Industrial Organization and Labour Studies

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Articulating agency : a case study of the strategies used by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union in servicing South African seafarer.
(2001) Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.; Bonnin, Deborah Rosemary.
In theorising globalisation, capital is represented as all-powerful and proactive in its mobility and ability to transcend national boundaries in search of new labour markets. It is this mobility of capital. which is argued to be instrumental in shaping the processes of globalisation (Ohmae: 1989, Allen: 1995: Thompson et al: 1998. Dicken: 1998). Labour in contrast is portrayed as fixed within territorial boundaries unable to shape or influence its own destiny or the processes of globalisation. These opposing discourses of capital as the prime agent of globalisaton and labour as a passive participant in the process have predominantly informed the debates about globalisation, and have remained mostly unchallenged in the literature. This dissertation interrogates claims of capital being all-powerful via its mobility and labour being 'agentless' in influencing the processes of globalisation. In order to achieve this I use the global shipping industry' as an example to explores these arguments. This is achieved by investigating the complex ways that relationships between shipping capital and seafaring labour have changed and how these changed relationships are articulated. Specifically I examine the strategies used by South African Transport and Allied Workers to service a transnational and flexible membership. My findings suggest that the 'agentless' nature of labour in shaping the processes of globalisatlon is exaggerated by proponents of the transnational neo-liberal discourse of globalisation.
Bottlenecks and constraints within the local labour market for engineers in the petrochemical industry sector : a case study of Engen Refinery, Wentworth.
(2009) Rowe, Kelley.; Bonnin, Deborah Rosemary.
This research investigates the specific labour market dynamics that underline the shortage of engineers in the Petrochemical Industry in South Africa. The central argument of this dissertation is that an understanding of a skills shortage requires a distinct knowledge of the internal and external nature of each labour market in which the shortage is being experienced. This dissertation develops a critique of the neoclassical perspective which dominates current analysis of skill shortages. While it is important to understand the external labour market, it is equally important to consider the internal labour market to better identify and understand the specific dynamics that underline a skills shortage in an organisation and industry. Using Engen Refinery as a case study, this dissertation focuses on an in depth examination of the experiences of engineers working at the Refinery. The findings reveal that the dynamics that underline the skill shortage of engineers in the Petrochemical Industry in the South African context are manifold. Skill shortages are a consequence of dynamics in both the external and internal labour market; these I argue are interrelated.
The formulation of competencies for general workers within an international foods manufacturer.
(2000) Ambrose, Jacqueline.; Bonnin, Deborah Rosemary.
The problem investigated within this research is how an organisation can overcome its skills gaps, whilst ensuring national and international recognition of those skills, and contribute to an increase of skills nationally. This problem is addressed through the formulation of competencies. The eclectic approach forms the theoretical paradigm of the studies. The methodology used for the formulation of competencies is an adaptation of Spencer and Spencer's (1993) classic competency study model. Competencies formulated are aligned with the latest developments within the South African vocational qualification system and incorporate elements of the behaviourist approach. The study is conducted in an international food manufacturing company. The target population consists of male Zulu-speaking workers. Education levels established through assessments indicate that the population is situated at an adult basic education level of four, the equivalent of a grade nine within the formal schooling system. Demographics show that workers have on average more than two years' experience within their current job roles and their mean age is forty years, an indication of their experience within the manufacturing environment.
Questioning intimacy : Muslim 'Madams' and their maids.
(2011) Dawood, Quraisha.; Bonnin, Deborah Rosemary.
Relationships between „madams‟ and „maids‟ have been the subject of various South African works, detailing the lives of domestic workers and their daily struggles. This study however aims to turn the focus on the madam and questions the complex intimacy at work between her and her maid. It is this intricate association between „madam‟ and „maid,‟ as well as the context of the home, which creates a site for a unique personal relationship that extends beyond the constraints of the working contract. In order to investigate this relationship, I explore the preconceived notions Muslim madams of North Beach have when recruiting the ideal domestic worker as well as the way everyday life between madams and maids shapes their relationship. In demonstrating the types of relationships and levels of intimacy between them, this thesis focuses on three aspects of everyday life between Muslim madams and maid. Firstly, I explore the „home‟ as a contradictory location – being both a private space for the employer and a workspace for the maid, paying particular attention to the creation of boundaries and negotiations of space within the home. The second key aspect I examine is the extent to which religion influences the relationship between madam and maid. Religion is a thread running through this thesis as a determining factor in the recruitment of a domestic worker and a way in which space is produced. Thirdly, I discuss the sharing of gender between madam and maid and the question of „sisterhood‟ between them. These are underlying elements of the types of relationships between madam and maid which, I argue are characterised by levels of cultivated intimacy. The project is based on the qualitative results gathered from 20 in-depth interviews with Muslim madams, two focus groups and five key informant interviews with domestic workers. My thesis contributes to the existing research exploring the relationships between madams and maids and opens further avenues for research. It demonstrates that there are key elements besides race and class that shape the relationships between madam and maid, which contribute to levels of cultivated intimacy between them.

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Browsing Industrial Organization and Labour Studies by Author "Bonnin, Deborah Rosemary."