Abstract
M.A. (Industrial Psychology)
South Africa is currently experiencing a period typified by daily changes in the labour economy and in its political
structures. As a result of the critical shortage of skilled human resources, a decreasing white population and
political pressure to reform, the country is under constant pressure to develop its human resources, race
groups that are underdeveloped in the middle and top structures of the labour force. In this regard strategies to
advance the occupational mobility of blacks are progressively being undertaken by South African companies.
Given the pressing demands for human resource development the results of strategies to advance the occupational
mobility of blacks are still perceived as unsatisfactory. Various contrasting views exist regarding the specific
factors that inhibit black advancement as well as that which ought to be addressed in order to solve the problems
underlying such advancement. In the absence of a coherent theoretical basis through which factors that inhibit
the advancement of black occupational mobility can be explained and studied, the need for a suitable approach
or framework to develop such a theoretical model, was identified. It was decided to study the problems underlying
black advancement in South Africa by utilising a strategic-cultural approach.
Before a strategic-cultural approach could be developed the nature and extent of the factors that inhibit the
advancement of black occupational mobility was systematically examined. Inhibiting factors were analysed from
literature through an integrated approach and it was found that the marginal position of the black labourer is
fundamental to all of the contrasting views in this regard. In order to optimize the person-environment match
relevant to the so-called marginal position of the black labourer it is emphasized in this study that the
organisation's discemable and undiscemable structures should be changed...