An assessment of the home management training needs of domestic workers in selected regions of the Ethekwini Municipal Area

Date
2003-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Domestic workers form an integral part of many South African households and enable their employers to be economically productive. Most employers are dissatisfied with their employees' performance, while domestic workers accuse their employers of insensitivity. Work-related conflict between these parties occurs as a result of domestic workers' lack of knowledge and skills on various aspects of home management. It was essential to determine the level of domestic workers' knowledge on various home management aspects. This would indicate how to intervene in order to increase their productivity and to promote harmonious working relations between them and their employers. The purpose of this research was to assess the domestic workers' learning needs in home management. Employers' views were also sought regarding both the home management skills they required of their domestic workers and their expectations with regard to a proposed domestic workers' home management training programme, with the aim of determining whether there is a need for a training programme. The data gleaned in this manner would ensure that the ensuing intervention strategy would be relevant to the needs of both groups. A survey was carried out for the needs assessment process. The research instruments used for data collection from 100 domestic workers, were interviewing schedules using a tape recorder and incidental observation and questionnaires for 100 employers. The SPSS Win programme was used to analyze the data. Conclusions drawn indicated that all domestic workers involved were females who were heterogeneous in age and levels of education. Most were from impoverished rural areas and were single parents with many dependants. Numerous problems experienced in the workplace had led to a high turnover. All domestic workers lacked knowledge and skills in various home management aspects. Domestic workers and the majority of employers felt that training in all aspects of home management was essential. Recommendations based on these conclusions were the following: • The state should establish and subsidize comprehensive domestic workers' training programmes in order to empower domestic workers with skills, which would ensure increased productivity and reduce unemployment. • Government officials should facilitate workshops for the employers of domestic workers in South Africa to ensure that all such will apply the relevant laws. This will result in reduced turnover and less conflict. • The state should make adult basic education and training programmes accessible to all, in order to address the problem of illiteracy, which impacts negatively on the domestic workers' job performance. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that domestic workers are ignorant of various aspects of home management. To address this problem, a holistic home management- training programme is regarded as a solution by both domestic workers and their employers.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Huishulpe vorm 'n integrale deel van Suid-Afrikaanse huishoudings, en verseker sodoende dat hul werkgewers ekonomies aktief kan wees.Die meeste van hierdie werkgewers is ontevrede met hul werknemers se werk terwyl huishulpe op hul beurt hul werkgewers van onsensitiwiteit beskuldig. Werkverwante konflik tussen die partye kom voor as gevolg van huishulpe se onkunde in verband met verskeie aspekte van huishouding. Dit is dus belangrik om die vlak van huishulpe se kennis aangaande huishounding te bepaal. Hierdie inligting kan dan gebruik word met die doeI om produktiiwiteit te verhoog asook om werksverhoudinge te verbeter. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die opleidingsbehoeftes van huishulpe ten opsigte van huishouding te bepaal. Werkgewers se opinies ten opsigte van die bestuursvaardighede wat van huishulpe verwag word sowel as die verwagtinge ten opsigte van inhoud van opleidingprogram is verkry met die doeI om te bepaal of daar wel 'n behoefte aan 'n opleidingprogram is. Die data verkry sal verseker dat 'n intervensie strategie bepaal kan word wat in beide partye se behoeftes voorsien. 'n Navorsings vraelys is versprei ten einde behoeftes te bepaal. Die navorsingsinstrumente gebruik tydens die insameling van data vanaf 100 huishulpe vir hierdie studie sluit onderhoudvoering met behulp van 'n kassetspeler en toevallige observasie sowel as vraelyste in. Die SPSS Win program is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die analise van die data bevestig dat huishulpe enheterogene vroulike populasie is ten opsigte van ouderdom en vlakke van opvoeding. Die meeste huishulpe was afkomstig van baie arm landelik gebiede. Hulle was ook meestal enkelouers met verskeie afhanklikes. Die groot aantal probleme ervaar in die werksomgewing het ook enhoe personeelomset tot gevolg gehad. Alle huishulpe was onbekend met bestuursvaardighede ten opsifgte van huishouding. Die werkgewers sowel as die wernemers het gevoel dat opleiding in hierdie gebied nodig is. Voorstelle gebaseer op hierdie gevolgtrekkings was as volg: • Die Staat behoort omvattende opleidingprogramme vir huishulpe te ontwikkel en te subsideer ten einde huishulpe te bemagtig met vaardighede. Dit behoort produktiwiteit te verhoog en werkloosheid te verminder. • Staatsamptenare behoort werkwinkels vir werkgewers te fasiliteer ten einde te verseker dat hulle ingelig is ten opsigte van die relevante wetgewing. Dit behoort konflik te verminder. • Die Staat behoort basiese opleiding en opleidingsprogramme toeganklik vir almal te maak ten einde die geletterdheidsprobleem te verminder. Die gebrek aan geletterheid het ennegatiewe impak op werverkrrigting. Gebaseer op hierdie bevindinge, is die gevolgtrekking dat huishulpe oningelig is ten opsigte van die verskeie aspekte van huishouding. Ten einde hierdie probleem aan te spreek, behoort enholistiese opleidingprogram ten opsigte van huishouding ontwikkel te word. Dit behoort beide werkgewer en werknemer te bevoordeel.
Description
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
Keywords
Household employees -- Training of -- South Africa, Household employees -- South Africa -- Durban, Dissertations -- Education
Citation