Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

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Browsing Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters) by SDG "SDG-8: Decent work and economic growth"

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    Experiences of Thabazimbi Resident Mine Employees Regarding the Perceived Effects of Mining Activities within their Community. The case of Amandelbult Mine in Limpopo, South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Ditshego, Mashiatshiti Johanna; Dube, Nkosiyazi
    South Africa’s mining industry has historically been at the heart of the nation’s economy also taking into consideration the country’s high-ranking spot as one of the leading naturally rich resource countries within the world. In reality, the mining industry has played a key part in contributing to the country’s economic growth, and it remains South Africa’s most watched financial segment. However, the mining industry has experienced a major turmoil, since it also brings along socially unintended circumstances within the communities that they operate in, for example an increase of informal settlement, spontaneous mine closures, and the perpetuation of fights inside traditional houses. As much as there are several studies done within the South African mining sector, studies looking into the experiences and perceived effects of mining activities in communities where these mining companies operate are very limited within the South African literature in Occupational Social Work. Therefore, this qualitative study sought to close this gap, as it aims to explore the experiences of Thabazimbi Resident Mine Employees Regarding the Perceived Effects of Mining Activities within their Community. The study was qualitative in nature, with a case study used as the research design. The target population was mine employees residing in Thabazimbi. Purposive sampling was used to recruit (10) mine employees and (2) key informants in the community to be participants for the study, with a semi-structured interview guide employed as a research instrument. Data for the study was collected using face-to-face individual interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Findings indicate that mining activities had both positive and negative experiences for the resident employees. Thabazimbi resident employees suggested some recommendations that can be implemented to mitigate the negative effects that they raised in the findings. Recommendations are made in relation future research.
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    Hybrid working and organisational commitment: the role of perceived organisational support
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Tresidder-Angelo, Miguel Richard; Milner, Karen
    Covid-19 has brought about many changes that has affected the workforce both positively and negatively. The major change brought about by Covid-19 is the alteration in the way individuals work. For many years remote working was a concept most employees had dreamed of, but through Covid-19 it became accessible to all. Now that the pandemic is at the point of phasing out and the seriousness of it has lessened, organisations are searching for a new way to maintain, motivate and increase their employees’ performance without losing the flexibility and autonomy that is afforded to remote working. This has come in the form of hybrid work which seeks to blend the benefits of remote work and the benefits of in-office work, to meet the expectations and needs of all employees and improve on both ways of work. This new concept could shape the way of work which is under-researched particularly in terms of how it will affect the employee’s attitudinal outcomes such as perceived job stress and organisational commitment. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between these two variables within a hybrid working context employees will be negative. Traditional organisational research also seemed to suggest that perceived organisational support could moderate this relationship. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the effect of job stress on organisational commitment and whether or not perceived organisational support moderates this relationship within a hybrid working context. This was done through acquiring data through purposive non-probability convenience sampling which allowed the study to obtain a sample of 106 individuals within the IT and Data Management sector. Participants were administered a self-report survey which contained three scales - Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), and Perceived Organisational Support scale (POS). A correlation coefficient test was conducted to determine the association between perceived job stress and organisational commitment and a hierarchical moderated regression was run to determine if perceived organisational support moderates this relationship within a hybrid working context. The results of this found a weak statistically negative relationship between perceived job stress and organisational commitment. Perceived organisational support was found to have a statistically non-significant moderation effect on the relationship between perceived job stress and organisational commitment.
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    Psychological wellbeing, Organisational support, and Job Satisfaction in Aviaition professionals in South Africa.
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-05) Mohottalalage, Isira Jayamanna; Donald, Fiona
    The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the aviation industry, introducing new stressors for employees. This study examined relationships between psychological wellbeing, organizational support, and job satisfaction among 38 South African aviation professionals during the post-pandemic recovery period. Quantitative survey data was analysed using correlational and multiple regression techniques. Results revealed positive associations between organizational support, psychological wellbeing, and job satisfaction. In the multiple regression model, organizational support emerged as the strongest predictor, explaining over a quarter of variance in job satisfaction (β = .52, p < .001). This highlights its crucial buffering capacity amid acute pressures. Psychological wellbeing also exhibited a robust positive relationship with job satisfaction (β = .43, p < .01), emphasizing the importance of personal resources and positive appraisals for fulfilling work. Together, organizational support and psychological wellbeing significantly predicted job satisfaction, indicating their joint salience. Findings align with the job demands-resources model, with organizational and personal resources helping mitigate pandemic-related demands to sustain satisfaction and performance. Practical implications point to investing in supportive cultures, mental health provisions, and work-life balance policies to alleviate COVID-related strains as aviation companies rebuild. 4 However, limitations including the small sample size warrant caution in generalizing results. Addressing methodological constraints through expanded samples, longitudinal tracking, qualitative data, controlled experiments, and cross-national comparisons offers critical directions for subsequent research on optimizing occupational wellness in aviation during post pandemic transitions.
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    The Relationship Between Work Setting and Innovative Behaviour: The Influence of Innovation Climate and Work Orientation
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-03-15) Matisonn, Bethia S.; Milner, Karen
    To understand innovation in hybrid work settings, this study tested a model of innovative behaviour drawn from the dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation. This model explored how work setting, innovation climate and work orientation relate to innovative behaviour. The sample for the study comprised 482 employees in an international financial services institution based in South Africa, known for its innovation. The analysis conducted a one-way ANOVA, performed correlational analyses using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and tested a series of nested general linear models. The findings show that there was no direct correlation between work setting and innovative behaviour. There was also no direct correlation between work orientation and innovative behaviour, and work orientation did not moderate the relationship between work setting and innovative behaviour. There was an association between fostering a favourable innovation climate and employee innovative behaviour. However, a favourable innovation climate did not influence the relationship between work setting and innovative behaviour. The study therefore demonstrated that cultivating a high innovation climate will enhance innovative behaviour in both ‘bricks and mortar’ 1 and remote work settings.