An investigation of the policy implementation measures for the advancement of women into leadership positions in the workplace in contemporary South Africa: a case of the department of education in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Authors: Mangisa, Tembela
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Women executives -- South Africa , Leadership in women -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Women in development -- South Africa Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40900 , vital:36265
- Description: Long gone are the times when a woman’s place was in the home. This research was therefore aimed at highlighting the evolving of times in that women and men are now exposed to equal opportunities, and most specifically in education as well as in the workplace. However, the level of equal opportunities that they are exposed to is seemingly not the same when it comes to the work environment, as men still enjoy most of the benefits of being in top positions and being paid more than the female counterparts for doing the same or similar work, with women still discriminated against in this regard in the workplace like they did in the past. South Africa has made significant progress in terms of the economic participation as well as empowerment of women in the labour market. The country has also made great strides in mobilising female leadership and political participation. This has been done through the introduction of labour regulations and affirmative legislation to correct the injustices of the past for previously disadvantaged individuals, and for the purpose of this research, women. These corrective legislative measures also protect women from present unfair discrimination and ensure that they enjoy equal opportunities to education, the workplace and society. Equality in all respects is very important and is the founding principle for the new democratic South Africa, and in this regard gender equality, as women and men are regarded equal before the law and must therefore be treated as such in order to be able to fully create and achieve the vision behind this blueprint. However, the accuracy and efficacy in the implementation of these legislative measures is questionable, because the policies are there in blueprint. However, when it comes to the actual realisation of these policies, it is a different tale as even the numbers prove that it is still very much a man’s world, especially in positions of authority in the workplace as women are still very much circulated in lower and middle level management echelons in both government and industry. This is a prevalent issue not just in South Africa, but worldwide. Even though there are more women than men in the country and apparently in the workplace, one would think that the situation for women would be better. The situation is slowly improving, but it could be better than it is still. Change does it indeed take time, and that is very much clear in terms of policy implemenation, the attitudes in society which still very much influence both men and womens careers, and the representation of women in positions of authority. One would therefore also think that as women are seemingly in majority in the workplace, they would also be in majority in executive and decision-making positions. However, that seems not to be the case as even so and to emphasise this point, women are most spread accross lower levels in organisations, and oftentimes in low-skilled and low-paid sectors in the economy. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to highlight the plight for women in terms of gaining access to the executive suite in government and industry. Indeed, there are legislative frameworks that have been put in place to assist women in this regard, to gain access to management roles, and thereby the senior management roles particularly. However, the research has proven that women are still very much congested in lower and middle management roles, and the senior management roles are still very much occupied by men. There are women who have risen to the occasion and are in executive positions in various spheres, thereby busting the myth that women are not fit to be in leadership positions or cannot handle the job, nor the responsibilities and pressures that come with the job. However, many women in leadership positions are faced with different kinds of pressures than men, such as balancing work and family life, including patriarchal attitudes in the work environment and society about the place and even work of a woman. Therefore, the research was aimed at evaluating the level at which society functions today in terms of growth on the aspects of a woman’s place and that of women in leadership, and finding out what are the attitudes and perceptions in terms of women empowerment in society. There is still the perception that women cannot reach the executive suite, and that it should be a man’s job both in the workplace and in society, and also there is a shock to see a woman advance into what is thought to be a man’s world. Indeed, there has been a somewhat positive shift in that women are getting an education and slowly penetrating these male dominated spaces. However, it is not enough. Legislation is there, but it might not be properly implemented and executed in the various spaces that men and women interact in both in society, the workplace and organisations in South Africa and abroad. It seems highly unlikely and unbelievable that not much has really changed over the years though. Indeed, one could argue that the situation for women is much better than before, as they were before barred from even entering the world of work, as it was believed that a women’s place is in the home in times of yesteryear. The situation is indeed better for women, especially in politics. The study therefore provides concrete evidence that women are still faced with barriers in organisations or the workplace, and hence their underrepresentation in positions of authority highlights some of these barriers, whether they are evenly visible or not.
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- Date Issued: 2019
Perpetrators’ perspective of the psychological factors contributing to racially-motivated hate crimes in South Africa
- Authors: Heyneke, Wilmie
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Hate crimes -- South Africa , Racism -- South Africa Violence -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30072 , vital:30817
- Description: This study set out to explore and understand racially-motivated hate crimes from the psychological and emotional standpoint of the individual who perpetrated them. The focus on the perpetrator was essential given that most research conducted on hate crimes have honed in on the elements concerning the victims. By virtue of its focus, the study offered a perpetrator’s perspective, providing a more holistic understanding of hate crimes in South Africa. Such information could be used to develop violence interventions in order to help prevent future hate crimes. A qualitative research design was used and constructionist grounded theory employed as the research tool. The sample consisted of five individuals currently imprisoned in the Eastern Cape. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews and journal entries. Supportive data was obtained from official prison documents. The findings from this study guided the formulation of the frustration deconstruction theory (FDT), the theory generated in this study. FDT indicates that the link between historically and socially constructed negative racial cognition and emotion may find expression through violence, which can be labelled as hate crimes. Interventions aimed at deconstructing the motives that underpin hate can result in positive behaviour. The findings of this study contribute to an understanding of the nuances that define and characterise the perpetrators of racially-motivated hate crimes in the South African context. The research is a valuable contribution to the field of hate crimes as it provides evidence of the psychological and emotional underpinning of hate crimes.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Prevalence and molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae, acinetobacter baumannii and pseudomonas aeruginosa in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Gqunta, Kwanele
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Beta lactamases , Enterobacteriaceae -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10353 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020944
- Description: Multidrug resistant (MDR) extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have become an international health issue limiting treatment options. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of carbapenem-susceptible (CS) and carbapenem-resistant (CR) Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigate clinical isolates for their resistant genes/ determinants. A total of 98 bacterial isolates (59 CS and 39 CR) were collected between February 2012 and February 2013 at NHLS, after being recovered from various clinical specimens from PE hospital complex. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the VITEK 2® system, E-test and microbroth dilution method. PCR and DNA sequencing were used to investigate: (i) ESBLs: CTX-M, TEM, SHV and OXA-1; (ii) plasmidmediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes: qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS, qepA and aac(6’)-lb-cr; (iii) Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131); (iv) carbapenemases: NDM, VIM, IMP, KPC, BIC, SME, IMI, NMC-A, GES, OXA-23, OXA-24, OXA-48, OXA-51 and OXA-58; and (v) insertion sequence ISAba1 upstream blaOXA-23/-24/-51/-58 genes. Porin loss in CR isolates was determined by SDSPAGE while genetic relatedness between E. coli ST131 isolates was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). MDR ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (mainly K. pneumoniae) and CR A. baumannii isolates were recovered from neonatal/ infant specimens. The majority of CS and CR isolates were MDR, possessing multiple ESBL genotypes (CTX-M, TEM, SHV and OXA-1). ESBL variants identified included: CTX-M-1, CTX-M-3, CTX-M-15, CTX-M-22, CTX-M-9, CTX-M-14, TEM-1, SHV-1, SHV-11 and OXA-1. PMQRs identified included: aac(6’)- lb-cr, qnrB1, qnrB2, qnrB13 and qnrS1. Twelve of 21 (57.1 percent) E. coli isolates belonged to the ST131 clonal complex and were genetically diverse, mainly producing CTX-M-15. Carbapenem resistance mechanisms identified included: (i) OXA-23 preceded by ISAba1 in 10 A. baumannii and 2 P. aeruginosa isolates; (ii) IMI-2 carbapenemase in an E. asburiae isolate; and (iii) combination of porin loss and ESBL production in 1 K. pneumoniae and 1 E. coli isolate. This is the first report in South Africa describing the occurrence of CTX-M-9, CTX-M-22 and IMI-2 among Enterobacteriaceae; CTX-M-15 in A. baumannii; and OXA-23 in combination with OXA-51 in P. aeruginosa. However, resistance determinants could not be detected for 24 carbapenem-resistant isolates which requires further investigation.
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- Date Issued: 2014