IIESpace

Welcome to IIESpace.

This is The IIE digital research repository. It offers open access to our research and intellectual output. It provides full-text access to research papers, articles, conference presentations, multimedia, theses and dissertations, and a host of other works produced by researchers and postgraduate students of The IIE and its Brands.

All information found on this site is subject to the principles of Fair Dealing as set out in 12(1) of The Copyright Act no.98 of 1978 (as amended).

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Communities in IIESpace

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 8

Recent Submissions

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Bridging entry and excellence: Exploring onboarding’s role in staff performance at a South African international development organisation
(The IIE, 2026) Jijita, Blessings
This study examined the influence of onboarding practices on staff performance within an international development organisation (IDO X) operating in South Africa. Grounded in Organisational Socialisation Theory, Human Capital Theory, and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, the research explored how onboarding facilitates staff integration, capability development, and contextual alignment in a complex development environment. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, guided by an interpretivist philosophy and an inductive research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with staff members and human resource practitioners who had experienced onboarding within the organisation. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns and insights, informing key findings, conclusions and recommendations. The findings revealed that structured onboarding practices significantly enhance role clarity, organisational understanding, and early stage productivity. Key elements influencing staff performance included an effective onboarding structure, strong human resources and managerial support, clear communication, and opportunities for social integration. However, challenges such as inconsistent onboarding delivery, limited resources, and constraints associated with remote and hybrid work environments were also identified. The study highlights that onboarding in IDOs must balance rapid integration with deeper contextual understanding to ensure sustainable performance outcomes. The study therefore highlights the need for organisations, particularly within the international development sector, to reconceptualise onboarding as a strategic function rather than an administrative task. Investing in structured, inclusive, and context sensitive onboarding practices is essential for improving staff performance, strengthening organisational capacity, and ensuring sustainable programme delivery in complex and resource-constrained environments. Future research should build on this study by examining onboarding practices across different IDOs in South Africa to determine how practices vary by organisational size, funding model and work modality, applying mixed methods research to combine qualitative insights with quantitative indicators to strengthen understanding of the relationship between onboarding and performance. This research contributes to the limited body of knowledge on onboarding within IDOs, particularly in the South African context. It offers practical recommendations for strengthening onboarding design, implementation and evaluation to enhance organisational effectiveness, and programme delivery in resourceconstrained environments.
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Exploration of the Sustainable Use of Groundwater in GaMalebogo, Limpopo
(The IIE, 2026) Meletse, Thabo Frans
Water scarcity is a global challenge that adversely affects agricultural production, livestock farming, industrial development, and household livelihoods. Although existing research has extensively examined the impacts of water scarcity on rural livelihoods, planning, and welfare, relatively little attention has been given to the sustainable use of groundwater to improve domestic potable water supply in rural communities. Accordingly, this study explores the sustainable use of groundwater to alleviate water scarcity and shortages in the GaMalebogo rural villages of the Blouberg Local Municipality, within the Capricorn District Municipality in Limpopo Province. A qualitative research approach and an exploratory design were used. Sixteen participants were selected, and a semi-structured guide was employed to collect data. The data analysis was conducted thematically using Atlas.ti's tools and themes to evaluate groundwater's role in addressing water scarcity in the GaMalebogo region. Findings revealed that the villages of GaMalebogo are in an area with a high groundwater table, indicating that groundwater resources are readily available. Despite this favourable hydrogeological condition, water scarcity persists due to leaking pipes and taps, inequitable water distribution, and the mismanagement of municipal resources. As a result, households continue to experience water shortages, which have negatively affected agricultural and livestock production. Consequently, it is crucial to implement strategies to address this problem and prevent the progression towards water insecurity, characterized by inadequate access to clean and safe drinking water. Furthermore, it was found that villagers who installed private borehole systems maintained a sustainable groundwater supply, even selling water to other villagers when the municipal water system failed. The motivation for privately owned boreholes stems from the unreliability of the municipal borehole water system, which is caused by poor craftsmanship. The municipality's borehole system, established to support the local population, has proven ineffective, mainly due to improper installation of the water piping and lack of maintenance of both the machinery and the piping infrastructure. Given these observations, the municipality should prioritize the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing boreholes, pipelines, and water infrastructure, while strengthening oversight and accountability to ensure equitable and reliable water distribution. Additionally, constructing water reservoirs at strategically chosen locations near villages should be pursued following a detailed assessment conducted with resident involvement. Moreover, a comprehensive review and upgrade of the current piping network is necessary to ensure more reliable, efficient, and sustainable water delivery across all villages.
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Exploring the South African consumers' brand loyalty and perceptions of inclusive global beauty marketing
(The IIE, 2026) Zezere, Tadiwanashe Vanessa
The global beauty market has grown over the past decades, with global brands expanding into emerging markets. In response to the growing discourse on inclusive brands and consumer representation, global brands have positioned their marketing strategies to meet the demand. However, there is limited empirical research on how consumers perceive global beauty brands’ inclusive social media marketing. While the study is situated in a broader global beauty industry, it’s empirical to focus on consumer perceptions of inclusive social media marketing practices of selected global beauty brands. In this study, global beauty marketing refers specifically to the social media marketing practices of selected global beauty brands operating in or engaging with the South African consumers. Inclusivity is conceptualised as multidimensional, encompassing representation of diverse identities and cultural experiences, as well as considerations of accessibility, affordability, and product performance. Social media has become a valuable tool for consumer-brand interactions. The diverse nature of South Africa requires global beauty brands to extend their inclusivity practices on social media beyond face value. The study focused on South African social media users who were consumers of or familiar with global beauty brands and has experience engaging with beauty related content on social media. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative research design and held focus group discussions to capture consumers’ perceptions, beliefs, shared meanings, and lived experiences. Data were generated through two focus group discussions. Data were analysed using Creswell’s (2014) six-step thematic analysis, supplemented by Braun and Clarke’s (2022) reflexive thematic analysis practices to ensure the research trustworthiness and data saturation. The model of Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), Social Identity Theory, and the Theory of Planned Behaviour provided frameworks for understanding how consumer responses and brand perceptions. Findings revealed five key themes: authentic versus performative representation, inclusivity is multidimensional, cultural resonance and localisation, authentic brand messaging improves consumer-brand trust and inclusivity influences brand loyalty. South African consumers are more drawn to global beauty brands that represent them, beyond race and skin tone, as product accessibility, performance, and pricing are part of inclusivity. Inclusive marketing must consider South Africa’s socio-economic landscape, enhancing positive brand perceptions; purchases and recommendations; particularly, when consumers’ identities, experiences, and cultural nuances are 4 aligned with brand narratives. The research contributes to international business and marketing literature by providing insights into inclusivity, consumer behavior, brand messaging, and localisation. It recommends global brands implement multidimensional inclusivity strategies to foster brand loyalty.
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Communities' perceptions of the health implications of water quality in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
(Emeris, 2026) Maepa, Magomarele Jackson
One of the most significant factors influencing human health is the quality of drinking water. Many countries, particularly developing countries, have poor drinking water quality. This has led to a number of waterborne illness outbreaks in these countries. The availability of clean drinking water is a universal human right, but the quality of water varies from community to community. Community members are the main beneficiaries when the water quality is good, but they are also the first to suffer from the effects of declining and poor water quality. It has been suggested that a community's attitudes and levels of knowledge regarding water quality influences their judgments of the health implications of using it for drinking. This study explored community perceptions of health implications of water quality in the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province (South Africa). A qualitative research design was employed with a purposive sampling method. Fifteen (15) participants (seven males and eight females) were identified to take part in the study from the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, between March and April 2025. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and interviews were audio recorded and later transcribed using Word dictate. The data was then analyzed using coding and thematic data analysis. The findings of the present study present six themes which are: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of the community on health and quality of the water, perceptions of the community regarding water quality and its impact on health, community members experiences of waterrelated health issues, factors affecting the community’s perception of water quality risks, recommendations to enhance health education and water quality and infrastructure for water quality development in response to population growth and urbanization. The findings of the study indicate that the poor quality of drinking water for community members in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality is due to poor waste disposal, poor maintenance of water systems, continuous pipe bursts, increased population growth, illegal connections to the reticulation pipeline and the vandalism of infrastructure. The research recommends that the local municipality of Steve Tshwete could improve service delivery to the community by investing in water infrastructure and maintenance of water plant process to ensure sustainable water management practices. Policymakers and stakeholders should collaborate to increase educational knowledge and awareness about the drinking water quality. The researcher recommendations focus on the policy, practice and further research of the study findings.