- Title
- Employee perception on causes and forms of conflict in the Botswana contruction industry : A comparative study between domestic-owned and Chinese-owned companies
- Creator
- Moeti-Lysson, Josephine
- Date
- 2016
- Type
- Text; Thesis; PhD
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/154216
- Identifier
- vital:11071
- Identifier
- http://library.federation.edu.au/record=b2684943
- Abstract
- The construction industry in Botswana plays a crucial role in the economic development of the nation. While much research in this sector centres on the technical issues, especially the tender/procurement processes as they have evolved over the years, there is limited research on employment relations. This study investigates the lived experiences of employees in the Botswana construction industry in both domestic-owned and Chinese-owned companies and aims to capture „snapshots‟ of their perceptions of the causes and forms of conflict within that sector. Adopting a pragmatism research paradigm, this research employs a mixed methods research protocol to obtain quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 632 employees. The overall results reveal that there are statistically significant differences between domestic- and Chinese-owned companies, with respect to how employees perceive income distribution, job security and managerial control as causes of conflict. The empirical results show that there is a positive relationship between employees‟ negative workplace perceptions and various forms of workplace deviant behaviours that employees use to retaliate in the event they perceive some form of unfairness, particularly in wages, job security or how managers/supervisors treat them. In domestic-owned companies there is a significant and positive association between disparity of income distribution and personal gain deviant behaviours such as theft as compared to other deviant activities against the production process including sabotage and production deviance; while in Chinese-owned companies there is a significant positive association between all forms of workplace inequities (income distribution, job security, managerial control) and all forms of conflict. This study contributes to the development of a more rigorous approach to the analysis of industrial relations conflicts in the construction industry in developing economies. This type of comparative research between domestic- and Chinese-owned companies could possibly be transferred to similar industries, such as in manufacturing and retail, where there are also a significant number of foreign-owned companies. This thesis concludes by discussing the various contributions made by this study to both academia and practitioners. It also details several recommendations for future research and for ensuring peaceful and productive employee-employer relationships in the workplace.; Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- Federation University Australia
- Rights
- Copyright Josephine Moeti-Lysson
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Construction industry; Botswana; Domestic-owned; Chinese-owned; Companies; Conflict
- Full Text
- Thesis Supervisor
- Courvisanos, Jerry
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