Psychological capital, individual antecedents and work related outcomes in the recruitment industry of South Africa.

Abstract

Despite various studies by multifarious scholars on the management–union relationship, lesser attention has been focussed on the influence exacted by this relationship on Organisational Development (OD). This study, therefore, was focussed on the influence of the relationship between management and unions on OD, and the locus was eThekwini Municipality. The original stimulus for this study emanated from the need to operate transformative and developmental municipalities, using OD as a tool while simultaneously dealing with the disharmonious relationship between management and unions, which appears to be standing in the way. The research questions and objectives were developed in support of the above stated aim, together with the theoretical framework which is based on Societal Corporatism. The theory dovetails into what is termed World Class Manufacturing (WCM) which equates to a World Organisation. WCM consists of five (5) building blocks on which the research questions are formulated. The literature review is based on the five (5) building blocks of productivity measurement, flatter and non-hierarchical structures, continuous upgrading of education and skills, union co-operation and fewer grades. The study is positioned along the lines of the constructivist epistemological approach, and therefore the research design employed is the qualitative design method, and the strategy used is structured face-to-face interviews, based on the narrative phenomenological and grounded theory approaches. EThekwini Municipality was chosen as the study site and the sampling method used was the purposive sampling based on nonprobability approach. The sample size of ten (10) Units consisted of Senior Managers, Union Management, Shop stewards and OD Practitioners. The results obtained from the interviews were organised in terms of 5 major themes. The results amongst others delineated that 100% of respondents agreed that the management-union relationship with regards to OD in eThekwini was not healthy, which supported the need for this study. The results in terms of other themes also supported the negative influence, with tall structures, poor productivity, disintegrated v education and skills development initiatives, absence of union cooperation and the proliferation of grades in the municipality grading system, very prominent. The recommendations for a complete turnaround are also presented in terms of each theme with 60% - 100% of respondents in agreement with the need to change for the better. Inter alia, structures must be flattened through the Municipal Manager invoking Section 22 of the MSA stringently, development and implementation of the productivity measurement and improvement policy, training of managers in labour relations and union officials in management practices, the empowerment of the Skills Unit (EMA) by increasing the budget significantly, joint decision making and strategic planning with unions by management to increase union cooperation. The study also proved its heuristic value with several recommendations being escalated for further study.