Abstract
Workplace learning is a strategic tool that reinforces positive and supportive dynamics between employers and employees, fostering a more harmonious, productive, and resilient work environment. The South African work environment, shaped by historical contexts, differing racial backgrounds and diversity, presents issues in terms of inequality in employment practices. This situation is exacerbated by work conflicts arising from matters that relate to unequal remuneration, unclear performance standards, and poor communication, amongst others. Similarly, employees' disengagement, owing to a lack of opportunity for career progression and feelings of not being valued, has resulted in significant employee turnovers. Moreover, a lack of capacity among managers to address employment issues, and a breakdown in the "psychological contract" between employers and employees, provides the backdrop to explore the impact of workplace learning on employment relations in contemporary South African organisations.
The main objectives of the study were to understand workplace learning in the context of employment relations in South African organisations, as well as to understand how employee learning opportunities impact employment relationships in South African organisations. Another objective of the study was to understand South African employers’ distinct interests to enhance employment relations through learning opportunities, whilst exploring possible effects of workplace learning on seeking harmonious employment relations in South African organisations. The study also focused on ascertaining employment relations issues that create barriers for workplace learning in South African organisations, as well as exploring possible sustainable ways of enhancing employment relations through workplace learning. To achieve the set objectives, the study adopted a qualitative phenomenological research approach, anchored within an interpretivist research paradigm. Fifteen research participants were purposively selected for the study to engage in face-to-face interactions with the researcher to obtain insights into their perspectives of the impacts of workplace learning on employment relations in South African organisations.
The study’s findings revealed that South African employees were engaged in both formal and informal workplace learning, which could be guided or unguided. In this respect, workplace learning involves a series of steps that are aimed at creating possibilities for personal and professional development, as well as training programs designed by organisations to meet operational goals. The study’s findings also revealed the enormous impacts of workplace...