Employment equity and employee morale at a selected public service organisation in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

During the apartheid regime, previously disadvantaged South Africans (SAns) were severely impacted and limited in terms of employment opportunities. The rationale for affirmative action (AA) within SA today is therefore clear. The apartheid government was actively committed to legislative discrimination, and it is thus the duty of the present SAn government to eradicate these injustices. It is clear that there are mixed feelings about AA, since supporters view it as a positive measure that has created opportunities for development, while challengers perceive it as discriminating against those who are not beneficiaries of the policy. One of the challenges of AA in the workplace is that it may create the stigma that previously disadvantaged employees are hired solely because of their gender or skin colour. Terms often associated with AA include ‘a drop in standards,’ ‘racism,’ ‘unfair treatment,’ ‘tokenism’ and ‘reverse discrimination,’ ‘incompetence’ and ‘less qualified.’ This stigma leads to questions regarding the competence of previously disadvantaged employees which ultimately create resentment in the workplace, affecting employee morale (EM). This research study aimed to determine whether there was any statistically significant correlation between perceptions of employment equity (EE) and EM at a selected public service organisation in Cape Town. To achieve this, quantitative data was collected via a questionnaire and analysed through the use of both descriptive and inferential statistics. The sample of 167 employees completed Likert-scale questionnaires. Perceptions of EE and EM were generally satisfactory, and a strong, positive correlation was identified between perceptions of EE and EM. There were no significant differences in perceptions pertaining to EE and EM on the grounds of race or gender, or between white and non-white respondents. Recommendations and suggestions are offered for future researchers and any interested parties.