Shaun Ruggunan | University of KwaZulu-Natal (original) (raw)

Papers by Shaun Ruggunan

Professional Identity and Social Work, 2017

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology

Employee agility and resilience are central to the flourishing of employee and organisational lif... more Employee agility and resilience are central to the flourishing of employee and organisational life. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic amplified stressors and added new challenges for employees in South Africa. The study reported here provides a temperature reading of the agility and resilience of South African employees in the context of the pandemic. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to engage in a temperature reading of South African employees' agility and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivation for the study: The study was motivated by the need to understand how South African employees fare in terms of their agility and resilience levels in the context of profound social and economic disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used employing quantitative methodologies. A total of 185 permanently employed respondents from South Africa were conveniently sampled. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Main findings: Whilst respondents reported high resilience and agility capacity, the findings also suggest that respondents' gender, age, upskilling intentions, size of employer, organisational communication and individual renewal strategies influence their resilience and agility behaviours. Practical/managerial implications: The study prompts a discussion on how practitioners can better serve the wellness agenda of organisational life during sustained periods of organisational stress. Contribution/value-add: This study extends the theoretical and practical debate on employee agility and resilience in South African context.

PONTE International Scientific Researchs Journal

African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 2021

There are many challenges faced by scholars when designing research that is ethically compliant. ... more There are many challenges faced by scholars when designing research that is ethically compliant. These include issues of consent, confidentiality, and how to give feedback to participants, for example. However less is known about how non-South African researchers, specifically Zimbabwean doctoral students, navigate ethical dilemmas when conducting their fieldwork whilst being registered in South African universities. This gap is especially concerning given the high number of Zimbabwean doctoral students in South Africa. This paper poses the following questions: (1) What are the challenges encountered by a Zimbabwean doctoral student doing fieldwork in Zimbabwe whilst being supervised in a South African university? (2) How can these challenges be mitigated? In answering these questions, the paper uses a collaborative autoethnographic approach to empirically ground its arguments. The paper argues that South Africa’s higher education institutions have a duty to ensure research integrit...

SAGE Open, 2021

This study examined the effects of a declining economy on the profession of chartered accountants... more This study examined the effects of a declining economy on the profession of chartered accountants (CAs) in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a qualitative approach using a pragmatic grounded theory design. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interviews with five purposively sampled CAs and two key informants drawn from the professional body and an institution that trains CAs. Furthermore, secondary data were drawn from the professional body’s archives and from newspapers. Data from interviews and documents were analyzed through thematic analysis and content analysis, respectively. The study has revealed that the profession of CAs has been changing in response to the declining economy and the changes include losing its status and autonomy, increased competition from other accounting fields and compromised professional standards. It also emerged that professionals themselves engage in both negative and positive activities that enable them to survive the effects of a declining econom...

Management Studies in South Africa, 2018

Management studies both globally and in South Africa is a young academic discipline. Despite this... more Management studies both globally and in South Africa is a young academic discipline. Despite this, it is a vibrant and multi-disciplinary field of scholarship. Management studies in South Africa mirrors the country’s political trajectory, and its development echoes apartheid segregationist policies. The discipline is complicit in supporting the apartheid workplace regimes. Post-apartheid South Africa allows for democratic access to university education for all South Africans. The democratic state advocates increased participation of public sector employees in management programmes. Student demographics are reflective of South African demographics. However, faculty demographics are less representative. Into the second decade of democracy, management studies remains vibrant despite some concerns.

SAGE Open, 2019

While the literature reveals some disagreement on the specific features and definition of new man... more While the literature reveals some disagreement on the specific features and definition of new managerialism and its practices, there is consensus on six features (Lynch, 2014) that define the practice.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for any statement made or opinion expressed in this publi... more The publisher accepts no responsibility for any statement made or opinion expressed in this publication. Consequently, the publishers and copyright holder will not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any reader as a result of his or her action upon any statement or opinion in this work. Links by third party websites are provided by AOSIS in good faith and for information only. AOSIS disclaims any responsibility for the materials contained in any third party website referenced in this work. Every effort has been made to protect the interest of copyright holders. Should any infringement have occurred inadvertently, the publisher apologises and undertakes to amend the omission in the event of a reprint. 'I won't be coming home tonight My generation will put it right We're not just making promises That we know, we'll never keep. Too many men There's too many people Making too many problems And not much love to go round Can't you see This is a land of confusion. Now this is the world we live in And these are the hands we're given Use them and let's start trying To make it a place worth fighting for.'-Genesis: Land of Confusion

Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 2016

International Research Journal of Business Studies, 2015

This paper seeks to establish the relationships between three job characteristics constructs, nam... more This paper seeks to establish the relationships between three job characteristics constructs, namely work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in a workplace notorious for discord and conflict between workers and employers. A quantitative methodology was adopted using a cross-sectional survey. Respondents were selected from the workers at a mining company, with a final sample of 156 employees participating in the study. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to collect data. The results of the study indicate positive relationships between job satisfaction, work engagement and intrinsic motivation among the workers. Age and marital status were found to be significant contributors to workers' job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation and work engagement. Implications of these results are that human resource interventions are required in order to deal with enhancing work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results indicate that intrinsic motivation and work engagement can enhance job satisfaction. The current study adds to the research pointing at job satisfaction as a promising underlying mechanism for employees' to be internally motivated and engaged at work.

South African Review of Sociology, 2016

Large-scale quantitative studies are rare in South African sociology as most of the work done by ... more Large-scale quantitative studies are rare in South African sociology as most of the work done by South African sociologists tends to be qualitative. It is, therefore, refreshing to see a large-scale quantitative study in Radhamany Sooryamoorthy’s book on collaboration and productivity in and of science. The strengths of a quantitative approach are that it allows the author to deal with vast amounts of data across time and to draw conclusions that are generalisable. Sooryamoorthy puts these strengths to full use in his book which provides an empirical case for why collaboration is important and the correlations between collaboration and productivity of researchers in South Africa and abroad. This is an important contribution since it has direct implications for policy makers both at state and institutional levels. Therefore, the book should be mandatory reading for those in decision making positions at research institutions (especially universities), since it will allow for evidence based decision making.

Health SA Gesondheid, 2012

Maritime Policy & Management, 2015

According to the latest BIMCO and Drewry reports, there is a global shortage of officers for the ... more According to the latest BIMCO and Drewry reports, there is a global shortage of officers for the worlds' merchant fleet. This article focuses on the South African labour market for officers and examines some of the maritime education and training challenges facing these officers in accessing global labour markets. The paper argues that despite processes of globalisation, the nation state can still be an important actor in shaping global labour markets. Using a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with 10 key informants in the maritime human resources management sectors in South Africa. Interview data was analysed and coded for themes using NVivo qualitative data analysis software (QSR International Pty Ltd., Version 10, London, UK). This was theoretically informed by Braun & Clarke's six-step method of thematic analysis. This was combined with a review of labour market statistics to demonstrate that the key challenges facing South African officers are the lack of training berth availability and the lack of South African ship ownership. The solutions adopted by the state includes a limited adoption of best practices adopted by global MET institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and Nigeria. The article contributes to filling the gap in empirical-based maritime studies that are located on Africa.

International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music

In recent times, African drumming organisations in South Africa and worldwide have adopted group ... more In recent times, African drumming organisations in South Africa and worldwide have adopted group drumming as an experiential learning mechanism for facilitating interactive teambuilding within organisations. Research conducted on drumming circles indicates that group drumming fosters a sense of community by breaking down barriers between participants and creating a space where respect and tolerance for others are valued. In light of South Africa's recent history of apartheid, various issues discussed as part of diversity training workshops remain "emotionally charged" topics. This study aims to investigate the role of African drumming in creating an environment that encourages open and honest communication around sensitive issues in the context of diversity training. Using a case study design and drawing on a rich source of qualitative data the study concludes that whilst African drumming can be a successful intervention in diversity training, more exploratory and appl...

South African Review of Sociology, 2011

This article examines how profound shifts in the global labour market for seafarers have impacted... more This article examines how profound shifts in the global labour market for seafarers have impacted on the labour market for South African and Filipino seafarers in the merchant navy. The article contends that the shift towards flag of convenience (FoC) shipping in the global shipping industry is a business strategy by ship owners to circumvent high labour costs and fiscal

South African Review of Sociology, 2013

African and Asian Studies, 2011

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how organised labour at both the national and global le... more The aim of this article is to demonstrate how organised labour at both the national and global level can influence the nature of global labour markets. This aim is achieved through an empirical investigation of the restructuring of the global labour market for Filipino seafarers, and the influence of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) in this restructuring process. The article concludes that despite the global attack on labour unions, organised labour continues to be a powerful agent in preventing ‘a race to the bottom’ for Filipino seafarers working conditions and wages.

Professional Identity and Social Work, 2017

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology

PONTE International Scientific Researchs Journal

African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 2021

SAGE Open, 2021

Management Studies in South Africa, 2018

SAGE Open, 2019

Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 2016

International Research Journal of Business Studies, 2015

South African Review of Sociology, 2016

Health SA Gesondheid, 2012

Maritime Policy & Management, 2015

International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music

South African Review of Sociology, 2011

South African Review of Sociology, 2013

African and Asian Studies, 2011

The Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code was introduced by the Inte... more The Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code was introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to globally regulate the standards for competence assessment and certification of seafarers. However, flexibility and vagueness in the Code has led to a lack of uniformity in the adopted assessment methods and the resulting competence standards of the graduating students worldwide. Variability and inconsistencies in employee competence on board ships may have profound ramifications on seafarer employers that intend to outsource employees from the global labour market as a benefit of globalisation. Such employers are increasingly demanding evidence of achievement of the STCW standards or more from maritime education and training (MET) institutes. Due to impracticality, the solution may not lie in increasing global regulation of training but exploring innovative assessment practices that may be implemented nationally to improve the certification and resulting evidence of competence of seafarers. This paper provides theoretical justification to support authentic assessment as a possible alternative to current assessment practices. Based on a review of literature in the area of authentic assessment, the paper argues that student performances in a real-world context captured through rubrics provide contextual evidence of competence to perform on-board tasks. Such contextual evidence can then be used to gauge the standards of training and improve on them by stakeholders such as educators, employers, and national regulators.

Over 90 per cent of the goods we use – from our smartphones to the fuel in our cars – are transp... more Over 90 per cent of the goods we use – from our smartphones to the fuel in our cars – are transported by ships. The cargo shipping industry is the most globalised industry in the world, yet we know very little about the context in which these ships operate or the ways in which seafaring labour is organised. Drawing on evidence from South Africa and the Philippines, I will provide an account of globalisation, seafaring labour markets and the state that allows us to understand how processes of globalisation unfold in this industry. I will show that globalisation does not always mean a ‘race to the bottom’ for workers: labour solidarity and interventionist states shape globalisation as much as ship owners do. This has important implications for broader understandings of work, labour markets, technology and the ways in which the geographies of labour and capital are reconfigured. Scholars, policy makers, students and those with a general interest in globalisation and labour will find this presentation of some interest as it provides a revelatory account of an industry about which little is generally known.

Please see my chapter on Decolonising Management Studies in South Africa.