A spiritual model for personal leadership
- Authors: Lightbody, Colleen Anne
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership , Leadership - Religious aspects , Christian leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/295929 , uj:32234
- Description: Abstract: Orientation In this study I aimed to share and develop mindfulness as a philosophy and a practice by combining narrative and theory to produce a practical mindfulness model that would support a spiritual approach to personal leadership. Relevance and significance of the study This study was an exploration and operationalisation of mindfulness. As mindfulness is a complex construct, the research aimed to integrate a broad range of mindfulness interpretations which was further deepened through an evocative autoethnographic lens. The spiritual dimension of leadership was, thus, addressed with an innovative model supporting mindfulness practices and ideas. I first engaged with the concept of mindfulness in 2010 as I began my journey of transformation and I have studied and taught extensively in this field. Ever since, I have been entranced by the concept and this research reflected my growing engagement with mindfulness and personal development. Research question The research questions that framed the study sought to establish how mindfulness may be explored through an evocative narrative and the integration of definitions to develop a model for spiritual leadership. Research approach This research used a qualitative, postmodernist research approach to develop a spiritual model. This unconventional qualitative methodology allowed me to blend an evocative and analytical approach to my life’s journey. I revealed the wisdom and knowledge I gained coping with traumatic events that transformed me from a ‘worrier’ to a ‘warrior’ of the mind, terms I use that have come to define the work I do. Combining first-order constructs derived from the narrative, together with abstract constructs of... , Ph.D.
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- Authors: Lightbody, Colleen Anne
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership , Leadership - Religious aspects , Christian leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/295929 , uj:32234
- Description: Abstract: Orientation In this study I aimed to share and develop mindfulness as a philosophy and a practice by combining narrative and theory to produce a practical mindfulness model that would support a spiritual approach to personal leadership. Relevance and significance of the study This study was an exploration and operationalisation of mindfulness. As mindfulness is a complex construct, the research aimed to integrate a broad range of mindfulness interpretations which was further deepened through an evocative autoethnographic lens. The spiritual dimension of leadership was, thus, addressed with an innovative model supporting mindfulness practices and ideas. I first engaged with the concept of mindfulness in 2010 as I began my journey of transformation and I have studied and taught extensively in this field. Ever since, I have been entranced by the concept and this research reflected my growing engagement with mindfulness and personal development. Research question The research questions that framed the study sought to establish how mindfulness may be explored through an evocative narrative and the integration of definitions to develop a model for spiritual leadership. Research approach This research used a qualitative, postmodernist research approach to develop a spiritual model. This unconventional qualitative methodology allowed me to blend an evocative and analytical approach to my life’s journey. I revealed the wisdom and knowledge I gained coping with traumatic events that transformed me from a ‘worrier’ to a ‘warrior’ of the mind, terms I use that have come to define the work I do. Combining first-order constructs derived from the narrative, together with abstract constructs of... , Ph.D.
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A qualitative study of leaders’ work identity in outsourced projects
- Authors: Lategan, Liesel
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Information technology - Contracting out , Information technology - Management , Project management , Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/293611 , uj:31928
- Description: Abstract: Orientation The study explored the experiences of ten information technology (IT) project- and programme managers who led outsource projects. It explains the complex nature of outsourcing and requirements in leading inter-organisational teams. Implementation of these outsource projects is often concluded with varying degrees of success, and poor results lead to loss of income, reputation, and intellectual property, which impact people’s work identity. The study focused on the roles these leaders have to fulfil, what motivates them, and personal attributes required to deliver successful outcomes. Finally, the strategies and competencies the project- and programme managers developed to form and maintain their work identity are also discussed. Research purpose The purpose of the study was to explore the work identity of leaders working in complex inter-organisational structures through outsource arrangements. Motivation for the study The study was motivated by my own experiences as an IT project- and programme manager leading outsource teams. More specifically, I wanted to explore my observation of leaders having various levels of success in delivering projects. In addition, I was curious about how they managed themselves and what motivated them. Lastly, I wanted to know how they managed team viability within a complex inter-organisational team, creating an environment where team members wanted to work together on future projects. Research design A qualitative grounded theory research design was employed. Convenience- and snowball sampling were used in selecting ten research participants. Data was collected, first, by conducting interviews asking open-ended questions, followed by semi-structured interviews to clarify the participants’ everyday experiences. Finally, the interviews were transcribed and, with the aid of computerised qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti), thematic data analysis was undertaken. Research findings The findings identified seven themes related to leaders building and maintaining their work identities. This informed a conceptual model of leaders’ work identity within an... , M.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership)
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- Authors: Lategan, Liesel
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Information technology - Contracting out , Information technology - Management , Project management , Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/293611 , uj:31928
- Description: Abstract: Orientation The study explored the experiences of ten information technology (IT) project- and programme managers who led outsource projects. It explains the complex nature of outsourcing and requirements in leading inter-organisational teams. Implementation of these outsource projects is often concluded with varying degrees of success, and poor results lead to loss of income, reputation, and intellectual property, which impact people’s work identity. The study focused on the roles these leaders have to fulfil, what motivates them, and personal attributes required to deliver successful outcomes. Finally, the strategies and competencies the project- and programme managers developed to form and maintain their work identity are also discussed. Research purpose The purpose of the study was to explore the work identity of leaders working in complex inter-organisational structures through outsource arrangements. Motivation for the study The study was motivated by my own experiences as an IT project- and programme manager leading outsource teams. More specifically, I wanted to explore my observation of leaders having various levels of success in delivering projects. In addition, I was curious about how they managed themselves and what motivated them. Lastly, I wanted to know how they managed team viability within a complex inter-organisational team, creating an environment where team members wanted to work together on future projects. Research design A qualitative grounded theory research design was employed. Convenience- and snowball sampling were used in selecting ten research participants. Data was collected, first, by conducting interviews asking open-ended questions, followed by semi-structured interviews to clarify the participants’ everyday experiences. Finally, the interviews were transcribed and, with the aid of computerised qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti), thematic data analysis was undertaken. Research findings The findings identified seven themes related to leaders building and maintaining their work identities. This informed a conceptual model of leaders’ work identity within an... , M.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership)
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Experiences and perceptions of third year fashion retail management interns about a career in retail
- Authors: Puckree, Oelzah
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Retail trade - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/296049 , uj:32249
- Description: Abstract: Orientation This study is poised to explore the perceptions, views and experiences of fashion retail management interns. Research purpose This qualitative, phenomenological in-depth single-case study was to explore, describe and understand the experiences and perceptions of a small group of retail management interns who were placed on a retail management internship hosted in a fashion retailer in Cape Town. Key questions (i) What motivated the participants to study retail business management? (ii) How did the participants learn about the internship and come to apply for it? (iii) What were the participants’ expectations of the internship, and were they met? (iv) What were the participants’ experiences during the internship? Motivation for the study The motive for the study was to gain and deepen the understanding of the views and experiences of retail management interns with the aim of uncovering potential reasons for low retention rates of interns at the Company. Research philosophy I believed that reality can only be appreciated by studying the subjective, constructed and interpreted experiences of individuals and by my interpretation of the retail management interns’ interpretations. Based on these ontological and epistemological philosophical assumptions, my research orientation in the study may be termed interpretivism. Thus, I wanted to describe the social world of interns through understanding their perspectives... , M.Phil.
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Experiences and perceptions of third year fashion retail management interns about a career in retail
- Authors: Puckree, Oelzah
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Retail trade - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/296049 , uj:32249
- Description: Abstract: Orientation This study is poised to explore the perceptions, views and experiences of fashion retail management interns. Research purpose This qualitative, phenomenological in-depth single-case study was to explore, describe and understand the experiences and perceptions of a small group of retail management interns who were placed on a retail management internship hosted in a fashion retailer in Cape Town. Key questions (i) What motivated the participants to study retail business management? (ii) How did the participants learn about the internship and come to apply for it? (iii) What were the participants’ expectations of the internship, and were they met? (iv) What were the participants’ experiences during the internship? Motivation for the study The motive for the study was to gain and deepen the understanding of the views and experiences of retail management interns with the aim of uncovering potential reasons for low retention rates of interns at the Company. Research philosophy I believed that reality can only be appreciated by studying the subjective, constructed and interpreted experiences of individuals and by my interpretation of the retail management interns’ interpretations. Based on these ontological and epistemological philosophical assumptions, my research orientation in the study may be termed interpretivism. Thus, I wanted to describe the social world of interns through understanding their perspectives... , M.Phil.
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Finding your place through story : an autoethnography of a storyteller and filmmaker in academia
- Authors: Dannhauser, Phyllis Denise
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Motion pictures - Production and direction , Motion picture authorship
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/294497 , uj:32045
- Description: Abstract: This thesis is about the journey of a filmmaker, storyteller and creative practitioner who found her voice, and her place in academia, through story. The work presents an autoethnographic account of the use of a storytelling and filmmaking process to overcome the challenges of marginalisation in society and in an academic environment. Through the development and application of a collaborative storytelling and filmmaking process with marginalised youth, which was developed over many years of working with students and communities, the researcher has, somewhat unexpectedly, discovered ways to overcome her own marginalisation in South African academic environments. The thesis aims to highlight how intensely personal narrative processes can bring participants to a realisation of the fluidity of assigned identities and stereotypes, and how reworking personal experiences into film scripts can assist in constructing new visions of diverse identities. In alignment with these aims, the thesis is presented in the form of a screenplay which focuses on key experiences along the way. The screenplay sections, or acts, are interspersed with theoretical interludes, narrative vignettes and personal journal entries. The theoretical intersections offer the reader the opportunity to reflect on the issues raised by the narrative in each act, and are written in the form of conversations with key collaborators: friends, colleagues and academics who comment on particular aspects of the specific section. The final act is a reflection on the researcher’s story and experiences and brings together the different strands of the researcher’s journey. As such, the autoethnography is a hybrid between evocative autoethnography as articulated by Carolyn Ellis1, and the analytical approach of Leon Anderson2. Therefore, the thesis can be seen as a “reflexive performance narrative”3, cast in the evocative mould of the screenplay form, and through consistent reflection, blurring the boundaries between “text, representation, criticism”4. The work is aimed at giving the reader insight into the use of personal narrative in the research process to overcome the marginalisation of creative practices and methodologies in traditional research environments.When reading the thesis and comparing their lives to the researcher’s, readers can “provide theoretical validation,” build social knowledge and answer the call to action which Denzin5 regards as the core of the transgressive, performative autoethnography: members of the wider... , D.Litt. et Phil. (Film and Television Studies)
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- Authors: Dannhauser, Phyllis Denise
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Motion pictures - Production and direction , Motion picture authorship
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/294497 , uj:32045
- Description: Abstract: This thesis is about the journey of a filmmaker, storyteller and creative practitioner who found her voice, and her place in academia, through story. The work presents an autoethnographic account of the use of a storytelling and filmmaking process to overcome the challenges of marginalisation in society and in an academic environment. Through the development and application of a collaborative storytelling and filmmaking process with marginalised youth, which was developed over many years of working with students and communities, the researcher has, somewhat unexpectedly, discovered ways to overcome her own marginalisation in South African academic environments. The thesis aims to highlight how intensely personal narrative processes can bring participants to a realisation of the fluidity of assigned identities and stereotypes, and how reworking personal experiences into film scripts can assist in constructing new visions of diverse identities. In alignment with these aims, the thesis is presented in the form of a screenplay which focuses on key experiences along the way. The screenplay sections, or acts, are interspersed with theoretical interludes, narrative vignettes and personal journal entries. The theoretical intersections offer the reader the opportunity to reflect on the issues raised by the narrative in each act, and are written in the form of conversations with key collaborators: friends, colleagues and academics who comment on particular aspects of the specific section. The final act is a reflection on the researcher’s story and experiences and brings together the different strands of the researcher’s journey. As such, the autoethnography is a hybrid between evocative autoethnography as articulated by Carolyn Ellis1, and the analytical approach of Leon Anderson2. Therefore, the thesis can be seen as a “reflexive performance narrative”3, cast in the evocative mould of the screenplay form, and through consistent reflection, blurring the boundaries between “text, representation, criticism”4. The work is aimed at giving the reader insight into the use of personal narrative in the research process to overcome the marginalisation of creative practices and methodologies in traditional research environments.When reading the thesis and comparing their lives to the researcher’s, readers can “provide theoretical validation,” build social knowledge and answer the call to action which Denzin5 regards as the core of the transgressive, performative autoethnography: members of the wider... , D.Litt. et Phil. (Film and Television Studies)
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Talent management in the South African construction industry
- Authors: Shikweni, Sydwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Construction industry - South Africa - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/283394 , uj:30560
- Description: Ph.D. (Leadership in Performance and Change) , Abstract: Orientation. Talent management is the cornerstone for sustaining competitive advantage within organisations. In light of the ongoing war on talent, organisations are stepping up their talent management practices to attract and retain the best of the crop. The South African construction industry in particular, is constrained by the shortage of skills, thus making talent management a strategic priority to address these challenges. On the basis of this challenge, this study on talent management was conducted in a local construction organisation. Purpose. Paying attention to talent management in the South African construction industry the study aims to unravel and describe perceptions on the talent management practices of a particular organisation and to offer a substantive theory. Research Questions. Four research questions guided the study: • How did people view and perceive the organisation’s talent management? • What did they perceive as the enablers, initiatives and benefits of the talent management practices and also the barriers to these practices? • What knowledge, policies, capabilities and support mechanisms were in place to support the effective implementation of talent management in the industry? • What talent management insights and experience may be gained from other organisations outside of South Africa? Research Approach, Strategy and Methodology. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study and a single case strategy was utilised. A South African’s construction and engineering project-based organisation located in the Gauteng Province was selected as research setting. Data were generated from interviews, participant observation and company documents. Grounded theory was used to analyse people’s experiences and views of talent management in the organisation...
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- Authors: Shikweni, Sydwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Construction industry - South Africa - Management
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/283394 , uj:30560
- Description: Ph.D. (Leadership in Performance and Change) , Abstract: Orientation. Talent management is the cornerstone for sustaining competitive advantage within organisations. In light of the ongoing war on talent, organisations are stepping up their talent management practices to attract and retain the best of the crop. The South African construction industry in particular, is constrained by the shortage of skills, thus making talent management a strategic priority to address these challenges. On the basis of this challenge, this study on talent management was conducted in a local construction organisation. Purpose. Paying attention to talent management in the South African construction industry the study aims to unravel and describe perceptions on the talent management practices of a particular organisation and to offer a substantive theory. Research Questions. Four research questions guided the study: • How did people view and perceive the organisation’s talent management? • What did they perceive as the enablers, initiatives and benefits of the talent management practices and also the barriers to these practices? • What knowledge, policies, capabilities and support mechanisms were in place to support the effective implementation of talent management in the industry? • What talent management insights and experience may be gained from other organisations outside of South Africa? Research Approach, Strategy and Methodology. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study and a single case strategy was utilised. A South African’s construction and engineering project-based organisation located in the Gauteng Province was selected as research setting. Data were generated from interviews, participant observation and company documents. Grounded theory was used to analyse people’s experiences and views of talent management in the organisation...
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The role of workplace learning in transforming identities of human resources practitioners
- Authors: Arotiba, Adeola Abisola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271618 , uj:28892
- Description: M.Com. (Human Resource Management) , Abstract: Orientation. This study unravels the role of workplace learning in transforming work identities of human resource practitioners. Research Purpose. The objectives of this dissertation were: ✓ To understand how HR practitioners define themselves in relation to their roles. ✓ To explore how individual, social, organisational and other workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners assist them in fulfilling their roles. ✓ To describe how workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners help them in transforming and expressing their work identities. Motivation for the study: My motive is to know if there are opportunities in what HR professionals learn in developing their work identities; and how what they learn shape who they are, and how they define themselves at work. Research Design, approach and method: I adopted a qualitative approach by capturing the life histories of two female human resource professionals from different organisations. They provided their stories on how workplace learning transforms their work identities through semi- structured interviews, as well as by keeping a research diary. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Main findings. Both HR practitioners viewed themselves as decision makers, employers as well as human capital developer. They saw themselves as skilful, focused and critical to the business. Their workplace learning experiences, developed and prepared them for higher positions, helped them to make...
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- Authors: Arotiba, Adeola Abisola
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Organizational learning , Personnel management
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/271618 , uj:28892
- Description: M.Com. (Human Resource Management) , Abstract: Orientation. This study unravels the role of workplace learning in transforming work identities of human resource practitioners. Research Purpose. The objectives of this dissertation were: ✓ To understand how HR practitioners define themselves in relation to their roles. ✓ To explore how individual, social, organisational and other workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners assist them in fulfilling their roles. ✓ To describe how workplace learning experiences of HR practitioners help them in transforming and expressing their work identities. Motivation for the study: My motive is to know if there are opportunities in what HR professionals learn in developing their work identities; and how what they learn shape who they are, and how they define themselves at work. Research Design, approach and method: I adopted a qualitative approach by capturing the life histories of two female human resource professionals from different organisations. They provided their stories on how workplace learning transforms their work identities through semi- structured interviews, as well as by keeping a research diary. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Main findings. Both HR practitioners viewed themselves as decision makers, employers as well as human capital developer. They saw themselves as skilful, focused and critical to the business. Their workplace learning experiences, developed and prepared them for higher positions, helped them to make...
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My journey as an intrapreneur in corporate South Africa
- Authors: Biddulph, Burnett Percival
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship - South Africa , Leadership - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/261918 , uj:27629
- Description: Ph.D , Abstract: At the suggestion of an erstwhile colleague and friend, I decided to take advantage of my retirement strategy and to undertake a PhD, the pinnacle of academic achievement. For the purpose of my research, the following general research question was formulated: How can I make sense of my lived experiences as an intrapreneur in the context of my personal life and career journey? Reviewing the field of intrapreneurship, it became clear that there is currently substantial scholarly interest in intrapreneurship from various angles and disciplines to support organisations in how best to respond to the growth imperatives they face, and to explore opportunities confronting them. While impressive developments have been made in the field of intrapreneurship over the past four decades, several gaps remain. These include: (i) the absence of research on the actual experiences of intrapreneurs, (ii) very few studies about the inner and emotional experiences of intrapreneurs within a social and organisational context, and (iii) little, if any knowledge, as to the intrapreneurial characteristics fundamental to the success of the intrapreneur. In order to obtain insight into my life as intrapreneur and at the same time contribute to the scholarship of intrapreneurship, I opted for the postmodernist-orientated qualitative research approach, autoethnography. More specifically, my approach reflected both elements of evocative and analytical autoethnography, but leaned more towards social science analysis and less towards art. In fact, by using my personal experience to provide an interpretative context, my work resembles social-scientific-oriented autoethnography, or analytic autoethnography (Anderson, 2006; Anderson & Class-Coffin, 2013). With regard to organisational autoethnography, it resided, as is the case with Swart’s (2014) local acquisition autoethnography, as complete member research in other than higher education organisations. For the data analysis and the sense-making process, I used Pepper’s (1942) adequate world views, in conjunction with specific theoretical models. These world views consist of organicism (the process of organic development), formism (similarity of objects), mechanism (static and dynamic machine systems) and contextualism (the ongoing act in context and changing patterns). From an organismic perspective, with my life story following a developmental cycle, I used the Novations Model of Dalton and Thompson (1986) to document my lived experiences. For formism, I analysed my personal and intrapreneurial characteristics. Here, I made use of...
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- Authors: Biddulph, Burnett Percival
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship - South Africa , Leadership - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/261918 , uj:27629
- Description: Ph.D , Abstract: At the suggestion of an erstwhile colleague and friend, I decided to take advantage of my retirement strategy and to undertake a PhD, the pinnacle of academic achievement. For the purpose of my research, the following general research question was formulated: How can I make sense of my lived experiences as an intrapreneur in the context of my personal life and career journey? Reviewing the field of intrapreneurship, it became clear that there is currently substantial scholarly interest in intrapreneurship from various angles and disciplines to support organisations in how best to respond to the growth imperatives they face, and to explore opportunities confronting them. While impressive developments have been made in the field of intrapreneurship over the past four decades, several gaps remain. These include: (i) the absence of research on the actual experiences of intrapreneurs, (ii) very few studies about the inner and emotional experiences of intrapreneurs within a social and organisational context, and (iii) little, if any knowledge, as to the intrapreneurial characteristics fundamental to the success of the intrapreneur. In order to obtain insight into my life as intrapreneur and at the same time contribute to the scholarship of intrapreneurship, I opted for the postmodernist-orientated qualitative research approach, autoethnography. More specifically, my approach reflected both elements of evocative and analytical autoethnography, but leaned more towards social science analysis and less towards art. In fact, by using my personal experience to provide an interpretative context, my work resembles social-scientific-oriented autoethnography, or analytic autoethnography (Anderson, 2006; Anderson & Class-Coffin, 2013). With regard to organisational autoethnography, it resided, as is the case with Swart’s (2014) local acquisition autoethnography, as complete member research in other than higher education organisations. For the data analysis and the sense-making process, I used Pepper’s (1942) adequate world views, in conjunction with specific theoretical models. These world views consist of organicism (the process of organic development), formism (similarity of objects), mechanism (static and dynamic machine systems) and contextualism (the ongoing act in context and changing patterns). From an organismic perspective, with my life story following a developmental cycle, I used the Novations Model of Dalton and Thompson (1986) to document my lived experiences. For formism, I analysed my personal and intrapreneurial characteristics. Here, I made use of...
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An exploration of resilience amongst working mothers
- Neethling, Lieneke Murray, Working mothers
- Authors: Neethling, Lieneke Murray , Working mothers
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Motherhood , Resilience (Personality trait) , Work-life balance
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237777 , uj:24368
- Description: M.Phil. , Abstract: In this postmodernist study, resilient working mothers are studied by means of an autoethnographical strategy. I accordingly examined a small group of South African working mothers’ experiences, including my own, by blending an evocative and artful presentation with theory and analysis. In assimilating subjective personal experience and the broader sociocultural reality, I offer insights into the social world of resilient working mothers, the challenges they experience, and how they manage to thrive despite adversity. As a mother who worked as a minister, I was uniquely situated as a researcher to share first-hand experiences and to provide in-depth knowledge on working mothers’ resilience. Also, deep reflection on myself and my experiences provided me with an opportunity to understand my research participants better. Finally, being both mother and researcher offered the prospect of clarifying, describing and illuminating the experiences of working mothers, their adversities and their resilience from an insider perspective. In addition to my own, I included six other working mothers’ experiences and perceptions to unravel, describe and obtain an understanding of the cultural and social context of resilient working mothers. Using the data gathered from interviews, participant observation and unsolicited documents, including diary entries and photographs, I constructed a number of narratives. Field notes, interview transcriptions and a research journal were also used to capture the data and autoethnographic analytical methods were employed to uncover themes in the data. Finally, to provide a deeper and richer understanding of resilient working mothers, I integrated my own concrete experiences and those of the other women with abstract scholarly concepts. As I believe evocative writing offers a powerful and meaningful description of phenomena, I employed various literary genres and art forms to bring the lived experiences of the working mothers in the study to life. More specifically, I crafted memoirs, short stories, poetry and dialogue and included non-textual displays like photographs, illustrations and music to engage the reader...
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- Authors: Neethling, Lieneke Murray , Working mothers
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Motherhood , Resilience (Personality trait) , Work-life balance
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237777 , uj:24368
- Description: M.Phil. , Abstract: In this postmodernist study, resilient working mothers are studied by means of an autoethnographical strategy. I accordingly examined a small group of South African working mothers’ experiences, including my own, by blending an evocative and artful presentation with theory and analysis. In assimilating subjective personal experience and the broader sociocultural reality, I offer insights into the social world of resilient working mothers, the challenges they experience, and how they manage to thrive despite adversity. As a mother who worked as a minister, I was uniquely situated as a researcher to share first-hand experiences and to provide in-depth knowledge on working mothers’ resilience. Also, deep reflection on myself and my experiences provided me with an opportunity to understand my research participants better. Finally, being both mother and researcher offered the prospect of clarifying, describing and illuminating the experiences of working mothers, their adversities and their resilience from an insider perspective. In addition to my own, I included six other working mothers’ experiences and perceptions to unravel, describe and obtain an understanding of the cultural and social context of resilient working mothers. Using the data gathered from interviews, participant observation and unsolicited documents, including diary entries and photographs, I constructed a number of narratives. Field notes, interview transcriptions and a research journal were also used to capture the data and autoethnographic analytical methods were employed to uncover themes in the data. Finally, to provide a deeper and richer understanding of resilient working mothers, I integrated my own concrete experiences and those of the other women with abstract scholarly concepts. As I believe evocative writing offers a powerful and meaningful description of phenomena, I employed various literary genres and art forms to bring the lived experiences of the working mothers in the study to life. More specifically, I crafted memoirs, short stories, poetry and dialogue and included non-textual displays like photographs, illustrations and music to engage the reader...
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Workplace spirituality and leadership
- Authors: Van Wyk, Ronelle
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Leadership - Religious aspects , Religion in the workplace , Management - Religious aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225960 , uj:22834
- Description: M.Phil. , Abstract: Research has indicated that the phenomenon workplace spirituality has a positive impact on organisational reality through its positive effect on both management processes and leadership practices. It is in this context that the growing interest in workplace spirituality as a field of inquiry becomes clear and the importance of workplace spirituality is reflected. The rationale for this study emanated from the researcher’s desire to explore the experiences of a leader of spirituality in a specific workplace and to understand how scholarly works, specifically the PPL framework and research done by Labuschagne (2012), would accommodate these experiences. The purposefully selected sample comprised of a manager working for a period longer than three years within a specific workplace. She worked with people and managed a team of employees. The primary data collection method was interviews that elicited the life story of the participant. The data were coded and organised according to the research questions. From the analysis, eight themes emerged that resulted in four key findings. The findings revealed that (1) experiences of spirituality in the workplace require awareness of oneself; (2) workplace spirituality and spirituality experienced outside of the workplace should not be separated; (3) workplace spirituality can be experienced regardless of whether interventions or actions are created to make it spiritual; and (4) experiences of spirituality in the workplace can be created, yet there are factors that can hinder the experience of workplace spirituality. In the context of these findings, it was found that the PPL framework, as well as research done by Labuschagne (2012), can be used to illuminate the world of a manager in terms of experiences and views of workplace spirituality.
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- Authors: Van Wyk, Ronelle
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Leadership - Religious aspects , Religion in the workplace , Management - Religious aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225960 , uj:22834
- Description: M.Phil. , Abstract: Research has indicated that the phenomenon workplace spirituality has a positive impact on organisational reality through its positive effect on both management processes and leadership practices. It is in this context that the growing interest in workplace spirituality as a field of inquiry becomes clear and the importance of workplace spirituality is reflected. The rationale for this study emanated from the researcher’s desire to explore the experiences of a leader of spirituality in a specific workplace and to understand how scholarly works, specifically the PPL framework and research done by Labuschagne (2012), would accommodate these experiences. The purposefully selected sample comprised of a manager working for a period longer than three years within a specific workplace. She worked with people and managed a team of employees. The primary data collection method was interviews that elicited the life story of the participant. The data were coded and organised according to the research questions. From the analysis, eight themes emerged that resulted in four key findings. The findings revealed that (1) experiences of spirituality in the workplace require awareness of oneself; (2) workplace spirituality and spirituality experienced outside of the workplace should not be separated; (3) workplace spirituality can be experienced regardless of whether interventions or actions are created to make it spiritual; and (4) experiences of spirituality in the workplace can be created, yet there are factors that can hinder the experience of workplace spirituality. In the context of these findings, it was found that the PPL framework, as well as research done by Labuschagne (2012), can be used to illuminate the world of a manager in terms of experiences and views of workplace spirituality.
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Challenges of transformation managers in corporate South Africa
- Authors: Ndzwayiba, Nceba
- Date: 2013-07-18
- Subjects: South Africa. Employment Equity Act 1998 , Personnel management , Affirmative action programs
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7616 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8486
- Description: M. Phil. (Human Resource Development) , Fourteen years since Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998) was promulgated, the corporate sector remains racially polarised. Although Act, No 55 of 1998 mandated organisations to appoint transformation managers with executive authority and resources to drive reform, the meagre progress and increasing income disparities in favour of the previously advantaged groups suggest that these managers are somehow ineffective. The study explores experiences and views of transformation managers regarding the policy - practice related challenges they encounter in driving employment equity in the corporate sector. Examining challenges encountered by transformation managers, as accountable executives, would assist in identifying disruptive and undesirable factors that stymie corporate labour market reform and lead to the development of contextualised short and long term mitigation strategies. A phenomenological approach was applied to answer the main research question. My ontology was based on transformation managers’ subjective construct of their own realities, and studying their experiences encountered in the course of executing their mandate would best give insight into these hindrance factors. My epistemological position was that the perspectives of people involved with managing transformation in corporate organisations were relevant; therefore I conducted interviews with five transformation managers from different corporate organisations. The study confirmed that with focus on achieving employment equity numbers little attention has been given to promoting and valuing diversity, and that corporate culture is characterised by racial mistrust, fear and resentment. Lastly, the study confirmed fault lines in the effectiveness of transformation managers.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ndzwayiba, Nceba
- Date: 2013-07-18
- Subjects: South Africa. Employment Equity Act 1998 , Personnel management , Affirmative action programs
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7616 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8486
- Description: M. Phil. (Human Resource Development) , Fourteen years since Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998) was promulgated, the corporate sector remains racially polarised. Although Act, No 55 of 1998 mandated organisations to appoint transformation managers with executive authority and resources to drive reform, the meagre progress and increasing income disparities in favour of the previously advantaged groups suggest that these managers are somehow ineffective. The study explores experiences and views of transformation managers regarding the policy - practice related challenges they encounter in driving employment equity in the corporate sector. Examining challenges encountered by transformation managers, as accountable executives, would assist in identifying disruptive and undesirable factors that stymie corporate labour market reform and lead to the development of contextualised short and long term mitigation strategies. A phenomenological approach was applied to answer the main research question. My ontology was based on transformation managers’ subjective construct of their own realities, and studying their experiences encountered in the course of executing their mandate would best give insight into these hindrance factors. My epistemological position was that the perspectives of people involved with managing transformation in corporate organisations were relevant; therefore I conducted interviews with five transformation managers from different corporate organisations. The study confirmed that with focus on achieving employment equity numbers little attention has been given to promoting and valuing diversity, and that corporate culture is characterised by racial mistrust, fear and resentment. Lastly, the study confirmed fault lines in the effectiveness of transformation managers.
- Full Text:
Rose or thorn? : a black South African woman's account of working in a male-dominated environment
- Tabudi, Sizile Aurelia Thulisile
- Authors: Tabudi, Sizile Aurelia Thulisile
- Date: 2010-10-26T07:19:52Z
- Subjects: Leadership in women , Black women , Sex role in the work environment , Women executives , Sex discrimination in employment
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6940 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3450
- Description: D.Phil. , The major part of what is known about women in leadership positions, and the challenges they are facing, is based on studies conducted in first-world countries. There clearly is a gap in the literature in terms of studies that focus on female leaders in Africa. Much has still to be said about the role that cultural practices and prejudices play in hampering the growth and progress of these women. This authentic study of a South African Zulu female manager provides a unique insight into the way she negotiated the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder in a male-dominated environment. Its postmodernist approach challenges the writer to use herself as a research subject while applying the principle of reflexivity in stepping back and analysing lived experiences from a researcher‟s perspective. In opening up her innermost feelings to the world, the researcher reveals who she really is, and how she, as a Zulu woman, wife, mother, and manager, negotiated her way between her own traditional culture and the Western corporate world. This creates real challenges to the researcher, as she has to keep sliding between being the subject and being the researcher at the same time. This narrative of "self" is recreated through interviewing people who had been part of the researcher‟s life during the period which was the focus of the study as well as the researcher recalling significant events. The research focuses on the challenges of being a minority leader in a South African workplace. The resistance to a black female as their superior by black males is highlighted, as is the manner in which these cultural prejudices result in discrimination against women by members of their own culture. The research also illuminates the impact of legislation aimed at transforming the local workplace and the leadership fraternity in a post-apartheid South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tabudi, Sizile Aurelia Thulisile
- Date: 2010-10-26T07:19:52Z
- Subjects: Leadership in women , Black women , Sex role in the work environment , Women executives , Sex discrimination in employment
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6940 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3450
- Description: D.Phil. , The major part of what is known about women in leadership positions, and the challenges they are facing, is based on studies conducted in first-world countries. There clearly is a gap in the literature in terms of studies that focus on female leaders in Africa. Much has still to be said about the role that cultural practices and prejudices play in hampering the growth and progress of these women. This authentic study of a South African Zulu female manager provides a unique insight into the way she negotiated the challenges of climbing the corporate ladder in a male-dominated environment. Its postmodernist approach challenges the writer to use herself as a research subject while applying the principle of reflexivity in stepping back and analysing lived experiences from a researcher‟s perspective. In opening up her innermost feelings to the world, the researcher reveals who she really is, and how she, as a Zulu woman, wife, mother, and manager, negotiated her way between her own traditional culture and the Western corporate world. This creates real challenges to the researcher, as she has to keep sliding between being the subject and being the researcher at the same time. This narrative of "self" is recreated through interviewing people who had been part of the researcher‟s life during the period which was the focus of the study as well as the researcher recalling significant events. The research focuses on the challenges of being a minority leader in a South African workplace. The resistance to a black female as their superior by black males is highlighted, as is the manner in which these cultural prejudices result in discrimination against women by members of their own culture. The research also illuminates the impact of legislation aimed at transforming the local workplace and the leadership fraternity in a post-apartheid South Africa.
- Full Text:
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