Browsing by Author "Maharaj, Ashika."

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Challenges facing the Cuban-South African medical collaboration for medical capacity building in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2023) Chinniah, Valerie.; Maharaj, Ashika.
The South African public healthcare system faces significant disparity between the demand for healthcare services and the availability of skilled medical professionals. To address this, the government collaborated with Cuba to train South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the intention that they would return to serve in underserved areas upon qualification. The aim of the study was to identify challenges at macro, meso, and micro levels of the Cuban-South African medical collaboration. The overarching question was whether the exploration and resolution of the challenges within this collaboration could contribute to optimising the effectiveness of the programme aligned with the WHO’s SDGs for UHC and health care reforms, emphasizing primary health care in South Africa. Drawing on theoretical perspectives including Migration Theory, Resource-Based Theory, and Human Capital Theory, a conceptual model was developed to highlight the importance of investing in human resources for competitive advantage. An exploratory, qualitative study was conducted by reviewing relevant human resources for health policy documents, and through interviews with University of KwaZulu-Natal programme administrators, programme managers and South African students in Cuban cohorts, providing a holistic investigation into the challenges facing the collaboration. Document analysis and purposive snowball sampling methods were utilised to choose pertinent policies, records, and participants for this study. This combined approach aimed to gather comprehensive insights by examining documented policies and capturing the first-hand experiences and perspectives of individuals actively engaged in the Cuban-South African medical collaboration. Thematic analysis of relevant policies revealed misalignment with South Africa's healthcare objectives. Interviews highlighted challenges such as adapting to the institutional and cultural differences, technical, social and psychological hurdles. Despite training in Cuba, students' primary healthcare skills are often under utilised upon their return, emphasizing the need to recognize and preserve these skills for use in underserved areas. Therefore, a model was developed from these findings to guide stakeholders in enhancing the programme experience. The study recommends acknowledging and utilising primary healthcare skills acquired in Cuba to improve healthcare delivery in rural and underserved areas. This could lead to sustained quality healthcare for marginalized communities and contribute to a transformation in healthcare culture.
An empirical study of the reward preferences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academics.
(2017) Makhanya, Sharon Nosipho.; Maharaj, Ashika.
The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of the rewards offered by UKZN to attract, retain and motivate academic employees. The Reward Preference Questionnaire (RPQ) adopted from Nienaber, Bussin and Henn (2011), and modified by Snelgar, Renard and Venter (2013) was used to collect the data for this study. A total of 140 questionnaires were administered to Westville, Howard College and Medical School campuses with 111 questionnaires completed and returned. Descriptive statistics were utilised to analyse the responses and presented in the form of tables and graphs. Principal component analysis was used to extract factors. Four factors were extracted and named; ie., base pay, benefits, performance recognition and career management and quality work environment.The study found that UKZN academics are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied by base pay, benefits, and performance recognition and career management. However, the study found that the academics at UKZN are highly dissatisfied by quality work environment. The study also found that age, level of education, job level and conditions of service influence reward preferences. In addition, the study found that the respondents view rewards offered by the institution to be unfairly and inconsistently implemented. The respondents indicated that they were unhappy with the way performance management was rated; differences in conditions of service; confusing rewards; unfair implementation of academic promotions and unfair, inconsistent implementation of sabbatical leave. This study recommends that the institution should create reward systems that are based on the academic’s preferences by focusing on benefits, base pay, quality work environment, performance recognition and career management as they were indicated as the reward categories that attract, retain and motivate academics. This study’s findings contribute to knowledge by investigating the most valued rewards categories and the contribution of rewards to attraction, motivation and retention of academic staff. This study will also be beneficial to policy makers, Human Resources Departments and to Higher Education institutions. Furthermore, this study provides evidence to assist the employer in developing suitable and improved rewards packages to enhance the attraction, motivation and retention of academics of high calibre.
Expatriate academics and expatriate management in a South African higher education institution.
(2014) Maharaj, Ashika.; Ortlepp, Karen.; Mutinta, Given Chigaya.
The main aim of the study is to examine the staffing trends of academics in SA higher education in order to compare South African academics to expatriate academics. A secondary aim of the study is to examine the international career experience of expatriate academics at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) from the perspective of expatriate academics concerning their reasons for relocating to South Africa as well as their experience of organisational and social support as well as from the perspective of organisational stakeholders, namely their academic line managers and human resource (HR) specialists at UKZN. Currently, SA is facing major skills and staffing shortages in terms of Science, Engineering and Agriculture. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DOHET) has provided funding to source international talent to allow SA universities to run programmes in scarce skills disciplines to create ‘home grown’ talent to overcome the staff and skills shortages. This type of international talent remains a largely under-researched group, as they have been labelled ‘self-initiated expatriates (SIEs)’. Many academics embark on international mobility in order to develop their careers and to improve their marketability and employability, therefore are part of this group and are called expatriate academics. The problem comes in when universities do not have formal policies in place to manage their international talent so as to retain this valuable human resource, they are managed no differently than their local colleagues despite facing a myriad of challenges in the form of general, work and interaction adjustment (Black and Gregersen, 1999). By examining expatriate academics experiences at UKZN, the aim of the study is to create a programme especially designed to assist expatriate academics to successfully adjust to life at UKZN and their communities in KwaZulu-Natal. This study has adopted a mixed methodology, using secondary data, quantitative and qualitative methods to extract the data required to examine expatriate academics in South African higher education and at UKZN. Firstly, an analysis of staffing trends in publically funded SA higher education institutions over the three years 2005/2010/2012 was conducted during the secondary data collection phase of the current study. Secondly, a self-reporting questionnaire consisting of questions covering the reasons for relocation and actual experience of expatriation was administered to expatriate academics at UKZN. Furthermore, the questionnaire incorporated the “Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitude Scales” (PBCA) which was developed by Briscoe, Hall and Demuth (2006:16).Thirdly, semi-structured interviews with academic line managers (heads of school, deans, discipline co-ordinators, supervisors) and HR specialists were conducted. This helped to provide the employer’s perspective, which is useful as a way of situating the faculty, school, discipline and administration’s viewpoint within the larger institution. The results of the secondary data collection phase results revealed that there were no significant differences in age between SA and expatriate academics nationally over the three years. However, when examining the age of academics (SA and expatriate), it is clear to see that it is a truly heterogeneous group of individuals. However, at UKZN over the three years there have been more female SA academics employed. A comparison of the academic qualifications of SA and expatriate academics over the three years indicates that expatriate academics are more highly qualified than their SA colleagues, as the majority of the former hold a doctoral degree. The majority of expatriate academics are recruited from SADC countries as well as other African countries. Interestingly enough, the next most frequent major supply region of expatriate academics to South Africa is Europe. WITS and UCT were consistently ranked first and second in terms of the number of expatriate academics employed over the three years. Both are among the leading five higher education institutions in South Africa in terms of their research outputs as well as the number of PhDs per member of staff. Secondly, an investigation into the motivation behind the expatriate academics’ decision to relocate was carried out. These findings suggest that there is no one primary motivation but rather a variety of motives at any given life stage or career stage that may together motivate expatriate academics in general. The motive Career appeared to be dominant among the respondents in this study, closely followed by Adventure/Travel and then Financial. Thirdly, the individual career experiences of expatriate academics in this study indicate that the majority are well adjusted in terms of their relationships with their host country colleagues and their relationships with family and friends back home as well as in terms of the fulfillment of their expectations regarding work. They did, however, indicate that their experience of organisational support could have been improved during their experience as well as during the pre-departure phase. Unlike previous studies, the results of this study indicate that expatriate academics do not share close ties with other expatriates or local South Africans in the university community or within the communities in which they lived. Fourthly, expatriate academics had to deal with many challenges during their career experience here in South Africa. These have been discussed across three levels, macro- (administrative), meso- (work adjustment) and micro-level (family and lifestyle adjustment). This proves that SIEs face many challenges that hinder their ability to expatriate and have positive career experiences. The PBCA scale was developed by Brisoe, Hall and Demuth (2006) and adapted for use in an academic setting. The results from the use of the scale in the current study indicate that respondents exhibit a protean career attitude which suggests that they are “able to develop a greater adaptability and self-awareness thereby ensuring a proactive smart employee” (Briscoe and Hall, 2006:16). These results confirm the results of the Expatriation Experience sub-scale in which it was found that the respondents were well adjusted to their work environment. The respondents in this study are best described ‘solid citizens’ in terms of the Career Profiles of Contemporary Career Agents (see Table 3.4) developed by Briscoe and Hall (2006). Fifthly, the major opportunities, according to management, presented by having expatriate academics at UKZN include access to subject matter expertise, diversity and a wealth of knowledge and experience. These academics also bring with them valuable social capital in the form of resources like networks of contacts, collaborative research opportunities and innovative curriculum development. Above all else, they serve as the solution to the critical skills shortages South Africa is facing particularly in the fields of science, engineering and mathematics. This study is a multi-disciplinary study, that is situated in a number of disciplines such as expatriate management, career management, migration as well as higher education studies. Therefore it adds to the existing body of knowledge by providing a multi-disciplinary approach to a concept that was previously exclusively dealt with in management studies in a business environment. This study is therefore unique as it highlights the perceptions of organisational support by expatriate academics to assess whether or not the organisation, in this case UKZN is doing enough to ensure the success of the international experience of expatriate academics.
Family responsibility and paternity leave among male employees at eThekwini municipality.
(2012) Liphapang, Mosiuwa Ezael.; Maharaj, Ashika.
Family responsibility arrangements are an important driver of retention strategies at a global level. Both the data and anecdotal evidence confirm that hours of work are increasing. Globally, 57 percent of people work more than 40 hours a week. This is making it more difficult for working mothers and fathers to maintain a work-life balance. Furthermore, female labour force participation in South Africa rose from 38 percent in 1995 to 51.2 percent in 2008 (Stats SA, 2008). At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of people in need of care, especially young children needing early childhood care. A poor work-life balance, reflected in poor or inadequate family responsibility arrangements, not only results in higher medical claims but also an increase in employee turnover and absenteeism. In contrast, companies that help employees achieve a work-life balance by putting worker-friendly family arrangements in place often witnessa significant decline in these ‘markers’, especially absenteeism and employee turnover. EThekwini Municipality is not immune to these challenges. Like any other workplace; the Municipality needs to promote family-friendly working arrangements. These would include human resource policies which encourage male employees to utilise the family responsibility leave provided by the Municipality. This study analyses the take up of family responsibility leave and paternity leave among male employees at eThekwini Municipality. The paucity of literature in this area of study motivated the current study, which measures how family responsibility leave is promoted and used in eThekwini Municipality and how it contributes to a family-friendly working environment, which will, in turn, be a strategic tool in ‘talent management’. This study revealed that eThekwini Municipality offers family responsibility leave over and above the provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. However, most male employees do not make use of family responsibility leave even though they believe it is important to do so. It is also evident from this study that getting the work-family or family-work balance right is not only vital to improve the welfare of female employees; but that it also has a positive impact on gender equality and equal opportunities for men and women by reducing the disturbance of careers that are often lost to women due to their caring responsibilities.
The influence of the family during self-initiated expatriation.
(2022) Mathe, Sibahle.; Maharaj, Ashika.
Since the reintegration of South Africa into the global world, the country has attracted immigrants of different categories, both from far and near. There are two types of expatriates, namely traditional and self-initiated expatriates (SIE). This study investigated the influence of the family on self-initiated expatriates (SIE) during expatriation. The study adopted a qualitative methodology to investigate. The target population of the study was approximately 200,000 expatriates who reside in Durban, South Africa. A snowball sampling methodology was used to select 30 samples, including shop attendants, shop owners and other categories of SIEs from Asia and Africa. However, data was collected from only 18 participants through interviews to understand better the participants' opinions, behaviour, and experiences concerning the phenomenon. The data was then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the expatriation of SIEs to South Africa is influenced by factors such as job opportunities, business and trade, education, political instability and civil war, family problems, fear of persecution, infrastructure development and desire to travel abroad. In addition, it was found that the nature of marriage, family size, children education and well-being and work-life balance are essential family-related factors that influence the decision of SIEs to emigrate to South Africa. Moreover, the study discovered the adjustment challenges self-initiated expatriates and their families faced in South Africa, including the cost of living, permit issues, culture differences, loneliness, xenophobia, unemployment, language difference and escalating crime. Based on these challenges, the following recommendations were made: cross-cultural training, social networking, government protection and language training. Future research should consider using a quantitative research method, or a mixed methodology and a large sample size to determine adjustment strategies employed by self-initiated expatriates and their families in South Africa.
An investigative study on the relationship between work motivation (Intrinsic& Extrinsic) and work engagement in a South African higher educational institution.
(2018) Muranda, Alpha Adonis.; Maharaj, Ashika.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Work Motivation (Intrinsic & Extrinsic) and Employee Work Engagement among Durban University of Technology academic staff. The economy in the 21st century has become knowledge based which is highly global, informative, technology based, and increasingly concerned with society and the environment. However, in higher education institutions (HEIs), which are considered the hub of knowledge, the retention of knowledge workers, commonly referred to as academics, has become a crucial issue. Talent retention and employee turnover, therefore, are major concerns HEIs. Thereby, the need for this study to investigate the relationship between work motivation and employee engagement within the Higher Education Institute of Durban University of Technology (DUT). A quantitative research approach was used for this study to address the research problem as well as to answer the research questions. A sample (n= 318) was drawn from employees of the Durban University of Technology Academic staff. Data was collected through standardised questionnaires. Two standardized questionnaires, the Utrecht Work Engagement Survey (UWES), and Work Preference Inventory (WPI) for motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) were used to obtain data from the participants. The results from the analysis of this study indicated a significant positive correlation between employee engagement and intrinsic motivation. The study also concluded that there is a negative correlation between extrinsic motivation and employee engagement. In relation to employee engagement with other demographic variables used in this (length of service, educational qualifications and age), length of service does not make any statistically significant contribution to employee work engagement. The analysis of this study concluded that educational qualification does not make a statistically significant contribution to employee work engagement. In relation to age, the study found that it made a statistically significant contribution to employee work engagement and was the second strongest determinant after intrinsic motivation. The findings point out that DUT academics prefer intrinsic factors to enhance their work engagement. Findings of this study provides instruction to DUT management about the institution’s efficiency and effectiveness in relation to motivation and work engagement. DUT organisational objectives will be met by providing (intrinsic) motivation which will make employees more engaged. DUT need to foster a conducive work environment that enables employees be intrinsically motivated to be engaged in their jobs. However, the researcher also recommends that more extensive research investigation into the relationship between work engagement and motivation in relation to corporate culture can be explored.
The migration experience and cross-cultural adjustment of migrant Zimbabwean teachers in eThekwini municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Dzvuka, Magaret.; Maharaj, Ashika.
There is paucity of research unpacking South Africa (SA) as a receiving country for migrant teachers and how they have adjusted to the new work environment (Manik, 2011b). This necessitates research into this area. The main aim of the study was to document migration and work experiences of migrant Zimbabwean teachers in the eThekwini Municipality and to ascertain whether they are adjusting to their teaching craft in SA. The research also sought to find out the opportunities and challenges they encountered in their craft in eThekwini. The information gained in this study, it is hoped, will shed light on how current policies and working environment is viewed by migrant Zimbabwean teachers. The data was drawn from a qualitative study that used face-to-face interviews and telephonic interviews. Snowball sampling was used for sampling since the target population was somewhat hidden or hard to reach ,the sample size consisted of fifteen Zimbabwean teachers and ‘thematic analysis was used to analyse data (Clarke and Braun, 2013; Vaismoradi, Turunen, & Bondas, 2013). The findings indicated that the majority of the migrant Zimbabwean teachers moved to SA during the peak of economic crisis in Zimbabwe. The push factors for migration were economic instability, political instability and unfavourable living conditions (Gebre 2007; Stanojoska and Petrevski, 2015). Zimbabwean teachers attested that they were not able to meet the basic requirements for their families hence they decided to move to SA. The challenges encountered by Zimbabwean migrant teachers included unfriendly colleagues, ill-disciplined learners, difficulties in acquiring and renewal of permits, lack of job security, unfamiliar teaching environment, lack of induction, difficulties in communication, and expensive accommodation. They cited educational advancement as an opportunity since most of them were continuing with their education and working at the same time. Ill-disciplined learners and difficulties in communication not only affect the work performance of migrant teachers but also hamper the progress of learners. Some seemingly xenophobic attitudes prevalent in the work place manifest in the non-acceptance of English as a medium of communication among most stakeholders in the school community that include; colleagues, parents, support staff and learners. This hinders communication and deters migrant teachers from performing their job optimally. This research concluded that more research on strategies that improve the adjustment of migrant teachers to the new working environment is needed. Possible strategies may include introduction of induction programs in schools for both migrant teachers and local stakeholders and the offering of Zulu lessons.
The role of social media as a tool for recruitment from the perspective of postgraduate students and HR practitioners.
(2019) Dayanand, Suman.; Maharaj, Ashika.
Previously social media was the territory for teenagers and young students. Nowadays, millions of people have registered on social networking sites. Several companies worldwide have acknowledged its value. Melanthiou, Pavlou and Constantinou (2015) found that social media is being used as part of E-recruitment strategies in companies and is rated as being more cost- effective and efficient than LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are predominantly used for recruitment (Vyas, Mirji, & Hanji, 2015). Since there is minimal research on the topic in South Africa (Koch, Gerber & de Klerk, 2018; Cilliers, Chinyamurindi & Viljoen, 2017), the researcher’s aim is to contribute to the body of knowledge. The main objective is to explore the role of social media as a recruitment tool from the perspective of Postgraduate students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Human Resource (HR) practitioners from various industry sectors. A mixed methodology approach was used in this study. The research instruments were questionnaires and interviews. A total of 175 questionnaires were distributed to postgraduate students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and interviews were conducted with six Human Resource practitioners from different organisations in South Africa. Reliability and validity of the study were conducted. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis, including thematic content analysis. The quantitative findings showed that 95% of Honours students have a professional account on social media; more than 60% of them spent at least three hours on social media daily. Over 70% of the respondents indicated that they used social media for job seeking and the two most favoured sites were LinkedIn (67.1%) and Facebook (47.9%). The qualitative findings indicated that LinkedIn is favourable with regards to filling senior management positions; while Twitter attracts graduates for more entry level employment opportunities. Although the use of Facebook and Instagram surfaced in the feedback, it was not prominent nor extensively used for effective recruitment across industries in South Africa. Part of the recommendations that arose from the study was the training of Human Resource practitioners to use social media technologies optimally in the recruitment process. There is scope for further research on the topic regarding the privacy of social media as a tool for recruitment in South Africa.
A study of employment equity in higher education institutions in Durban, South Africa.
(2020) Nunoo, Grace Nketiaba.; Maharaj, Ashika.
Post 1994, several reforms took place in South Africa aimed at transforming all institutions to become representative of all citizens. However, discriminatory practices, inequalities and racism still prevail in the South African workplace. This study investigates the implementation of the employment equity (EE) in Higher Education Institutions using the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as the case study organisation. A mixed methods approach was used to collect and analyse both quantitative and qualitative data. The target population of the study was made up of 240 participants who had in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon. Purposive sampling used to select 10 participants for the qualitative phase, whereas the stratified sampling was used to select 138 respondents for quantitative phase. Interviews were used to collect the data for the qualitative phase, while the quantitative phase analysed the existing 2018 EE reports available at UKZN. The qualitative results revealed that the barriers to EE in the University include remuneration, institution culture, recruitment practices, selection criteria, retention of designated groups, succession planning and reverse discrimination. It was found that EE legislation has a positive impact on recruitment and selection and talent management practices. The quantitative results, on the other hand, showed that targets were met at some levels and in some groups whilst, they were not met by others. The quantitative findings further showed that most posts at UKZN, especially at top, senior and professionally qualified and experienced levels were filled by men and not women. The study recommends the need for culture diversity, EE awareness and communication, a positive attitude to EE, strong leadership support and commitment, compliance with EE regulations and EE sensitivity. The study was limited to the staff at UKZN. Future research should be comparative in nature to assess how EE is implemented at UKZN and other HEIs.
Work motivation and employee engagement at a state-owned enterprise in Richards Bay.
(2024) Xulu, Lungile Sinethemba.; Maharaj, Ashika.
The study aimed to explore the relationship between work motivation and employee engagement at a selected parastatal organisation in Richards Bay, South Africa. Employees are a company's greatest asset, and increasing their motivation and engagement is essential for corporate expansion. Organisations are confronted with several difficulties, including high absenteeism rates, low productivity, and high labour turnover rates which are related to low employee engagement and a lack of motivation at work. The following theories were used in the study, that is Herzberg's Two Factor Theory and Alderfer's ERG Theory, both of which recognize the components that are related to motivation. The researcher selected Kahn’s Need Satisfying approach, Job Demand Resource Model (2007)and Lawrence & Nohria's Four Drive Theory (2002) to unpack the factors of employee engagement. A quantitative research approach was adopted to collect primary data in the form of questionnaires. Standardized questionnaires namely the revised Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) were used to measure employee engagement and they were distributed electronically and manually. The Work Preference Inventory was employed to evaluate both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 24 was used to analyze the data since it enabled data analysis and statistical test execution. The research population consisted of 329 junior employees from the parastatal the”Krejcie and morgan model” suggested that 180 participants was appropriate for the study. The researcher received 93 responses. The findings show that only 52% of the employees feel like they are bursting with energy as they are not motivated, while approximately 48% feel happy when they are working intensely. Only 41% indicated that they feel like going to work every day. The study found about 54% of the respondents enjoy trying to solve complex problems at their workplace, while about 56% enjoy tackling problems that are completely new to them. The Work Preference Inventory, which measures intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in individuals, is built to be reliable as it captures the key components of the intrinsic drive, which are self-determination, competence, and work participation. The study concluded that motivation was related to needs satisfaction and a product that comes from a cognitively conscious decision. Given the limitations of the research and operational nature of the parastatal setting, it proved difficult to get questionnaires promptly as the employees follow a shift schedule. The study recommended the need for organisations to involve employees in decision-making to address employee engagement and employee motivation. It further recommends the need to invest in the two constructs.
Work-life balance: a case of female information and communication technology professionals at a telecommunications company.
(2021) Munyeka, Wiza.; Maharaj, Ashika.
An organisation’s ability to operate effectively depends on how well it pays attention to its most important resource, its human resource. In South Africa, great strides have been made to redress past injustices which resulted in a skewed workforce. Statistics SA (2019) quarterly population reports estimate that females outnumber males in the South African population, but the workplace indicates the opposite. This study’s primary objective was to explore the work-life balance experiences of female Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals in a telecommunication work setting. The study’s theoretical framework was the Life Course perspective by Giele and Elder (1998), and Border Theory by Clark (2000). To extract data required for analytical purposes a mixed methodology which utilises quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Using a purposive sampling technique, a sample of 50 female ICT professionals was chosen for the quantitative study. This was done using an online survey of GoogleTM Drive Forms, and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 26. For the qualitative study, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted using thematic analysis with the Atlas.ti version 8 analysis software’s aid. The quantitative data collection phase indicated that employees were aware of policies and programmes in place, addressing work-life balance at Telkom. Results from the qualitative phase exploring the respondents’ experiences in terms of occupational interpretations of work, domestic interpretations of home, and interpretations of work-life synergy, revealed that professional females, regardless of their cultural background, experienced similar pressures and challenges. The study contributes to the body of knowledge as there has been a paucity of studies conducted on South African Information and Communications Technology female professionals. This study resulted in a work-life balance framework that links the Life Course perspective by Giele and Elder (1998) and Border Theory by Clark (2000), making a novel contribution to the empirical body of work-life balance.