The ever-growing number of women in the contemporary workforce is presenting numerous challenges to organisations, employees and their families. The aim of this study was therefore twofold, namely, to explore how 21st century career-oriented women attach meaning to their different life roles, as well as how they visualise integrating these over the next decade. A modernist qualitative methodology and grounded theory were applied. Rich, interesting data was obtained from which four themes were inferred implying career-oriented women still placing importance on the traditional mother role. The article concludes with indicating key implications of the findings and recommendations. <b>Opsomming</b> Die steeds groeiende aantal vroue in die kontemporêre arbeidsmag bring enorme uitdagings vir organisasies, werknemers en hul gesinne mee. Die doel van hierdie studie was derhalwe tweeledig: om te verken hoe 21eeuse beroepsgeoriënteerde vroue betekenis aan hul onderskeie lewensrolle gee, asook hoe hulle visualiseer om hierdie rolle gedurende die komende dekade te integreer. ’n Modernisties kwalitatiewe metodologie en begronde teorie is aangewend. Ryk en interessante data is verkry waaruit vier temas afgelei is wat impliseer dat beroepsgeoriënteerde vroue die tradisionele moederrol steeds belangrik ag. Die sleutelimplikasies van die bevindinge asook aanbevelings sluit die artikel af

The study was undertaken to explore the professional roles and contributions of industrial psychologists in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 23 registered psychologists to gain their views on the roles and contributions within each of the dimensions of a conceptual framework of organisational success developed earlier. A process of analytical induction, supported by thematic content analysis, revealed a range of generic roles yet specific industrial psychological contributions. The implications of the findings for the development of academic curricula, the establishment of clarity among industrial psychologists and the fostering of awareness in organisations regarding the value of these professionals are discussed.

The momentous changes that have occurred throughout the world over the past decades -the overall economic decline, globalisation, the rapid advances in information technology, looming social disasters such as HIV/AIDS, wide-spread famine, wars and profound political developments across the globe -are enormous by any standard. What is perhaps not always appreciated is that these changes have forever transformed the environment within which organisations have to function (McLagan, 1992: Nel;. These changes, in turn, require that everyone needs to undergo significant transformation of the ways in which they used to operate. Within an organisational context, it appears crucial to develop competent managers who can be entrusted with the responsibility to transform their organisations accordingly. Boyatzis (1982) maintained that it is the competence of managers that, to a large extent, determines the returns that organisations realise from their human capital. Managementespecially middle management -creates the vital link between the desired economic progress, the required organisational effectiveness and the actual performance of the people involved (Labbaf, Analoui & Cusworth, 1996;Miller, 1991).It is clear that management as a process is becoming increasingly dynamic and complex. Middle management in particular comes under enormous pressure to deal with the ever-changing direction from top management on the one hand, and the continuously changing aspirations of society on the other hand. In addition, the immediate organisational environment within which the middle manager has to fulfil his role has also undergone significant changes. Modern day information technology has made information easier to access and share, replacing the middle manager's role as a link in the communication chain. Flatter organisation structures, outsourcing, empowerment and dwindling numbers of middle managers have further transformed the corporate model of management of the past (Galagan, 1990). Job security is being replaced by continuous employability, which is only possible if the skills, knowledge and experience of the person remain up to date (Carretta, 1992).Given the crucial role of the middle manager and the challenges facing this level of management in particular, a key question evolves: What competencies are crucial or essential for middle managers to survive and be effective in these challenging times?Although research over the past two decades has contributed some wisdom as to the competencies required of managers in general (Bennis & Nanus, 1985;Bollinger, 1994;Bounds & Dobbins, 1993;Boyatzis, 1982;Davison, 1994;Hite & McDonald, 1995;Kouzes & Posner, 1995;Rhinesmith, 1993;Rost, 1991; Saville & Holdsworth Ltd. (SHL), 1993;Senge, 1993), conceptual understanding of the particular relationship between management at the top, middle and operational levels is far from clear. Whilst it has been argued that middle management may need a different set of, or emphasis on, specific competencies (Chang, 1996;Ishizaka, 1996), limited literat...

Orientation: Assessment Centres (ACs) are used globally for the selection and development of candidates. Limited empirical evidence exists of the ethical challenges encountered in the use of ACs, especially in South Africa (SA).Research purpose: Firstly, to explore possible ethical challenges related to ACs in SA from the vantage point of the practitioner and, secondly, to search for possible solutions to these.Motivation for the study: Decisions based on AC outcomes have profound implications for participants and organisations, and it is essential to understand potential ethical challenges to minimise these, specifically in the SA context, given its socio-political history, multiculturalism, diversity and pertinent legal considerations.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative, interpretative research design was chosen. Data were collected by means of a semi-structured survey that was completed by 96 AC practitioners who attended an AC conference. Content analysis and thematic interpretation were used to make sense of the data. The preliminary findings were assessed by a focus group of purposively selected subject-matter experts (n = 16) who provided informed insights, which were incorporated into the final findings. The focus group suggested ways in which specific ethical challenges may be addressed.Main findings: The findings revealed many ethical challenges that can be better understood within a broad framework encompassing 10 themes: Universal ethical values; multicultural global contexts; the regulatory-legal framework for ACs in SA; characteristics of the assessor; psychometric properties of the AC; characteristics of the participant; bias and prejudice; governance of the AC process; ethical culture of the employer organisation and the evasive nature of ethics as a concept.Practical and managerial implications: Considerable risk exists for the unethical use of ACs. An awareness of possible areas of risk may assist AC stakeholders in their search for ethical AC use.Contribution or value-add: The study may contribute to an evidence-based understanding of the ethical aspects of ACs. The recommendations may also benefit all AC stakeholders who wish to use ACs ethically.

This study was aimed at developing a conceptual framework against which the roles and contributions of industrial psychologists in South Africa could be explored. Three widely-used business frameworks – Balanced Score Card, South African Excellence Model and King II Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa – were theoretically integrated to produce a multi-dimensional framework to clarify roles and contributions in a discourse familiar to the business community. The framework was subsequently utilised in a follow-up study involving 23 registered industrial psychologists who were asked to clarify specific roles and contributions within each of the dimensions of the framework