The purpose of this study is to
Pursue theories of diversity management in the administration and management of public organisations through the ages and review their influence in the management of large, complex and multi-site public institutions. This will be done by surveying the history and theory of diversity in the past and present. Reference will be made to the past because the discipline of public administration is intimately concerned with the past, as any administrative problem is studied in its manifestation through the ages. This is done to determine what happened at a given time, and how managers and administrators of public institutions might have promoted or hampered diversity management policies, procedures and structures through the ages.
Evaluate the effectiveness of workshops, empowerment and capacity building programmes as well as workplace intervention strategies which are aimed at helping college employees to accept, tolerate and respect other cultural groups. This will be done by surveying institutional development and human resource development in relation to the dimensions of culture, management, leadership and systems to find out whether these relate to the transformation of all those who are involved in the effort of changes. The researcher will indicate that transformation is not only about changing structures and physical properties, but is a process which must change those who are its proponents.
The study will recommend diversity management strategies that will focus on how the FET colleges can increase diversity without losing the benefits of organisational homogeneity, such as consistency in organisational values and quality levels.
Survey college managers‟ perceptions of labour unions with a view to determining the extent to which the labour unions and college managers cooperate in achieving their objectives and fulfil their obligations of providing employees with a conducive workplace where there is acceptance, tolerance and respect for different cultural groups. Particularly, labour unions‟ role in
shaping development opportunities and outcomes through various strategies and interventions will be examined. This will be done by surveying labour union involvement in the management of public institutions in foreign countries to determine the common problems encountered and how those problems were solved. The study will also examine the role and nature of trade union activity on equality, for example, on equality bargaining and cultural diversity issues. The study will outline the economic and political objectives of trade unions insofar as they relate to equality and diversity. This will be done by discussing the features of internal trade union organisation and democracy, which may give rise to constraints on the unions‟ ability to pursue an equality and diversity agenda. Discussing unions‟ failure to adequately address equality issues, Kirton and Greene (2005:173) suggest that unions need to be seen to meet the needs of diverse groups of employees in order to boost membership recruitment. Thus positive and successful union actions in the areas of discrimination and equality will be major selling points in the drive to recruit diverse members. The researcher will indicate that the potential of collective bargaining to promote equality is derived from its nature as a collective instrument, which should widen the focus from individual cases of discrimination to achieving equality for the entire workforce. The study will therefore indicate that equality and diversity issues can easily slip off the bargaining agenda in a hostile economic or organisational climate, more so particularly if union negotiations have little or no practical interest in them. The study will recommend strategies for college managers to cooperate with labour unions in realising their potential as agents of change and in promoting equality and diversity management policies successfully.
To provide guidelines and recommendations for managing diversity in the governance, management and administration of FET colleges in the province of Kwazulu-Natal. This aim concerns itself with the organisational systems and culture necessary to allow the FET colleges to radically improve their
capacity to manage diversity. The researcher will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current situation since these constitute reality. The guidelines and recommendations will be developed around issues of diversity management, and how this is pursued by FET college managers without compromising institutional identity and mission. In making relevant guidelines more accessible to practitioners, the intention will be to promote both greater understanding of the concepts underpinning effective diversity management practice and to develop the capability of senior and middle managers in colleges. Before attempting to draw on the detailed investigative work of the study, the researcher will examine a number of policy and strategy documents from FET colleges. Such statements, when analysed, will offer insight into possible scenarios that would, if adopted, influence the characteristics, scale and direction of FET colleges. From the totality of fieldwork, access to an extensive bank of documentation, and the analyses gained from policy statements, the researcher will formulate conclusions leading to recommendations. The thrust of all guidelines and recommendations will be informed by issues of diversity management. At college level, the recommendations will aim at increasing the potential of the FET college to serve a wide range of clients by increasing articulation between stakeholders, cooperative activity in areas of common need, and joint efforts to remove and redress inequities.
This study seeks to examine the general applicability of the diversity management concept. It explores the issues confronting the management of human resource in Further Education and Training Colleges, how people management approaches had been applied to diversity issues and how FET college management and administration practice impinges on the application of the diversity management concept.
1.4.1 Objectives of the study
Subsequent to the above aims, the objectives of this study are the following
To find out if the management and administration personnel of merged FET Colleges were capacitated to address issues of redress, access, equity and equality in their attempts to manage the FET clusters as one entity.
To determine the extent to which the diversity management concept is integrated into the strategic objectives of the FET colleges and how this fits with the mission and vision of each FET college.
To evaluate the role of labour unions, community leaders and College Councils in assisting FET college management to promote transformation and diversity management.
To investigate barriers to the successful implementation of diversity management policies in the FET College sector in the province of KwaZulu- Natal.
To determine whether the historically disadvantaged campuses are benefiting from diversity management and transformation processes.
To develop and recommend strategies for effective management of diversity in FET colleges.
This study is therefore an attempt to contribute to the development of a quality diversity management system and improvement thereof which will assist to measure performance on the basis of national standards and identify weaknesses, in order to provide support to FET college managers.
1.4.2 Research Questions
The above objectives give rise to the following questions
Is the management and administration personnel of merged FET Colleges capacitated to address issues of redress, access, equity and equality in their attempts to manage FET clusters as one entity?
How is diversity integrated into strategic objectives of the FET Colleges and how does this fit with the mission and vision of each college?
What role is played by labour unions, community leaders and College Councils in assisting FET College management to promote transformation and diversity management?
What barriers can either impede or block the implementation of diversity management and transformation in the FET college sector in the province of KwaZulu-Natal?
How are historically disadvantaged campuses benefiting from diversity management and transformation processes?
What strategies can be recommended for effective management of diversity in FET colleges?