Challenges of transformation managers in corporate South Africa

M. Phil. (Human Resource Development)Fourteen years since Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998) was promulgated, the corporate sector remains racially polarised. Although Act, No 55 of 1998 mandated organisations to appoint transformation managers with executive authority and resources to drive reform, the meagre progress and increasing income disparities in favour of the previously advantaged groups suggest that these managers are somehow ineffective. The study explores experiences and views of transformation managers regarding the policy - practice related challenges they encounter in driving employment equity in the corporate sector. Examining challenges encountered by transformation managers, as accountable executives, would assist in identifying disruptive and undesirable factors that stymie corporate labour market reform and lead to the development of contextualised short and long term mitigation strategies. A phenomenological approach was applied to answer the main research question. My ontology was based on transformation managers’ subjective construct of their own realities, and studying their experiences encountered in the course of executing their mandate would best give insight into these hindrance factors. My epistemological position was that the perspectives of people involved with managing transformation in corporate organisations were relevant; therefore I conducted interviews with five transformation managers from different corporate organisations. The study confirmed that with focus on achieving employment equity numbers little attention has been given to promoting and valuing diversity, and that corporate culture is characterised by racial mistrust, fear and resentment. Lastly, the study confirmed fault lines in the effectiveness of transformation managers