Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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    Challenges of hybrid working in the Sub-Saharan mining industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Dube, Miriam
    The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to hybrid working models. Several industries especially in information technology had started implementing the different working models and post Covid-19 more and more industries started adopting the hybrid working models. Mining companies resorted back to the traditional on site in office working however this won’t be long as research indicates that more employees are opting for flexibility that comes with hybrid work models. The future of work theme is receiving a lot of attention because of how technologies through the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) will change how we work. To facilitate a smooth transition to hybrid working models mining companies in Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) must address challenges that impede hybrid working models. During Covid when employees worked remotely mining companies experienced challenges which include poor infrastructure that did not support working from home, employees failing to use the available technology and some social impacts related to work life balance. Existing research also indicates the challenges of hybrid working models; however, it only covers certain industries and continents. The challenges ultimately affected the productivity of the employees, and the mining companies were forced to revert to the traditional working model. As far as we know, no previous research has investigated the challenges for mining companies in SSA. The study seeks to determine the challenges of hybrid working models in the mining industry how the mining companies can navigate through these challenges as they prepare for the future of work. The study has significant benefits to the mining organisation and its managers as it will assist them in identifying challenges of hybrid working and formulating means of embracing this the future of work. The self-determination theory (SDT) and resource-based view theory (RBV) frameworks were used to link existing knowledge to this research. Qualitative research was used to collect, process, and analyse the data for this research. Through in-depth interviews of participants in Ghana, South Africa Tanzania and Guinea, the researcher formulated themes that enabled the analysis of the findings. The research revealed the challenges of hybrid working models in SSA mining industry and how management could navigate these. There is opportunity for further research, and all this is outlined in this research.
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    Effects of remote working on leadership effectiveness at Linde Material Handling (Pty) Limited
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Sibanda, Dadirai Patricia; Manamela, Doctor
    This study sought to investigate the effects of remote working on leadership effectiveness at Linde Material Handling South Africa (Pty) Limited. The study focused on understanding leadership experiences and behaviour toward remote working. In turn, examined the leadership theories to gain insight into how best to improve and attain effective leadership. The data of the study was collected using Phenomenology Theory Methodology. This study was exploratory in nature, as it allowed the flexibility of the researcher to probe for more responses. Interviews were conducted with eight participants from Linde Material Handling, and a thematic analysis was performed. The key findings from the research show that most managers at Linde Material Handling have accepted the norm of virtual working, which has improved their effectiveness. However, challenges with virtual work are still prevalent, and managers still need to overcome them. The research findings also show that effective leadership is supported by different elements of leadership theories and not only isolated to a particular leadership theory. To exploit the full potential of remote working, there should be a balance between enabling employees to operate autonomously and offering interventional help as may be required. Leaders can create a collaborative and supportive work environment that helps employees to thrive in a remote work situation by applying a customized approach to management
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    Experiences of remote working by South African Lawyers during the COVID-19 lockdown
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Modibedi-Manentsa, Dineo; Kriek, Drikus
    Orientation: This study was aimed at understanding South African lawyers’ experiences with remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research purpose: In examining lawyers’ experiences with remote working during the COVID-19 lockdown period, this research considered the internal and external factors that may have affected that experience using the grounded theory approach The study assessed the degree to which the lawyers felt prepared for remote working and whether they felt productive. It also explored factors that may have affected their working experience and considered how these factors affected their mental health and physical well-being. To this end, it looked at internal factors, such as family and children, the nature of their work and their living standards measures, and external factors, such as loadshedding and internet access. Motivation for the study: The researcher did not find any evidence of research regarding the remote working experiences of South African lawyers during the COVID- 19 lockdown. Given that the legal profession functions differently from other professions, the researcher sought to determine the extent to which remote working may have had a negative effect on lawyers’ mental health and physical well-being. Further, the researcher wanted to gauge the need for a mental health intervention, as well as assistance from employers and the government. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research design was applied through two focus group discussions and individual interviews with 25 South African lawyers. The data was analysed through thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti. 23 (Version 4.11.1-2023-02-23). Main findings: The participants were largely unprepared for remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic and reported varying levels of productivity, intermingled with overworking and burnout. The findings also revealed that certain internal and external factors, such as family and children, the nature of work, their living conditions, loadshedding and internet access, affected their mental health and physical well-being. Practical implications: Working remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown exposed lawyers to a range of experiences, including stress, anxiety, and unproductivity. These experiences point to the need for a mental health intervention by employers and the government. Contribution: The research provided knowledge in the field of study on the remote working experiences of lawyers in South Africa
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    Exploring the perceived benefits and challenges of teleworking in South Africa
    (University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mpungose, Nomvelo Carol
    Telework has long piqued the interest of scholars and policymakers because of its potential to benefit individuals, organisations, and society as a whole. Telework has existed since the advent of information and communication technology, but despite substantial technological advancements, it did not attain mainstream use until the COVID-19 epidemic. Few studies have re-examined the employee benefits and challenges following the COVID-19 epidemic in South Africa, among the various facets of telework research. The function of employee perceptions that may favourably or unfavourably affect the adoption of telework are explored in this study. This study tackles telework success as a multidimensional term by deconstructing the benefits and challenges of telework for people and organisations from previous literature. The system based telework framework was adopted for this study in particular the employee factors. Fifteen in-depth interviews were done using the purposive sampling approach. Overall, the findings supported the system-based telework paradigm since an analysis of the findings showed that the existing employee factors are still persistent. The study found that there are additional elements that are negatively impacting telework adoption in the South African context, such as load shedding, while a decrease in expenditures favourably influences telework adoption. Based on the findings of this study, the additional factors should be incorporated into the model for future research. Teleworking proved that employees could meet their job responsibilities while being flexible with where they work. Therefore, telework should not be treated as a optional type of work to organisations, but should rather form part of the organisations competitive employee attraction and retention strategy. the study found that employees prefer a hybrid way of working therefore organisational mandates that require employees to return to working from the office on a full-time basis negatively affects the adoption of telework