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Communicating affirmative action in three South African organisations: a comparative case study perspective

a comparative case study perspective

Anné Leonard
University of Pretoria
Anské F Grobler
University of Pretoria
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Communicating affirmative action in three South African organisations: a comparative case study perspective. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 24(2), 17-46. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v24i2.1770
  • Articles
  • Submited: October 20, 2022
  • Published: October 24, 2022

Abstract

Problems associated with the management of communication (in the broadest sense of
the word) are a recurring theme in both Corporate Communication Management and
Human Resource Management literature and in research on the implementation of
affirmative action1 as part of the Employment Equity Act2 in the South African context.
Therefore, the following research question was formulated: “How do South African
organisations manage communication about affirmative action (against the backdrop
of employment equity3)?”.
This article provides an overview of some dimensions of an exploratory qualitative study
that investigated this research question. The ever-increasing strategic importance of
organisational performance regarding the EEA highlights the need for research in this
area. This study is one of only a few empirical studies in the field of Corporate
Communication with the emphasis on topics related to the management of communication
in this specific transformational context.
Since this study focused on aspects that had not been researched previously (or verified
empirically), an exploratory approach had to be followed, with the purpose of gauging
possible current trends related to the management of communication about AA in a
selection of South African organisations. A case study comparison of three organisations
yielded the following results on four sub-questions derived from the overarching research
question. The organisations researched (1) comply with their legal duty to inform and
consult with stakeholders about the process of EE as stipulated in the Code of Good
Practice for the EEA (Department of Labour, 1999); (2) the management of EE is viewed
as a transformational change process, as opposed to a once-off incident; (3) the

management of communication in this context is viewed as a critical success factor, but
a disparity exists between the emphasis placed on strategic external and internal
communication efforts; and (4) leaders at all hierarchical levels have different
communication responsibilities in relation to this transformational process.
Based on the results of this study, the major recommendation for the management of
affirmative action communication pertains to the need to address the perceived gap
between internal and external communication efforts. Since strategic internal
communication is not only viewed as critical for the dissemination of information, but
also as the vehicle through which transformation is facilitated, the value thereof should
not be underestimated.

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How to Cite
Communicating affirmative action in three South African organisations: a comparative case study perspective. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 24(2), 17-46. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v24i2.1770

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