Being Different Together: Case Studies on Diversity Interventions In
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Case studies on diversity interventions in some South African organisations Being differenttogether Edited by Melissa Steyn Being Different Together Case studies on diversity interventions in some South African organisations Edited by Melissa Steyn Intercultural and Diversity Studies of Southern Africa (iNCUDISA) University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa Editor: Melissa Steyn Ph.D is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Intercultural and Diversity Studies at University of Cape Town; [email protected] Key words: affirmative action; black economic empowerment; business case; critical diversity literacy; critical diversity theory; discrimination; diversity; employment equity; HIV/Aids; identity; intervention; methodology; organisational culture; race; social justice; South Africa; transformation Copyright © 2010 iNCUDISA This book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You are free to Share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work) and to Remix (to adapt the work) under the following conditions: Attribution – You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial – You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike – If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. With the understanding that: Waiver – Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. Public Domain – Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license. Other Rights – In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license: Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations; The author’s moral rights; Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights. For detailed information see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://incudisa.wordpress.com/. Print-edition ISBN: 978-0-620-49381-9 PDF-edition ISBN: 978-0-620-49382-6 Epub-edition ISBN: 978-0-620-49383-3 Copy edited by Nicola Rijsdijk Cover design, PDF layout and ebook production by EBW (http://ebw.co) Contents Acknowledgments 5 Introduction 7 Glossary of key terms 12 Glossary 13 Chapter 1 Critical Diversity Literacy 15 Diversity awareness in 12 South African organisations Melissa Steyn Chapter 2 Small Food-production Company (SFPC) 43 Based on project report by Claire Kelly, supervised by Melissa Steyn, iNCUDISA, University of Cape Town Case study: SFPC 66 Chapter 3 The South African Police Service (SAPS) 71 Based on Masters thesis by Andrew Faull, supervised by Melissa Steyn, iNCUDISA, University of Cape Town Case study: SAPS 87 Chapter 4 Large Industrial Company (LIC) 92 Based on Masters thesis by Naresh Leon Singh, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case study: LIC 108 Chapter 5 Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) 112 Based on Masters thesis by Joseph Robert Roberson, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case study: IHL 128 Chapter 6 Financial-services Company (FSC) 135 Based on Masters thesis by Jacob Jaco Malgas, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case study: FSC 148 Chapter 7 Large South African Manufacturer (LSAM) 154 Based on Masters thesis by Laureen van Aswegen, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case study: LSAM 179 Chapter 8 Commercial Organisation (CO) 184 Based on Masters thesis by Jaco van der Westhuizen, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case Study: CO 203 Chapter 9 Large, state-owned commercialised-resources enterprise (Sekupu) 209 Based on Masters thesis by Mmontshi Sumani, supervised by Prof Stella Nkomo, Unisa Case study: Sekupu 222 References 225 Other in-house publications by iNCUDISA 235 Acknowledgments iNCUDISA would like to thank the South Africa Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) and the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) for their generous support of the Diversity and Equity Interventions in South Africa (DEISA) pro- ject. We would also like to thank the researchers who conducted case studies, the organisations that took part in the project, as well as the indi- viduals who participated in interviews. Without their cooperation, this study would not have been possible. The DEISA research team and steering committee members, Melissa Steyn, Lize Booysen, Philomena Essed, Mathetha Swafo, Claire Kelly, Stella Nkomo, Crain Soudien and Dorrian Aiken, also have our sincere gratitude for their commitment and contributions to the project. In addition, iNCUDISA would like to thank Christi van der Westhui- zen for her thoughtful insights, Mikki van Zyl for her logistical support as well as Theresa Daniels and Haley McEwen for their administrative assistance throughout the project and the production of this book. Top, from left: Dorrian Aiken, Kurt April, Lize Booysen, Philomena Essed, Claire Kelly Bottom, from left: Stella Nkomo, Crain Soudien, Melissa Steyn, Isaac Swafo Being different together—5 “Only by persistent and unremitting educational efforts will we one day see that mutual helpfulness and tolerance between differing peoples have become as important to our welfare as having clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment.” Alan B. Slifka Introduction Contemporary post-colonial geopolitics has witnessed the changing nature of the nation state. Initially conceived of as the territorial “home” of an ethnically and racially homogenous group, the notion of the nation state is increasingly characterised by difference and complexity. There are few contexts where people are not confronted by difference in the work- place, in organisations and public spaces, and as an aspect of the general body politic. The challenge therefore is how to value what different groups may bring to the collective while, at the same time, maintaining cohesive societies. In difficult economic times, this includes rejecting policies that approach difference through segregation, expulsion and ethnic cleans- ing in favour of inclusive political and economic measures and equitable sharing of resources. It also requires public spaces that are characterised by accessibility and safety for all raced, gendered and differently abled bodies. For organisations, the challenges cluster around such issues as how to create environments that can bring into play the strengths of dif- ference to promote organisational goals, while at the same time enabling employees to reach their full potential, to have their contribution valued and to feel recognised and respected. Contemporary South Africa is no exception in facing realities such as these, although the specific contours that the challenges take are obvi- ously shaped by South Africa’s history, its socio-economic capacities and the particular demographics that form its population. At the national level, the country has been challenged not only by the legacy of its apart- heid past, but also by the pressures of globalisation and the concomitant movements of people, especially the arrival of nationals from neighbour- ing African countries and the departure of skilled South Africans, pre- dominantly members of the advantaged white population relocating to “first world” countries. Apartheid was always about creating differential life opportunities, where white South Africans, especially white men, were systemati- cally advantaged. The visibility of the history of violent oppression by Being different together—7 the apartheid state often distracts attention from the banal day-to-day discrimination that characterised apartheid society in terms of social relations, access to employment, and personal and professional devel- opment. This hierarchic legacy is still deeply entrenched in the South African social fabric and its institutions. As part of putting the diversity of the nation on a new footing, South Africa has been engaged in a well- documented process of redress and rearticulation. Thabo Mbeki’s 1996 “I am an African” speech is probably the most influential intervention at the level of national discourse. Quoting the Freedom Charter of 1955 he emphasised the nation’s inclusivity: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white … It rejoices in the diversity of our people and cre- ates the space for all of us voluntarily to define ourselves as one people” (Mbeki 1996). Both in society as a whole and in the workplace specifically, wide- spread legislative reform has attempted to redress stratification along a number of axes of difference (named in the constitution as race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual ori- entation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth1). This has been met with mixed success at both levels. The govern- ment has introduced legislation2 affecting labour relations, basic condi- tions of employment and employment equity, providing the basis for far- reaching changes in South African employment practice. For example, the following acts have been promulgated to ensure that diversity and equity become a reality in the business environment: • Amended Labour Relations Act, No. 66 of 1995 • Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, No. 108 of 1996 • Amended