Gender and race in the informal economy: the South African framework

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the reflective identity work of a white female chartered accountant, scholar and academic manager, regarding the intersectional transformations of gender and race as well as leadership within the South African accounting profession over four decades.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical lens of intersectionality is applied through an autoethnographic approach. Multiple layers of personal experiences and observations are interpreted through identity work of leadership provided and received. Autoethnographic data are substantiated and contextualised through the researchers’ sense-making, official and scholarly sources.FindingsSustainable transformation of the accounting profession requires a deepened understanding of the interconnections of the personal, structural and systemic areas within unique contexts. Leadership, as provided and received, must be included within the intersectional orientations. Intersectional orientations become then more significant for understanding progressive changes of the demographic profile of the accounting profession not only in South Africa but also in other countries. The transformation interventions aimed at affirming high-quality black African, coloured and female candidates to the South African accounting profession are founded on the principles of social justice. A sustained reframing of the demographic profile of a profession is possible through accelerated and well-funded collaborative transformation interventions enhancing intentional structural changes of the membership pipeline.Research limitations/implicationsThe possible limitations of this study lie in the contextual nature of the material and findings and the lens of the specific theory.Practical implicationsThe understanding of the practice of interventions aiming at transforming the country-specific demographic profile of a scarce skills profession such as the accountancy profession.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in the application of an intersectional theoretical lens that argues for leadership as a dimension alongside age, gender and race in an autoethnographic sense making of the transformation of the South African accounting profession.

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Gendered inequalities in the South African informal economy

Agenda ◽

10.1080/10130950.2019.1676163 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 91-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michael Rogan ◽

Laura Alfers

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Informal Economy ◽

The South

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The South African Informal Economy

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192894199.013.33 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 756-776

Author(s):

Michael Rogan ◽

Caroline Skinner

Keyword(s):

Economic Theory ◽

South African ◽

Informal Economy ◽

Labour Force ◽

Large Degree ◽

The South ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Policy Debates ◽

Key Policy ◽

Degree Of Heterogeneity

The literature and key policy debates on the South African informal economy are reviewed through the lens of Chen’s taxonomy of informal economy debates into legalist, dualist, voluntarist, and structuralist schools of thought. Previous insights are supplemented with an empirical analysis of the South African informal economy, using Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Surveys. Together these analyses suggest that the post-apartheid informal economy is characterized by a large degree of heterogeneity by status in employment and sectoral distribution and is highly gendered in its segmentation. Further, earnings are low for all but a few groups of informal workers. Much of the existing evidence also suggests that, somewhat in contrast to conventional economic theory, the South African informal economy does not absorb newcomers easily, and particularly not in times of crisis. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the primary thrust of post-apartheid policy and by examining South Africa’s response to the global call to promote the formalization of the informal economy.

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Assessing the test–retest reliability of career path appreciation as a measure of current and potential work decision-making capability

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v40i2.1199 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Rudolf M. Oosthuizen ◽

Melinde Coetzee ◽

Ester Kruger

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

South African ◽

Career Path ◽

South African Context ◽

The South ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Gender And Race ◽

Assessment Scores ◽

African Context ◽

Test Retest Reliability

Orientation: Assessing and developing managerial decision-making capability in a complex and volatile marketplace is imperative for most South African businesses.Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the test–retest reliability of the career path appreciation (CPA) procedure in assessing current and potential levels of work decision-making capability. The study also explored whether different gender and race groups differed significantly in terms of these levels at two CPA assessments.Motivation for the study: Limited recent test–retest research has been done regarding the reliability of the CPA technique as a tool for measuring the work decision-making capability of professional and managerial talent in the South African context. Scholars and practitioners in the field of industrial psychology could therefore benefit from follow-up research into the reliability of CPA.Research approach, design and method: The research followed an ex post facto correlational design using longitudinal data of a non-probability purposive sample (N = 527) within the Bioss SA database.Main findings: The results showed that the participants’ first CPA assessment scores correlated significantly and positively with their second CPA assessment scores. Gender and race groups differed significantly in their levels of current work decision-making capability at both assessments.Practical/managerial implications: The CPA procedure can be used with confidence as an assessment tool in the selection, mentoring and development of high-potential managerial and professional talent for diverse gender and race groups.Contribution/value-add: These findings contribute valuable information regarding the reliability of CPA and the differences between race and gender groups in the South African context.

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