Assessing teachers’ perceptions on organisational justice in filling of positions within schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Kranskloof circuit.

Abstract

This study was conducted in the Kranskloof circuit of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. The study sought to interrogate organisational justice within the Department of Education and the Kranskloof circuit in particular. In this regard, the study interrogated three forms of organisational justice namely procedural justice, distributive justice, and interactional justice. The study employed a mixed research approach in which 193 out of a total of 254 teachers participated in the quantitative part of the study and 10 out of 20 school principals participated in the qualitative part of the study. The questionnaire was used in the quantitative part of the study as the research instrument while the interviews were used to collect the qualitative data of the study. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis and quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The findings indicated that most participants felt that indeed the Department of Education and in particular Kranskloof circuit, successfully practice all three forms of organisation justice although there was room for improvements. The findings indicated that the main concerns related to procedural justice and the other two forms do not form part of the main concerns. With regards to procedural justice, there were concerns that affiliation to the dominant teacher union played a major part in the decision to employ or not to employ the candidate. In some cases, the findings, albeit few cases, revealed that qualifications and experience were overlooked in preference to political affiliation to the dominant teacher trade union. The main recommendation is that the Department must look at the subtle and undue influence of the teacher unions because in the face of it appears as if the process is procedurally fair and just. It is further recommended that the policy that allows the officials of the Department of Education to be members of the teacher unions must be re-visited because as it stands it is difficult for members of other teacher unions to feel that justice is indeed done. If this policy is not reviewed the speculation that confidential information is given to preferred candidates who are members of the dominant union, SADTU, will not stop.