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Organisations require an employer value proposition (EVP) to attract and retain people in management. This study was undertaken to understand the key retention factors that influence experienced management employees, in the maintenance phase of their careers, to remain employed at a local government organisation. Retention factors inform the organisation’s EVP. A qualitative, empirical-analytical research paradigm with a modernist approach was adopted. Data were obtained through purposive sampling (n = 10) by way of semi-structured interviews. <br />A theoretical framework was used against which data could be deducted and compared. Sixteen key factors were identified, of which Job Aligned with Personal Meaning or Passion emerged as the strongest retention factor among the study’s participants

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the underlying organisational features, according to the gendered organisation theory, that have contributed to high levels of representation of women executives, contrary to the trend in the South African financial services industry. Design/methodology/approach A critical realist approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews, based on a theoretical framework of the gendered organisation. Data were aligned to the theoretical levels of critical realism. Findings The research found that the pool from which the successful candidates were appointed was influenced by two features. The first was the perceived attractiveness of the organisation as an employer, composed of organisational prestige, opportunity for altruism, and the sex of the CEO. The second was the role of the CEO as gatekeeper, most notably the CEO’s network and the impact of the similar-to-me paradigm during selection. Originality/value The utilisation of critical realism as an approach allowed for organisational features embedded in the theory of the gendered organisation to be identified and gives an indication of how the number of women at executive management level may be increased. The salient factors are the role the woman CEO played in the inclusion of more women at the executive level by virtue of her being a woman, and the attractiveness of the organisation to women employees. Organisational features identified were gendered towards the feminine.

Orientation: Most CEOs in South Africa are chartered accountants (CAs). Retaining women CAs might therefore lead to an increase in women in leadership. The Job Demands-Resources model presents a framework to investigate organisational job-related factors that promote or deter voluntary turnover of women CAs.Research purpose: The primary objective was to investigate which organisational factors promote or reduce the risk of turnover intentions for South African women CAs. The secondary objective was to investigate the moderating potential of job resources on the relationship between job demands and turnover intentions.Motivation for the study: There is a fair amount of research on the problems associated with the retention of women CAs in public practice but very little is known about how those problems interact with each other, and whether there are factors that could buffer them.Research design, approach, and method: The study consisted of a sample (n = 851) of women CAs in public practice firms nationally in South Africa. We used structural equation modelling together with moderated regression analysis.Main findings: Job demands promote turnover intentions, whereas job resources have a negative effect on turnover intentions. Counter-intuitively a negative direct effect was found between job insecurity and turnover intentions. Statistical support was found for the moderating role of all job resources, except financial advancement, on the relationship between work–family conflict and turnover intentions; and growth opportunities, on the relationship between job insecurity and turnover intentions.Practical/managerial implications: No job resource measured could buffer the impact of job overload on turnover intentions.Contribution: This is the first study to investigate factors that may retain women CAs in public practice audit, tax, and advisory firms (Big Four Accountancy Firms) using the JD-R model. Few studies have investigated the buffering effect of job resources on the relationship between job demands and turnover intentions in general.Keywords: gender; auditing; voluntary turnover; female; moderate; JD-R model

In today’s information-intensive environment customer service is an important aspect that differentiates one organisation from another. This research focuses on those individual competencies which will lead to a customer service core capability in a Human Resources Call Centre. Data was obtained from Call Centre agents (n=18), supervisors (n=3) and customers (n=25) by means of five focus group-, three individual- and 25 telephonic interviews, respectively. The transcendental realism research procedure was applied within a qualitative research paradigm. Ten key competencies were identified by all groups of participants. <p><strong>Opsomming</strong> <br />In vandag se inligtings-intensiewe omgewing is kliëntediens ’n belangrike aspek wat organisasies van mekaar onderskei. Hierdie navorsing fokus op welke individuele bevoegdhede tot ’n kliëntedienssleutelbekwaamheid in ’n Menslikehulpbron-oproepsentrum sal lei. Data is van Oproepsentrumagente (n=18), -toesighouers (n=3) en -kliënte (n=25) ingewin deur middel van onderskeidelik vyf fokusgroep-, drie individuele- en 25 telefoniese onderhoude. Die transendentale realisme navorsingsprosedure is binne ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma toegepas. Tien sleutelbevoegdhede is deur al drie groepe deelnemers geïdentifiseer.</p>

Authenticity can best be understood in context, and context implies action (Payne, 1996). For the purpose of this study, leadership in general, and authentic leadership in particular, were explored in terms of the actions of former mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, who displayed authentic leadership in action during the tragic aftermath of the World Trade Centre attacks. Authentic leadership development tends to be triggered by a negative event (as in the case of 9/11 for Giuliani, for example). Since there is limited knowledge of how a positive event may trigger authentic leadership development, the aim of this study was to explore the potential of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) - an affirmative mode of action research - as a positive trigger event for authentic leadership development. The results indicated that this positive approach to change could indeed be implemented for this purpose

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