Employee training and development in applying affirmative action
Abstract
South Africa is in a period of change and transition. Many aspects within South Africa have changed, are changing and will be changing. South Africa is a diverse nation with a cosmopolitan society. There are many different cultures, each with its own ways and beliefs. South Africa is a new nation, focusing specifically on a non-racial, non-sexist democracy with equal representation on all levels. Affirmative action has a very important role to play within this new dispensation, but rather than resist the reform process, one must concentrate on managing it. Various factors can contribute towards the implementation of affirmative action and the successful management of change and the resistance towards it. Factors such as adult basic education, training and development which are all part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme. Within that context, South Africa is a unique country with an abundance of natural and human resources potential. South Africa must find its own solutions and create its own future, one of equality and fair representation. THE AIM OF THE STUDY The changes taking place in South Africa at present have influenced all people in some or other way. There is a need for occupational reform to keep pace with political development and people empowerment in order to support democracy and more fundamental moral and ethic consideration that all forms of inequality have to be combatted and ultimately ensure fairness and justice for all, especially in the labour market. Viewpoints on the issue of affirmative action are highly divergent, especially in a deeply divided society such as South Africa. Training and development are interdependant factors that play a key role in applying affirmative action, their importance within the new democracy cannot be under estimated. The major aims of this study are the following: • to analyse the necessity of employee training and development within a specific South African industry; • to analyse affirmative action critically; vu
• to determine adult basic education and its importance with employee training and development in applying affirmative action;
• to determine the importance of the Reconstruction and Development Programme and its implementation within a specific South African industry; • to provide guidelines to a specific South African industry regarding the implementation of affirmative action through the training and development programme. METHOD AND SAMPLE A theoretical orientation was done with regards to affirmative action, adult basic education, training and development, and the Reconstruction and Development Programme within an institutional context.
In the empirical survey, a questionnaire was developed taking into account information gathered from a review of literature and discussed with industry experts in the field of Industrial Relations. The questionnaire was carefully screened and pretested. The organization through which research was conducted is an affiliate of Murray & Roberts, a major cement manufacturer in Lichtenburg, namely Blue Circle Cement Ltd. Co. The company employs 580 employees at their Lichtenburg branch. The questionnaires were
distributed to managers at the Lichtenburg branch. There were twenty three respondents and the researcher regarded this as acceptable as at least 40% of managers were absent from the plant on company business. The response was highly favourable as it was only an explorative investigation. CORE FINDINGS Some of the major findings are reflected here. • Respondents were optimistic regarding the present economic climate. • A remarkable 60,9% of respondents found the present political climate to be acceptable. • Although many managers accept change and support the constant need to manage it and change attitudes, as high as 91,3% stated that their employees resisted present changes (the reason for this is personal fear). • A majority of respondents (45,5%) indicated that affirmative action was regarded by them as equal opportunity. This finding was further supported when 95, 7% of respondents indicated their positive belief in affirmative action and the advantages it would hold for their organization. • Promising is the fact that 87,6% of respondents felt training employees was the most important social responsibility of the organization. • Regarding the RDP and its implication to the organization, three quarters of respondents (75,3%) indicated education, training and development was the most important and implemented factor regarding the RDP. • There was a complete (100%) response that illiteracy definitely hampers productivity, but respondents indicated that employees could be trained and developed without being functionally literate (78,3%). • Only 30,4% of respondents stated that the adult basic education programme gave the employee the necessary skills and knowledge required by the employer. • A remarkable 69,6% of respondents stated that they regarded the evaluation of training and development as very important. • Two thirds of the respondents (68,8%) indicated that the major contributory factor to the failure of past training programmes was due to the fact that there was no follow up afterwards. • Although the reaction towards the subject of affirmative action was very positive, 91,3% of respondents indicated that affirmative action would be easier to implement through a programme of training and development. CONCLUDING REMARKS Now that the politicians have taken South Africa into a new democracy, the people of the land can expect many more changes in the near future. The need for economic prosperity cannot be stressed enough. For this, the country and its people need to be developed.
Development on a small scale will ultimately lead to macro development, prosperity to the country and improved quality of life for all South African citizens. South Africa currently has huge human resource potential that fall into the ranks of semiskilled or totally unskilled labour. These workers need to be trained in order to improve the "pool" of skilled workers. This would lead to further developments amongst workers which would ultimately lead to more senior promotions. Affirmative action, although a corrective process, must still be implemented and managed in such a manner that economic viability will never be jeopardized nor become an irrational process. Training and development and affirmative action are very important issues that dominate the labour terain. These two issues are interdependant and compliment each other. Affirmative action is an essential strategy for growth, prosperity and harmony in the business of the future. A successful training and development programme has an important role to play in creating the foundation for a successful affirmative action programme.