Browsing by Author "Ngwimba, Vigeline Yayih"

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    The role of decent work and incivility aggression on employee work outcomes within the local government of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    (University of Fort Hare, 2024-04-23) Ngwimba, Vigeline Yayih; Dywili, M; Oni, Olabanji
    Orientation: There have been growing calls to address issues of incivility aggression and decent work deficits prevailing in the South African local government. Research purpose: The study investigated the role of decent work and incivility aggression on employee outcomes (employee engagement and job trust) within the local government of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Motivation for the study: The South African local government is in a state of crisis with employees being the most affected. The challenges faced by employees have a major impact on the process of service delivery and these are often accompanied by violent service delivery protests and thus lack of decent work. With workplace incivility being one of the factors that affect the work of public employees, this concept has not been sufficiently addressed in the South African local government. However, decent work remains key to employee well-being, especially as it offers solutions to improving working conditions and job creation and is equally linked to healthy work behaviours. Therefore, the study investigated the role of decent work and incivility aggression on employee employee engagement and job trust within the local government of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Research method: The study followed a quantitative research design. Primary data were collected with the help of 425 self-administered questionnaire among employees in the Eastern Cape local government. The inter-relationships among incivility, job trust, decent work and work engagement were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and the analysis of a moment structures (AMOS) software. Main finding: The findings are grouped into two: a) direct relationship tests and b) mediation relationship tests. Concerning direct relationships, the study found that there was a negative but significant predictive effect of experienced and instigated workplace incivility on decent work. Secondly, as opposed to instigated incivility, experienced incivility significantly influenced trust. Thirdly, both experienced and instigated workplace incivility significantly influenced work engagement. Fourthly, decent work significantly influenced job trust. Fifthly, job trust significantly influenced work engagement. Lastly, decent work had a significant and positive influence on work engagement. Furthermore, concerning mediation tests, decent work significantly mediated the relationship between incivility aggression and work engagement. Similarly, trust at the workplace significantly mediated the relationship between experienced incivility and work engagement. Interestingly, no mediation existed between instigated incivility and work engagement. However, instigated workplace incivility significantly influenced decent work among employees. Implications for Practice/ theory/ policy: Therefore, policy makers in South Africa should implement policies within the local government that promotes important decent work characteristics such as good working conditions, social support, interdependence, and fairness to counteract incivility aggression. The Eastern local government should provide training, mentoring and coaching sessions on workplace etiquette, standards for respectful communication and interactions among employees in the workplace. These programs would help employees to better understand the impact of their uncivil behaviour on other employees and improve their interpersonal skills in the workplace. On the theoretical contributions, the findings collectively contribute to the theoretical discourse by offering empirical support and expanding the application of existing frameworks in underexplored contexts such as the South African local government. These findings emphasize the need for organizations to adopt holistic strategies that address workplace incivility, promote decent work, and foster trust to enhance engagement and performance. Additionally, the study's focus on the South African public sector particularly the local government, provides valuable contextual insights that expand existing theories predominantly developed in Western contexts. It highlights the unique challenges and dynamics in developing economies, thereby advancing a more inclusive theoretical understanding of workplace incivility and its implications for decent work and employee outcomes.