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An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.

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Main Author: Joseph, Rhondine Candice
Other Authors: Erasmus, Willem
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author Joseph, Rhondine Candice
author2 Erasmus, Willem
author_browse Erasmus, Willem
Joseph, Rhondine Candice
author_facet Erasmus, Willem
Joseph, Rhondine Candice
author_sort Joseph, Rhondine Candice
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124914
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:21.794Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124914 An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force Joseph, Rhondine Candice Erasmus, Willem Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Sciences. School for Organisation and Resource Management. Labor turnover South Africa. National Defence Force SANDF UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee turnover is an ever present challenge faced by many organisations. Military institutions are no exception. Extraordinary employee turnover impacts adversely the general effectiveness of all organisations, including non-profit organisations. Relatively high employee turnover is seen as a routine phenomenon in military working environments. Thus it is often unknown to line managers and commanders why employees decide to either leave the organisation, or stay. While military leadership regard regular and even high levels of employee turnover as a normal phenomenon, it becomes a cause of concern when increasing numbers of military personnel voluntarily withdraw their services from the organisation. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is a public service institution within the Department of Defence (DOD) governed by the South African Constitution and South African law. For this reason, it is constantly reminded of its primary mandate of providing security, yet also called upon for improved and effective service delivery to the public of South Africa. For effective service delivery and overall security of South Africa, the SANDF needs to focus on the retention of their valuable employees. Through maintaining the effectiveness, well-being and satisfaction of its personnel, it will secure retention of the best. Yet, an unusually high percentage of military personnel leave the SANDF prematurely. Therefore, a study was undertaken to determine the reasons why military employees leave the SANDF, and to investigate factors that may contribute to their decisions to leave. Possible retention strategies would also be investigated. The study had a sample size of 160, of which 140 were members still employed in the SANDF, and 20 members who had resigned. A mixed research approach was adopted in this study. Quantitative data were analysed through IBM SPSS, and a thematic coding system was used to analyse qualitative data. The results of the study revealed that military employees make their decision to leave the SANDF based on three primary factors, namely: unfair treatment; incompetent leaders, managers, seniors; and lack of organisational support. Recommendations were made that policy procedures should be adhered to when decisions are made, that leaders, managers and seniors should undergo a screening process before being appointed in critical command posts, and that support systems be implemented to assist military employees feeling compelled by circumstance to leave the organisation. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werknemersomset is ‘n konstante uitdaging waarmee instellings gekonfronteer word. Militere instellings is geen uitsondering nie. Buitengewone werknemersomset beinvloed die algemene effektiwiteit van alle organisasies nadelig, ook nie-winsgewende organisasies. Relatief hoe werknemersomset word dikwels beskou as ‘n normale verskynsel in militere werksomgewings. Daarom is lynbestuurders en bevelvoerders dikwels onbewus van die feit dat, of die redes waarom werknemers of aanbly, of die instelling verlaat. Alhoewel militere leierskap gereelde en hoe vlakke van werknemersomset as ‘n normale verskynsel beskou, word dit ‘n bron van kommer wanneer toenemende hoeveelhede militere personeel vrywillig hul diens uit die organisasie onttrek. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW) is ‘n openbare diensleweraar binne die Departement van Verdediging (DvV) wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet en deur Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing gereguleer word. Om daardie rede word dit gereeld aan sy primere sekerheidsvoorsieningsmandaat herinner, maar word dit dikwels ook vereis om verbeterde en effektiewe dienslewering aan die Suid-Afrikaans samelewing te lewer. Met die oog op lewering van effektiewe diens en oorhoofse sekerheid van Suid-Afrika, moet die SANW poog om sy waardevolste werknemers te behou. Deur die effektiwiteit, welstand en bevrediging van sy personeel te handhaaf sal dit verseker dat die beste werknemers behou word. Tog verlaat ‘n buitengewone hoë persentasie militere personeel die SANW voortydig. Daarom is ‘n studie onderneem om die redes waarom militere werknemers die SANW verlaat, te bepaal, en die faktore te ondersoek wat mag bydra tot hul besluit om die diens te verlaat. Moontlike behoudstrategiee sou ook ondersoek word. Die studie se steekproefgrootte was 160, waarvan 140 mense was wat steeds in diens van die organisasie staan, en 20 voormailge werknemers van die SANW was. ‘n Gemengde navorsingsbenadering is met hierdie studie gevolg. Kwantitatiewe data is deur middel van IBM SPSS ontleed, en ‘n tematiese koderingstelsel is benut om kwalitatiewe data te ontleed. Die resultate van die navorsing het bewys dat militere werknemers baseer hul besluit om die SANW te verlaat op drie primere faktore, naamlik: onbillike behandeling; onbevoegde bestuurders, leiers, seniors; en gebrek aan organisatoriese steun. Aanbevelings wat gemaak is, is dat beleidsprosedure nagekom moet word tydens besluitneming, dat leiers, bestuurders, en seniors deeglik gekeur moet word voordat hul in kritieke bevelsposte aangestel word, en dat ondersteuningstelsels geimplementeer moet word om militere werknemers wat genoop voel om die organisasie te verlaat, by te staan. Masters 2022-03-01T18:09:21Z 2022-04-29T09:40:52Z 2022-03-01T18:09:21Z 2022-04-29T09:40:52Z 2022-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124914 en_ZA Stellenbosch University x, 150 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Labor turnover
South Africa. National Defence Force
SANDF
UCTD
Joseph, Rhondine Candice
An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title_full An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title_fullStr An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title_full_unstemmed An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title_short An examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the South African National Defence Force
title_sort examination of the rationale behind employee turnover in the south african national defence force
topic Labor turnover
South Africa. National Defence Force
SANDF
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124914
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