Affirmative Action : the experience of people in middle management positions

Abstract

Affirmative Action remains one of the most highly sensitive, emotive and hotly debated subjects in South Africa. It is nevertheless an important legislated program that needs to be fully researched and constructively debated to bring change to the lives of previously disadvantaged groups. The present study focused on the experiences of black middle managers. The goal being to describe how black middle managers experience Affirmative Action at the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Emphasis was placed on how black middle managers define Affirmative Action, whether they feel that others question their abilities because of Affirmative Action or not and the extent to which Affirmative Action policies affect their job satisfaction and work commitment. The phenomenological approach was used to study the experiences of five middle managers at the SABC. Results of the study revealed that participants experienced Affirmative Action positively as a corrective process that provides employment opportunities for advancement and actualisation of potentialities. These results seem to counter previous research studies (e.g., Gillis et al., 2001; Koekemoer, 1998) that propound a high stress level and demotivation among those who are supposed to benefit from Affirmative Action, the affirmed. The current findings are congruent with Skedsvold and Mann’s (1996) assertion that Affirmative Action policies increase job satisfaction and organisational commitment among beneficiaries.