International Journal of Humanities, Management and Social Science (IJ-HuMaSS)
Workplace surveillance is taking the world of work by storm and is becoming the flavour of the mo... more Workplace surveillance is taking the world of work by storm and is becoming the flavour of the moment as a form of scientific supervision. This study sought to unpack the challenges and opportunities of electronic workplace surveillance systems in a selected Public Sector Organisation in Zimbabwe. The study adopted qualitative research using a sample size of twenty-one participants drawn from a population of 105 employees. Primary data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews, and secondary data was gathered using company records. Findings revealed various forms of surveillance including but not limited to the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV), biometric logging, vehicle tracking, telephone tapping email, and internet monitoring. Opportunities identified centered on the possibility to increase productivity, enhancing security, curbing abuse of organizational resources, and curbing sexual harassment and bullying at the workplace. Challenges identified...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
In this research, we examined how COVID-19 impacts employee decision-making and performance, know... more In this research, we examined how COVID-19 impacts employee decision-making and performance, knowing that this virus has negatively affected public health, crippled economies, and transformed social and business environments across the globe. To quantitatively test our specific hypotheses regarding the effects of employees’ perceived risk of COVID-19 and psychological distress on negative performance outcomes, we surveyed 443 healthcare workers who were employed by a group of private hospitals in Zimbabwe. These essential workers were delivering day-to-day frontline services with high exposure to COVID-19 during the pandemic. We find that employees’ perceived risk of COVID-19 increases their disengagement, turnover intention, burnout, and low morale at a p < 0.05 significance level. These latter relationships are mediated by employees’ psychological distress at a p < 0.05 significance level. Our findings shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the cognitions and b...
The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance ... more The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance in a public sector organisation in Zimbabwe. The organisation (herein referred to as Zim-PSO), which has been plagued by operational and people challenges, is essentially locked in underperformance, which, it is argued, could improve as employee engagement levels also improved. A sample of 50 subjects participated in the research. Data were gathered using a combination of unstructured interviews, self-administered questionnaires and a content analysis of a range of secondary data sources in the organisation. A thematic analysis method was used to interpret and analyse the findings. The central argument in the research is that employee engagement is very critical in determining employee, and organisational performance. Findings reveal low levels of employee engagement that consequently result in a below-standard performance amongst the majority of employees. Attempts have been made to improve the work climate and motivation of employees, but the interventions are still insufficient. Whilst the organisation has suffered from a number of perennial problems, much way beyond what engagement can fix, this does not necessarily dwarf the capacity of engagement to stimulate positive employee behaviours that affect productivity and labour efficiency.
Trade union revitalisation; does member commitment matter? This is a million dollar question the ... more Trade union revitalisation; does member commitment matter? This is a million dollar question the study attempts to answer. In this article the researcher reviews whether member commitment matters in trade union revitalisation. The research equally determines the extent to which member commitment leads to trade union revitalization through applying the ordinal least squares model to predict the relationship between member commitment and trade union revitalisation. Findings reveal the existence a positive relationship between employee commitment and trade union revitalisation. The researcher then develops a trade union revitalisation model based on the findings.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 2013
The Zimbabwe economy has recently been plagued by various forms of industrial fragility character... more The Zimbabwe economy has recently been plagued by various forms of industrial fragility characterized by unprecedented hyper-inflation, low levels of investment and under capitalization in many sectors particularly the hospitality industry following the hotly contested land reform program in 2000 and series of disputed parliamentary elections that followed. However the situation has improved following the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February, 2009 and the adoption of multi-currency system to arrest the shortage of foreign currency and restore stability in both productive and consumption sectors of the economy. One such sector has been the hospitality industry, which represents one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. Since then there has been an improvement in performance in the sector as evidenced by increased Food Covers, Average Room Rates, and Average Spent per Cover and Revenue per Available Room. This article uses the Co-evolution Theory to...
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 2012
The main thrust of this paper is to explore whether employee engagement contributes to competitiv... more The main thrust of this paper is to explore whether employee engagement contributes to competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. The researchers were inspired to carry out a study in the hospitality industry because of the need to understand how best to place employee engagement as a human resource initiative, as a source of competitive advantage. Of concern was the need to increase the knowledge base on the benefits of good service provision that comes as a result of having a fully engaged workforce. The research is mainly qualitative since it is in descriptive format. However, quantitative approaches are also used through graphs and tables to illustrate data. The research equally used cross case analysis, by comparing Hotel A and Hotel B. A total of 78 respondents participated in the study. The study revealed the contribution of employee engagement to competitive advantage and highlighted how employee engagement acts as a key determinant of competitive advantage. Hotel B ...
The study critically explores the strengths and limitations of the current corporate governance s... more The study critically explores the strengths and limitations of the current corporate governance systems to adequately monitor and control top executive behavior in the State owned enterprises (SOEs) The study focuses on executive compensation in the form of the hefty salaries and allowances in these organisations albeit a depressed economic performance that has left both their staff and stakeholders in states of penury. The paper questions the ethical issues emanating from such practices and the ‘reluctance’ of government to dictate and intervene in time. The delayed response was not just an under-estimation of the problem but some kind of complicity. The paper argues that the corporate governance structures in state owned enterprises in Zimbabwe have unceasingly become too fragile to restrain both the development and escalation of executive over-compensation. The practice has been reduced to a kind of institutionalised corruption which has been exacerbated by seemingly state of wil...
The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance ... more The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance in a public sector organisation in Zimbabwe. The organisation (herein referred to as Zim-PSO), which has been plagued by operational and people challenges, is essentially locked in underperformance, which, it is argued, could improve as employee engagement levels also improved. A sample of 50 subjects participated in the research. Data were gathered using a combination of unstructured interviews, self-administered questionnaires and a content analysis of a range of secondary data sources in the organisation. A thematic analysis method was used to interpret and analyse the findings. The central argument in the research is that employee engagement is very critical in determining employee, and organisational performance. Findings reveal low levels of employee engagement that consequently result in a below-standard performance amongst the majority of employees. Attempts have been made to imp...
Globally there are a lot of developments and changes happening in the tourism industry affecting ... more Globally there are a lot of developments and changes happening in the tourism industry affecting the traditional business operations and with a serious effect on employment relations patterns. Trade unions have been at the receiving end owing to these changes. New forms of employment coupled with other changes have adversely affected the ability of trade unions to effectively organize. While union strength is measured by a number of aspects, membership remains the main indicator of union power. In this article, we examine the organizing challenges faced by the Trade Unions in the Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe. We employ a qualitative study utilizing a sample of 80 respondents drawn from union officials (10), shop stewards (40) and management representatives (30). The study reveals that the unions face a myriad of challenges ranging from lack of resources to effectively organize and support all initiatives in place, political persecution affecting member perceptions, lack of manag...
On the morning of 6 June 1972, 427 coal miners perished in a suspected methane gas explosion in H... more On the morning of 6 June 1972, 427 coal miners perished in a suspected methane gas explosion in Hwange Colliery Kamandama Shaft. On that fateful day Miners from South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Costa Rica met their untimely death at the number two mine. This has been the worst mining disaster ever in Zimbabwe’s history, which hampered sustainable development. Through content analysis, questionnaires and interviews research findings suggest that the suspected causes of the accident were, blown out Shots, Welding and the Collapse of Panels, sabotage and diesel fuel fires. To ensure effective sustainable development the company embarked on a massive campaign to curb any occupational hazards mainly through observing contraband rules, ISO certification, and setting proto teams, sub-contracting rock specialists, maintaining a wellinformed safety department. The paper recommends, the use of person wearable methane control monitors, maximum stone dusting, methane drainage, and the ...
Trade unions in the hospitality industry have long served an important and vital role, acting as ... more Trade unions in the hospitality industry have long served an important and vital role, acting as the vanguard to protect the worker’s rights and their financial livelihood, hence stressing their importance. Their future however remains hanging in balance as they continue to face an array of challenges and changes threatening their existence. In this paper the researcher attempt to respond to the question on, ‘why would individuals choose to be loyal and committed to trade unions?’ Finding through a 5 point likert scale administered on 227 members belonging to the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel workers Union (ZCHWU) and interviews conducted with 18 union officials reveals that commitment is determined by the ability of the union to satisfy member expectations. Findings reveals that member commitment manifest itself through individual’s strong desire to remain a member of the union; willingness to exert high effort on behalf of the union as well as belief in the union goals and leadershi...
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
This article investigates the changes happening in the tourism and hospitality industry adversely... more This article investigates the changes happening in the tourism and hospitality industry adversely affecting the trade unions and their ability to effectively organise and represent fully their member interest in Zimbabwe. The authors argue that the tourism and hospitality industry remains one of the fastest growing sectors within the global economy that is undeniably extremely labour intensive. While there are two officially registered unions namely the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers Union (ZCHWU) and the Hospitality and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (HAWUZ), the focus has been on the ZCHWU which has ultimate control, having enjoyed monopoly from the traditional one union one industry approach. Through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions findings reveal legislative and demographics changes, adoption of precarious employment, adoption of new technology and the entry of Chinese accused of being anti-unionism and exploitative in nature as some of the major changes. ...
International Journal of Humanities, Management and Social Science (IJ-HuMaSS)
Workplace surveillance is taking the world of work by storm and is becoming the flavour of the mo... more Workplace surveillance is taking the world of work by storm and is becoming the flavour of the moment as a form of scientific supervision. This study sought to unpack the challenges and opportunities of electronic workplace surveillance systems in a selected Public Sector Organisation in Zimbabwe. The study adopted qualitative research using a sample size of twenty-one participants drawn from a population of 105 employees. Primary data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews, and secondary data was gathered using company records. Findings revealed various forms of surveillance including but not limited to the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV), biometric logging, vehicle tracking, telephone tapping email, and internet monitoring. Opportunities identified centered on the possibility to increase productivity, enhancing security, curbing abuse of organizational resources, and curbing sexual harassment and bullying at the workplace. Challenges identified...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
In this research, we examined how COVID-19 impacts employee decision-making and performance, know... more In this research, we examined how COVID-19 impacts employee decision-making and performance, knowing that this virus has negatively affected public health, crippled economies, and transformed social and business environments across the globe. To quantitatively test our specific hypotheses regarding the effects of employees’ perceived risk of COVID-19 and psychological distress on negative performance outcomes, we surveyed 443 healthcare workers who were employed by a group of private hospitals in Zimbabwe. These essential workers were delivering day-to-day frontline services with high exposure to COVID-19 during the pandemic. We find that employees’ perceived risk of COVID-19 increases their disengagement, turnover intention, burnout, and low morale at a p < 0.05 significance level. These latter relationships are mediated by employees’ psychological distress at a p < 0.05 significance level. Our findings shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the cognitions and b...
The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance ... more The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance in a public sector organisation in Zimbabwe. The organisation (herein referred to as Zim-PSO), which has been plagued by operational and people challenges, is essentially locked in underperformance, which, it is argued, could improve as employee engagement levels also improved. A sample of 50 subjects participated in the research. Data were gathered using a combination of unstructured interviews, self-administered questionnaires and a content analysis of a range of secondary data sources in the organisation. A thematic analysis method was used to interpret and analyse the findings. The central argument in the research is that employee engagement is very critical in determining employee, and organisational performance. Findings reveal low levels of employee engagement that consequently result in a below-standard performance amongst the majority of employees. Attempts have been made to improve the work climate and motivation of employees, but the interventions are still insufficient. Whilst the organisation has suffered from a number of perennial problems, much way beyond what engagement can fix, this does not necessarily dwarf the capacity of engagement to stimulate positive employee behaviours that affect productivity and labour efficiency.
Trade union revitalisation; does member commitment matter? This is a million dollar question the ... more Trade union revitalisation; does member commitment matter? This is a million dollar question the study attempts to answer. In this article the researcher reviews whether member commitment matters in trade union revitalisation. The research equally determines the extent to which member commitment leads to trade union revitalization through applying the ordinal least squares model to predict the relationship between member commitment and trade union revitalisation. Findings reveal the existence a positive relationship between employee commitment and trade union revitalisation. The researcher then develops a trade union revitalisation model based on the findings.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 2013
The Zimbabwe economy has recently been plagued by various forms of industrial fragility character... more The Zimbabwe economy has recently been plagued by various forms of industrial fragility characterized by unprecedented hyper-inflation, low levels of investment and under capitalization in many sectors particularly the hospitality industry following the hotly contested land reform program in 2000 and series of disputed parliamentary elections that followed. However the situation has improved following the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in February, 2009 and the adoption of multi-currency system to arrest the shortage of foreign currency and restore stability in both productive and consumption sectors of the economy. One such sector has been the hospitality industry, which represents one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. Since then there has been an improvement in performance in the sector as evidenced by increased Food Covers, Average Room Rates, and Average Spent per Cover and Revenue per Available Room. This article uses the Co-evolution Theory to...
Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 2012
The main thrust of this paper is to explore whether employee engagement contributes to competitiv... more The main thrust of this paper is to explore whether employee engagement contributes to competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. The researchers were inspired to carry out a study in the hospitality industry because of the need to understand how best to place employee engagement as a human resource initiative, as a source of competitive advantage. Of concern was the need to increase the knowledge base on the benefits of good service provision that comes as a result of having a fully engaged workforce. The research is mainly qualitative since it is in descriptive format. However, quantitative approaches are also used through graphs and tables to illustrate data. The research equally used cross case analysis, by comparing Hotel A and Hotel B. A total of 78 respondents participated in the study. The study revealed the contribution of employee engagement to competitive advantage and highlighted how employee engagement acts as a key determinant of competitive advantage. Hotel B ...
The study critically explores the strengths and limitations of the current corporate governance s... more The study critically explores the strengths and limitations of the current corporate governance systems to adequately monitor and control top executive behavior in the State owned enterprises (SOEs) The study focuses on executive compensation in the form of the hefty salaries and allowances in these organisations albeit a depressed economic performance that has left both their staff and stakeholders in states of penury. The paper questions the ethical issues emanating from such practices and the ‘reluctance’ of government to dictate and intervene in time. The delayed response was not just an under-estimation of the problem but some kind of complicity. The paper argues that the corporate governance structures in state owned enterprises in Zimbabwe have unceasingly become too fragile to restrain both the development and escalation of executive over-compensation. The practice has been reduced to a kind of institutionalised corruption which has been exacerbated by seemingly state of wil...
The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance ... more The research analyses employee engagement as a precursor to unlocking organisational performance in a public sector organisation in Zimbabwe. The organisation (herein referred to as Zim-PSO), which has been plagued by operational and people challenges, is essentially locked in underperformance, which, it is argued, could improve as employee engagement levels also improved. A sample of 50 subjects participated in the research. Data were gathered using a combination of unstructured interviews, self-administered questionnaires and a content analysis of a range of secondary data sources in the organisation. A thematic analysis method was used to interpret and analyse the findings. The central argument in the research is that employee engagement is very critical in determining employee, and organisational performance. Findings reveal low levels of employee engagement that consequently result in a below-standard performance amongst the majority of employees. Attempts have been made to imp...
Globally there are a lot of developments and changes happening in the tourism industry affecting ... more Globally there are a lot of developments and changes happening in the tourism industry affecting the traditional business operations and with a serious effect on employment relations patterns. Trade unions have been at the receiving end owing to these changes. New forms of employment coupled with other changes have adversely affected the ability of trade unions to effectively organize. While union strength is measured by a number of aspects, membership remains the main indicator of union power. In this article, we examine the organizing challenges faced by the Trade Unions in the Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe. We employ a qualitative study utilizing a sample of 80 respondents drawn from union officials (10), shop stewards (40) and management representatives (30). The study reveals that the unions face a myriad of challenges ranging from lack of resources to effectively organize and support all initiatives in place, political persecution affecting member perceptions, lack of manag...
On the morning of 6 June 1972, 427 coal miners perished in a suspected methane gas explosion in H... more On the morning of 6 June 1972, 427 coal miners perished in a suspected methane gas explosion in Hwange Colliery Kamandama Shaft. On that fateful day Miners from South Africa, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, and Costa Rica met their untimely death at the number two mine. This has been the worst mining disaster ever in Zimbabwe’s history, which hampered sustainable development. Through content analysis, questionnaires and interviews research findings suggest that the suspected causes of the accident were, blown out Shots, Welding and the Collapse of Panels, sabotage and diesel fuel fires. To ensure effective sustainable development the company embarked on a massive campaign to curb any occupational hazards mainly through observing contraband rules, ISO certification, and setting proto teams, sub-contracting rock specialists, maintaining a wellinformed safety department. The paper recommends, the use of person wearable methane control monitors, maximum stone dusting, methane drainage, and the ...
Trade unions in the hospitality industry have long served an important and vital role, acting as ... more Trade unions in the hospitality industry have long served an important and vital role, acting as the vanguard to protect the worker’s rights and their financial livelihood, hence stressing their importance. Their future however remains hanging in balance as they continue to face an array of challenges and changes threatening their existence. In this paper the researcher attempt to respond to the question on, ‘why would individuals choose to be loyal and committed to trade unions?’ Finding through a 5 point likert scale administered on 227 members belonging to the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel workers Union (ZCHWU) and interviews conducted with 18 union officials reveals that commitment is determined by the ability of the union to satisfy member expectations. Findings reveals that member commitment manifest itself through individual’s strong desire to remain a member of the union; willingness to exert high effort on behalf of the union as well as belief in the union goals and leadershi...
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure
This article investigates the changes happening in the tourism and hospitality industry adversely... more This article investigates the changes happening in the tourism and hospitality industry adversely affecting the trade unions and their ability to effectively organise and represent fully their member interest in Zimbabwe. The authors argue that the tourism and hospitality industry remains one of the fastest growing sectors within the global economy that is undeniably extremely labour intensive. While there are two officially registered unions namely the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers Union (ZCHWU) and the Hospitality and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (HAWUZ), the focus has been on the ZCHWU which has ultimate control, having enjoyed monopoly from the traditional one union one industry approach. Through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions findings reveal legislative and demographics changes, adoption of precarious employment, adoption of new technology and the entry of Chinese accused of being anti-unionism and exploitative in nature as some of the major changes. ...
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