Abstract
Directors’ and treatment staff’s perceptions of organizational functioning within substance abuse treatment facilities in four provinces in South Africa were examined via the Texas Christian University’s Organizational Readiness for Change instrument. Forty-four treatment facilities (out of 89) participated in the study. Results indicated that directors and staff displayed favorable perceptions with regard to organizational climate and staff attributes, and were indecisive about the motivation for change domain. Certain demographic factors were associated with both directors’ and staff perceptions towards the organizational functioning of treatment facilities.
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Notes
The terms White, Black (for people of African descent—sometimes used as “Black African”), and Coloured (generally used for people of mixed descent) are still used widely in South Africa, amongst others by the government to track employment equity policies.
Although the data were collected 5 years ago, nothing substantially happened to change the environment in which these facilities operate. Indeed we would argue that the data produced in this study, and the translation of results into action, are particularly relevant only now. At both national and provincial levels, new policy drives that focus on a) introducing minimum norms and standards into treatment and b) improving the performance of substance abuse treatment services by implementing service quality measures are in the process of being designed. These initiatives would benefit from the considerations we raise.
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Bowles, S., Louw, J. & Myers, B. Perceptions of Organizational Functioning in Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities in South Africa. Int J Ment Health Addiction 9, 308–319 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-010-9285-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-010-9285-2