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

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Human capital

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    Employer attractiveness, career orientation and self-perceived employability
    (2019) Meehan, Lauren
    Human capital is becoming extremely valued in the competitive and dynamic modern working environment. It has thus become very important that employers identify what potential employees find attractive in order to recruit and retain high quality employees. Potential employees’ own career goals, attitudes, and perceived strengths seem likely to play a role in determining what they find attractive in a prospective employer, however there is a need for further research to examine the direct links between these. This research therefore explored the nature of the relationships between different aspects of employer attractiveness and various career orientations, whether any of these various career orientations predicted different aspects of employer attractiveness, and whether these relationships were moderated by self-perceived employability. The study used a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design in order to answer the research questions. The sample consisted of 193 third year and postgraduate students registered at the University of the Witwatersrand. All participants were asked to complete a self-developed demographic questionnaire, the Employer Attractiveness (EmpAt) scale, the Career Orientation scale, and the Self-perceived Employability scale. Data analyses run to answer the research questions included reliability calculations, descriptive statistics, correlations, multiple regression, and moderated multiple regression. The results showed that there were significant relationships between the different aspects of employer attractiveness, the various career orientations, and self-perceived employability. Development value was significantly predicted by the security and technical/functional career orientations. Social value was significantly predicted by the entrepreneurial creativity, service to a cause, lifestyle, and technical/functional career orientations. Interest value was significantly predicted by the entrepreneurial creativity, service to a cause, and technical/functional career orientations. Application value was significantly predicted by the entrepreneurial creativity, service to a cause, security, and technical/functional career orientations. Lastly, economic value was significantly predicted by the entrepreneurial creativity, lifestyle, managerial, and security career orientations. Self-perceived employability did not moderate any of the relationships between the different aspects of employer attractiveness and the various career orientations. The findings of the study are useful as they contribute to existing theory and can be used to inform recruitment practice and help companies to tailor their strategies to attract and retain high quality potential employees.
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    A case study of Mauritius and South Africa: an analysis of good governance and human capital on export diversification
    (2018) Pamachete, Rumbidzai Sylviah
    This paper looks at how human capital and good governance interact with export diversification in an economy, with particular reference to Mauritius and South Africa. Further, a comparative analysis is done on how the degree of human capital development and good governance determines the level of export concentration. Findings show that there is a positive correlation between human capital and good governance on the one hand, and export diversification on the other. The comparative analysis showed that the more developed human capital and governance are in a country, the less concentrated exports become. Recommendations are suggested for policy makers on how to manage the two determining factors with a view to expanding export diversification and ultimately growing economies.
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    The antecedents of employer attractiveness in local government in South Africa
    (2018) Mahlaba, Neo
    Orientation: Human capital has become one of the key sources of competitive advantage in the market, according to Backhaus and Tikoo (2004) organisations are investing considerable amounts of resources on employer branding initiatives. Organisations are forced to consistently differentiate themselves from competitors as the most plausible employer of choice. To effectively compete in this continuous ‘war of talent’ the Local Government, City of Johannesburg in particular, needs to understand the effect that the fundamental antecedents of employer attractiveness have on the municipality as they endeavour to become an employer of choice to skilled and qualified professionals; as well as establish who in the organisation is the custodian of the employer brand management function. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine some of the antecedents that have an effect on employer attractiveness, as well as establish who in an organisation is responsible for the employer brand management function. Research design: A qualitative research design was followed and data collected through face to face interviews with 14 employees of the City of Johannesburg from across the various clusters within the organisation. The data was analysed using the thematic analysis method. Main findings: All three research objectives are supported with results indicating that the identified antecedents do have an effect on an organisation’s employer attractiveness and their absence results in unfavourable consequences. Implications: This study has implications for City of Johannesburg and Local Government as a whole, employees of City of Johannesburg, prospective and former employees of the City of Johannesburg. Contribution/value-add: This study shows the importance of employer brand management of an organisation and confirms its place within the organisational structure. iii Key words: Employer branding, employer attractiveness, employer value proposition, organisational communication, organisational factors.
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    Interactions between social capital, natural capital, and resource use in the central lowveld of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
    (2018) Mbiba, Monicah
    Rural livelihoods have been described through livelihood strategies and capitals that contribute, singly or jointly to derive outcomes for human well-being and environmental change. However, the ways in which these capitals, particularly social capital, translate to better household welfare or improved natural resource management, although a subject of widespread discussion, remain poorly understood. This study addresses the above research gap by exploring the relationships between the availability of natural resources in communal woodlands (natural capital), natural resource use patterns at the household level pre- and post-experience of shocks, and how these relate to the level of social capital, at both the community and household levels, in a rural region of South Africa. Natural resource use and household characterization data were obtained from an existing longitudinal dataset collected for 590 households in nine villages of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in South Africa, from 2010 to 2014. Natural resource availability was estimated from remote-sensed data using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) as a proxy. Social capital data were collected from the household survey, nine focus group discussions, and seven key informant interviews in the study villages. First, empirical models were constructed for the effect of social capital on other household capitals and natural resource use at household level. Second, the study examined the role of natural resources and social capital as safety nets against vulnerability emanating from negative shocks in rural households. Third, in order to improve understanding of social capital as an outcome of natural resource availability, variation of social capital dimensions of reciprocity and membership in societal groups was investigated across a natural resource availability gradient. Lastly, community social capital indices were developed to test the hypothesis that villages with more communal social capital have lower levels of environmental degradation, and thus better natural resource availability. Social capital had differential impacts on the three dimensions of natural resource use. Social capital had a positive association with number of natural resources used, and the intensity of natural resource use per household, but had no relationship with the quantity of natural resources used. As such, social capital does not substitute for natural capital, but rather complements its role in household livelihoods. Household experience of negative shocks was consistently associated with a significant increase in all dimensions of natural resource use. However, social capital did not significantly reduce natural resource use when households experienced shocks. It is evident that negative shocks are associated with an increase in natural resource use, and that the role of social capital is not sufficient to cushion households when they experience negative shocks. Both reciprocity-receive and reciprocity-give were higher in villages with medium EVI compared to those in high EVI. Group memberships decreased from high to low EVI clusters. The study discovered the importance of disaggregating the components of what is collectively referred to social capital in empirical studies because as described, the performance of different variables of what constitute social capital can vary in response to natural resource availability. Generally, villages with lower aggregate social capital index had low resource availability, whereas trust and satisfaction with local governance did not vary across villages or EVI zones. There was no significant relationship between all dimensions of social capital and natural resource availability, after controlling for natural resource use. There was widespread non-compliance and rule breaking in rural communities due to lack of alternatives, regardless of the level of social capital. Fundamentally, this study fails to substantiate the claim, through empirical evidence, that social capital improves natural resource availability, through improvement of natural resource governance. The findings of this study necessitate critical inquiry into the place of social capital in both natural resource management and household well-being, particularly when they experience shocks. In addition, there is need to investigate further why social capital fails to match its posited role as a safety net when households face negative shocks.
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    The impact of entrepreneur's human capital variables on access to funding
    (2013-03-22) Matshekga, Malose Jonas
    SMMEs play an integral role in economic growth and development in both industrialised and developing countries by creating new jobs. It is therefore necessary to help them set up and expand their operations, develop new products, and invest in new staff or production facilities through allowing them access to finance. Access to funding remains a key aspect in SMME development and growth and in South Africa this still remain a problem. Small businesses, but particularly micro businesses, often do not fulfil the criteria to obtain the required amount of debt finance for longer-term growth. Typical problems are the lack of appropriate collateral, excessive outstanding debt and lack of proven business skills. For business people to obtain an unsecured loan solely on the strength of their character requires a major leap of faith on the part of the creditor. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report of 2009 states that many entrepreneurs complain that there is lack of access to funding in South Africa. However, the country is no worse off with this issue than other developing countries. The report also mentions that often the entrepreneurs applying for funding are under prepared and do not provide sufficient relevant information. South Africa has a number of funding institutions and they include micro–financiers, banks, venture capitalists (VCs) and government–supported institutions which include Khula, the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Industrial Development Council (IDC). ii This study looked at the perceived impact of the human capital of the SMME’s founder in accessing funding and if access to funding is perceived to have a positive impact on SMMEs’ growth. The perceived impact of the human capital of knowledge, formal education and expertise in attracting external funding and enhancing the growth of SMMEs was explored using the human capital theory framework. This exploration was done by testing the attitudes of 68 entrepreneurs. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data and to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that accessing funding is positively related to the SMME’s growth. In terms of human capital factors, the results indicated that knowledge, education and expertise are all perceived to be very important in accessing funding. Knowledge rated the highest in terms of the factors important in accessing funding. The study did not establish any relationship between the demographics of the SMME and the perceived importance of human capital factors in accessing funding. The study discusses the implications of the finding for funders and policy–makers. This study was simplistic in that it focused only on the perceived impact of human capital factors in accessing funding rather than all other factors as discussed in entrepreneurship theory.
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    Choice and reality in career development : a tracer study of the class of 2002 Master of Education of the University of the Witwatersrand.
    (2011-06-20) Sing, Chandika
    More and more people are attempting to increase their human capital by increasing their qualifications. Post-graduate studies, according to many, is the way forward as it will enhance one‟s personal and professional prospects. This research project is intended to make a contribution to the field of education by looking at how a Masters degree affects the life values (the meaning and status attached to one‟s life) and prospects of individuals taking up post-graduate studies. It uses the tracer study methodology to create an impact in determining how the WITS Masters Programme has affected the post-graduate student in terms of life values. It specifically targets the Masters in Education degree at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) by tracing the lives of six graduates from the year 2002. The research is a qualitative tracer study that aims at establishing a relationship between what is studied and the effects this has on the lives of the graduates
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    Career trajectories of Masters in Education (M.Ed.) students : a tracer study of the M.Ed. class of 1999 at the University of the Witwatersrand.
    (2011-06-20) Sing, Rinel
    The expansion of higher education and changes in the labour markets seem to have reached a point where training for an M.Ed is affected by a number of issues traditionally raised in the context of graduate employment and work. Growing emphasis is placed on general skills and flexibility, which is briefly mentioned in this report. Labour market theory, human capital development, social capital and career development are explored in detail. Management is no longer perceived in terms of maintaining the business machine but is evolving into a motivator and leader of staff, an inspirational entity that is quintessential to the retention of highly qualified staff . This has resulted in the language of business changing, thus the „efficient company‟ has become a „learning organisation‟ (Germishuys, 2006). Therefore it is of great interest to actually conduct a case study of 11 M.Ed. graduates to track their career trajectories to see where this prestigious qualification has taken them. The researcher traces a general group of M.Ed graduates from the class of 1999 from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). The main idea of this study is to ascertain exactly what it is that the sample M.Ed graduates have accomplished in their professional lives. It was found that the colour of one‟s skin, background, contextual factors, opportunities, social networking and career aspirations have played a pivotal role in the career progression of the M.Ed. graduates.
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    Exploring local economic activities in reconstruction and development programme housing: case study of Mapleton Township
    (2009-03-26T08:27:38Z) Nkadimeng, Patike Moffat
    Economic activities are lacking in many townships around South Africa. The newly developed Reconstruction and Development Programme townships are also facing the problem of encouraging economic activities. These townships are always criticized for being overcrowded by the people who are unable to support economic activities because of lack of capacity to be employed. This study adopted assets pentagon method to find the assets which the people have in the township which they can use to support and encourage economic activities in the area. Assets Pentagon method includes social and political capital, human capital, physical capital, financial capital and natural capital. The availability of these assets in the township will be vital to encourage and support economic activities
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