African Journal of Employee Relations (formerly South African Journal of Labour Relations)

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• Shop Steward–Management Relationships: A Predictor of Employee–Organisation Relationships

  In this South African study, I aimed to identify the respective influence of human resources practices, procedural fairness, the shop steward–management relationship, and the employee–supervisor relationship on the state of the employee’s relationship with the organisation. The method was quantitative and cross-sectional. A total of 660 production employees from 14 organisations in the value chain of the automotive industry in the Nelson Mandela Bay area of South Africa supplied responses. The relationships between variables were determined through structural equation modelling. Although the study was a cross-sectional study, the use of structural equation modelling points to cause and effect relationships. The best-fit model revealed that the dominant predictor of the employees’ perception of their relationship with the organisation was their perception of the quality of the relationship between shop stewards and management. Trade unions as trusted leaders may fulfil a very important role in mediating workplace relationships, especially in highly unequal societies with deep social divisions. The pivotal importance of the employees’ perception of the shop steward–management relationship creates an onus on both management and trade unions to work to move this relationship from adversarial to constructive and effective. The results may be generalised to highlight the importance of employee representation, whether unionised or non-unionised, at the workplace level. As leaders in the workplace, employee representatives provide the mechanism to mediate relationships, build trust and create strong employee–supervisor and employee–organisation bonds which may have a positive impact on individual and organisational performance.

• The Transaction Costs of the South African Levy–Grant System for Skills Development

  In this article, I seek to explore the ratio between the administrative transaction costs faced by organisations in South Africa for claiming skills development grants and the grants that they achieve. This simple trade-off of costs versus gains is a key factor in whether firms choose to participate in the training-related activities targeted by this system. Anecdotal sources have claimed that excessive administrative costs have led firms to under-claim grants available to them. However, no prior empirical research exists on such costs, presenting a gap in the literature. Accordingly, in this article, I explore the proportion of administrative transaction costs to direct gains in 14 case studies of South African organisations regarding their 2016 activities and expenditures. The results found half of the firms studied to have costs in excess of direct gains from grants. The remaining firms exhibited extreme variability in the cost–gain ratio from very low to near parity. Some evidence suggests that larger firms may enjoy a slight cost–benefit advantage. This research provides some support for the claim that the levy–grant system for skills development may present many organisations with excessive costs compared to gains. The high levels of variability suggest that policymakers should consider cost structures carefully and mitigate policy instruments.

• Investigating the Prevalence of Gender Stereotypes in a South African Mine

  The existence of gender stereotypes is a common phenomenon. Pressure on organisations to establish workforce diversity evolves constantly. However, diversity encourages stereotyping. Once organisations know the stereotypes, they will be able to manage these more effectively. The main aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of gender stereotypes in a mine in South Africa. Limited research has been undertaken to date on the existence of gender stereotypes in the South African mining industry. A sample of 39 employees from a South African mine was selected and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analysed by means of content analysis. Most of the employees who were interviewed understood the concept of gender stereotypes. The most prevalent stereotypes that were found were in-group stereotypes, out-group stereotypes and perceived in- and out-group stereotypes (meta stereotypes). The existence of gender stereotypes in a mine can be managed through establishing various interventions to assist employees to confront their own stereotypes and valuing employees for their contribution and not according to the gender group they belong to. This study adds to the literature and knowledge of gender stereotypes. Limited studies have been conducted on gender stereotypes in South African mines. The information obtained in this study provides insight into the stereotypes that should be managed in the South African mining industry.

• Psychological Contracts and Employee Voice: Does Breach Matter?

  Empirical evidence shows that the type of psychological contract and psychological contract breach affect employees’ work behaviours. One of these behaviours is employee voice, which is a key to organisational dynamics. This research aims to determine empirically the ways in which different types of psychological contract are linked to different types of employee voice, and the ways in which psychological contract breaches affect these relationships. The paucity of literature on the relationship between all three variables necessitated this research. The research targeted South African employees working in medium to large organisations with a staff component larger than 60. In a cross-sectional survey, the respondents were asked to answer a questionnaire on psychological contracts, psychological contract breach and employee voice. Correlation and regression analyses were used to test the relationships and the moderation effect of psychological contract breach on the psychological contract–employee voice links. A total of 620 respondents returned completed questionnaires, which showed acceptable psychometric properties. Relational psychological contracts correlated with promotive dimensions of employee voice, while transactional psychological contracts and psychological contract breach correlated with prohibitive dimensions of employee voice. The psychological contract–employee voice relationship was moderated by psychological contract breach only in a transactional psychological contract environment, and only for the prohibitive employee voice dimension. Psychological contracts and psychological contract breach, as well as the interaction between them, influence employee voice; with hindsight, this occurs in explainable ways. The results contribute to the understanding of the complex relationship between these variables and provide fertile ground for the formulation of targeted hypotheses. Practical recommendations are included.

• The Effect of Leader–Follower Interpersonal Relations on Employees’ Attitude during Change Implementation

  There are numerous guides on the “how” of strategy development, but an insignificant number of resources on the associated implementation that results in leaders assuming employees know what to do at the execution stage. In contrast, employees require positive interpersonal relations with leaders to influence positive attitudinal responses. Leaders in organisations play a pivotal role in the change process as change agents who must be well versed with what exactly is required and how it will be achieved for the benefit of the organisation, employees and other stakeholders. In this study, we explore and illuminate the effect of leader–follower interpersonal relations on employees’ attitude during change implementation. In the study, we used a qualitative phenomenological design whereby the data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 17 participants. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to identify the participants. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The main findings indicated a shift in employees’ attitudes from positive to negative owing to poor interpersonal relations, lack of trust and voiceless leadership during the implementation process. This article enriches the change implementation process by providing insights into the importance of positive work relationships in influencing employee attitudinal support for change. The study indicated that change implementation necessitates the leader’s enthusiasm, skill, knowledge and a collaborative mindset to harness the employees’ positive attitudes. The success of change implementation is premised on the leader’s mastery of the art of change at a personal and organisational level.

• Modelling the Anticipatory Psychological Contract: An SEM Approach

  It is suggested that the “schema theory” approach might promote scholars’ understanding of the psychological contract development process. This approach views occupational newcomers’ anticipatory psychological contract in the pre-socialisation phase of employment. This knowledge could empower employers in general to effectively manage these employees. However, research regarding the anticipatory psychological contract is quite rare with no existing theoretical model to understand first-time employees’ anticipatory expectations and obligations. The focus was therefore to develop and assess the theoretical model of the mental schema of prospective employees through a structural equation model (SEM). A questionnaire was used to gather data from 316 final-year management sciences students. The results supported an excellent fit in the proposed model of the anticipatory psychological contract. This model indicated that entitlement is central to the anticipatory psychological contract, and that the norm of reciprocity was already present in the anticipatory psychological contract.

• South African Industry and Geographic Dynamics Perspective on the Link Between Employee Diversity Attributes and Employee Productivity

  This study is part of an ongoing research project on various aspects of employee productivity in the South African workplace. The aim of the article is to measure the industry and geographic dynamics of the impact of different employee diversity attributes on productivity as no South African econometrically focused publications on this particular topic exist. I deemed it important to close this gap in the employee productivity literature. I applied an employee real remuneration model with a dissimilarity index vector and an industry dynamics vector to estimate the spillover effects of employee productivity for different employee diversity attributes. To validate the robustness of the estimates of the employee real remuneration model, estimations of the fixed-effect panel data were done for the full firm-based data sets. The estimation results indicated the same productivity pattern for the two industries in the three geographic areas. The productivity estimates suggest that the impacts of higher employee productivity spillovers (for all diversity subcategories) were more prominent for the area of the stronger gross geographic product. Limitations of this study that should be addressed are studies focused on the individual employee level and the productivity impact of the different levels of female remuneration gaps in the workplace. The estimation methodology applied in this study and the results thereof are intended to contribute to human resource policy debates on the impact of employee diversity attributes on employee productivity across industries and geographic areas in a diverse workplace.

• Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives on Employee Engagement, Work From Home and an Employee Wellness Programme in a Debt Collection Organisation in Gauteng, South Africa

  The Covid-19 pandemic rapidly changed and is still changing the way people live and work on a global scale. During the pandemic, most organisations are forced to implement a work-from-home solution, irrespective of employees' preferences, abilities, and the nature and extent of jobs. In this research, we aimed to explore perspectives on employee engagement, work from home and an employee wellness programme in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic among employees of an organisation that focuses on outsourced debt collections. The study was conducted within a positivistic research paradigm. A quantitative cross-sectional, survey design was employed. Total population sampling was used. Data were collected from 95 respondents through a webbased survey using a coded questionnaire. From the results of study, it became evident that the proactive approach taken by the leadership of the organisation early in 2020, in anticipation of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in positive outcomes for the organisation. The results indicated that the employees were, to a great extent, engaged in the workplace, mainly owing to organisational and leadership support, the flexibility allowed in the work-fromhome model and organisational concern for the health and wellness of employees. However, the employees were subjected to challenges generally experienced by homeworkers during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as increased workloads and working hours, loneliness due to isolation, and inadequate office infrastructure. The results of the study are important to inform business decisions regarding the work-from-home model as a temporary or alternative working arrangement in the organisation under investigation and may benefit organisations operating in similar contexts.

• Covid-19 Pandemic: Perspectives on Employee Engagement, Work From Home and an Employee Wellness Programme in a Debt Collection Organisation in Gauteng, South Africa

  The Covid-19 pandemic rapidly changed and is still changing the way people live and work on a global scale. During the pandemic, most organisations are forced to implement a work-from-home solution, irrespective of employees' preferences, abilities, and the nature and extent of jobs. In this research, we aimed to explore perspectives on employee engagement, work from home and an employee wellness programme in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic among employees of an organisation that focuses on outsourced debt collections. The study was conducted within a positivistic research paradigm. A quantitative cross-sectional, survey design was employed. Total population sampling was used. Data were collected from 95 respondents through a webbased survey using a coded questionnaire. From the results of study, it became evident that the proactive approach taken by the leadership of the organisation early in 2020, in anticipation of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in positive outcomes for the organisation. The results indicated that the employees were, to a great extent, engaged in the workplace, mainly owing to organisational and leadership support, the flexibility allowed in the work-fromhome model and organisational concern for the health and wellness of employees. However, the employees were subjected to challenges generally experienced by homeworkers during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as increased workloads and working hours, loneliness due to isolation, and inadequate office infrastructure. The results of the study are important to inform business decisions regarding the work-from-home model as a temporary or alternative working arrangement in the organisation under investigation and may benefit organisations operating in similar contexts.

• Leveraging the Corporate Brand to Attract and Retain Talent in South Africa and Other Emerging Economies

  With critical global talent shortages, the compounding effect of socio-economic challenges and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies in South Africa and other emerging marketplace economies are struggling to attract and retain the talent required for organisational success. The literature supports the use of employer brand-building practices to attract talent and internal branding to retain talent. The corporate brand plays a central role in both talent attraction and retention as it navigates the employer and internal brand and aligns all stakeholders, including talent. A lack of insight into talent attraction and retention through brand building in South Africa fuelled the need for a qualitative study in companies rated as top South African brands. Interviews with cross-functional strategic leaders provided data for thematic analysis. Notably, the dominant theme, which accounted for more than half of the cumulative content data, indicated the prominence of the corporate brand in talent attraction and retention. In this article, we discuss the significance of this finding in context of the current business landscape in emerging economies such as South Africa, in which widespread disruption continues to change the reality within which talent is attracted and retained. Ten leading practices are presented, along with five related management implications, which provide human resources and talent management with guidance on leveraging the corporate brand to attract and retain talent. Research limitations related to the sample of top South African brands inform recommendations for further research into brand building for talent attraction and retention in other emerging economies.

Featured documents

• Customer service improvement through engagement : a study of the semi-skilled, frontline workforce in the retail industry in South Africa

  In economically challenging times, business needs to focus on all elements of operation to improve profitability. Engagement has been identified as an emerging theme that is successful in increasing profitability by creating a workforce that is more dedicated and actively present. Within the ...

• The effects of organisational commitment and employee perceptions of equity on organisational citizenship behaviour in Zimbabwean SMEs

  Organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour have been extensively researched from the perspective of antecedents and outcomes. Literature shows that employee perceptions of equity relationships in organsations have been less extensively chronicled in research, especially in...

• The effect of race on CEO pay-performance sensitivity in South Africa

  South Africa's labour policies and the growing societal calls to better explain executive remuneration create a unique opportunity to examine the effects of race on CEO pay. This empirical research study sought to investigate the effects ofrace on the sensitivity of executive pay to corporate...

• "We cannot discriminate against someone without an eye or a leg ... But I do look at obesity" : statistical discrimination and employers' recruitment strategies at housecleaning service companies in Johannesburg

  The landscape of paid domestic work has changed considerably in recent years with the growth in the number of housecleaning service companies in South Africa and elsewhere. Housecleaning service companies transform domestic work into a service economy where trained domestic workers render a...

• The impact of minimum wages in the environment and culture sector of the expanded Public Works Programme

  The Public Works Programme initiated during the Great Depression in the United States was known for its ability to stimulate economic activity through employment creation. Its aim of alleviating poverty and reducing inequality finds an echo in one of the primary objectives of South Africa's...

• Return-to-work experiences of female employees following maternity leave

  Corporate culture seemingly does not encourage talented women to return to the workplace or continue to operate effectively in the workplace, while managing their domestic responsibilities. This has a direct influence on the progression of talented women to senior positions and their retention in...

• Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) impact on work-home interference in a South African Commuter Transport Engineering Company
• Total rewards and its influence on job satisfaction and organisational commitment in higher education
• The value of graduate destination survey data in understanding graduate unemployment : a focus on the universities of technology

  This article contributes graduate destination survey (GDS) evidence to the debate about graduate unemployment in South Africa. There has been lively contestation on the topic for several years, including several contributions from the commercial press arguing that graduate unemployment is very high....

• The CEO's route to the top : the South African experience

  In this study we draw on a series of in-depth interviews with chief executives of some of South Africa's most prominent businesses, to investigate how their careers unfolded as they rose to the top of their organisations. Twenty-seven CEOs of South Africa's top companies were interviewed. Eleven of ...