Organisations In South Africa Research Articles

All My Life and All My Strength (review)

Reviewed by: All My Life And All My Strength Jan Theron (bio) Ray Alexander Simons (2004) All My Life And All My Strength. Johannesburg: STE Publishers 'Another icon of the struggle' was how one news-reader described Ray Alexander, when she died in 2004. Her autobiography, published shortly afterwards, will reinforce this status. It tells the story of her life, from her birth in Latvia to the indignities of old age: a mugging in the city bowl, a fall from which she suffered concussion, the loss of independence that moving in to live with one's child signifies. But primarily, of course, it is the story of an activist who played a prominent role in political and trade union organisation in South Africa. 'Icon' is also a peculiarly apt term for someone whose photograph was displayed at all important meetings of the Food and Canning Workers Union (FCWU), the union she founded and of which I became General Secretary in 1976. The term derives from an image of a Jesus figure that was used ceremonially and venerated in the Orthodox Church. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ray was venerated in the rural towns of the Western Cape where the FCWU had its most enduring presence. The outlines of her story are by now fairly well known. After being born in Latvia and recruited into the communist underground as a teenager, Ray fled to South Africa in 1929, where her brother and sister were living. She attended her first communist party meeting a day or so after her arrival. A few days later she joined, and became actively involved in the party. She also became involved in organising a number of trade unions. Then, in 1941, she established FCWU, and became its first General Secretary. Together with its African counterpart, the AFCWU, the union was to be the most important affiliate of the SA Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU). [End Page 97] In 1951 she was listed as a communist, and the following year banned. She nevertheless stood for Parliament as a so-called 'native' representative. She was elected, but prevented from taking her seat. When the communist party was re-constituted underground, she became a member. However faced with the prospect that government was to force her husband Jack Simons from his post at the University of Cape Town, the couple went into exile in 1965, leaving their children behind them. They were the first of the exiles to return in 1990. What lessons is the reader to draw from her story? In a recent article Raymond Suttner, who edited the book, berates the 'white left' for its retreat from politics in the post-1994 period, and its failure to embrace Africanism. Ray together with Bram Fisher and others are held up (icons, again) as examples of non-Africans who willingly embraced the cause of the African majority. The concluding sentence of the book, also emblazoned on the cover, reinforces this kind of populist sentiment 'For me, the finest cause in the world is the struggle for freedom and a full, satisfying life for all our people'. But if the struggle for freedom had a concrete meaning before the 1990s, what does it mean now? How does the workers' struggle relate to the popular struggle, in a context in which the ruling elite is increasingly avaricious, HIV/AIDS is rife and close to a majority of the population is unemployed? How do non-Africans embrace the cause of the majority without simply being relegated to the role of being cheer-leaders for the ruling party? One could not expect this book to address issues such as these. Ray was after all 77 years old when she returned to South Africa, in 1990. What one does look to is for inspiration in dealing with the issues of the day, and some sense that in doing so one is continuing a proud tradition. The energy and courage Ray brought to a wide range of issues is indeed inspiring. Yet this book left me with a sense of disappointment. I attribute this to its failure to frankly acknowledge the difficulties and failures alongside the achievements, and its absence of...

Zenzele: African Women's Self-Help Organizations in South Africa, 1927–1998

Abstract:The Zenzele clubs of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, which date from the late 1920s, were founded by mission-educated African women who sought to improve the lives of rural African women by enhancing their subsistence farming and cooking skills and educating them about household cleanliness, basic child care, and health care. Unlike associations for African women in British colonial Africa, Zenzele clubs did not evolve into political organizations. In the white-run segregated and apartheid states that persisted through 1994, Zenzele women did not engage in direct political action; rather, they sought to unite African women across class and ethnic lines and focused their efforts on community development.

Empirical Findings on the Impact of Affirmative Action on the Training and Development of Black Managers for Corporate Organizations in South Africa

The implementation of affirmative action is an important consideration in organizational dynamics and a strategic priority in South Africa. Training and developing blacks to fill managerial positions is also fraught with the concern to avoid tokenism and is compounded by the shortage of skilled black managers. Some organizations have adopted a proactive stance to accelerate the advancement of blacks into supervisory and managerial roles. Companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and elicited from a special survey of top companies were the target population for the study. The simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample. Primary data for the survey were collected by means of a structured questionnaire, which was personally administered by trained field research assistants. A response rate of 83 percent was obtained. Key findings emerged with regard to the implementation of affirmative action as a strategic business intervention.

Analysing micro‐assistance to democracy: EU support for grassroots organisations in South Africa

Many would agree that democratisation, despite the potential value added by international factors, is essentially an internal process that relies upon the choices and the dynamics present within domestic groupings and, ultimately, within the community of citizens (Carothers 1999). According to some practitioners and academics, this acknowledgement is what distinguishes the rationale of democracy assistance from 'heavier' forms of democracy promotion, such as sanctions or political conditionalities (Burnell 2000). Clearly the assumption here is that states cannot be forced to become democratic, nor can democracy be imposed from the outside. Therefore, supporting democratisation is essentially an activity in which foreign actors (i.e. donors) engage in triggering domestic dynamics that are deemed to be conducive to democratisation. This can be done through programmes supporting specific political parties and nonoffice-seeking civil society organisations (CSOs), but also through programmes aimed at strengthening new democratic institutions (parliaments, the judiciary, etc.): all these activities fall under the label of democracy assistance (Carothers 1999; Burnell 2000; Crawford 2001). Democracy assistance policies have been a common feature in diverse political contexts, since they have been deployed in authoritarian regimes or in transitional scenarios as well as in cases of democratic consolidation. When new democracies are in the process of consolidation, democracy assistance might prove especially successful because it enjoys the explicit consent of the recipient government. In this context, assistance to civil society is likely to encourage democratic deepening, especially when moving from the centre to the local level where forms of neo-patrimonial power are frequent and where it is more difficult for democratic practices to take root. Indeed, since democratisation inevitably proceeds unevenly, authoritarian enclaves often persist most stubbornly at the local level, especially in rural and less developed areas of recently democratised countries. However, assistance to civil society is not necessarily capable of promoting democratic deepening at the grassroots. For instance, some authors have shown that most of the CSOs that receive financial support from international donors are actually elite-dominated think tanks with very little grassroots contact (Ottaway and Chung 1999; Carothers and Ottaway 2000). This can create a divide between the few elite-led CSOs (mainly urban based) with the skills to compete for funds at the international level, and many small organisations (mainly rural based and with real constituencies) that struggle to survive.

Product Life Cycle concept use and application by marketing decision-makers in small South African organisations

The purpose of the study was to test the underlying theory of the product life cycle concept with the primary objective of establishing what the use and practical value of the product life cycle concept is in making marketing decisions in small manufacturing and dealer organisations in Gauteng. The main focus was to test the ability of marketing decision-makers in these small organisations to associate their application and use of the product life cycle concept with Kotler's assumptions on marketing characteristics, described marketing objectives and proposed marketing strategies. A major finding was that small organisations tended to display a marketing knowledge level with the existing marketing theory. Another important conclusion of the study was that the current product life cycle concept theory needs to be broadened to include strategies on the expanded marketing mix. Apart from the different use and application by marketing decision-makers in small organisations in South Africa the product life cycle concept theory has potential as a strategic tool and a high likelihood for its future use as a marketing decision-making instrument.

The Role of Local and Regional Food in Destination Marketing

Summary An analysis of the relevant tourism literature and the promotional material of various destinations indicate that the role of food in the marketing of destinations has until recently received very little attention globally and locally. All indications, however, are that local food holds much potential to enhance sustainability in tourism; contribute to the authenticity of the destination; strengthen the local economy; and provide for the environmentally friendly infrastructure. This paper will highlight the key findings of the preliminary study regarding the utilization of food as a key or supportive attraction by destination-marketing organizations in South Africa. Guidelines for the future development, packaging and marketing of local and regional foods will be postulated and proposals for future research will be outlined.

Consultant as Container

This case study recounts an intervention into the senior leadership group of a state-owned organization in South Africa. What started as an executive education program was transformed into a consulting project, a journey of discovery for both the leadership of this organization and the consultants. The turbulent and oftentimes inverted experiences of the work with this senior leadership team are examined via five anomalous events that form the basis for theorizing about how consultants can function as containers for the emotions of the client system. In this project, the consultants' willingness to absorb and work with the leadership's anxiety, hopelessness, and projections enabled the participants to address the many troubling emotions blocking their growth. This article documents the processes and the theory that led this executive group to an independent and mature way of functioning.

Women doctors in medical professional organisations in South Africa--a report by the Women in Medicine workgroup.

To determine the level of representation of women doctors in medical professional organisations in South Africa historically and currently, and if not adequate, to ascertain the reasons for women's limited participation in medico-political activities. A descriptive study of the membership of South African medical professional organisations and their executive structures. The number and percentages of women doctors as members and at executive level in medical professional organisations compared with the number of registered women practitioners. Women are inadequately represented at all levels in the great majority of organisations for which information was provided. In view of the rapidly increasing number of women doctors the profession and its professional bodies need to take active steps to promote the participation of women in these organisations.

Court orders South Africa to treat pregnant HIV-positive women with nevirapine.

As a result of the legal action launched by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) an AIDS activist organization in South Africa the Pretoria High Court mandated the South African government to make the antiretroviral drug nevirapine available to all pregnant HIV-infected women with public sector support. However the government is appealing the decision on the grounds that the use of nevirapine is a policy matter and should be decided on by the government not the courts. In support with the courts decision former president Nelson Mandela called for antiretroviral drugs to be made available for free in public health facilities for all AIDS sufferers not just pregnant mothers.

Comprehensive Assessment in Occupational Social Work: The Development and Validation of the Corporate Behavioral Wellness Inventory

Objective: The objective is to report on the development and validation of the Corporate Behavioral Wellness Inventory (CBWSI), specifically designed for use by social workers in occupational social work. Method: One thousand and forty employees from different organizations in South Africa were subjected to the original validation research done on the CBWSI. Results: The results clearly indicate that the different subscales on the CBWSI have good reliability, that the scale is strong enough in terms of its measurement error characteristics to recommend it for use in occupational settings, and that the CBWSI appears to be acceptable in terms of its content and construct validity. Conclusions: The CBWSI is a new assessment tool specifically designed for social workers in occupational practice settings, that can be recommended to serve as a tool for assessing diverse employee strengths or to use as part of service delivery to employees.

Hot Meetings and Hard Kraals: African Biblewomen in Transvaal Methodism, 1924-60

At least since Mia Brandel-Syrier memorably descriptionbed female prayer unions or manyanos as the oldest, largest and most enduring and cohesive of all African organisations in South Africa, group zeal of African Christian women, right across various denominations, has increasingly been recognised as a significant indigenous spiritual initiative of long standing.

Can research be project managed?

Due to increasing pressures on their available resources, research institutions are generally speaking in dire need of the more efficient goal achievement apparently afforded by the project management process, if applied appropriately. This article reports on an investigation in a large research organization in South Africa, to determine how closer conformance can be achieved of research projects with the typical characteristics of 'conventional' projects so as to enhance the application of project management techniques to research work. Firstly an overview of 'conventional' project management theory is given to establish a point of departure. Thereafter a number of factors that were identified in the study. which generally inhibits project management application in functionally structured organizations, are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of certain peculiarities of research work that may cause the failure of a proper project management approach. By comparing the above with the determinants of successful project management, five groundrules are then formulated for applying project management to research environments. These groundrules are the necessary prerequisites for the framework for a generalized approach to the application of project management to research environments, which is presented in conclusion.

Economic Rationality or Social Justice? Gender, the National Qualifications Framework and educational reform in South Africa, 1989‐1996

> This article examines the ways in which gender redress has been conceptualised in different phases of the policy development work on the National Qualifications Framework, a key initiative of education reform in South Africa. It identifies two discursive framings for the NQF‐‐the discourse of economic rationalisation, utilised by business and COSATU, and that of social justice, utilised by the ANC and COSATU. It concludes that neither, for different reasons, have grappled with gendered social relations or the gendered, but dispersed, power of the state. The paper points out that the existence of a widespread women's organisation in South Africa during the transition period had little impact on policy formulation in education and training, thus raising questions about ways in which women's demands can have an impact on education policy change.

Gandhi's legacy: the Natal Indian Congress, 1894-1994

Founded by MK Gandhi early in his career, the Natal Indian Congress is one of the oldest political organizations in South Africa. This book traces its course through colonial anti-Asiatic feeling, past apartheid, and into the new democracy.

EMPOWERING SMALL FARMERS THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE CASE OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER

Collective action could be the logical route to empowerment for farmers. By working together farmers can, in principle: identify members' needs and consolidate demand; aggregate members' economic power, and address market failures. These capacities would seem to make farmers' organisations the ideal partners in the area of agricultural technology transformation, which can be described as technology development and transfer. This is proven by the strength of “Organised Agriculture in South Africas commercial farming”. This paper draws on research focused on emerging black farmers' organisations in South Africa and their involvement in agricultural technology. This research makes it clear that the key to effective change in the technology development supply system in South Africa, and thus to much needed productivity increases amongst black small farmers, is held by the technology system itself in the absence of significant support, small farmers' organisations (as currently constituted) can be expected to ...

The Decline of South Africa's Civic Organizations, 1990-1996

Strategic choices were an important factor in the decline of neighborhood-based civic organizations in South Africa's black townships during the process of democratization. But these strategic choices need to be understood in terms of the initial character of civic organizations as a "popular" rather than "social" movement in the 1980s, and the changes in the political context in the early and mid-1990s. During 1990-92 civics sought to define distinct roles for themselves representing the "community" or "civil society." But they did so within a conceptual framework that ignored, and could not accommodate, the emergence of "political society" (i.e., a party system, competitive elections and representative government) at the local level. This ensured their marginalization during 1994-96.

Paradigms lost? paradigms regained: working‐class autobiography in South Africa

This article will examine the continuities and variations in four autobiographies representing different epochs in the development of worker organisations in South Africa: Clements Kadalie's My Life and the ICU (1970), Naboth Mokgatle's The Autobiography of an Unknown South African (1971), Emma Mashinini's Strikes Have Followed Me All My Life (1989) and Alfred Qabula's Cruel Beyond Belief (1989).’ These four texts have received but scant attention from literary critics in South Africa. This paper is therefore an intervention to ‘retrieve’ these texts from the margins of discourses on South African literature. My argument will be that the autobiographers’ positions as activists constitute their primary narrative identity. The recreation of other identities, such as childhood, ethnicity, family and the construction of historical narratives, will be demonstrated to ensue from this primary preoccupation of the autobiographers; they negotiate their subject positions from what is reconcilable with their identities as trade unionists cum activists. The primary identity is itself also contingent on the writer's location at the moment of writing.

Primary health care organization in South Africa: some conceptual issues

Abstract Primary health care is not a simple term with only one definition. Effecting better health care organization in South Africa demands that the policy makers understand the various constructs that are used when discussing health. In the same way the staffing and resourcing of a community based health system require that the social implications of the system be understood. A move from biomedicine to a primary system will involve the integration of traditional medicine and the use of village health workers. For this to be effective, issues of status and power need to be addressed.

Predictors of intention of IS professionals to stay with the organization in South Africa

The study examines the determinants of intention to stay with their organization among 112 IS employees in South Africa. Results show that job satisfaction is the most important factor. Organizational commitment also played a very important role in affecting a person's decision. Indeed, the impact of job characteristics operates through these two variables. Results show that both task-based and organizational-based activities affect commitment and satisfaction. Implications for management are identified.

Strategies of South African professional firms: An empirically grounded typology

Professional organizations are facing a number of environmental challenges in South Africa in the 1990s. The options open to them in successfully positioning their organizations in the face of these challenges presented the research problem. Professional organizations were researched from the perspective of integrated archetypes of organizational form, strategy and the perceptions and values of the top management team. The research was conducted on 56 prominent professional organizations from six professions in South Africa, with an inductive research approach being taken. Theory indicated four possible options and three instruments were developed and tested to test the theory among the partners and stakeholders of the firms. Multivariate techniques of factor and cluster analysis were applied to the resulting data, and the findings indicated five broad configurations of adaptation, three of which concurred with the theory, the fourth which was positioned across the boundaries of two of the theoretical options, and the fifth which was positioned along a third dimension to that suggested by the theory, namely, that of the collective values of the top management team. It appeared that a large number of professional organizations in South Africa still operate successfully from the basis of their professional reputation, but that equally, a number have also adopted more innovative approaches.