Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management

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    EMPLOYEES’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN POST OFFICE
    (2012-10-05) Mbanjwa, Nozipho
    Organisations continuously undergo transformation in order to survive the harsh environment that they operate in. French and Bell (2005: 80) argued that an “Organisation that learns and copes with change will thrive and flourish and others who fail to do so will be wiped out.” Organisational transformation occurs at the organisational, team and individual levels. From the point of view of the individual, employees’ attitudes towards change can either hinder or maximise the benefit the organisation gets from the transformation process. Therefore, this study focuses on employees’ attitudes towards the transformation process at the South African Post Office (SAPO). The study examines employee perceptions in a transforming environment and determines whether their attitudes enhance or hinder the process of transformation. Attitude plays itself out on three levels; feeling, thinking and behaviour (Vakola & Nikolaou, 2005; Laughlin & Early, 1982). The understanding of these three factors can assist the leadership of an organisation in predicting and influencing employees’ behaviour towards transformation. The South African Post Office is not immune to the demands of organisational transformation. This paper seeks to determine employees’ attitudes towards the transformation process at SAPO, which was initiated in 1991, with the unit of study being the Mail Business Unit. The research adopted a Durmaz’s (2007) Officer Attitude Survey as a data gathering instrument for the study. The officer attitude study was first done in the Turkish Police Force and it has also been used in the South African telecommunications industry. The questionnaire looks at employees’ attitudes in relation to specific factors, such as readiness for change, need for change, perception of the communication, training in the organisation, and organisational and personal benefits. The results of the SAPO study were largely positive, with SAPO employees aligned to the organisation’s goals, mission and objectives, and understanding and accepting that the organisation has to go through the transformation process. However, they were negatively impacted by how management makes decisions. There was also a strong sense of disappointment with the lack of communication, which inherently seems to have made employees question whether the transformation will be beneficial for them. However, Mail Business employees’ generally hold a positive perception about the transformation process taking place in their organisation. Organisational transformation should be supported by various interventions in order to maximise its impact. Enhanced communication and additional creation of a positive climate needs to be created by management and leaders of the organisation.
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    The Challenges and Opportunities faced by Indian and Coloured Managers in South African Financial Institutions
    (2011-04-12) Gappoo, Jennisha
    Increasing pressure is being placed on South African business to understand and leverage their diverse workforce and to rectify past racial inequalities. . The signing of the Financial Charter (2003) and the enactment of the Employment Equity Bill (1998) have mandated financial institutions to effectively engage and nurture blacks, including Indians and coloureds, at management levels. This research investigates the challenges and opportunities faced by Indian and coloured managers in two banking institutions. In particular, the research investigates the unique experiences that Indians and coloureds face due to their ‘middleman minority status’ during Apartheid. The research is centred on the challenges and opportunities presented by the government’s affirmative action programmes, as well as by career advancement prospects, the use of power in the workplace, and social networking. A key finding was that affirmative action is assisting Indian and coloured managers much more in the (external) recruitment process than in the (internal) promotion process. A key opportunity that emerged was for Indian and coloured managers to better draw on white male mentors as this appears successful when carried out. Other findings included the views held by Indian and coloured managers interviewed. They perceive themselves to work harder than their white counterparts to prove themselves; they find it more difficult to use their positions of authority as easily, and hence have to use logical persuasion more often; they view social networking negatively, even though it is valuable for career advancement; and they view the main driver of their future success to be their individual hard work and ambition, discounting any external influences. Investigating the opportunities and challenges faced by Indian and coloured managers will allow South African companies to better understand these racial groups and to more effectively leverage their diverse workforce.