Introduction: South Africa has a unique history of racial inequality, which in turn contributed to gender inequalities in the country -- also within higher education. Gender equality is one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Higher education can contribute to this SDG by setting an example in the community for creating…

Today, a fresher look at social structures shows that the possibility of living in a socially homogeneous society has lost its credibility (Senem & Arikan, 2018). When any workplace is considered, migrant workers are exposed to both intended and unintended forms of xenophobic workplace discrimination daily in many migrant-receiving countries.…

Despite women's increased participation in academic employment patterns, a global gender gap on senior leadership in universities remains. This mixed methods study explores toxic leadership as a potential contributing factor to the gender gap on senior management levels in universities in South Africa. The Schmidt Toxic Leadership Scale (2008) is…

This study, conducted through a combination of interviews, surveys, and direct observations, examines the exploitation of sleep-in domestic workers from Lesotho who work in South African households. Based on data collected from 15 participants, the research brings to light the difficult living conditions these workers face, including a lack of…

The paper emanates from the inaugural lecture that I presented on the 22nd of November 2022 at the University of South Africa. It is well known that "The Zondo Commission" revealed numerous crises with principled leadership poisoning organisations in South Africa. The world is becoming more conscious of ethics and ethical leadership…

Will the imposter phenomenon influence critical leadership competencies, specifically decision-making self-efficacy, and innovative work behavior? This prospective study will propose a framework to investigate the impact of the imposter phenomenon on essential leadership skills, focusing on exploring whether self-esteem acts as a mediating factor.…

This study explores the well-being (engagement) and work fulfilment of 628 blue-collar workers as outcomes of decent work, based on the Psychology of Working Theory and its target group. It takes a positive preventative approach and demonstrates the motivational role of work engagement and psychological ownership in contributing to the work…

Background: South African narratives of and by early childhood development (ECD) practitioners often focus on policies, practices and perspectives in research. While these are important for the development of the field, the voices of ECD practitioners, in this marginalised space, are silent. Aim: This article aims to understand: Who are the ECD…

Neoliberal ideology globally prioritises competition and productivity over staff well-being in higher education, leading to exploitative practices and heightened stress among academic faculty, culminating in what can be termed modern academic slavery. This study investigates the contemporary impact of neoliberalism on South African universities,…

The aim of the study was to ascertain the expectations and perceptions of engineering graduates regarding an engineering career in the world of work, and compare them to perspectives of academic leaders of the engineering disciplines in which these graduates studied. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study firstly entailed a quantitative survey…

Based on biographical interviews from a telecommunications organisation, this study aims to contribute to the debate on understanding and accounting for the work-life balance intricacies of female Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals. An exploratory cross-sectional design adopting a qualitative case study approach with…

This article reports on how the traditional way of teaching and learning in a third-year undergraduate education, training, and development (ETD) module was transformed at a traditional university in South Africa. Many ETD scholars argue that curricula taught to students in the ETD profession are not relevant to the South African context and do…

Corporate norms and values, characterised by an enterprise ethos, became the new parameters that defined the academic environment. Academics are increasingly becoming concerned about the commodification of higher education and its impact on academic quality and the standards of quality graduates. The voices of South African academics and their…

It is important to note from the outset that the duty of preparing students for careers rests with the educational community. Internship before graduation appears to offer students experiential learning, better opportunities for employment and better knowledge of real work environments. The institutions benefit by obtaining more resources at a…

Various scholars have confirmed that teacher safety against learner victimization is a growing concern worldwide, and this problem is exacerbated by a lack of understanding and readiness to implement policies to address this matter. In this regard, policy implementation by middle leaders (MLs) in creating safe school environments has attracted…