Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.South AfricaSubject: search.filters.subject.SDG-5: Gender equality

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    Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector within the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Zondi, Nokubonga Happy; Mazonde, Nomusa
    The research aimed to explore the multifaceted aspects of enhancing women entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector in the dynamic KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The investigation explored the role played by women in the sector, challenges they face and potential strategies to foster their empowerment and success. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the research. The research engaged with 20 women entrepreneurs actively participating in agricultural pursuits within the KwaZulu-Natal Province. This research reveals that women-led agricultural enterprises contribute to the socio- economic landscape of KwaZulu-Natal. These women-led enterprises also emerge as crucial drivers to poverty alleviation, creation of job opportunities, and ensuring food security within households. However, persistent challenges pose hurdles to their endeavours, including limited access to resources, social and cultural barriers, limited education and skills, lack of information, and limited access to markets. . While government support initiatives have been put in place, the research emphasizes that lack of skills, which is a crucial factor, remains inadequately addressed. The research puts forth a number of recommendations including on-farm training programs, coaching or mentorship initiatives, and training workshops. All these factors are identified as integral components of intervention strategies.
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    The Glass Cliff: Exploring the Dynamics Around the Appointment of Women to Precarious Leadership Positions in Corporate South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Mashele, Winsome; Alagidede, Imhotep Paul
    The current research explores the "glass cliff" form of discrimination. The research argues that while women are now appointed in high-profile positions, there is a greater likelihood that they end up on a 'glass cliff' as compared to their male counterparts. Glass cliff positions put women executives' in potentially risky roles that could harm their reputations and career prospects because, when a company performs poorly, people tend to blame its leadership without considering situational variables. The research problem statement centres around the overrepresentation of women who are in senior leadership positions in organizations that are experiencing difficulties, which is an increasing concern in corporate South Africa. The main objectives of the study, among others includes to: (i) gain a better understanding of why women choose risky leadership positions. (ii) identify the leadership experiences of women in leading organisations in relation to gender. (iii) understand the suitable leadership styles that women facing the glass cliff have at their disposal to build relationships with internal shareholders as well as influence the structure of the organisation. (iv) understand the tools and resources that are needed to support women in senior leadership roles during times of crises in corporate South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research methodology was employed, and data collected through semi-structured interviews from a total of 15 participants. Findings: The findings suggest that women are now allowed to occupy senior leadership positions where these positions record a decline in status, competence and prestige, and as a result are time consuming and difficult to combine with a successful academic career. An important set of findings is: (i) the participants perceived the risky activity as a form of promotional opportunity and were willing to accept an offer. (ii) if women are placed in the right positions with the right skills, success is potentially guaranteed. (iii) leaders should practice the situational leadership style which evolves according to the situation, the time at hand and its nature. Contribution / value: Despite some limitations that were experienced over the course of the study, some answers emerged in response to the key question on which the study was premised. Furthermore, the aim of this study was achieved in terms of its contribution not only in providing guidance to organizational decision makers, policy makers and business leaders to address inequalities in corporate South Africa, but also in highlighting the role played by women in making career decisions within the rubric of the glass cliff phenomenon
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    The moderating role of implicit person theories on gender-role orientation and entrepreneurial intentions
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Moloi, Jeremia; Urban, Boris
    South Africa, like the rest of the world, has suffered an economic downturn as a result of the pandemic, COVID-19. In addition, the country has historically experienced an unequal distribution of resources, which affects poverty levels. Unfortunately, this unequal distribution of resources and opportunities continues to impact young people. As a watershed, this research is critical for unlocking entrepreneurial potential. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between gender role orientation (GRO) and entrepreneurial intentions (EI) and the function of implicit person theories (IPT), also known as mindsets, in regulating this relationship. There is consensus that entrepreneurship is a critical motivator for identifying, seizing, and creating new opportunities. Therefore, it is important to understand the elements associated with the intention to engage or behave entrepreneurially. Previous research on entrepreneurship relied on biological sex as a predictor of entrepreneurial intentions and results have been mixed and sometimes inconclusive, particularly among university students. Therefore, this study focuses on gender role orientation and mindset as determinants of entrepreneurial inclinations as opposed to biological sex. The study was cross-sectional and followed a quantitative approach. Primary data were collected from a sample of 415 individuals. Data analysis included Pearson correlation, structural equation modelling (SEM) as a statistical technique and t-tests. The results showed that the antecedents of entrepreneurship had a positive influence on the relationship between a feminine gender role orientation and entrepreneurial intentions. However, the observed relationships were not significant. This was also true for the moderating role of mindset on the relationship between gender role orientation and entrepreneurial intentions. On the other hand, this study found a significant propensity toward commercial entrepreneurship in a feminine gender role-oriented population. These findings not only contradict persistent gender stereotypes that claim entrepreneurial intentions are negatively associated with femininity, but also address the problem of few role models, as attributing feminine attributes to the entrepreneurial image will increase the number and visibility of symbolic role models for individuals with a feminine gender role orientation. The overall findings of this study will motivate and empower educational institutions, policy makers and training programmes to promote entrepreneurial content and activities that give equal weight to masculine and feminine gender roles and lead to a perceived congruence between femininity and entrepreneurship. These findings are equally effective in persuading financial institutions, media, and other key individuals to support individuals with a feminine gender role orientation in their businesses, leading to an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem
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    The impact of COVID-19 on the Gender Wage Gap in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Ngcobo, Khwezi
    The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large distributional changes in the South African labour market. Prior to the pandemic, South African women were compensated less relative to South African men. This paper applies the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gender wage gap between February 2020, April 2020, June 2020 and March 2021. Results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic widened the existing monthly gender wage gap, while barely altering the hourly wage gap over the given period. The study finds that the main contributor to the gender wage gap is discrimination in the South African labour market. Key variables that contributed to the discrimination component across all periods are population group and having children aged below 7 years. Gender differences in the composition of the employment sector, having young children and hours of work also significantly contributed to the gender wage gap. These results suggest a need for gender- sensitive policies to improve the labour market position of disadvantaged individuals
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    Social media’s influence on public policy in gender based violence
    (2022) Naidoo, Nalianee
    Constitutional transformation is the cornerstone of our new democracy and has entrenched Constitutional supremacy in South Africa. However, regardless of our twenty-six years into a new democracy, we are still challenged with social injustice around gender-based violence in our country. These historical challenges are rooted in the legacy of apartheid, colonialism, and a patriarchal society. Although our Constitution and Bill of Rights protects the rights of women, and there has been progressive interventions around policy changes, we are still not effectively addressing the scourge of gender- based violence. Policy changes require active public participation to ensure social justice and the protection of the rights of women in our society. Today, with the advancements in technology the use of social media has become a popular tool in social movements and their mobilization strategies. This component of social media in advocacy has broadened the scope and reach of social movements and has in many ways created wider terrain for which public policy can be influenced. To enhance democracy public participation has become a critical component and has contributed to changes in public policy, as it signals the ability of citizens to engage in democratic processes and to make contestations where necessary. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate, using qualitative methodology and a case study analysis, how the #TotalShutDown: 24Demands campaign leveraged social media in influencing public policy on Gender - Based violence in South Africa. Individual semi structured interviews were used for the collection of primary data from national and provincial members of the coordinating committees, while document analysis was used for the collection of secondary data which was collected and analysed. The research study revealed that through the leveraging of social media the #TotalShutDown:24Demands campaign was able to influence the policy environment. In addition, the study revealed that social media, as a strategic mobilization tool, allows for movements to broaden the terrain in which they can engage with women, thus providing wider reach for advocacy objectives to be reached. In the study, this was evidenced by the movement as they were able to effectively create networks across the country (nationally and provincially) to achieve its mission as described in the 24 Demands. Finally, the study will also show how integrated methods of mobilization (making use of traditional mobilization strategies while leveraging digital forms of engagement) strengthen advocacy efforts and often results in multiple forms of movement building and advocacy. The main recommendations made were, for a more inclusive approach to the Gender Based Violence space on the issue of intersectionality that needs to be addressed. A deeper 3 engagement with what constitutes a feminist approach needs to be analysed as there were different interpretations to this concept. Finally, for meaningful changes in the policy environment of the GBV space a more holistic approach needs to be adopted in the economic, social, and cultural spheres.
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    Inequality of opportunity in South Africa
    (2023) Booysen, Andrid Angelique
    Recent studies conducted in South Africa and other developing countries show that measuring the “unfair inequalities” in society (such as with income) that have an effect on one’s abilities to achieve certain outcomes, can assist in better understanding total inequality. Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is the government agency that is responsible for measuring and reporting inequality in the country. The purpose of this research is to contribute in providing an alternative view on how Stats SA can measure and report inequality in South Africa. The study adopts the ex-ante view when measuring inequality of opportunity. Data used for the study was sourced from the Living Conditions Survey (LCS). The variables used in the study were divided into outcome, circumstance and effort. The outcome or dependent variable used for this research was individual income annualised and adjusted for inflation. Results from the study show that individual employment status, individual years of schooling, race, parental educational level and employment status, sex of individual at birth and place of residence had the biggest effect on individual income in South Africa
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    Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions of women in the South African digital ecosystem
    (2021) Danisa, Nombulelo
    In line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there have been increasing calls in support of female entrepreneurship in Sub Saharan Africa. The entrepreneurial gender disparity against women in South Africa is a cause for concern considering the important role of female entrepreneurs in the economy. Potential female entrepreneurs face challenges and hostile environments that discourage entrepreneurial spirit. However, with the advent of the digital ecosystem, it is hoped that these institutional barriers would be overcome. Thus, an investigation on the influence of institutional factors and the digital environment on entrepreneurial intentions of women is imperative. Utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour within an institutional embedded perspective, a model for the digital economy was inferred to analyse factors affecting female entrepreneurial intention in the South African digital ecosystem. This quantitative study utilised cross sectional data collected for a final sample of 302 females across South Africa. Results reflected that entrepreneurial intentions of women are positively influenced by favourable perceptions of the cognitive and normative institutional dimensions. However, the regulatory dimension had a positive but insignificant influence with no evidence that the digital environment interacts with the institutional environment to influence entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, it is recommended that government and policy makers play a leading role in promoting a culture that values female entrepreneurship. This would assist in creating favourable perceptions of the institutional environment and in turn encourage aspiring female entrepreneurs to start their own business.
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    The glass cliff: exploring the dynamics around the appointment of women to precarious leadership positions in corporate South Africa
    (2021) Mashele, Winsome
    The current research explores the "glass cliff" form of discrimination. The research argues that while women are now appointed in high-profile positions, there is a greater likelihood that they end up on a 'glass cliff' as compared to their male counterparts. Glass cliff positions put women executives' in potentially risky roles that could harm their reputations and career prospects because, when a company performs poorly, people tend to blame its leadership without considering situational variables. The research problem statement centres around the overrepresentation of women who are in senior leadership positions in organizations that are experiencing difficulties, which is an increasing concern in corporate South Africa. The main objectives of the study, among others includes to: (i) gain a better understanding of why women choose risky leadership positions. (ii) identify the leadership experiences of women in leading organisations in relation to gender. (iii) understand the suitable leadership styles that women facing the glass cliff have at their disposal to build relationships with internal shareholders as well as influence the structure of the organisation. (iv) understand the tools and resources that are needed to support women in senior leadership roles during times of crises in corporate South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research methodology was employed, and data collected through semi-structured interviews from a total of 15 participants. Findings: The findings suggest that women are now allowed to occupy senior leadership positions where these positions record a decline in status, competence and prestige, and as a result are time consuming and difficult to combine with a successful academic career. An important set of findings is: (i) the participants perceived the risky activity as a form of promotional opportunity and were willing to accept an offer. (ii) if women are placed in the right positions with the right skills, success is potentially guaranteed. (iii) leaders should practice the situational leadership style which evolves according to the situation, the time at hand and its nature. Contribution / value: Despite some limitations that were experienced over the course of the study, some answers emerged in response to the key question on which the study was premised. Furthermore, iv the aim of this study was achieved in terms of its contribution not only in providing guidance to organizational decision makers, policy makers and business leaders to address inequalities in corporate South Africa, but also in highlighting the role played by women in making career decisions within the rubric of the glass cliff phenomenon.
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    A legal analysis of the complexity of race and gender disadvantage in terms of the Employement Equity Act in South Africa
    (2019) Mushariwa, Muriel Tapiwa
    Centuries of colonialism and Apartheid created a legacy of inequality in South Africa that the democratic Constitution, 1996, seeks to address. The constitutional mandate in section 9 of this Constitution, enacted through the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA), requires designated employers in the public and private sphere to address the inequality in the workplace through the application of affirmative action. The EEA identifies the beneficiaries of affirmative action policies as black people, women and persons with disabilities. It is clear that these constitute three distinct groups, but that it is also possible for an individual to belong to more than one of these collectives. For example, black women fall within two designated groups on the basis of race and gender, and this dual disadvantage creates a multi-layered, unique and complex type of inequality. The main aim of the EEA is to create a representative workforce, and designated employers have a duty to break down the barriers that prevent members of the designated groups from entering the workplace. Once employed, employers need to assist members of the designated groups to progress in the workplace. However, having a representative workforce does not translate into a transformed workforce. It will be argued in this thesis that a transformed workplace is representative, but also requires the breakdown of institutional norms, processes and structures that prevent the progression of members of the designated groups. The question to be asked is whether affirmative action, in its current form, is able to transform the workplace. To answer this question, it is vital that consideration be given, firstly, to the type of substantive equality that is to be achieved in the application of affirmative action. It will be shown that the aim should be a transformative substantive equality of outcome. Focus will be placed on the fact that individuals who fall within the designated groups are not equally placed in terms of their experience of disadvantage. It is submitted that consideration of differing experiences of disadvantage needs to be taken into account so as to avoid the creation of an elite middle class black, and possibly male, group, which benefits from affirmative action to the exclusion of others, thus hampering the achievement of equality in the workplace. This thesis will show that a transformative form of substantive equality of outcome needs to be applied to affirmative action in the workplace. This transformative form of substantive equality includes a situation sensitive approach to the implementation of affirmative action in the workplace. A situation sensitive approach will apply affirmative action strictly on a case by case basis with regard to the demographic profile of the specific workforce, and the employment equity policy of the particular workplace. A one size fits all approach cannot deal with the complexity of disadvantage that needs to be addressed. It will be argued that, besides a situation sensitive approach to race, gender and disability, the issues of social, political, economic and educational disadvantage are factors that should be given consideration in identifying the true beneficiaries of affirmative action. To further illustrate this point, particular attention will be given to women within the designated groups, in order to unpack the nature of disadvantage they experienced in the workplace. Two case studies, focusing on women in male dominated professions, the legal profession and the mining industry, will be used to illustrate this point. This thesis will show that ultimately, the goal of affirmative action must be seen to be to change the workplace by breaking down both the visible and invisible barriers of equality and, in doing so, create an environment where, constitutional values of equality, human dignity and freedom are truly recognized and protected.
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    Institutional arrangements in the coordination of policies for gender equality
    (2020) Sobudula, Viwe
    Gender inequality is a challenge which has been inherited from the apartheid government in South Africa. The democratic government has through the establishment of various institutions such as the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and the development of policies and laws made efforts to address gender inequalities, however, the problem still persists. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the DWYPD works with other government departments through institutional arrangements to coordinate policies for the promotion of gender equality/equity. The research found that although the DWYPD has an enabling environment for policy coordination, institutional arrangements are structurally and operationally weak. The study also found challenges such as unclear policy mandate, lack of legislative authority to coordination policies and poor communication and planning within the DWYPD for the institutional arrangements. The study gives insights into challenges faced by different departments and makes recommendations for better coordination and management