose of this research was to describe organisational bullying experiences from the system psychodynamic perspective.Motivation for the study: Individual psychology tends to simplify organisational bullying by focussing on the bully’s symptomatic behaviour. Systems psychodynamic thinking focuses on the behavioural dynamics in the relationship between the bully and victim, and the relatedness of both with the organisational system.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative and descriptive research, using six participants as case studies, was undertaken. Data was gathered through Free Association Narrative Interviewing and analysed using discourse analysis.Main findings: Three themes manifested themselves, namely, snakes and hyenas, a complex interconnected dyad, and the institutionalisation of bullying. The research hypothesis integrating these three themes was presented.Practical/managerial implications: In resolving organisational bullying Industrial Organisational psychologists need to pursue this phenomenon not only in terms of its symptoms, but in a holistic, systemic and role related manner addressing all of its parts.Contribution/value-add: The systemic understanding of organisational bullying implies the complexity of studying the behaviour of all parts – the bully, the victim, their dyadic relationship as well as how bullying is institutionalised in the organisational setting, climate and culture.

scholarly journals The directors’ roles in containing the Robben Island Diversity Experience (RIDE)

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frans Cilliers ◽  
Michelle May
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Dynamic Events ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Role Players ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Many ◽  
Diversity Dynamics ◽  
Robben Island

Orientation: Robben Island represents past denigration and present day liberation. The researchers report on their experiences of containing the learning, consciously and unconsciously, in the Robben Island Diversity Experience.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of the directors of RIDE in the last 10 years.Motivation for the study: Of the many and different diversity events that South African organisations present, RIDE is the only systems psycho-dynamically designed and presented event. This research was an effort to explore the nature of the directors’ roles in working with unconscious diversity dynamics in such a provocative venue.Research design, approach and method: The researchers conducted qualitative, descriptive and double hermeneutic research. The various RIDE events served as case studies. The data consisted of researcher field notes collected during the 10 years. Thematic analysis resulted in four themes, for which the researchers formulated working hypotheses. They integrated them into the research hypothesis.Main findings: Four themes emerged. They were the diversity characteristics of the directors as containers, working on the boundary between RIDE and the macro role players, attacks on the programme as container and challenges from participants.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlighted the important roles of directors’ authorisation as a resilience factor in containing RIDE.Contribution/value-add: The research contributed towards the awareness of intergroup relations between role players during diversity dynamic events and of how authorisation cements relationships.

scholarly journals Social entrepreneurship as a catalyst to break the poverty trap: An analysis of the motivational factors in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger M. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Social Entrepreneur ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
The Social ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Impact

Orientation: Social entrepreneurship has been advocated as a way of overcoming poverty but many of the studies purporting to explain the intention to become a social entrepreneur have resulted in inconsistent and inconclusive results.Research purpose: The purpose of this article was to examine the moderating influence of gender, family entrepreneurial background and culture (operationalised in this study as individualism or collectivism) on the antecedents to the formation of an intention to become a social entrepreneur in respect of financially disadvantaged students.Motivation for the study: Educational institutions in Africa have not implemented programmes to encourage students to become social entrepreneurs.Research design, approach and method: A questionnaire survey was conducted using a convenience sampling method in which a sample of 200 students was selected from a South African university. The data were analysed using hierarchical regression analysis.Main findings: Results provide strong support for the proposition that students’ gender and culture moderate the impact of the antecedents identified in this study (being close to the social problem and innovative) on the intention to become a social entrepreneur.Practical/managerial implications: There needs to be more collaboration and dialogue within and across all South African universities so that all educational programmes can be developed that embrace the challenges face by contemporary South African society.Contribution/value-add: This article demonstrates that current intention-based models are not adequate to explain the intention to become a social entrepreneur as they exclude extraneous personal and environmental factors.

scholarly journals Depressed, not depressed or unsure: Prevalence and the relation to well-being across sectors in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christa Welthagen ◽  
Crizelle Els
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Proactive Measures ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: Work engagement, burnout and stress-related ill health levels of individuals, suffering from depression, who are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression, or who do not suffer from depression, have not been investigated in South Africa.Research purpose: The main objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of depression amongst employees in South African organisations and the relationship of depression with specific well-being constructs.Motivation for the study: Organisations should know about the prevalence of depression and the effects this could have on specific well-being constructs.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional design was followed. The availability sample (n = 15 664) included participants from diverse demographics. The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey was followed to measure constructs.Main findings: The results showed that 18.3% of the population currently receive treatment for depression, 16.7% are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression and 65% do not suffer from depression. Depression significantly affects the levels of work engagement, burnout and the occurrence of stress-related ill health symptoms.Practical/managerial implications: This study makes organisations aware of the relationship between depression and employee work-related well-being. Proactive measures to promote the work-related well-being of employees, and to support employees suffering from depression, should be considered.Contribution/value-add: This study provides insight into the prevalence of depression and well-being differences that exist between individuals, suffering from depression, who are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression, and who do not suffer from depression. 

scholarly journals Tracking the employee satisfaction-life satisfaction binary: The case of South African academics

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengedzai Mafini
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
South African ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Employment Needs ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: The study tests a conceptual framework that suggests a positive interplay between life satisfaction and five employee satisfaction dimensions, namely workplace flexibility, skills utilisation, teamwork, remuneration and autonomy.Research purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between employee satisfaction and life satisfaction amongst university academics in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The study occupies the gap in literature focusing on the interaction between employee satisfaction and life satisfaction amongst South African university academics.Research design, approach and method: A three-section survey questionnaire was administered to 273 academics recruited from three universities in Gauteng, South Africa. After a confirmatory factor analysis, hypotheses were tested using a combination of Kendall’s tau correlation coefficient and regression analysis.Main findings: Correlation tests revealed strong positive relationships between life satisfaction and three factors: workplace flexibility, skills utilisation and autonomy. Regression analysis showed that workplace flexibility, skills utilisation and autonomy were statistically significant.Practical/managerial implications: Research findings could expedite the generation of strategies for meeting the employment needs and expectations of university academics, thereby reducing the shortage of university academics in South Africa.Contributions/value-add: The conceptual framework proposed in this study is a useful tool for conceptualising the relationship between employee satisfaction and life satisfaction in the higher education environment.

scholarly journals Relationship intention amongst clothing retail customers: An exploratory study

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie W. Kuhn ◽  
Pierre G. Mostert
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Measuring Instrument ◽  
Marketing Tactics ◽  
Customer Support ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Loyalty Programme

Orientation: Increasing competition has resulted in clothing retailers placing more emphasis on expensive relationship marketing tactics to retain customers. The retailers often use customers’ loyalty programme membership and the duration of their support to identify and target them in relationship-building efforts.Research purpose: This study determines the viability of relationship intention by measuring and categorising clothing customers according to their relationship intentions. The study also explores the duration of customer support for a clothing retailer, membership of their loyalty programme and the relationship thereof with customers’ relationship intentions towards that retailer. Motivation for the study: Relationship building efforts would be better directed at customers with relationship intentions.Research design, approach and method: Quantitative in nature, this study followed a descriptive research design and used an interviewer-administered survey to collect data from 511 clothing retail customers residing in the greater Pretoria metropolitan area.Main findings: Clothing retailers can effectively determine and categorise customers according to their relationship intentions. The duration customers have supported a clothing retailer and its loyalty programme has no relationship with their relationship intentions.Practical/Managerial implications: Clothing retailers should focus their relationship building on customers with relationship intentions, as they are more likely to respond favourably. They are more likely to be retained by the clothing retailer and provide a return on investment.Contribution/value-add: This study gives clothing retailers a reliable and valid measuring instrument that can be used to identify customers with relationship intentions, rather than relying on the duration of the customers’ support and their loyalty programme membership.

scholarly journals Investigating brand romance, brand attitude and brand loyalty in the cellphone industry

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liezl-Marié Kruger ◽  
Stefanie W. Kühn ◽  
Daniel J. Petzer ◽  
Pierre G. Mostert
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Brand Attitude ◽  
Positive Relationships ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
North West ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
The North ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add

Orientation: Fast growth and intense competition characterise the South African cellphone industry. Customers switch easily between cellphone brands and marketers are challenged to cultivate brand relationships with customers in order to ensure brand loyalty.Research purpose: This study investigated the brand romance, -attitude and -loyalty of customers toward their cellphone brands in the North West Province, South Africa.Motivation for the study: One way in which brand loyalty in the cellphone industry can be achieved is to influence attitudes and, ultimately, create brand loyalty by promoting brand romance between the customer and the brand.Research design, approach and method: Being quantitative in nature, the study followed a descriptive research design to collect 371 responses through self-administered questionnaires.Main findings: The results indicated that most respondents were contract customers who only use a brand of cellphone for between one and three years. Brand romance toward cellphone brands was positive although room for improvement exists. Brand attitude toward current cellphone brands was also positive, but brand loyalty was fairly low, indicating that marketers need to improve brand loyalty toward their cellphone brand. There were, furthermore, significant and positive relationships between brand romance, brand attitude and brand loyalty toward cellphone brands.Practical/managerial implications: Brand romance can be considered to be a viable way of improving attitude toward a cellphone brand, ultimately leading to brand loyalty.Contribution/value-add: Brand romance in brand relationships has significant and positive relationships with brand attitude and brand loyalty in the cellphone industry of South Africa.

scholarly journals Coping and work engagement in selected South African organisations

2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastiaan Rothmann ◽  
Lene I. Jorgensen ◽  
Carin Hill
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
South African ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Positive Reinterpretation ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
The Relationship

Orientation: The coping strategies of their employees are amongst the activities that organisations should address to improve their employees’ work engagement.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and work engagement in three occupational groups in South Africa.Motivation for the study: There is little understanding of the relationship between effective forms of coping and positive outcomes (like work engagement).Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a survey design. They drew random and stratified samples (N = 3178) from three occupational groups. These were technical employees in an electricity provider, professional and enrolled nurses and police officers. They administered the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES).Main findings: The results showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between work engagement, problem-focused coping, positive reinterpretation and growth. In the nursing sample, high problem-focused coping, low avoidance and low ventilation of emotions predicted work engagement best. In the police sample, four coping strategies (problem-focused coping, seeking social support, turning to religion and low ventilation of emotions) predicted work engagement best. In the technician sample, problem-focused coping and low ventilation of emotions predicted work engagement best.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should consider employees’ coping strategies when they introduce interventions to improve work engagement.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the knowledge about the relationship between coping strategies and work engagement in South African organisations.

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