Hard-hitting proposals by public service and administration minister Lindiwe Sisulu to revamp the public service are to be applauded. However, some aspects of the new proposals give cause for concern. “Service non-delivery is not only about having good people. It’s often about structures, policies and processes that are not conducive to delivery”, says Sandra Burmeister, CEO of Amrop Landelahni. “Often competent public sector employees are hamstrung because they don’t have the necessary authority to carry out their responsibilities. Current public service institutional processes make it difficult to for managers to hold employees accountable for performance. “Managers need the appropriate management... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Monday, May 6th 2013 |
The high dropout rate among black SA students has been a concern in education circles for many years – but a novel approach by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in conjunction with the Centre for Coaching at the UCT Graduate School of Business has come up with a practical solution – life coaching. Their research shows that students who are academically bright can still struggle in their studies not because of a lack of ability or academic input – but because of a lack of support on an emotional and psychological level. This offers a fresh perspective on alarming recent... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Monday, April 29th 2013 |
By Dennis Kabatto – A three member panel consisting of Africans from the Continent, Caribbean and the United States recently held a ROOTS and STARS: “Prayer Spears” series discussion on multiple expressions of one of the highest mandates of faith: to fight for justice and build community at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Studies in Harlem, New York. Panelists include South African born Choreographer and Radio host Sduduzo Ka-Mbili of WBAI, 99.5 FM in New York; Prof. Kwesi Amoa, Ph.D. Chair Associate Professor of Chemistry – Medger Evers College – City University of New York and Desiree Gordon... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Monday, April 29th 2013 |
Harnessing social media for business purposes has been firmly embraced by the savviest companies, and recent research shows that lately, the country’s best employers are relying on it heavily for internal communications as well. “Data from the CRF Institute shows that amongst certified Top Employers in South Africa, there has been 171% increase from 2011 to 2012 in using social media to communicate with staff,” says Samantha Crous, CRF Institute Regional Director: Africa & Benelux, which undertakes corporate research and also certifies the country’s top employers annually. “Of course, there is always the risk that social media will hinder communication,... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, April 24th 2013 |
Entrepreneurship in South Africa has fallen dramatically with economic experts worrying about the impact on the economy and job prospects for young South Africans. According to research released by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial activity (TEA) in South Africa dropped to 7.3% from a high of 9.1%, an almost 20% drop from the previous year and the lowest in four years. “This shows us that any impact of the Soccer World Cup is gone,” says Mike Herrington, executive director of the GEM, explaining that after an initial boost... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, April 24th 2013 |
