3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Diversity in the workplace--South Africa

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    Board gender diversity and corporate performance in Cameroon
    (2019) Ojong Tarh, Andrew
    This thesis examines the relationship between gender diversity and its impact on company performance in Cameroon using Critical Mass Theory as a framework. The study used data from 20 randomly selected companies with a minimum turnover of USD 20-million, between 2008 and 2012, and interviewed 15 female board members. Financial performance was measured using financial ratios, return on assets and return on equity, while non-financial performance was measured in terms of corporate social performance. Combining ordinary least squares and qualitative narrative approach, the findings showed that diversity affects company performance in Cameroon. Companies with women on their boards have higher financial and social returns compared to those without. The study found that critical mass exists somewhere between the 10% and 40% range. Evidently, the study established that the presence of a single woman on a board of directors can make a significant difference in the Cameroonian business environment. The results add to the literature on corporate governance in three ways; (i) it confirms that board gender diversity positively affects how companies perform, with a recommended critical mass of 20% rather than the widely held benchmark of 30%. It also puts forward the idea that critical mass is not a fixed point, but varies in time, place and even industry. (ii) The use of Cameroon (an under-studied country) as the sample for this study executes a unique contribution. It is also a major economic player in the Central African sub-region. (iii) The inclusion of non-financial performance (corporate social performance) in the assessment of company performance is unique. The results show that companies can successfully combine corporate financial performance and corporate social performance if they just set up the correct strategy. Company performance is no longer only assessed in terms of financial performance but also in terms of non-financial or social performance.
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    Doing human differently: a critical study of appraised diversity discourses in corporate South Africa
    (2017) Ndzwayiba, Nceba Armstrong
    Despite slow pace of transformation in post-apartheid South Africa’s corporate sector, the department of labour recently showcased some Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed corporations for executing effective diversity strategies. The strategies and discourses of diversity in these appraised corporations had not been studied scholarly, particularly from a critical perspective. This inquiry adopted a multiple case study design and the framework of critical diversity literacy to study the nature, texture, and the depth of strategies and discourses of diversity in three of these appraised corporations in the financial, retail, and private healthcare sectors. Research entailed analysis of 35 published documents to examine conceptual framing of diversity; indepth semi-structured interviews with 6 transformation managers to explore prevailing organisational diversity culture and the designed strategies to transform such dynamics; and focus groups with 32 employees from dominant and subordinated groups to gauge the efficacy of executed strategies in promoting equality and social justice. The findings suggest that appraised corporations mainly complied with prescripts of employment equity law and executed managerial instrumentalism oriented diversity initiatives. Diversity conceptual frameworks regarded inequality, oppression and dominance as historical legacies, rather than present day phenomena that are tied to coloniality of power and being and reproduced through neoliberalism. Diversity initiatives were minimalistic and impelled identity siloism, race and gender blindness, medicalization and hyper-individualisation of disability, nurturing of white fragility, and reproduction of gender binaries. Blacks, women, queer persons and persons with disabilities were barely visible in positions of power, strategic influence and high income. These subjugated groups constantly performed whiteness, normative masculinity, ablebodiedness and heteronormativity in order to fit in. This performance is systematised under the guise of merit without recognising its dehumanising effects. The findings suggest the inadequacy of employment equity legislation driven reform to produce real equality as this law is a product of ILO’s neoliberal “Decent Work” rhetoric. The study contributes to the closure of lacunae concerning paucity of agentic critical diversity studies that examine effective organisational diversity discourses. The study accentuates the importance of situating effective diversity discourses being evaluated in the broader context of contemporary global system of power and related hegemonic ideologies that re-produce inequality. By so doing scholars will be able to analyse the studied diversity discourses holistically and make informed decisions on their efficacy to yield social justice for the marginalised across various intersections of power, inequality and identity differences.
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    Individual identity, organizational identity and racial transformation in the market research industry in South Africa
    (2016) Vilakazi, Sibongile Deborah
    The market research industry prides itself on providing accurate and reliable information and solutions to varying business problems. However, the industry has been faced with the challenge of racial transformation at senior decision-making positions of the organisations. The pace of upward mobility of black researchers is slow and this is a threat for the industry because the senior level positions are often tasked with the analysis of research data and formulation of the strategic insights and business solutions to communicate to clients and stakeholders to meet their business needs. Therefore, it is difficult to be confident that the data about the black market does not get lost in translation and interpretation due to cultural nuances that may not be accessed. What is unique about the market research industry is that promotions to senior level positions are based on training on the job and the mastering of relevant skills on the job rather than specific prior training at college or university level. This opened theoretical and practical questions about the individual and organisational qualities that made it difficult for black researchers to progress to senior level positions. A phenomenological research approach was implemented to explore the lived experiences of the black researchers and the organisations, which could explain the slow upward mobility pace. In-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with four CEOs of prominent organisations in the industry and 14 black researchers at various levels in these organisations. These interviews identified the organisational identity espoused by the leadership and the organisational identity lived by the black researchers. Narrative identity research approach and Erikson’s (1956) stage developmental model guided the process of understanding the individual identity of the black researchers at the point of the interview. The results suggest that there are three categories of black researchers in the industry. It is those who are not promoted within a specified timeframe promised by the leadership who leave the organisations, those who are not promoted but stay in the organisations for longer periods than would have been expected and those researchers who are promoted to senior level positions. Each of these categories shows unique individual qualities that potentially shape their experience in the organisations. A framework for understanding the interplay between the various lived experiences and outcomes has been developed. The slow pace of racial transformation at senior levels of the organisations can be traced to the responses of organisational management to change and the types of social exchange relationships between the black researchers and management. Future research may quantify the findings and validate the framework developed in this study to establish generalisability in the industry and in contexts outside the market research industry. A case study research methodology focusing on all the demographics of the organisations could also enrich the framework.
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    Executive coaching across cultures: perceptions of black and white South African leaders
    (2017) Anandlal, Pranesh
    The objective of this research is to explore the perceptions and experiences of coaching across cultures among white and black leaders in South Africa. The research thus aims to contribute towards an understanding of the role and the impact of cross-cultural executive coaching, both its implications for the coaching intervention and relationship and its application in the wider South African context. Cross-cultural coaching is a contracted coaching engagement between two people from different race groups. Black people refers to people who are citizens of the Republic of South Africa by birth or descent and are African, Coloured or Indian. The research used a qualitative methodology. 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with executives and managers who had recently experienced cross-cultural executive coaching. The transcripts of the interviews were analysed, resulting in 12 broad themes. The findings revealed that cross-cultural executive coaching pushed personal boundaries on two levels. Not only did female executives push gender boundaries in their selection process, but both male and female executives pushed the boundaries in experiencing different perspective on issues. The executives who had been exposed to diversity early in their lives appear to have successfully embraced cross-cultural coaching. Furthermore, the greater the exposure to international work or life experience early in the executive’s career development, the more welcoming and enhancing the cross-cultural coaching experience was. Most executives acknowledged the importance of exploiting South Africa’s cultural diversity as a business advantage, so the outstanding results in the performance and development of leaders already brought about by executive coaching can be extended further. The findings on what influenced the cross-cultural relationship pointed to the importance of coaches and clients connecting authentically and personally. When coaches listened well and displayed good questioning skills, the relationship flourished. The levels of understanding between coach and executives were critical for the development of the coaching relationship. These findings provide key insights into what makes a good cross-cultural coaching experience. The broader implications for cross-cultural coaching in South Africa include both benefits and challenges to professional, executive development. They show how an absence of cultural awareness and cultural intelligence in cross-cultural coaching can limit benefits, and reveal the opportunities possible in helping heal the wounds of an historically divided nation. The study recommends a fresh look at how we train and prepare cross-cultural coaches for the South African context. As the coaching intervention experience expands, the goal is to adjust and include the development of cross-cultural competency for effective cross-cultural coaching.
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    Exploring the motivation, goals and contradictions faced by employment equity and transformation practitioners in the South African corporate environment
    (2016) Oakley-Smith, John Lucien
    This study explored the personal goals and motivation behind employment equity implementers working within this field and one or more of three broad areas namely: 1) Transformation, 2) Empowerment, and 3) Diversity. The study aimed to explore what it is (ultimately) that these individuals are working for and towards in their day to day lives and professional roles. Were they working towards bigger goals than just compliance with the Employment Equity Act and if so- what were these? Further, the study looked to explore the results of operating in an environment where there are very often competing goals and visions of success, with a final view to understanding what personal tactics and methods implementers deploy to cope and succeed in this context- should an environment of conflicting, competing or contradictory goals exist. The research methodology was a content analysis of in depth semi structured individual interviews. The analysis highlighted the varied views, end goals and conceptual understandings on part of implementers. In every case however a sense of duty or calling emerged which seemed to serve as the key motivator and source of resilience in trying and complex situations. The role constructions that participants undertook also varied and seemed to be linked to the initiatives they busied themselves with as well as their personal motivations in terms of their work. All interviewees experienced some degree of dissonance and or tension between their ultimate goals and views of the subject area from the organisations in which they worked, with different personal responses manifesting
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