Development and Validation of a Measure of Organisational Leadership Development Process Maturity

Organisations spend enormous amounts of money on leadership development. Yet, these organisations do not necessarily know exactly in which leadership development programmes or areas they should invest for each level of work (leadership). The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure of the maturity of the organisational leadership development process that is fit for use in southern Africa across the different levels of leadership. This measure consists of two instruments, namely the qualitative Social Perspective Profiling and the quantitative Leadership Development Process Maturity Index. Both these instruments were validated against two large multinational southern African organisations and revealed different levels of maturity of the leadership development process across the levels of leadership in these organisations. As a result, southern African organisations are now able to measure themselves against the benchmark areas that represent the maturity of the leadership development process. This will allow these organisations to close the gap between their leadership development process status quo for each level of leadership and what is most or least critical from a leadership development point of view, which will result in an improved return on learning and the increased success of these organisations.

The Precariat Soldiering on despite Challenges: A Comparative Study of Company A in the Agricultural Industry and Company B in the Hospitality Industry in Zimbabwe

Interrogating the precariat who soldier on in the face of numerous challenges in the agricultural and hospitality industries in Zimbabwe has become necessary in the light of the dilapidating economic environment in Zimbabwe. This study sought to unveil the factors behind the precariat who soldier on despite challenges faced at the workplace. A sample size of 16 participants was chosen from each company through convenience and purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a combination of unstructured interviews, content analysis of secondary sources and self-administered questionnaires. A thematic analysis approach was used to interpret and analyse the study findings. With the use of the employment strain model, the research established that despite the myriad of challenges faced by the precariat, there are motivating factors that help them to endure all the hardships. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial activities, counterproductive behaviours, and working hard helped to endure hardships. Organisations are on the receiving end of poor performance, poor quality service, high costs and high accident rates, among other things. Recommendations are for the companies to develop precarious employment policies to govern the working conditions for the precariat, to adhere to the existing legal frameworks for precarious work, and for the HR department to advise workers and management that the precariat should be treated equitably and enjoy workplace representation and protection against unfair labour practices.

An Assessment of Factors Affecting Absenteeism: Case Study of a Major South African Manufacturer

Absenteeism is a major problem globally and, in South Africa, costs the country and companies millions of rands each year. Given the financial constraints on businesses at present, it is necessary to understand the causes of absenteeism in order to determine possible interventions to reduce these causes. A quantitative research design was used to investigate the factors that influence absenteeism at a major South African manufacturer. An exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the number of factors. The study found that there were seven major factors that had an impact on absenteeism, namely, external factors, management factors, illness, family responsibilities, personal development, working conditions, and motivation. These factors were found to affect different employees differently, and were mainly dependent on the demographic characteristics of the employees. This study provides insights into absenteeism in a typical South African situation. The study finds that because factors that have an impact on absenteeism are different for various employees and are dependent largely on demographic and related attributes, organisations need to develop diverse strategies to deal with the absenteeism issues of different employees in organisations. Future research should investigate the efficacies of various interventions to determine which are most likely to meet the needs of the various groups of employees and thereby reduce absenteeism levels.

The Effect of Mental Health on the Innovative Behaviour of Bank Employees: Evidence from the Ghanaian Banking Sector

Employee health and well-being are central to HR practices; thus, they are a core component of organisations’ strategy. The mental health of employees has a significant impact on both individual and organisational outcomes. Research shows that poor mental health among employees leads to impoverished performance in areas such as innovation – which is an indispensable factor in promoting organisational success in today’s business environment plagued with constant and rapid changes. This study seeks to establish the relationship between mental health and innovative behaviour among Ghanaian bank employees. It further examines the effect of age on the mental health of the respondents. The study was quantitative and used a cross-sectional survey. Stratified random sampling was done to recruit a sample of 310 bank employees from five commercial banks that featured on the 2018 Ghana Club 100 list. A standardised questionnaire was used to gather the data from the sample. The respondents had a relatively high level of mental health and there was a positive significant correlation between mental health and innovative behaviour. Moreover, age had a significant impact on the mental health of the respondents with older employees having higher levels of mental health as compared to their younger counterparts. Employers should attempt to create and maintain an environment that promotes employee mental health so that they can benefit from the possible increase in employees’ innovative behaviour. The study provides empirical support for the direct relationship between mental health and innovative behaviour among bank employees and lays the foundation for more rigorous studies of the subject.

Labour Union Leadership and Gender Equality Challenges: Evidence from Kenya’s Electrical Traders and Allied Workers Union

The research investigates the challenges female union members encounter while seeking or assuming labour union leadership positions. Using evidence from Kenya’s Electrical Traders and Allied Workers Union, this article aims at identifying sociocultural barriers, role conflict, and structural constraints on women in relation to gender inequality. The article is based on exploratory research using data comprising both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from interviewing 63 female respondents who were identified using a non-probability sampling procedure referred to as snowballing. The research revealed a significant proportion of the respondents observed that patriarchal union structures favour men, but hinder women from accessing leadership positions. Most viewed the trade union leadership roles as demanding and burdensome and therefore incompatible with their culturally designated family roles. Institutionalised sexism in the trade union discouraged women from assuming leadership positions, since they are unlikely to penetrate the male-dominated informal leadership lobbies and networks in the trade union. The study concludes that the union, and by extension the umbrella trade union movement, should adopt and implement affirmative actions that are focused to maintain women in union leadership structures.

The Nigerian Declaration Project and Actors’ Commitment to Industrial Peace in Nigeria

This article examines the linkage between the Nigerian Declaration Project and the levels of commitment to industrial peace among the employers’ associations, labour unions and government agencies in Nigeria, through a systematic review of the relevant literature and four key informant interviews among the representatives of prominent stakeholders in the Nigerian industrial relations system. The study adopted the open-systems theory of industrial relations to provide a basis for an understanding of the circumstances that led to the implementation of the Nigerian Declaration Project and the extent of actors’ participation in its implementation as well as the outcomes of the Project at workplaces in Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that the Nigerian Declaration Project has enhanced the levels of commitment to the pursuit of industrial peace in Nigeria, although efforts made by the Nigerian government to achieve a peaceful coexistence between labour and management at workplaces remain inadequate in Nigeria. The findings also revealed the harrowing experience of unfair labour practices and the escalation of industrial actions, including strikes and other industrial actions in Nigeria, despite the existence of the relatively new laws such as the Trade Disputes Act 2004, the Trade Union Amendment Act 2005, the National Industrial Court Act 2006, the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, and the Pension Reform Act 2014. The article therefore recommends that the collective interests in the pursuit of justice at workplaces be intensified until a lasting peace is achieved for sustainable development of industrial relations practices in Nigeria.

Establishing the Link between the State of the Psychological Contract and Emotional Intelligence

The objectives of this article were to determine whether a relationship exists between the state of the psychological contract and emotional intelligence, and whether emotional intelligence is a predicting variance of the state of the psychological contract. A sample of 224 individuals from the mining and engineering field was used. Two questionnaires were combined, namely, the questionnaire on psychological contracts across employment situations and the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to analyse the descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling to analyse the predictive statistics in order to develop a structural model. The results indicated a link between the two constructs, and that emotional intelligence is a predictor of the state of the psychological contract.

Socio-Demographic Variables of Work Engagement, Psychological Capital and Turnover Intention among South African Teachers

This study sought to empirically assess whether the socio-demographic variables (age, race, gender, marital status, educational level, years employed, employment status, and home language) of teachers predict their work engagement, psychological capital and turnover intention. A quantitative study was conducted using a non-probability, convenience sampling method on teachers working in the Tshwane South District in Gauteng, South Africa (N = 208). Biographical data were collected. Questionnaires of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Turnover Intention Scale, and Psychological Capital were used in the data collection. The results showed that education qualifications, race, tenure, and the age of high school teachers contribute when explaining their work engagement, psychological capital and turnover intention. The sample was predominantly characterised by African teachers, resulting in the under-representation of other races, and the size of the sample was not large enough to generalise the findings. These findings add valuable knowledge to the body of research and provide new insights that are aimed at enhancing the retention of high school teachers in underdeveloped countries. It is recommended that future research obtain a larger and a more representative sample to increase external validity.

The Impact of Minimum Wages in the Environment and Culture Sector of the Expanded Public Works Programme

The Public Works Programme initiated during the Great Depression in the United States was known for its ability to stimulate economic activity through employment creation. Its aim of alleviating poverty and reducing inequality finds an echo in one of the primary objectives of South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). This programme focuses on reducing unemployment through work-based programmes, in that way providing income relief to many households through job creation. The very high levels of unemployment and the associated poverty and inequality are considered to be among some of the most daunting challenges that the South African economy faces. The environment and culture sector has experienced many challenges relating to wage determination and wage-setting behaviour. The aim of this article is to investigate the impact of setting minimum wages in the environment and culture sector as an appropriate wage strategy intervention policy under the EPWP. The EPWP is a nationwide programme comprising projects that are aimed at job development. After analysing data from over 3,500 individual projects, the author found that there was a negative relationship between wage-setting behaviour and job creation as far as many individuals were concerned, especially women and youths. The author established that investment in skills development and training had a positive impact on outcomes in the Environment and Culture Sector of the EPWP.

A Leadership Model for the Optimal Institutionalisation of a Results-Based Performance Measurement and Management Culture in the Agricultural and Natural Resource Sector of Ethiopia

The aim of the study was to construct a leadership model that drives the optimal institutionalisation of a results-based performance measurement and management (RBPMM) culture in the agricultural and natural resource sector of Ethiopia. A concurrent mixed-methods design was adopted for the research. The quantitative study comprised a total sample of 228 respondents, and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 key informants. The primary researcher administered a self-developed instrument with 167 items to the respondents, and made a discussion guide available to them in both English and Amharic. The methods of data analysis included various multivariate analysis methods and a structural equation analysis. A thematic content analysis was done to identify the themes emerging from the qualitative data. The direct influence of the independent variable of leadership roles and tasks on the optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture was positive but not significant. Indirectly, this variable significantly influenced the indicator variables of the optimal institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture through the mediating variables of leading and managing for an institutionalised RBPMM culture. The adoption of performance measurement information for control and compliance purposes was evident in the Managing Environmental Resources to Enable Transition (MERET) programme, but its implementation to optimise decision-making, accountability and transparency was not evident. These results were confirmed by triangulating the qualitative findings with the quantitative results. The limitation of the study was that it focused on a specific region and a public service project in Ethiopia within a specific time frame and context. Therefore the study may not be representative of similar programmes in the private sector. Also, it was not a longitudinal study that tracked changes over time. The study contributes to scholarly discourse and the existing body of knowledge by presenting a leadership model that drives and optimally institutionalises an RBPMM culture in agricultural development programmes in Ethiopia. This model could be implemented in other developing economies as well. The mediating variables can be adopted by policy-makers and organisational practitioners for the optimisation of the institutionalisation of an RBPMM culture.