UWCScholar

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Healing bodies, healing communities: a community-based qualitative study of adult survivors of childhood sexual trauma in South Africa
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Morgan, Leona; Nadar, Sarojini; Keygnaert, Ines
Highlights: Body-based care models respond better to long-term, intergenerational and somatic aspects of sexual trauma in survivors being historically excluded from mental health care. Co-creation of care pathways ensures culturally sensitive approaches that are responsive to lived experiences of marginalized survivors of childhood sexual trauma. What are the main findings? Relational safety and somatic engagement were foundational to trauma recovery, enabling survivors to process trauma at their own pace and integrate dissociative experiences through embodied therapeutic praxis. Recovery was relational and continuous, with participants reporting increased peace, authenticity and social connection despite structural barriers, highlighting the effectiveness of culturally grounded, non-pathologizing care. What is the implication of the main finding? Integrative Trauma-Informed Care (ITIC) offers a culturally sensitive, adaptable framework that can be tailored to diverse communities and age groups, emphasizing embodied, intergenerational and relational healing. Decolonial and feminist approaches to mental health care can bridge epistemic gaps in ITIC praxes by centering survivors’ lived, embodied experiences, promoting sustainable and inclusive therapeutic models globally. Background: While sexual trauma is inherently an embodied experience, research on psychological interventions that is cognisant of geographic and socio-political community contexts within which embodied, therapeutic interventions occur remains limited. Decolonial, African and feminist community psychologies have noted this epistemic–ethical gap. Objectives: This paper explores the co-development of trauma-informed care pathways for adult survivors of childhood sexual trauma (CST) in under-resourced communities in Cape Town, South Africa. The study aimed to integrate intergenerational community knowledge, embodied therapeutic practices and collaborative approaches into locally relevant models of care. Methods: Drawing on feminist mental health frameworks, this qualitative study engaged 13 adult female survivors who identify as “coloured”.
Perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and turnover intentions amongst employees in a selected company in the aviation industry
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Satardien, Maahierah
A large body of research on staff turnover report that intention to leave the organisation is one of the key predictor’s to staff turnover (Chen & Francesco, 2003; Steel & Lounsbury, 2009). Researchers agree that when organisational commitment is high amongst staff the result is low turnover (Abdulkadir & Orkan, 2009; Culpepper, 2011; Muse & Stamper, 2007; Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002). A strong correlation between voluntary turnover and the three organisational commitment dimensions (namely, affective, continuance and normative) was also found (Tansky & Cohen, 2001; Ucar & Otten, 2010). Organisational commitment has been identified as an important employee job related behaviour and perceived organisational support plays a vital role in enhancing employees’ organisational commitment. As employees’ commitment increases, employees feel more obligated and committed towards their organisation and products of this increased commitment are favourable benefits such as organisational effectiveness, reduced turnover, improved performance and reduced absenteeism (Yang, Wu, Chang, & Chien, 2011). The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and turnover intentions. Convenience sampling was used to identify the sample and questionnaires were used to collect the data. The questionnaires used to gain information include a biographical questionnaire; Eisenberger et al.’s Survey of Perceived Organisational Support, Meyer and Allen’s Organisational Commitment Questionnaire and Roodt’s Turnover Intentions Questionnaire. These questionnaires were administered to individuals employed as load control agents and support staff at a selected company in the aviation industry.
The perception of women regarding career barriers within a municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal region
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Hlophe, Duduzile Rosemary
The aim of this research study was to assess the existence and impact of career barriers on women in a municipal environment and to understand whether career salience explains some of the differences in the perception of career barriers. To answer the research hypothesis, permission was obtained from the municipal management to embark on the study and the respondents were notified in writing of the purpose and benefits of the study. A cross-sectional, convenience sample of 89 female employees in post levels one to ten was used. The survey questionnaire consisted of a demographical questionnaire, The Career Barriers Inventory-Revised (CBI-R) (Swanson, Daniels & Tokar, 1996) and a career salience scale. The statistical analyses included descriptive, inferential statistics and analysis of variance. The data was also subjected to a Scheffe’s test to determine the differences in perceptions. The results (N = 89) of this study do not support the hypothesis that there is a significant difference between age and women’s experiences of sex discrimination as a career barrier. The first and second hypothesis, which meant to prove a significant relationship between career salience and career barriers and a significant difference in women’s perceptions of career barriers based on their career salience, was partially accepted.
Career maturity amongst first year university students in a commerce faculty at a tertiary institution in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Hoorn, Caroline
Career maturity is an essential requirement in human existence. Super (1979) identified five stages which highlight the level of maturity an individual should have achieved at a certain age. However, increasingly, it is being recognised that individuals are not at the level of career maturity where they ought to be. In order to address the matter relating to career maturity, the current research investigated the nature thereof amongst first year university students. The prevalence of specific aspects of career maturity (namely, self-information, decision-making, career information, integration of self-information and career information, and career planning) were investigated. In addition, the correlations between the aspects of career maturity and certain biographical variables such as age, gender and race were examined.
Work motivation and satisfaction amongst employees in a financial services organisation in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2013) Arendse, Bianca
In any field of Human Resource Management and in any organisation, the human being is seen as an asset and remains the most valuable and also the most difficult to understand. The past decade has seen an increased focus on employees, their level of motivation and their satisfaction at work. Theorists have been endeavouring to compartmentalise and comprehend those aspects which are of most importance in certain jobs. Tremendous pressure is put on organisations to improve their performance and increase their competitiveness in the continuously changing world of work. This is no different to the challenges financial institutions face such as globalisation, economic shocks, technological changes and downsizing. The aim of the research was to explore the motivation and job satisfaction levels of employees of a financial services organisation within the Western Cape, with particular focus on gender differences. Motivating employees is one of the most important managerial functions. According to Nel, Werner, Poisat, Sono, Du Plessis and Ngalo (2011) success in this endeavour is essential in the quest to utilise the full potential of people so as to ensure quality products and service. The population for this study was a financial services organisation within the Western Cape. A non-probability sampling based on the method of convenience was used of which 95 employees were drawn from the employee pool. Statistical analyses will involve both descriptive (measures of central tendency and dispersion) and inferential statistics (correlation, t-test and analysis of variance).