ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A number of firms fail in their endeavours to run successful HIV/AIDS workplace
programmes and as a result they incur not only an unmitigated risk but also the costs and
opportunity costs of the projects. The purpose of this study is to explore senior managers’
knowledge of, feelings about, and perceptions towards their firm’s HIV/AIDS Policy and
Programme, in order to identify strategies to gain their support for successful
implementation. A qualitative research study was carried out from 21 to 24 December
2009. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the 12 senior managers
purposively selected.
The results indicate that only 8.3 per cent of the senior managers have a good grasp of the
firm’s HIV/AIDS Policy and they also express positive feelings about the policy. There
are 16.7 per cent of the senior managers who have incomplete basic knowledge of the
firm’s HIV/AIDS Policy and they also express positive feelings about the policy. 75 per
cent of the senior managers have no knowledge of the firm’s HIV/AIDS Policy.
As far as the firm’s HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes are concerned, 75 per
cent of the senior managers perceive the firm’s HIV/AIDS prevention and care
programmes as value-adding to the business and as the responsibility of the Human
Resources department through the Employee Assistance Programme or the clinic. The
remaining 15 per cent of senior managers perceive the firm’s HIV/AIDS prevention and
care programmes as non-value-adding to the business.
The rather poor knowledge of the firm’s HIV/AIDS Policy and the lack of ownership of
the firm’s HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes by senior management suggest
that considerable work still needs to be done to ensure that the firm implements an
effective and sustainable management of HIV/AIDS.
It is recommended that the firm’s HIV/AIDS Programme must be transformed into a
broader Wellness Programme covering a wide range of health and wellness issues
affecting staff. The workplace Wellness Programme must be driven by a sense of
ownership between the company and employees.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menige firma se poging om ʼn suksesvolle MIV/vigs-werkplekprogram te bedryf, loop op
ʼn mislukking uit. Sodoende loop dié ondernemings nie net ʼn risiko nie, maar verkwis ook
die projekgeld en -geleenthede. Hierdie studie was dus daarop toegespits om senior
bestuurders se kennis en opvattings van, en gevoelens oor, hulle firma se MIV/vigsbeleid
en -program te ondersoek, ten einde strategieë te bepaal om die bestuurders se
steun vir die suksesvolle inwerkingstelling van sodanige programme te bekom. Vir
hierdie doel is ʼn kwalitatiewe navorsingstudie vanaf 21 tot 24 Desember 2009
onderneem. Semigestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik om data van die 12 doelbewus
gekose senior bestuurders in te win.
Die resultate toon dat slegs 8,3% van die senior bestuurders betreklik vertroud is met, en
positief voel oor, die firma se MIV/vigs-beleid. Sowat 16,7% van die navorsingsgroep
beskik oor ʼn onvolledige basiese kennis van die firma se MIV/vigs-beleid, hoewel ook
húlle positiewe gevoelens oor die beleid het. Driekwart van die senior bestuurders blyk
geen kennis van die firma se MIV/vigs-beleid te hê nie. Wat die onderneming se
MIV/vigs-voorkomings- en -sorgprogramme betref, reken sowat 75% van die senior
bestuurders dat die firma se programme waarde toevoeg tot die onderneming, maar dat
dit die verantwoordelikheid van die Departement Menslike Hulpbronne deur die
werknemerbystandsprogram of die kliniek is. Die orige kwart van die senior bestuurders
glo nie dat die firma se MIV/vigs-voorkomings- en -sorgprogramme enige waarde tot die
onderneming toevoeg nie.
Die bestuurders se bra power kennis van die firma se MIV/vigs-beleid, en hulle
gebrekkige verantwoordelikheidsbesef met betrekking tot die firma se MIV/vigsvoorkomings- en -sorgprogramme, dui daarop dat ʼn aansienlike hoeveelheid werk nog
gedoen moet word om te verseker dat die onderneming MIV/vigs doeltreffend en
volhoubaar bestuur. Daar word aanbeveel dat die maatskappy se MIV/vigs-program in ʼn
algemene welstandsprogram omskep word wat ʼn wye reeks gesondheids- en
welstandskwessies met betrekking tot personeel dek. Dié program moet aangevuur word
deur ʼn verantwoordelikheidsbesef by sowel die maatskappy as die werknemers.
