I'm a university lecturer in management and leadership. With years of experience as an OD and management consultant. I am interested in and research in the area of business management, entreprenuership leadership and gender
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation
Scholars, policy makers and analysts have agreed that the future development of any country rests... more Scholars, policy makers and analysts have agreed that the future development of any country rests on the shoulders of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs play an important role in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, 85% are expected to fail within the first three years. Many reasons have been outlined as the causes of such a high failure rate with the most notable ones being a dearth in managerial capacity and an inappropriate leadership model. Zimbabwean SMEs have failed to drive economic growth despite the implementation of Western-initiated leadership models. This is why scholars have argued against the applicability of these models and advocated for the establishment and institutionalisation of indigenous leadership models. The current study sought to develop and validate an Afrocentric Effective Leadership (AEL) model for Zimbabwean SMEs. Quantitative research was carried out employing a survey strategy where data was collected using a questionnaire from 241 p...
British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies
The growth and success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is key to the sustainable developme... more The growth and success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is key to the sustainable development of developing countries such as Zimbabwe where deplorable unemployment rates and gigantic gaps between the rich and the poor are widespread. Although SMEs have the capacity to drive economic growth and act as a panacea to the challenges that have bedevilled many African countries, they suffer from high failure rates caused by lack of managerial skills and inappropriate leadership style. The study sought to identify the predominant leadership styles used by SMEs in Zimbabwe by adopting a quantitative research design where a survey was used. Primary data was collected from 241 participants from Bulawayo’s Central Business Area through the use of a closed-ended questionnaire. The study identified two leadership styles namely selective participation style and directional leadership style that were used by SMEs in Zimbabwe. The study concluded that the predominant leadership style used was...
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 2022
Scholars, policy makers and analysts agree that the future development of any country rests on th... more Scholars, policy makers and analysts agree that the future development of any country rests on the shoulders of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, despite the enormity of benefits that can be realised from SMEs, research shows that the majority are plagued by a high failure rate blamed largely on a dearth in managerial skills and ineffective leadership. This calls for continuous assessment of leadership effectiveness so that remedial action can be taken where leadership is found to be ineffective. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of leadership in Zimbabwean SMEs. Quantitative research was conducted using a survey strategy. Primary data was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire from 241 participants from Bulawayo's Central Business Area. The study concluded that leadership was not effective in Zimbabwean SMEs. In order to engender effective leadership, SMEs leaders are encouraged to reward employees when they do what is expected of them. They should come up with novel ways of keeping employees motivated, engaged and committed over and above rewarding them. SMEs leaders should devise mechanisms to help employees move ahead in their careers.
Research has shown that gender is one of the important criteria that determined an employee's... more Research has shown that gender is one of the important criteria that determined an employee's position at the work place ( Adler, 1994, Priola, 2004). Work life balance and gender prejudices make it difficult for women managers to break the glass ceiling (Rapaciolli, 2012). These studies have shown that there many challenges that women managers face. This article presents findings of a study carried out to find out what strategies women managers in the hospitality and financial services in Zimbabwe employ in order to manage the leadership and gender challenges that face them. Research has shown that women mangers experience difficulties in striking a good work life balance due to pressure of time and prejudices from male colleagues, resulting in participants not being appreciated or noticed. The strategies that the participants used to manage the leadership and gender challenges included the following: managing their relationship with husband and enlisting
The retail market structure in Zimbabwe has changed from being a monopolistic structure to a perf... more The retail market structure in Zimbabwe has changed from being a monopolistic structure to a perfect competition structure with many players coming in. It has become necessary, now more than before, for retailers to look at ways to influence customers' supermarket choice decisions. Previous researchers have established that the visual merchandising variable plays a greater role in influencing customer store decisions. This study aimed at establishing the extent to which visual merchandising variables influence customer supermarket choice decisions and at establishing which among the variables, are the most critical in customers' minds in evaluating supermarket choice. The research was carried out in supermarkets around Harare Central Business District, Msasa and Ruwa. A descriptive survey method was used to get information from customers about their behaviours, attitudes and values. Systematic sampling was used to select the customers (respondents). A total of forty customer...
International Journals of Marketing and Technology, 2013
The traditional top down approaches where leaders give directives are becoming less and less appr... more The traditional top down approaches where leaders give directives are becoming less and less appropriate in modern management. The approaches are problematic especially in an environment which is always changing. What is becoming more and more appropriate for one to be successful as a leader is positive influence. Findings from a research carried out to identify success factors for women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe show that there are certain factors that contribute towards one's success (Zinyemba, 2013). The success factors include the following: good communication skills, team work, personal effectiveness skills and influence of role models. Studies have also shown that there are certain behaviors and qualities that contribute to one's success as a manager (Industrial society, 1997). Such behaviors include enthusiasm, toughness, integrity, warmth and humility. This paper analyses success factors for women managers in the hospitali...
The representation of women in management positions in the private sector in Zimbabwe is low. The... more The representation of women in management positions in the private sector in Zimbabwe is low. There are a number of leadership and gender challenges that form a "glass ceiling impinging on women's advancement to senior positions. This study is based on qualitative research carried out in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe where women have traditionally been found in supportive low level positions. The methodologies used by the study include in-depth case studies, focus group discussions and a questionnaire. Using multiple sources of data enabled triangulation, cross referencing and validation of information. The research identified a number of challenges which related to gender role expectations as wife and parenting. The study established that women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe face challenges of balancing work and life due to culture and gender role expectations placed upon them and the pressures of full ti...
The introduction of the multi-currency system in February 2009, in which a number of foreign curr... more The introduction of the multi-currency system in February 2009, in which a number of foreign currencies were adopted for use as legal tender, was meant to rein in devastating hyperinflation that had beset the Zimbabwean economy since 2000. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the multi-currency system on the manufacturing firms in Zimbabwe. The study used a quantitative approach and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 50 respondents out of a sample of 100 from 25 manufacturing firms. This sample was conveniently selected. The response rate of 50%, was adequate to give the desired study results. The study found a number of major benefits from the multi-currency system to the manufacturing sector. These included the stabilisation of prices, elimination of hyperinflation and fall of interest rates. Consequently, the firms were able to properly plan and budget for their operations. Other benefits included improved availability of raw materials, ability to i...
This paper presents an analysis of the innovative packages which can be adopted by the tourism in... more This paper presents an analysis of the innovative packages which can be adopted by the tourism industry in Zimbabwe to make it more suitable for the 21st century tourist. Researchers have alluded to the fact that the tourist of today is more interested in the people of the country visited and more culturally related tourism products are getting favor from tourists. In Zimbabwe, the traditional tourism products included the Victoria Falls which is the major tourist attraction and one of the seven wonders of the world, wildlife or safaris, monuments for example the Great Zimbabwe monument as well as other traditional products like boating and sailing. These products are less experiential in nature and limit the interaction between the tourists and the culture of Zimbabwe. New models of packaging tourism in Zimbabwe are suggested and possible prospects and challenges discussed.
International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2013
It might be said that good work ethics are inherent and therefore only possible in highly sociali... more It might be said that good work ethics are inherent and therefore only possible in highly socialized societies such as the Japanese society and that societies such as those in Southern Africa which have gone through severe de-stabilizing experiences in their history are not capable of engendering and cultivating good work ethics among their work force. Granted, highly socialized societies start from a step ahead of others because they are already oriented towards such a goal. Societies such as those in the post – colonial world start from a position where they must de-construct, unlearn, undo, and pull down the walls of resistance against good work ethics within themselves to good work ethics brought about by their experience over the years.
Recruitment and selection of staff in Zimbabwe comes with challenges that the human resources man... more Recruitment and selection of staff in Zimbabwe comes with challenges that the human resources manager must grapple with. This paper presents findings from a research carried out in 10 companies in Zimbabwe on the challenges that they face with recruitment and selection of staff. Identified challenges include brain drain, high labour turnover, scarcity of skills and expertise in the labour market, and unemployment. Other challenges include costs associated with recruitment. Smaller companies compete with bigger companies which can better absorb the costs associated with recruitment and are also capable of paying better salaries. Lack of human resources planning, geographical location of jobs and use of information technology in advertising are other challenges that employer organizations face when recruiting and selecting employees. These challenges have led to a lack of transparency in the recruitment process, untrustworthiness of employees, and favouritism involved with both extern...
International Journal of Managment, IT and Engineering, 2013
This research paper presents findings on how the salon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structu... more This research paper presents findings on how the salon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structured and managed in Zimbabwe. The paper describes the challenges and advantages of the four (4) models along which the saloon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structured and managed. The researchers used qualitative research methods which included interviews with saloon owners, hair stylists and beauticians and participant observation. The findings show that the salon industry is structured and organized along four models which included formally registered sole proprietorship, a parallel formal/informal structure, informal within formal structure and informal home visits.
International journal of business and economics, 2014
Small businesses in the informal sector are increasingly being recognized as generating meaningfu... more Small businesses in the informal sector are increasingly being recognized as generating meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities for women in Zimbabwe. However, women operating small business face many challenges that negatively impact on the viability of those businesses. In order to mitigate those challenges women in small catering business at Siyaso Magaba home industrial area in Mbare Township in Harare (simply known as Siyaso), employ a number of strategies that enable them to survive and continue operating. This paper presents findings from a research carried out at Siyaso to identify those challenges and survival strategies. The challenges include lack of funding, lack of business management skills, stiff competition, stringent requirements for registering a business, defaulting customers and difficulties in balancing work and domestic commitments. These are the challenges that informal business operators have to grapple with in Zimbabwe in general. Over and above ...
The thesis highlights the global and local under-representation of women in positions of leadersh... more The thesis highlights the global and local under-representation of women in positions of leadership. The research provides insights into the barriers that women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors faced, the key success factors and the strategies that they employed in breaking the glass ceiling. Research has established that in societies with minimal representation of women in business leadership such as Zimbabwe, women’s roles are more traditional and women tend to be found largely in supportive and submissive roles of family care-giving, household responsibilities, nursing and teaching. Stereotypes and gender biases are high and the glass ceiling is harder to break. The study explores what researchers have found regarding effective leadership and management styles and confirms that culture impacts on gender and leadership. This thesis utilized the mixed methods approach to qualitative research in order to identify the leadership and gender challenges that ...
International journal of research in social sciences, 2014
A basic HR management tool that helps organizational and individual effectiveness is the job desc... more A basic HR management tool that helps organizational and individual effectiveness is the job description. A good job description assists the employee to understand the functions of their job, their duties and responsibilities. It also helps them understand the relative importance of their duties and how they contribute to the overall achievement of the mission, goals and objectives of the organization.
This paper is a presentation of findings of a research carried out to explore the impact of emplo... more This paper is a presentation of findings of a research carried out to explore the impact of employee engagement on organisational commitment among workers at national higher education institutes (HEI) in Zimbabwe. The research methodology employed an explanatory-descriptive survey design. The respondents were drawn from a stratified random sample of 142 employees from three universities. Employee engagement was measured using the Gallup Worker Audit (GWA) while organisational commitment was measured using the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire. Data were analysed statistically and correlations made between employee engagement and organisational commitment. Results of the study revealed that only 33.8% of the employees were actively engaged while the remaining 66.2 % showed low levels of engagement. The findings also indicated that there is a positive correlation (r = .607, p <.05) between employee
Talent development and management is a subject that has been widely researched. In some organizat... more Talent development and management is a subject that has been widely researched. In some organizations, talent development and management is not a conscious process. Organizations approach the practice differently with some organizations having clear policies on talent development and succession planning while others approach it in a casual manner. This study carried out a survey to determine the perceptions of middle managers from various organizations in Zimbabwe on the existence of talent development and management, the existence of talent development and management policies, the extent to which talent management is an integrated process and to identify the approaches used by different organizations in handling talent. It came out that in Zimbabwe, the talent development and management area is a mixed bag with some organizations taking a conscious and well planned approach to it while others approach it in a passive manner. The underlying result, however, is that talent developmen...
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe face a number of organisational and m... more Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe face a number of organisational and management challenges that impact negatively on the delivery of their services. Those NGOs that seem to be doing well have adequate human capital with the necessary skills and competencies to perform. They have a flat structure that encourages team work and minimises delays in decision making. Successful NGOs allow for creativity and innovation, especially when the projects are being implemented at grassroots level. They have effective boards that ensure good governance through the use of proper administrative and management policies and procedures that govern their work. They are financially well resourced. The challenges that face many NGOs in Zimbabwe are the lack of financial resources, inexperienced manpower, political interference and involvement, lack of planning and prioritisation of programmes and poor coordination of activities in the field. NGOs in Zimbabwe could improve delive...
International journal of innovative research and development, 2013
Early evangelization strategies used by missionaries to convert Zimbabweans to Christianity inclu... more Early evangelization strategies used by missionaries to convert Zimbabweans to Christianity included the training of local evangelists to preach in the vernacular, establishment of hospitals to treat various sicknesses and using hospital missions as agencies for evangelization and the establishment of schools to impart western education and Christianity to the young people of Zimbabwe. A number of traditional cultural practices such as polygamy and ancestor worship were discouraged and driven underground. Globalization and secularization has resulted in many people leaving mainstream Christian churches such as Catholic, Weslyan Methodists and Anglican to join the new independent churches. This has resulted in about 50% of the Zimbabwean population practising syncretic religion and 25 % practising Christianity and the remaining 25% practice other religions such as Islam and traditional religion. The early evangelization strategies are no longer appropriate. There is need for new evan...
Generally women are lowly represented at senior management level. This could be explained by the ... more Generally women are lowly represented at senior management level. This could be explained by the "glass ceiling" effect which poses invisible barriers to women's progression into positions of leadership, cultural issues and gender role expectations and responsibilities. Hofstede (1980) identified a number of cultural issues that affect women's participation in management and these include issues to do with what society regards as masculine and feminine behaviors and role expectations. Culture is not static. This means that strong traditional values often coexist with modern values and this has implications for the kind of leadership and gender challenges that women managers face.
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation
Scholars, policy makers and analysts have agreed that the future development of any country rests... more Scholars, policy makers and analysts have agreed that the future development of any country rests on the shoulders of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs play an important role in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, 85% are expected to fail within the first three years. Many reasons have been outlined as the causes of such a high failure rate with the most notable ones being a dearth in managerial capacity and an inappropriate leadership model. Zimbabwean SMEs have failed to drive economic growth despite the implementation of Western-initiated leadership models. This is why scholars have argued against the applicability of these models and advocated for the establishment and institutionalisation of indigenous leadership models. The current study sought to develop and validate an Afrocentric Effective Leadership (AEL) model for Zimbabwean SMEs. Quantitative research was carried out employing a survey strategy where data was collected using a questionnaire from 241 p...
British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies
The growth and success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is key to the sustainable developme... more The growth and success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is key to the sustainable development of developing countries such as Zimbabwe where deplorable unemployment rates and gigantic gaps between the rich and the poor are widespread. Although SMEs have the capacity to drive economic growth and act as a panacea to the challenges that have bedevilled many African countries, they suffer from high failure rates caused by lack of managerial skills and inappropriate leadership style. The study sought to identify the predominant leadership styles used by SMEs in Zimbabwe by adopting a quantitative research design where a survey was used. Primary data was collected from 241 participants from Bulawayo’s Central Business Area through the use of a closed-ended questionnaire. The study identified two leadership styles namely selective participation style and directional leadership style that were used by SMEs in Zimbabwe. The study concluded that the predominant leadership style used was...
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 2022
Scholars, policy makers and analysts agree that the future development of any country rests on th... more Scholars, policy makers and analysts agree that the future development of any country rests on the shoulders of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, despite the enormity of benefits that can be realised from SMEs, research shows that the majority are plagued by a high failure rate blamed largely on a dearth in managerial skills and ineffective leadership. This calls for continuous assessment of leadership effectiveness so that remedial action can be taken where leadership is found to be ineffective. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of leadership in Zimbabwean SMEs. Quantitative research was conducted using a survey strategy. Primary data was collected using a closed-ended questionnaire from 241 participants from Bulawayo's Central Business Area. The study concluded that leadership was not effective in Zimbabwean SMEs. In order to engender effective leadership, SMEs leaders are encouraged to reward employees when they do what is expected of them. They should come up with novel ways of keeping employees motivated, engaged and committed over and above rewarding them. SMEs leaders should devise mechanisms to help employees move ahead in their careers.
Research has shown that gender is one of the important criteria that determined an employee's... more Research has shown that gender is one of the important criteria that determined an employee's position at the work place ( Adler, 1994, Priola, 2004). Work life balance and gender prejudices make it difficult for women managers to break the glass ceiling (Rapaciolli, 2012). These studies have shown that there many challenges that women managers face. This article presents findings of a study carried out to find out what strategies women managers in the hospitality and financial services in Zimbabwe employ in order to manage the leadership and gender challenges that face them. Research has shown that women mangers experience difficulties in striking a good work life balance due to pressure of time and prejudices from male colleagues, resulting in participants not being appreciated or noticed. The strategies that the participants used to manage the leadership and gender challenges included the following: managing their relationship with husband and enlisting
The retail market structure in Zimbabwe has changed from being a monopolistic structure to a perf... more The retail market structure in Zimbabwe has changed from being a monopolistic structure to a perfect competition structure with many players coming in. It has become necessary, now more than before, for retailers to look at ways to influence customers' supermarket choice decisions. Previous researchers have established that the visual merchandising variable plays a greater role in influencing customer store decisions. This study aimed at establishing the extent to which visual merchandising variables influence customer supermarket choice decisions and at establishing which among the variables, are the most critical in customers' minds in evaluating supermarket choice. The research was carried out in supermarkets around Harare Central Business District, Msasa and Ruwa. A descriptive survey method was used to get information from customers about their behaviours, attitudes and values. Systematic sampling was used to select the customers (respondents). A total of forty customer...
International Journals of Marketing and Technology, 2013
The traditional top down approaches where leaders give directives are becoming less and less appr... more The traditional top down approaches where leaders give directives are becoming less and less appropriate in modern management. The approaches are problematic especially in an environment which is always changing. What is becoming more and more appropriate for one to be successful as a leader is positive influence. Findings from a research carried out to identify success factors for women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe show that there are certain factors that contribute towards one's success (Zinyemba, 2013). The success factors include the following: good communication skills, team work, personal effectiveness skills and influence of role models. Studies have also shown that there are certain behaviors and qualities that contribute to one's success as a manager (Industrial society, 1997). Such behaviors include enthusiasm, toughness, integrity, warmth and humility. This paper analyses success factors for women managers in the hospitali...
The representation of women in management positions in the private sector in Zimbabwe is low. The... more The representation of women in management positions in the private sector in Zimbabwe is low. There are a number of leadership and gender challenges that form a "glass ceiling impinging on women's advancement to senior positions. This study is based on qualitative research carried out in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe where women have traditionally been found in supportive low level positions. The methodologies used by the study include in-depth case studies, focus group discussions and a questionnaire. Using multiple sources of data enabled triangulation, cross referencing and validation of information. The research identified a number of challenges which related to gender role expectations as wife and parenting. The study established that women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors in Zimbabwe face challenges of balancing work and life due to culture and gender role expectations placed upon them and the pressures of full ti...
The introduction of the multi-currency system in February 2009, in which a number of foreign curr... more The introduction of the multi-currency system in February 2009, in which a number of foreign currencies were adopted for use as legal tender, was meant to rein in devastating hyperinflation that had beset the Zimbabwean economy since 2000. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the multi-currency system on the manufacturing firms in Zimbabwe. The study used a quantitative approach and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 50 respondents out of a sample of 100 from 25 manufacturing firms. This sample was conveniently selected. The response rate of 50%, was adequate to give the desired study results. The study found a number of major benefits from the multi-currency system to the manufacturing sector. These included the stabilisation of prices, elimination of hyperinflation and fall of interest rates. Consequently, the firms were able to properly plan and budget for their operations. Other benefits included improved availability of raw materials, ability to i...
This paper presents an analysis of the innovative packages which can be adopted by the tourism in... more This paper presents an analysis of the innovative packages which can be adopted by the tourism industry in Zimbabwe to make it more suitable for the 21st century tourist. Researchers have alluded to the fact that the tourist of today is more interested in the people of the country visited and more culturally related tourism products are getting favor from tourists. In Zimbabwe, the traditional tourism products included the Victoria Falls which is the major tourist attraction and one of the seven wonders of the world, wildlife or safaris, monuments for example the Great Zimbabwe monument as well as other traditional products like boating and sailing. These products are less experiential in nature and limit the interaction between the tourists and the culture of Zimbabwe. New models of packaging tourism in Zimbabwe are suggested and possible prospects and challenges discussed.
International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences, 2013
It might be said that good work ethics are inherent and therefore only possible in highly sociali... more It might be said that good work ethics are inherent and therefore only possible in highly socialized societies such as the Japanese society and that societies such as those in Southern Africa which have gone through severe de-stabilizing experiences in their history are not capable of engendering and cultivating good work ethics among their work force. Granted, highly socialized societies start from a step ahead of others because they are already oriented towards such a goal. Societies such as those in the post – colonial world start from a position where they must de-construct, unlearn, undo, and pull down the walls of resistance against good work ethics within themselves to good work ethics brought about by their experience over the years.
Recruitment and selection of staff in Zimbabwe comes with challenges that the human resources man... more Recruitment and selection of staff in Zimbabwe comes with challenges that the human resources manager must grapple with. This paper presents findings from a research carried out in 10 companies in Zimbabwe on the challenges that they face with recruitment and selection of staff. Identified challenges include brain drain, high labour turnover, scarcity of skills and expertise in the labour market, and unemployment. Other challenges include costs associated with recruitment. Smaller companies compete with bigger companies which can better absorb the costs associated with recruitment and are also capable of paying better salaries. Lack of human resources planning, geographical location of jobs and use of information technology in advertising are other challenges that employer organizations face when recruiting and selecting employees. These challenges have led to a lack of transparency in the recruitment process, untrustworthiness of employees, and favouritism involved with both extern...
International Journal of Managment, IT and Engineering, 2013
This research paper presents findings on how the salon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structu... more This research paper presents findings on how the salon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structured and managed in Zimbabwe. The paper describes the challenges and advantages of the four (4) models along which the saloon business in Zimbabwe is organized, structured and managed. The researchers used qualitative research methods which included interviews with saloon owners, hair stylists and beauticians and participant observation. The findings show that the salon industry is structured and organized along four models which included formally registered sole proprietorship, a parallel formal/informal structure, informal within formal structure and informal home visits.
International journal of business and economics, 2014
Small businesses in the informal sector are increasingly being recognized as generating meaningfu... more Small businesses in the informal sector are increasingly being recognized as generating meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities for women in Zimbabwe. However, women operating small business face many challenges that negatively impact on the viability of those businesses. In order to mitigate those challenges women in small catering business at Siyaso Magaba home industrial area in Mbare Township in Harare (simply known as Siyaso), employ a number of strategies that enable them to survive and continue operating. This paper presents findings from a research carried out at Siyaso to identify those challenges and survival strategies. The challenges include lack of funding, lack of business management skills, stiff competition, stringent requirements for registering a business, defaulting customers and difficulties in balancing work and domestic commitments. These are the challenges that informal business operators have to grapple with in Zimbabwe in general. Over and above ...
The thesis highlights the global and local under-representation of women in positions of leadersh... more The thesis highlights the global and local under-representation of women in positions of leadership. The research provides insights into the barriers that women managers in the hospitality and financial services sectors faced, the key success factors and the strategies that they employed in breaking the glass ceiling. Research has established that in societies with minimal representation of women in business leadership such as Zimbabwe, women’s roles are more traditional and women tend to be found largely in supportive and submissive roles of family care-giving, household responsibilities, nursing and teaching. Stereotypes and gender biases are high and the glass ceiling is harder to break. The study explores what researchers have found regarding effective leadership and management styles and confirms that culture impacts on gender and leadership. This thesis utilized the mixed methods approach to qualitative research in order to identify the leadership and gender challenges that ...
International journal of research in social sciences, 2014
A basic HR management tool that helps organizational and individual effectiveness is the job desc... more A basic HR management tool that helps organizational and individual effectiveness is the job description. A good job description assists the employee to understand the functions of their job, their duties and responsibilities. It also helps them understand the relative importance of their duties and how they contribute to the overall achievement of the mission, goals and objectives of the organization.
This paper is a presentation of findings of a research carried out to explore the impact of emplo... more This paper is a presentation of findings of a research carried out to explore the impact of employee engagement on organisational commitment among workers at national higher education institutes (HEI) in Zimbabwe. The research methodology employed an explanatory-descriptive survey design. The respondents were drawn from a stratified random sample of 142 employees from three universities. Employee engagement was measured using the Gallup Worker Audit (GWA) while organisational commitment was measured using the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire. Data were analysed statistically and correlations made between employee engagement and organisational commitment. Results of the study revealed that only 33.8% of the employees were actively engaged while the remaining 66.2 % showed low levels of engagement. The findings also indicated that there is a positive correlation (r = .607, p <.05) between employee
Talent development and management is a subject that has been widely researched. In some organizat... more Talent development and management is a subject that has been widely researched. In some organizations, talent development and management is not a conscious process. Organizations approach the practice differently with some organizations having clear policies on talent development and succession planning while others approach it in a casual manner. This study carried out a survey to determine the perceptions of middle managers from various organizations in Zimbabwe on the existence of talent development and management, the existence of talent development and management policies, the extent to which talent management is an integrated process and to identify the approaches used by different organizations in handling talent. It came out that in Zimbabwe, the talent development and management area is a mixed bag with some organizations taking a conscious and well planned approach to it while others approach it in a passive manner. The underlying result, however, is that talent developmen...
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe face a number of organisational and m... more Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe face a number of organisational and management challenges that impact negatively on the delivery of their services. Those NGOs that seem to be doing well have adequate human capital with the necessary skills and competencies to perform. They have a flat structure that encourages team work and minimises delays in decision making. Successful NGOs allow for creativity and innovation, especially when the projects are being implemented at grassroots level. They have effective boards that ensure good governance through the use of proper administrative and management policies and procedures that govern their work. They are financially well resourced. The challenges that face many NGOs in Zimbabwe are the lack of financial resources, inexperienced manpower, political interference and involvement, lack of planning and prioritisation of programmes and poor coordination of activities in the field. NGOs in Zimbabwe could improve delive...
International journal of innovative research and development, 2013
Early evangelization strategies used by missionaries to convert Zimbabweans to Christianity inclu... more Early evangelization strategies used by missionaries to convert Zimbabweans to Christianity included the training of local evangelists to preach in the vernacular, establishment of hospitals to treat various sicknesses and using hospital missions as agencies for evangelization and the establishment of schools to impart western education and Christianity to the young people of Zimbabwe. A number of traditional cultural practices such as polygamy and ancestor worship were discouraged and driven underground. Globalization and secularization has resulted in many people leaving mainstream Christian churches such as Catholic, Weslyan Methodists and Anglican to join the new independent churches. This has resulted in about 50% of the Zimbabwean population practising syncretic religion and 25 % practising Christianity and the remaining 25% practice other religions such as Islam and traditional religion. The early evangelization strategies are no longer appropriate. There is need for new evan...
Generally women are lowly represented at senior management level. This could be explained by the ... more Generally women are lowly represented at senior management level. This could be explained by the "glass ceiling" effect which poses invisible barriers to women's progression into positions of leadership, cultural issues and gender role expectations and responsibilities. Hofstede (1980) identified a number of cultural issues that affect women's participation in management and these include issues to do with what society regards as masculine and feminine behaviors and role expectations. Culture is not static. This means that strong traditional values often coexist with modern values and this has implications for the kind of leadership and gender challenges that women managers face.
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Papers by alice zinyemba