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Recent Submissions

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    Examining Factors Influencing the Adoption of e-HRM in the South African Public Sector: An Integrated Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory and Trust Perspective
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2019) Phiri, Mxolisi Abednego; Bancilhon, Jean-Marie
    The increase in the use of technology by organizations to transform the Human Resource Management (HRM) function to be more strategic has changed the way employees interrelate and perceive the HRM. For instance, the implementation of technological innovations in human resources has gradually replaced the old traditional face-to-face, manual, and paper-based interactions between employees and their respective HRM personnel. These technological innovations include the use of real-time web-based HRM portals or applications, also known as, the electronic human resource management (e-HRM) to facilitate the employer-employee HRM processes. Furthermore, successful implementation of e-HRM has potential benefits of elevating the value of human resource function (Grant & Newell, 2013) to be that of a strategic business partner (Bondarouk, Schilling & Ruël, 2016), thus reducing time the HR function spends on administrative tasks. However, the diffusion of these technological innovations (e-HRM) into HRM practices and the realization of its potential benefits will depend on whether the employees of a firm are willing to adopt and optimally utilize the technology. It is for this reason that this study was undertaken. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of e-HRM adoption in the South African public sector. Additionally, this study draws on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) and contemporary literature on user trust in technology to develop and test a theoretical model of the factors influencing the South African public sector employees’ adoption of e-HRM. Moreover, this study took a positivist approach and an online survey method was used to obtain the empirical data. The empirical data was collected from a sample of 173 employees of the Road Accident Fund (RAF), a state-owned entity. The results show that there is an overall adoption of e-HRM amongst the RAF employees. Correlation analysis showed that the RAF employees perceived relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, voluntariness, and trust to have a significant direct effect on e-HRM adoption. Additionally, the results showed that trialability had a significant impact on e-HRM adoption on its own but not in the presence of the aforesaid independent variables. In closing, this study serves as a guide for examining factors contributing to e-HRM adoption. In addition, it affords the public sector decision makers with Examining Factors Influencing the Adoption of e-HRM in the South African Public Sector: An Integrated Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory and Trust Perspective
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    Exploring diversity in executive positions among JSE-Listed companies
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Chibi, Nicholus Loyd; Gobind, Jenika
    This research examined gender and racial diversity among executives who lead companies that are listed on the Johannesburg stock Exchange [JSE]. The executive leadership positions in South African companies show low representation of women and historically disadvantaged racial groups despite the country's progressive legislative framework that includes the Employment Equity Act [EEA] and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment [B- BBEE] Act. The research evaluated executive diversity levels while identifying organisational barriers to progress and assessing current policies and organisational strategies. The research employed qualitative methods through senior executive interviews from different sectors while analysing corporate reports that are publicly available. The research based its findings on Social Identity Theory and Agency Theory to understand how identity and bias and governance structures affect diversity results. The study showed that organisations understand diversity's value better, yet they face ongoing challenges from unconscious bias and insufficient leadership development programs and inconsistent transformation policy execution. The research suggests that organisations should implement specific leadership development programs together with enhanced accountability systems and organisational cultural changes toward inclusive leadership approaches. The research adds to South African corporate transformation discussions while offering practical solutions to enhance executive leadership diversity and inclusion.
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    The Role and Nature of Government Support in the Establishment and Sustainability of SMMEs in the Biodiversity Economy
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Bolani, Noma; Venter, Rob
    South Africa’s biodiversity economy presents a unique opportunity to advance inclusive economic growth, rural development, and environmental sustainability. Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) operating within this space, particularly in wildlife and bioprospecting, are positioned to drive conservation-compatible livelihoods. However, the extent to which these enterprises are supported by coordinated, accessible, and enabling institutional frameworks remains underexplored. This study investigates the forms of government support available to biodiversity-based SMMEs and critically evaluates entrepreneurs’ experiences of the regulatory and institutional landscape. Guided by Institutional Theory and the Triple Bottom Line framework, the study adopts a qualitative case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine biodiversity entrepreneurs across several provinces. Thematic analysis of the interview data was complemented by comparative document and policy analysis to assess alignment between the policy intent and lived entrepreneurial experience. The research foregrounds the voices of entrepreneurs to explore how institutional systems enable or constrain their business viability, growth and contribution to environmental goals. Findings revealed that while various government departments, such as the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and provincial conservation agencies, provide intermittent support in the form of grants, training, and infrastructure. This support is however fragmented, delayed or poorly aligned with business needs. Entrepreneurs reported difficulties accessing information, navigating overlapping mandates, and engaging with institutions whose actions were inconsistent across spheres of government. Institutional fragmentation, policy misalignment, and weak enforcement capacity were cited as key barriers. Despite these challenges, the study identified examples of successful institutional partnerships and highlighted entrepreneurship-driven recommendations for improving support eco-systems. These included calls for integrated funding, capacity-building, policy clarity, market facilitation and stronger interdepartmental coordination. The study concludes by recommending institutional reform, improved integrated government support strategies to better enable the growth of biodiversity-based SMMEs. To unlock the full potential of the biodiversity economy, reforms are required to strengthen governance, align support mechanisms and ensure that economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability are equally addressed.
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    Factors influencing the advancement of women into executive management in Gauteng’s infrastructure sector
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Baijnath, Ramona; Gobind, Jenika
    This study critically investigates the persistent underrepresentation of women in executive management within the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID), a pivotal institution in South Africa’s male-dominated public infrastructure sector. Despite progressive policy frameworks, including the Employment Equity Act (1998) and national mandates for 50% female representation at all senior levels, systemic gender disparities remain deeply entrenched. Guided by African feminist epistemology and employing narrative inquiry, this qualitative study centres the lived experiences of five women senior managers; Mariah, Margaret, Mapholba, Kia and Nancy [pseudonyms] to interrogate the complex organisational, personal and intersectional factors influencing women’s advancement into executive roles at the DID. Findings reveal that organisational barriers, including political gatekeeping, pervasive surveillance and entrenched Boys’ Club networks, systematically obstruct participants progression. Participants describe confronting the dual burdens of the glass ceiling, which limits promotion and the glass cliff, where women are assigned high-risk, under- resourced portfolios intended to absorb institutional failure. This hostile environment denies women authority, recognition and support, resulting in widespread burnout and emotional exhaustion. On a personal level, caregiving responsibilities, lack of mentorship and absence of formal development pathways exacerbate these challenges, disproportionately impacting ethnic minority women and compounding systemic exclusion. The experiences of harassment, marginalisation and intellectual erasure further underscore gendered institutional violence as a deliberate mechanism to enforce women’s marginality. Importantly, the study refutes narratives that blame women for their stalled progression. Instead, it reveals how institutional complicity sustains inequality by rewarding conformity to masculinised leadership norms and punishing dissent. Participants exhibit agency through organisational resistance, subversion and redefining leadership beyond traditional frameworks. This research calls for bold systemic reforms, including transparent leadership pipelines, intersectional HR policies and trauma-informed trusted wellness initiatives. Genuine gender equity demands dismantling entrenched power structures and reconstructing institutions on the principles of care, accountability and justice.
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    A Quest for Harmonised Sale Law for Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Existing Harmonised Laws of Sale
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2025) Van Vreden, Trudie Helena
    The AU Constitutive Act establishes the foundation for Africa’s integration into the global economy, with the AU committed to accelerating the objectives of the AEC. A significant milestone in achieving this goal is the establishment of the AfCFTA. However, the effectiveness of increased cross-border trade under the AfCFTA is significantly threatened by fragmented sales law in Africa due to colonial influence. This analysis seeks to identify the most suitable harmonised sales law for Africa to enhance trade efficiency by examining existing instruments with a specific focus on its legislative history, provisions on the sale of goods, interpretational and institutional challenges. It examines key aspects and challenges of the CISG, draws lessons from the UCC and regional integration mechanisms, including OHADA and the EU. Findings suggest that while the CISG provides a globally recognised framework, its adoption in Africa remains limited due to political and economic considerations. The UCC presents a successful model for domestic legal harmonisation, offering key insights into how regional sales law in Africa could be structured and successfully adopted. The EU approach highlights the importance of balancing legal certainty with flexibility. The study further argues that a legal framework with direct effect could facilitate a more efficient harmonisation process. Due to significant resource constraints in Africa, it is argued that the existing framework of OHADA should be utilised whereby African nations join OHADA for the harmonisation of their business laws. It is proposed that Book VIII of the OUAGCL which is already influenced by the CISG, could serve as a foundation for a continental sales law framework. However, to be effectively applied across the AU, this act would require further development, including the incorporation of hardship provisions and a broader African perspective. The research also contends that existing scepticism surrounding OHADA— particularly its perceived francophone influence—could be mitigated through targeted amendments to the OHADA Treaty and Uniform Acts, thereby fostering broader continental acceptance. Revitalising OHADA as a pan-African legal project could secure the necessary funding to strengthen its institutions and promote legal certainty. Ultimately, this analysis advocates for a tailored African sales law framework, integrating international best practices with regional economic realities to create a Harmonised Sale Law for Africa and enhance trade efficiency under the AfCFTA.