i 
 

 

 

 

 

EMPLOYEE MORALE OF FARMWORKERS AT DIHOAI CHICKEN 

FARM, WELKOM 

 

By 

 

SITHANDILE MODIROA 

 

A field study submitted to the UFS Business School in the Faculty of Economic 

and Management Sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the 

degree 

 

Magister in Business Administration 

 

At the 

 

UFS Business School 

University of the Free State 

Bloemfontein 

 

Supervisor: DR TS MARANGE 

Date: 20 November 2022 



ii 
 

Declaration 

 

“I declare that the field study hereby handed in for the qualification Masters in Business 

Administration at the UFS Business School at the University of the Free State is my 

own independent work and that I have not previously submitted the same work, either 

as a whole or in part, for a qualification at/in another university/faculty.  

I also hereby cede copyright of this work to the University of the Free State.” 

 

 

_________________________________ 

Sithandile Modiroa 

Date: 20 November 2022 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  



iii 
 

Acknowledgement 

 

I humbly dedicate this thesis to my daughter, Reratile Iviwe Modiroa and son, Kaelo 

Hlumelo Modiroa, and my mother, Thembeka Gcilitshana, for their endless love and 

support even in the toughest of times. 

I sincerely thank my supervisor Dr. TS Marange for her patience and thoroughness 

through the journey. 

My greatest appreciation to the participants and David Mphuthi owner and CEO of 

Dihoai Chicken Farm for his warm reception and allowing me to use the organisation 

in my study. 

To all those who supported me during this academic journey, I appreciate you all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



iv 
 

Abstract 

 

The study aims to investigate the factors affecting the morale of farmworkers at Dihoai 

Chicken Farm, Welkom. The sample size of the study was 25 participants. The data 

was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through thematic 

analysis. The study is based on literature. The study's results identified factors that 

affect the morale of the farmworkers as their remuneration, job security, rewards, 

recognition and training. 

The organisation should consider introducing a reward and recognition system and 

reviewing its remuneration packages and training and development program. 

 

Key Words: employee morale, remuneration, reward, recognition, training and 

development. 

  



v 
 

Table of Contents 

 

Declaration .................................................................................................................. ii 

Acknowledgement ...................................................................................................... iii 

Abstract ...................................................................................................................... iv 

Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... v 

Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 

1.1 Introduction and background ............................................................................ 1 

1.2 Problem Statement ........................................................................................... 4 

1.3 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 4 

1.4 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 4 

1.4.1 Primary Objective ....................................................................................... 4 

1.4.2 Secondary Objectives ................................................................................ 4 

1.5 Research Methodology ..................................................................................... 5 

1.5.1 Research Design ........................................................................................ 5 

1.5.2 Population .................................................................................................. 5 

1.5.3 Sampling .................................................................................................... 5 

1.6 Data Collection Method .................................................................................... 6 

1.7 Recruitment Strategy ........................................................................................ 6 

1.8 Data analysis .................................................................................................... 6 

1.9 Ethical considerations ....................................................................................... 7 

1.10 Demarcation of the study ................................................................................ 7 

1.11 Chapter layout ................................................................................................ 7 

1.12 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 7 

Chapter 2: Literature review ....................................................................................... 9 

2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 9 

2.2 Defining Morale ................................................................................................. 9 



vi 
 

2.3 Factors influencing morale .............................................................................. 10 

2.3.1 Technical Factors ..................................................................................... 10 

2.3.2 Individual Factors ..................................................................................... 11 

2.3.3 Group Factors .......................................................................................... 11 

2.3.4 Situational Factors ................................................................................... 11 

2.3.5 Job-satisfaction ........................................................................................ 12 

2.3.6 Organisational commitment...................................................................... 12 

2.3.7 Motivation ................................................................................................. 12 

2.3.8 Job significance ........................................................................................ 12 

2.3.9 Organisational pride ................................................................................. 13 

2.4 Outcomes of high and low morale .................................................................. 13 

2.4.1 High Morale .............................................................................................. 13 

2.4.2 Low Morale ............................................................................................... 14 

2.4.3 Motivation theories to boost morale ......................................................... 15 

2.5 Importance of high morale in the workplace ................................................... 18 

2.6 The importance of morale in farmworkers ...................................................... 19 

2.7 Farming in South Africa .................................................................................. 19 

2.8 Challenges facing farmworkers in South Africa .............................................. 20 

2.8.1 Working and living conditions of farmworkers in South Africa .................. 20 

2.8.2 Income ..................................................................................................... 21 

2.8.3 Immigrant workers .................................................................................... 21 

2.8.4 Access to service delivery ........................................................................ 22 

2.8.5 Drought .................................................................................................... 22 

2.8.6 Occupational health and safety ................................................................ 22 

2.8.7 Labour right violations .............................................................................. 23 

2.8.8 Housing, hygiene and sanitation .............................................................. 23 

2.8.9 Farm evictions .......................................................................................... 24 



vii 
 

2.8.10 Farmworkers replaced by technology .................................................... 24 

2.9 South African Legislation on farm workers ..................................................... 24 

2.9.1 Sectoral Determination 13: Farm Worker Sector ...................................... 24 

2.10 Farm workers contribute to Sustainable Agriculture ..................................... 27 

2.10.1 Improved health, safety and environmental standards ........................... 27 

2.10.2 Food security .......................................................................................... 28 

2.11 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 28 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology ........................................................................... 30 

3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 30 

3.2 Research Philosophy ...................................................................................... 30 

3.3 Research Design ............................................................................................ 30 

3.4 Population ....................................................................................................... 31 

3.4.1 Sampling .................................................................................................. 31 

3.5 Data Collection Method .................................................................................. 32 

3.6 Recruitment Strategy ...................................................................................... 33 

3.7 Data analysis .................................................................................................. 34 

3.8 Ethical considerations ..................................................................................... 34 

3.9 Demarcation of the study ................................................................................ 35 

3.10 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 35 

Chapter 4: Data analysis and interpretation ............................................................. 37 

4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 37 

4.2 Data analysis procedure ................................................................................. 37 

4.3 Biography of participants ................................................................................ 38 

4.3.1 Age of participants ................................................................................... 38 

4.3.2 Gender of participants .............................................................................. 39 

4.3.3 Breadwinners ........................................................................................... 40 

4.4 Occupation categories of farmworkers at Dihoai Chicken Farm ..................... 40 



viii 
 

4.5 Theme’s related to morale of the farmworkers ............................................... 42 

4.5.1 The farm ................................................................................................... 43 

4.6 Attitudes toward farm work ............................................................................. 45 

4.6.1 Enjoyable work tasks ............................................................................... 45 

4.6.2 Feelings toward other occupations ........................................................... 46 

4.7 Other occupational interests ........................................................................... 46 

4.8 Remuneration ................................................................................................. 47 

4.8.1 Reward and recognition ........................................................................... 47 

4.8.2 Employee benefits .................................................................................... 48 

4.9 Job security..................................................................................................... 48 

4.9.1 Retrenchments ......................................................................................... 49 

4.9.2 Unemployment ......................................................................................... 49 

4.10 Work Relationships ....................................................................................... 50 

4.10.1 Work-life balance ................................................................................... 50 

4.11 Physical working environment ...................................................................... 51 

4.11.1 Resources .............................................................................................. 52 

4.11.2 Infrastructure and pest control ................................................................ 52 

4.12 Health and wellness ...................................................................................... 53 

4.13 Training and development ............................................................................ 54 

4.14 Recommendations from participants ............................................................ 54 

4.15 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 54 

Chapter 5: Summary of Findings, Recommendations and Conclusion .................... 57 

5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 57 

5.2 Summary of Findings ...................................................................................... 57 

5.2.1 Factors affecting farmworkers’ morale at Dihoai Chicken Farm, Welkom 57 

5.3 Recommendations .......................................................................................... 59 

5.4 Limitations Of Study ........................................................................................ 61 



ix 
 

5.5 Recommendations for Future Research ......................................................... 61 

5.6 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 61 

Reference List ................................................................................................... 63 

Appendix A: Interview Schedule ............................................................................... 76 

Appendix B: Permission from the Organisation ........................................................ 80 

Appendix C: Ethical Clearance Approval .................................................................. 81 

 

List of Tables  

Table 1: Age and number of participants .................................................................. 39 

Table 2: Gender of participants ................................................................................ 39 

Table 3: Breadwinner ............................................................................................... 40 

Table 4: Summary of Duties Per Occupational Category ......................................... 41 

Table 5: Themes and sub-themes ............................................................................ 42 

  

List of Figures 

Figure 1: Maslow's Needs Hierarchy 16 

Figure 2: Herzberg Dual Factor Theory 17 

Figure 3: Research design and methodological approach 33 

Figure 4: Age of participants 38 

Figure 5: Gender of participants 39 

Figure 6: Details of breadwinners 40 

Figure 7: Occupation Categories 41 



1 
 

Chapter 1: Introduction 

 

1.1 Introduction and background 

Agriculture is an important sector of the South African economy. Despite the negative 

economic consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic, the agricultural sector recorded 

one of the highest growth rates in the second quarter of 2021 (Statistics South Africa, 

2021). This is due to the fact that agriculture acts as a market to other sub-sectors 

through backward linkages and as a supplier to other sectors through forward 

linkages. Agriculture also has a sustainable contribution to employment in South 

Africa. 

Therefore, by supporting the agricultural industry, policymakers directly or indirectly 

contribute to different sub-sectors, such as food services and manufacturing, that 

depend on the agricultural sector. One such policy is the Department of Agriculture 

and Rural Developments Integrated Growth and Development Plan (2012), which was 

developed to provide a long-term plan for the growth and development of South 

Africa's agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors to fulfill major national goals and 

results (Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, 2012).  

However, certain aspects identified in this growth and development plan contribute to 

the lack of strategic direction, including inadequate implementation competence and 

a lack of a comprehensive strategic documents (National Planning Commission, 

2012).Agricultural jobs in South Africa rebounded in the second quarter of 2021 to 

862 000 (Agricultural Business Chamber, 2021). GDP from Agriculture in South Africa 

decreased to 112 164.42 ZAR Million in the third quarter of 2021 from 129 761.84 ZAR 

Million in the second quarter of 2021 (Trading Economics, 2021). This has a direct 

consequence on employment reduction within the industry.  

Farmers in South Africa have been battling with implementing the R23.19 minimum 

wage for farm workers and issues pertaining to the current pandemic, water scarcity, 

and challenges with energy sources. The current World Bank data as of January 2022 

indicates a reduction of 0,4%; this is in relation to the agricultural sector's total 

percentage of employment to be at 4,9% (The World Bank, 2022).  



2 
 

Farmworkers are the primary contributors to a healthy economy. Fruit, vegetables, 

meat and other farm produce pass through many hands before they land on grocery 

store shelves and, eventually, kitchen tables. They are essential to the food processing 

industry but are invisible to customers (RAFI, 2019). Farmworkers are the individuals 

who are closely involved with the growing, harvesting, cooking, and processing of 

produce on many farms and growing operations. While farmers with some crops have 

migrated to machine harvesting, many crops still need human handling. Unfortunately, 

the workers with the most direct interaction with the products we consume are often 

perceived as being at the bottom of the food chain hierarchy. This reality is embodied 

in their social positioning, political and legal care, working conditions, and income 

(RAFI, 2019). It must be noted that the industry’s bigger percentage of employees is 

illiterate and uneducated. 

In the South African labour market, farmworkers need to deal with things such as 

weather, which directly impacts the farm produce, and long working hours, which 

impact the quality of life. In South Africa, too many farm workers still lack clean and 

safe drinking water, which directly impacts the well-being of farmworkers. Many 

corporates have wellness programmes that are initiatives in the workplace meant to 

promote and improve the health and well-being of employees (Ragan, 2018). The 

focus of these wellness programmes is screening activities that help identify health 

risks and initiate interventions to reduce risk and promote a healthy lifestyle (Mattke et 

al., 2013). Employee wellness significantly improves morale and increases retention 

rates (van der Linde, 2018). 

Consequently, employee morale is a crucial factor affecting employee-wellbeing and 

workplace productivity. This is a sound reason for employers to closely monitor 

employees’ morale as it is linked with positive work behaviours. As such, it is time that 

farmworkers become proactive and engaged concerning their well-being. Thus, it is 

crucial for organisations to closely monitor employees' morale because not doing so 

could hinder the organisation’s ability to achieve its goals, contributing to reduced 

productivity, higher staff turnover, and a loss of profitability. In today's competitive 

environment, organizations devote a sizable percentage of their yearly budgets to 

maintaining and boosting employee morale, with the underlying idea that morale 

substantially influences employee job performance. 



3 
 

Although numerous ways of assessing staff morale exist across organisations, there 

can be a wide variance in workplace features and elements that influence such morale; 

hence, the relevance of staff morale and its intricacies within an organizational setting 

cannot be overstated (Cheema, 2017). From an organizational standpoint, high morale 

amongst members of staff is desired since it promotes individual effort, which in turn 

promotes organisational performance. This study focused on farm workers and how 

they have different organisation settings that might impact their staff morale compared 

to employees in other organisations. For instance, according to (le Roux, 2020) the 

houses of farm workers staying in farmhouses are in better condition. They are well 

looked after, as they have electricity and running water compared to those living 

elsewhere but working on the farm, which affects well-being and morale. The study 

will therefore investigate farm workers' morale among Dihoai Chicken Farm 

employees. 

Dihoai Chicken Farm was established in 2006 by David Mphuti. David wanted to 

realise his dream of farming by purchasing 20 hectares of land in Welkom and planting 

vegetables with a 4-man workforce. Dihoai Chicken Farm soon realised the need to 

diversify because the planting season in Free State is short, and profits made from 

vegetable farming were not enough to sustain them through the year. In 2011, David 

started chicken farming by building a chicken house with 500 chickens. He then 

managed to secure R10 million in funding from the National Empowerment Fund.  The 

funding was used to build a feed plant, a chicken house with a capacity of 35 000 and 

a licenced abattoir that can slaughter up to 2 000 chickens per day. Sixteen years 

later, the Dihoai Chicken Farm has become well-established in the chicken and animal 

food-manufacturing industry. Dihoai Farm’s chicken house now houses 35 000 

broilers and 15 000 layers, and the abattoir slaughters 2 000 chickens daily. They also 

process and store their animal feed. Dihoai Chicken Farm has three outlets selling its 

products and employing 25 farmworkers. The farmworkers are aged between 18 and 

60. Dihoai Chicken Farm is currently beginning to experience an increase in issues 

like absenteeism. The researcher will therefore focus on understanding which factors 

may affect the morale of the farmworker there. This often leaves Dihoai Chicken Farm 

with the issue of underproductive staff and a reduction in expected revenues. 



4 
 

1.2 Problem Statement 

Farmworkers’ morale is crucial as farming provides the basic need of society, thereby 

improving food security. Unfortunately, the farm workers with the most direct 

connection with the produce we eat are often considered the lowest on the food chain 

hierarchy. Their social positioning, political and legal treatment, working conditions, 

and wages reflect this reality, which might lead to low morale and engagement. The 

problem being experienced is that farmworker morale is beginning to become low, 

which is evident in the increasing absenteeism and alcohol use among the 

farmworkers. If the problem is not addressed, low morale can result in a schism 

between employees, co-workers, employment, supervisors, and the organisation; this 

will further lead to dissatisfaction, poor productivity, crippling absenteeism levels and 

poor turnover for Dihoai Chicken Farm. Hence, understanding the factors that affect 

morale is important, as high morale is associated with higher productivity and lower 

turnover rates. These directly affect productivity and profitability, contributing to 

improved business results. 

1.3 Research Questions 

i) Which factors affect farmworker morale? 

ii) What strategies can be used to enhance the morale of farmworkers at Dihoai 

Chicken Farm, Welkom? 

1.4  Objectives 

1.4.1 Primary Objective 

i) To identify factors affecting farmworkers’ morale at Dihoai Chicken Farm, 

Welkom. 

 

1.4.2 Secondary Objectives 

i. To conduct a literature review on employee morale.  

ii. To determine strategies to enhance the morale of farmworkers at Dihoai 

Chicken Farm, Welkom, if necessary. 

 



5 
 

1.5 Research Methodology 

1.5.1 Research Design 

The proposed study adopted the qualitative research design, which aimed at 

understanding the meaning people or groups ascribe to human or societal problems 

or phenomena using non-numerical data (Aspers & Corte, 2019). Qualitative data was 

collected through semi-structured interviews.  

The study's qualitative research methodology was phenomenological since the 

research topic was viewed through the eyes of persons who had first-hand experience 

with it (Bryman & Bell, 2014). As a result, the participants' unique perspectives on the 

study's topic were utilised.  

1.5.2 Population 

A population is every person or every entity that could be included in the research. It 

defines the scope of a research study and offers the reader environmental and 

contextual information (Casteel & Bridier, 2021). The Dihoai Chicken Farm has 30 

employees however, only 25 farmworkers from this population will be interviewed as 

a sample.  The sample population interviewed comprised male and female 

farmworkers 18 years and older.  

1.5.3 Sampling 

Sampling is a method of selecting a sample from an individual or a large group of 

people to conduct research (Bhardwaj, 2019).  

1.5.3.1 Sample size 

A sample is a subset of a broader population of people, objects, or objects chosen for 

assessment. (Bhardwaj, 2019). The recommended sample size for qualitative 

research interviews is 20 – 30 respondents (Malterud et al., 2016). For this study, the 

sample size was 25 respondents. 

1.5.3.2 Sample methods 

The selection of participants was made using non-probability sampling. Since the 

sample required participants to respond to the research questions, purposive sampling 



6 
 

was preferred. Purposive sampling is the deliberate choice of participants due to the 

qualities of the participant and is a non-random technique (Etikan, 2016). Since the 

study intends to identify factors affecting farmworkers’ morale at Dihoai Chicken Farm, 

the researcher needs to allocate farmworkers willing to participate in providing 

information based on being practically involved in the farm. 

1.6 Data Collection Method 

The research method for collecting the participants' perceptions followed semi-

structured interviews, allowing for probing and exploring the subject matter (Bryman 

et al., 2014).  

1.7 Recruitment Strategy 

Permission was sought from the company regarding conducting interviews. Once this 

permission had been secured, the participants were interviewed at the workplace. 

Those farmworkers concerned with animal husbandry and the upkeep of the stables 

were selected from the list provided by the organisation.  

The researcher travelled to the town were management introduced the researcher and 

explained the study to the farm workers. The researcher spent a few days at the farm 

to ensure the completion of the data collection. These interviews were done as soon 

as permission from the ethics committee and the organisation was received. 

1.8  Data analysis 

Narrative thematic analysis was used to analyse information obtained from the 

participants (Bryman et al., 2014). This analysis entails extracting themes from the 

participants' replies and organising the participants' thinking around those emerging 

topics. (Castleberry & Nolen, 2018). Identifying fundamental thinking patterns within 

participants' replies is crucial for deducing significant signals from the interviews. In 

this study, the researcher discovered themes on the important elements influencing 

farmworker morale. 



7 
 

1.9 Ethical considerations 

Ethical considerations are a collection of principles that govern a researcher’s study 

designs and procedures in research (Arifin, 2018). Scientists and researchers must 

always follow guidelines while collecting data from persons involved in the study. 

(Bhandari, 2021). Accordingly, permission was sought from the University of the Free 

State’s Research Ethics Committee. Next, consent to conduct this research was 

requested from the company, especially to interview their farm workers. Participants 

were made aware of the study's objective to get their signed voluntary consent to 

participate (Arifin, 2018). More of the ethical considerations were discussed in chapter 

4. 

1.10 Demarcation of the study  

The research study consolidated the perspectives of the farmworkers of Dihoai 

Chicken Farm in Welkom, relating to the factors that affect their morale. This research 

study is classified under human resources because it deals with the well-being of 

farmworkers. Due to time and financial constraints, the study was limited to 25 

participants drawn through purposive sampling.  

1.11 Chapter layout 

Chapter 1 Introduction 

Chapter 2 Literature Review 

Chapter 3 Research Methodology 

Chapter 4 Data analysis and interpretation. 

Chapter 5 Summary of Findings, recommendations and conclusion  

1.12 Conclusion 

This chapter presented the background to the literature review on farming in South 

Africa and morale. The chapter has discussed the problem statement and the 

objectives of the research. The chapter has further looked briefly at the methodology 

used in this dissertation. This research is divided into five chapters. Chapter one gave 



8 
 

the study's introduction and motivation behind the study, introduced the organisation 

where the study was conducted, emphasized the study's objectives, and concluded 

with the chapter outline sequence and conclusion. The second chapter includes a 

survey of the literature on morale. The research methodology employed in this study 

is discussed in Chapter 3. It discusses the procedures and strategies employed to 

collect data. The study findings are presented in Chapter 4. Finally, Chapter 5 presents 

the findings, recommendations and conclusion. 

  



9 
 

Chapter 2: Literature review 

2.1 Introduction 

In this literature review chapter, the researcher will look at conceptualising morale, 

morale factors, the importance of morale, the causes, and how they affect farm 

workers. The researcher will also discuss the challenges that farm workers in South 

Africa experience; the working and living conditions of farm workers; South African 

Legislation concerning farm workers; and the farm workers' contribution to sustainable 

agriculture and rural development. The first part of the chapter will be to have an in-

depth understanding of morale as stated by the objective, and then application into the 

farming sector will be discussed later in the chapter. The goal is to have an in-depth 

understanding of morale following a literature review on employee morale, the factors 

that affect employee morale, and how important morale is to the success of an 

organisation.  

2.2 Defining Morale 

Morale is a fundamental psychological concept that is not easy to define. It is not static 

and changes depending on a person’s emotions (Sugang Devi & Ravi, 2018). It is an 

attitude of an employee toward their job, supervisor and organisation (Sugang Devi & 

Ravi, 2018). 

Below are more definitions of morale: 

• A psychological condition of affairs for happiness, composure, and 

resolution, morale is an employee's viewpoint toward various 

stakeholders of an organisation (Kumar & Ramaswamy, 2017). 

• Morale is a feeling of confidence, usefulness, and purpose based on 

one's psychological well-being, as well as the spirit that exists in the 

group that makes the group want to succeed (Bowles & Cooper, 

2009). 

• Morale is the attitude and willingness to work (Venkatachalam & 

Sakunthala, 2015). 

• Morale is how individuals feel about their work and organisation 

(Juneja, 2015). 



10 
 

 

Based on the above, morale is a product of the following (van Heerden, 2019):  

• confidence in the organisation; 

• the attitude that leads to action;  

• the thoughts, hopes, and sentiments that influence people's readiness 

to collaborate; courage and confidence in one's work performance; 

and  

• job satisfaction. 

 

For the purpose of this study, morale is defined as an elusive and broadly defined 

concept that encompasses sentiments, emotions, attitudes, and perceptions of the 

organisation and its people. High morale is often connected with discipline, 

confidence, and a desire to succeed. (Shaban et al., 2017a). Employee morale is how 

enthusiastic employees are about going to work every day, how they handle their given 

responsibilities, and how the employees feel about the company's direction. 

 

2.3 Factors influencing morale 

2.3.1 Technical Factors 

Technical factors are all the tangible and non-tangible resources that any institution 

provides to enable all employees to carry out their daily activities in realising the 

institution’s outcomes and ability to handle adversity and adaptability (Myeni, 2010).  

Parashakti et al. (2020) states that equipment not functioning properly at the workplace  

results in the non-achievement of targets and affects the motivation of employees, 

which may lead to resignations. According to the study, the organisation should offer 

the necessary facilities or tools of the trade to ensure that work activities go well. 

Employees will find their tasks much simpler with these amenities, which will help them 

stay motivated at work. Therefore, an employee’s enthusiasm toward their job 

depends on the availability of tools of the trade required to perform the job. 



11 
 

2.3.2 Individual Factors 

Individual factors include those that may impact the delivery of services like age, 

turnover, the period an employee has spent in an organisation, the level of education, 

responsibility, perspective, ability to handle adversity and adaptability (Myeni, 2010).  

Some common factors that may affect the morale barometer are the level at which the 

workloads and individual feelings are appreciated in relation to workforce diversity 

(Matsaung, 2014). The best mechanism to gauge the individual factors is simply 

through individual employee engagement and having proper improvement plans 

where necessary. Therefore, the perception of employees of a work environment and 

the organisation they work for must be considered because their perception is a lens 

or mindset through which they view people, events, and things. 

2.3.3 Group Factors 

Group factors look at the workgroup interactions, how a group responds to leadership 

and the overall group thinking mentality over authority. In the group dynamic, group 

cohesion in achieving goals is paramount (Myeni, 2010). To ensure optimal 

effectiveness and efficiency in group work, work must be designed to elevate the 

morale of the group as a unit. Morale in a group setup is enhanced by clear, consistent, 

purposeful group goals, and these goals must appeal to an employee’s individual 

goals(Hardy, 2009). 

2.3.4 Situational Factors 

Situational factors include matters related to the job, for example, job satisfaction, how 

difficult it is to perform the job, and if there is any interest. These are regarded as 

intrinsic features, while the opposite, extrinsic features, will look at salary, working 

conditions, interpersonal relations, and supervision (Myeni, 2010). Many farm 

employees suffer from emotional instabilities, alcohol abuse, conflict with families and 

other concerns, including health issues that affect work effectiveness immensely. As 

a result of these, farmers or organisations in general need some social work 

perspective in addressing such issues. 

 



12 
 

2.3.5 Job-satisfaction  

Job satisfaction is the extent to which individuals like their employment. In other words, 

it refers to a worker's subjective assessment of their employment, either in its totality 

or in terms of its many aspects(Fernández-Macias & Muñoz de Bustillo Llorente, 

2014). Numerous employment aspects might influence an employee's attitude about 

their employment. Job satisfaction can be affected by remuneration, the nature of the 

tasks, working conditions, and recognition(Kwabena Anin et al., 2015). In developing 

morale building processes, an organisation ultimately addresses job satisfaction. 

2.3.6 Organisational commitment 

Organisational commitment and morale are linked because they both refer to 

psychological links between employees and the organisation. High morale means 

having a goal and working toward it, whereas commitment indicates long-term loyalty 

to the organisation (Hardy, 2009). Morale is a condition of cheerfulness, confidence 

and zeal (Latif, 2021). It is a mental and emotional state of being. A work-related 

outcome is an organisational commitment determined by morale (Devi & Vijayakumar, 

2016). 

2.3.7 Motivation 

Motivation is associated with the direction and strength of behaviour and the elements 

that impact people's behaviour. Motivation may refer to many factors, including 

people's goals, how they choose their goals, and how others try to change their 

behaviour (Osabiya, 2015). Although different, motivation is linked to morale. Hardy 

(2009, p. 28) states, “if motivation is regarded as the force which enables the individual 

to attain an objective, then it is undoubtedly part of the morale construct.” Morale is a 

multifaceted set of attitudes and sentiments about one's job, whereas motivation is a 

function of one's desires and needs. Motivation leads to actions, and morale leads to 

feelings that lead to actions (Tayyar, 2014). 

2.3.8 Job significance  

Job significance is defined as the subjective experience of how valuable employees 

find the work they do to be (Martela & Pessi, 2018); it influences the quality of work 



13 
 

life of employees, psychological well-being, and it is also associated with job 

satisfaction, organisational commitment (Yasin Ghadi et al.,2013), a decrease in 

turnover rate and absenteeism, and customer satisfaction (Leunissen et al., 2018). 

Job significance is important for an organisation’s bottom line and employees’ 

commitment and well-being (Bailey et al., 2019).  

2.3.9 Organisational pride 

Helm (2013, p544) defines organizational pride as “the pleasure taken in being 

associated with one’s employer”, the sense of pleasure of being a member of the 

organisation. Masterson et al., (2017)  verified the existence of organisational pride as 

a distinct emotion., which workers feel when they discover that their company adds 

value and changes lives, making them want to recommend it to others. 

Employees who feel proud of their work and connected to their job will perform their 

best and give their all and are more inclined to suggest the company as a place to 

work to others seeking work (Nedlund, 2020). When employees have positive work 

pride, they are more productive, maintain good relationships with co-workers, enjoy 

going to work and have high morale (Klann, 2004). 

2.4 Outcomes of high and low morale 

Morale is usually considered high or low (Mailela, 2018). 

2.4.1 High Morale 

High morale amongst employees is when an employee has a favourable attitude 

(Matsaung, 2014). Employees' positive attitudes about their supervisors, peers, and 

juniors, as well as the work, organizational rules, and procedures, all contribute to high 

morale (Sugang Devi & Ravi, 2018). Jacobs (2014) affirms that employees with 

positive morale are glad to show up for work every day, feel more comfortable with the 

job tasks they need to perform and their co-workers, and are positive about how much 

they can accomplish within the organization. 

2.4.1.1 Advantages of high morale  

• High employee retention rates  



14 
 

Empoyees’ that have high levels of morale within an organisation are less 

likely to leave the organisation in which they are employed (Mabindisa & 

Legoabe, 2021). High retention rates buffer an organisation against losses 

in productivity and high costs related to recruiting a new hire.(Weakliem & 

Frenkel, 2006). 

• Lower absentee rates 

An organisation with high morale levels amongst employees is less likely to 

experience high absenteeism levels (Ramkawal, 2018) . High levels of 

absenteeism affect productivity, increases labour costs if temporary 

replacements need to be sought for absent employees (Kinsey, 2021). 

• Improved Health 

Taking care of your employees' health benefits them and the company 

since it fosters a productive and efficient working environment. Employees' 

performance and health are intrinsically linked: a psychologically and 

mentally fit worker is happier, creative, driven and may boast higher levels 

of morale (Usen Paul, 2022).  

• Improved bottom line 

An organisation that looks after the morale of its employees is likely to be 

very productive and one that meets its goal (Kinsey, 2021). 

 

2.4.2 Low Morale 

Low morale exists when employees display negative feelings such as dissatisfaction, 

discouragement and dislike for their job (Sugang Devi & Ravi, 2018). Sugang Devi 

and Devi (2018) further point out that the existence of mental unrest that results in low 

morale hampers the productivity of an organisation and also has the potential to lead 

to the ill health of employees. 

2.4.2.1 Disadvantages of low morale  

• High absenteeism 

Employees with low morale levels seek out reasons to avoid clocking in for 

work. A high rate of people failing to show up for work might have a negative 

impact on company productivity (Blankenship, 2014). 

• Conflicts within the organisation 



15 
 

The disadvantage of low morale within an organisation results in emotional 

stress that becomes a catalyst for increased conflict amongst employees 

(Golden, 2012). Conflict has negative effects, such as increased 

absenteeism, work disruptions, lowered productivity, and increased 

organizational turnover (Shaban et al., 2017). 

• Poor quality of work 

Low morale levels leave employees feeling discourage and results in poor 

quality of work has a wide range of effects on a business, from low 

productivity and profitability levels to customer dissatisfaction and negative 

public impression (Shaban et al., 2017). 

• Insubordination 

An organisation with low morale levels results in disengagements amongst 

employees which may heighten anxiety levels among employees thus 

leading to insubordination (Sishi, 2022). In one study, this adversely 

affected the employees' working environment, productivity and morale at all 

levels (Blankenship, 2014). 

 

2.4.3 Motivation theories to boost morale 

Motivation and morale are related as motivation theories help in boosting employee 

as well as team morale (Shaban et al., 2017b). 

Below are theories that assist in boosting morale: 

2.4.3.1 Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy  

Maslow (1970) identified specific human needs and classified them in hierarchical 

importance. The most fundamental of requirements are found at the bottom of the 

pyramid (Maslow, 1970). Higher-order requirements will not arise until lower-order 

requirements have been met (Cant & van Heerden, 2017) . 



16 
 

 

Figure 1: Maslow's Needs Hierarchy 

Maslow’s Needs Hierarch (Nel et al., 2014) is based on five basic levels: 

• Physiological: to survive, the most fundamental necessities such as food, 

medication, air, and water must be met. 

• Safety: the need to be safe from physical and psychological harm.  

• Love: the yearning for affection and belonging and the desire to be loved 

and to love. 

• Esteem: the need for strength, self-confidence, status, and 

acknowledgment from others. 

• Self-actualisation: the drive for self-actualization - to become the finest 

version of oneself. 

 

According to Travieso (2013), the theory is general and can easily be applied to 

organizations as follows: 

• Physiological needs: remuneration and basic tools of the trade 

• Safety needs: safe work environment (physically and emotionally) 

• Social needs: feeling like one is part of the team and not feeling isolated 

• Esteem needs: recognition from co-workers and managers 

• Self-actualization needs: promotion and specialised training opportunities.  

 



17 
 

Based on this theory, morale can be improved if management ensures that employees' 

lower-level needs are satisfied before investing resources (financial and non-financial) 

or time in a strategy that would be applied to higher levels of the pyramid (Travieso, 

2013). For example, an employee who experiences bullying at the hands of his co-

workers would not have their need for safety in the workplace satisfied; therefore, any 

efforts by superiors to recognise his good performance as far as work tasks are 

concerned would be short-lived.  

According to Maslow, when people's needs are not met, their mental well-being 

suffers, which impacts their general well-being and productivity. When employees' 

hierarchical requirements are not met in full, they exhibit poor levels of employee 

engagement. This has a significant impact on staff morale, performance, and turnover. 

2.4.3.2 Herzberg Dual Factor Theory 

 

Figure 2: Herzberg Dual Factor Theory 

Employees work to satisfy their personal needs as well as those of their families. 

However, job satisfaction is also important, and when an organization cannot maintain 

employees' job satisfaction, there will be a decline in performance and customer 

satisfaction as well as low employee morale (Senad & Amra, 2018). 

Herzberg’s theory categorizes factors that impact job satisfaction into hygiene and 

motivational factors (Herzberg et al., 2017). Hygiene factors refer to issues related to 

the work environment and how employers treat employees and their issues (Abdi et 

al., 2019). Herzberg defines motivational factors as factors directly affecting whether 

an employee is satisfied or dissatisfied with their job (Herzberg et al., 2017). 



18 
 

Motivational factors are dominant in job satisfaction compared to hygiene factors 

(Batool et al., 2021). Hygiene factors include salary, relationship with co-workers and 

supervisors and organisational policies, while motivational factors include recognition, 

job security and rewards (Nickerson, 2021).  

Herzberg (2017) believed that job satisfaction dynamics differ from job dissatisfaction 

and may lead to low morale in the workplace. These factors include low wages, poor 

work environment, lack of work discipline, poor leadership and lack of information 

provided to employees to be effective at their jobs (Setiawan et al., 2018). These 

factors lead to a lack of worker commitment and employee morale. Setiawan et al. 

(2018) found that the development of employees through motivational factors is pivotal 

to employees deciding to be fully committed to the organization. Thus, an 

organization's lack of self-development might affect work climate and employee 

morale.  

Practically, Herzberg's theory is appropriate for every single organization, and 

theoretically, it is similar to other needs-theories, like Maslow's Theory (Batool et al., 

2021). Although Herzberg alludes to the importance of hygiene factors, he concludes 

that they do not contribute towards motivation, but lack of hygiene factors can lead to 

job dissatisfaction and ultimately to low work and employee morale. 

2.5 Importance of high morale in the workplace 

The environment of an organisation is influenced by morale. It is necessary for a 

company’s success because it reflects the members’ attitudes and feelings concerning 

the organisation’s goals and policies.  

Worker morale is important, and this aspect directly influences employees' happiness, 

performance, efficiency, and work quality Ward et al. (2019). Positively inclined 

workers are more productive, provide better results, and stay in a company longer 

(Post, 2021). When the organization is in crisis, it will give everything it has to stay 

alive and accomplish its goals. (Picincu, 2019). 

Many organisations can expect to experience a crisis; however, how an organisation 

deals with the crisis is really what counts. A crisis is an unforeseen event that can 

happen in any type of organisation, and at every level within the organisation, which 



19 
 

can have long-term effects on the existence of an organisation (Tanje et al., 2014). 

Therefore, it is important for an organisation to ensure that it can survive such an 

event. Surviving a crisis is far easier when morale is high. The team pulls together and 

works as one. Sacrifices are shared much more easily. Requests to employees are 

greeted not with anger and resentment but with understanding and willingness, and 

then creative ideas for improvement are brought forward (Tanje et al., 2014).  

2.6 The importance of morale in farmworkers 

Morale amongst farmworkers, like employees in other industries, is very important. 

The morale of farmworkers in important because it will prompt them to want to achieve 

the organisational targets (Maican et al., 2021). 

Morale is also important to ensue job performance among farmworkers (Anggraini et 

al., 2019). Should the job performance not be satisfactory, that means that the 

production will not be at its peak in terms of the goods required for the market. 

Nowadays, agriculture is also facing shortages of labour (Karacsony & Vinichenko, 

2021). Therefore, maintaining good morale amongst farmworkers will assist in 

retaining existing skilled workers and possibly attaching new skilled farmworkers. 

2.7 Farming in South Africa 

South Africa has the most sophisticated, productive, and varied agricultural industry in 

Africa. South Africa has a highly-developed agricultural industry, which will serve the 

country well in the face of ongoing economic uncertainties (International Trade 

Administration, 2021). 

The agricultural sector is being affected by climate change because temperatures in 

Southern Africa are rising faster than in the rest of the world (The Conversation, 2021). 

The extreme rise in temperatures and changing rainfall patterns affect crops 

productions. Farmers will be unable to yield the required quantities, which may cause 

food shortages. The most important crop for South Africa is the maize and wheat crop, 

not only for our local market but also for export. The temperature rise will also affect 

the fresh fruit and wine farmers, which bring the most foreign earnings into South Africa 

(Johnston, 2019).  



20 
 

There are two distinctions in the agricultural sector in South Africa's economy: 

smallholder farming and frequently subsistence farming. The other is the highly 

developed commercial farming, 87% of agricultural land is taken up by 40.000 

commercial farms. The remaining 13% comprises almost two million smallholder or 

household farmers (Calzadilla et al., 2014). 

2.8 Challenges facing farmworkers in South Africa 

Farmworkers generally refer to low-income workers, from working the soil to planting 

and harvesting. This includes those workers being compensated for time spent on 

other farming activities, like livestock care (Mathews, 2020). South Africa's social and 

economic conditions have continued to marginalise farm workers and perpetuate the 

vulnerable state of farm workers (International Labour Office. et al., 2007). 

Below are some of the challenges that South African farmworkers face: 

2.8.1 Working and living conditions of farmworkers in South Africa 

Farmworkers in South Africa are negatively impacted by the lack of transparency in 

wages, lack of service delivery, seasonality and migration of workers, whether 

voluntary or involuntary (Visser & Ferrer, 2015). Farm workers are vital to the economy 

and food chain, yet they are impoverished and prone to exploitation. Those farm 

workers that have been evicted, in particular, endure a problem of unemployment, 

poverty, and hunger that often goes unnoticed. 

A slew of progressive regulations was enacted after 1994 to safeguard employees 

from exploitation and abuse. Farmworkers were seen as particularly vulnerable. As a 

result, they were given special protection under the Sectoral Determination for Farm 

Workers 13, which establishes legal standards for living and working conditions on 

farms, including the right to a minimum wage set by the Department of Labour every 

year. 

The working and living conditions of farmworkers impacts their wellbeing, le Roux 

(2020) indicated that the wellbeing of employees has a direct impact on their morale 

levels. 



21 
 

2.8.2 Income  

Income is the money received for one’s efforts (van Wyk & Dippenaar, 2017) The 

South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (SAMPI) presents a comprehensive 

assessment of poverty regarding income, inequality and poverty dynamics (Statistics 

South Africa, 2015). It zooms in on health, education, living conditions, and economic 

activity. Each dimension has characteristics that categorize a family as disadvantaged 

or not impoverished in that area. According to the SAMPI statistics from 2001 and 

2016, 17.9% of families were multidimensionally poor in 2001, but this percentage 

dropped to 7% in 2016 (Department of Agriculture, 2022). Those farmworkers whose 

incomes are not in line with the Sectorial Determination are more likely to be affected 

in terms of their morale levels in the work place. 

 

On the 20rd February 2023, Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi declared 

a 9.6% increase in the minimum wage for farmworkers (Republic of South Africa, 

2023). Making the hourly rate for a 45hour week R25,42. Before this increase the 

hourly rate average R20,60 (WageIndicator, 2023). This increase safeguards 

farmworkers from extremely low wages. 

 

2.8.3 Immigrant workers 

Farmworkers are predominantly in the low-income bracket; they do not have 

specialised skills and can be easily replaced and retrenched with little to no 

interventions. Matters are further complicated by immigrants with no proper 

documentation who reside in South Africa and have scarce skills that South Africa 

does not have. These immigrants flood the farms for even lower pay rates than South 

African farmworkers, thus affecting the job security of South African farmworkers 

(International Labour Office. et al., 2007). 

Immigrants that are being paid at a lower income affect the hours worked by South 

African farmworkers who would like to be paid minimum wages as prescribed by the 

South African government that consequently affects their morale levels. 



22 
 

2.8.4 Access to service delivery 

Access to service delivery refers to South Africans' access to basic services like water 

and electricity. In terms of service delivery in agricultural regions, about 15.8% of farm 

residences are informal, with an additional 16.4% of traditional housing types, whereas 

83.1% of urban dwellers live in formal dwellings (Statistics South Africa, 2020). Access 

to improved water sources in farm regions remains lower, at 83.2%, compared to the 

South African average of 98.1%. This means that over 17% of people living in rural 

regions do not have adequate access to water sources (Department of Agriculture, 

2022).  

In terms of access to electricity, 82.0% of households in rural regions have access, 

compared to 94.5% of those in urban areas. Between 2019 and 2020, there was a 

73% increase in access to better sanitation in farm regions, with 83.2% having 

improved sanitation (Department of Agriculture, 2022). 

2.8.5 Drought 

Droughts are the period in a country when there is abnormally dry weather, resulting 

in a lack of water spanning for a long period (Tomlinson et al., 2015). Every 

organisation care about its bottom line. In farming, farmers' profitability decisions are 

linked to the rate of return on assets (which looks at the farm's net income against the 

value of assets invested). When there is drought, the impact is felt in the bottom line, 

which impacts the decision-making process. South Africa is vulnerable to drought, 

which affects agriculture, given this industry’s reliance on water (Meza et al., 2021).  

The impact on the farming community is dire. With severe droughts, farmers reduce 

the weekly hours, ultimately affecting most workers appointed to production activities. 

For the permanent employee, where terms and conditions are more difficult to change, 

there is a loss of employment due to farming being under economic stress because of 

droughts, and the evictions also rise. Hence, drought seasons might impact farmers' 

living and working conditions and morale (Meza et al., 2021). 

2.8.6 Occupational health and safety 

A public health division called Occupational Health  



23 
 

and Safety (OHS) focuses on raising workplace health and safety standards. Farmers 

are employing different methods to limit pesticide exposure for farm workers working 

directly and indirectly with pesticides; after failing to provide sufficient safety 

equipment. According to the Human Rights Watch 2011 study, farmers will not offer 

lawful sick leave to the workers without acquiring a medical certificate, and they 

sometimes deliberately ignore farm workers' pleas for safety conditions. Farmers also 

refused to provide workers with toilet paper, hand soap, and drinking water while 

working, which is against the law (Department of Agriculture, 2022). 

The farmers inability or unwillingness to provide for basic occupational health needs 

of their farmworkers may have a negative impact on morale of these workers. 

2.8.7 Labour right violations 

A vast majority of farm workers are not aware of the current legal minimum wage rate. 

The permanent farm workers have more knowledge of it than the seasonal workers 

(Devereux & Soloman, 2019).  

Gender discrimination was also discovered in the investigation by Human Rights 

Watch (2011). Farm workers employed permanently are often men. The women are 

often employed as seasonal workers and are often paid less than their male 

counterparts (Andrew, 2012).Pregnant women experienced prejudice, with farmers 

refusing to hire them and even firing them when pregnant. They were evading the legal 

requirement to provide maternity leave (Department of Agriculture, 2022). 

Farm owners are also putting barriers in the way of farmworkers creating unions, 

convincing workers to resign from unions, and union members experiencing bad 

treatment from farm owners compared to non-union members (Department of 

Agriculture, 2022). 

2.8.8 Housing, hygiene and sanitation 

The Humans Rights Watch (2011) reported to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, 

Land Reform and Rural Development, in a sitting held on 25 March 2022, that their 

2011 study showed that farms still lack of proper housing on farms. Dwellings were 

filthy and inadequate for safeguarding residents from the elements during the winter. 



24 
 

There is also a lack of washrooms and toilets at the farm workers' place of work; for 

instance, at vineyards in the Western Cape, farm workers need to use the bush 

because there are no toilets in close proximity (Devereux et al., 2017). This is 

extremely problematic for female farm workers. This violates their human dignity and 

is considered gender discrimination(Devereux et al., 2017). 

2.8.9 Farm evictions 

A large number of farm workers have been evicted from commercial farms, thus losing 

their houses and full-time jobs and being hired back as seasonal or temporary 

employees (Devereux & Soloman, 2019). Farmers have exploited legislation designed 

to protect farm workers and inhabitants from eviction as a blueprint for lawfully 

removing agricultural labourers (Visser & Ferrer, 2015). 

2.8.10 Farmworkers replaced by technology 

New technology may hasten the forcible eviction of farm workers. In commercial 

agriculture, mechanisation is already replacing employees. Certain tasks done by farm 

workers could not be automated until recently (Devereux & Soloman, 2019).This will 

result in farm workers being fearful and anxious about possible job losses, which could 

affect how they handle their daily tasks. 

2.9 South African Legislation on farm workers 

The primary duty for promoting and protecting everyone's rights lies with the 

government. Furthermore, according to the Constitution, everyone has a right to fair 

labour practices. This right applies to all farm employees, whether permanent, 

temporary, or seasonal. As a result, the state has interfered with enhancing farm 

worker livelihoods in the agricultural sector by adopting laws managing the relationship 

between employers as producers or farm owners and farm employees as the labour 

force(The South African Human Rights Commission, 2003). 

2.9.1 Sectoral Determination 13: Farm Worker Sector 

The government creates sectoral determinants to provide minimal conditions for the 

employment of agricultural workers to safeguard disadvantaged employees in a 



25 
 

certain sector. Since 2003, the government has issued Sectoral Determination 13 for 

Agriculture, which creates and controls the employment conditions for farm workers 

through the Minister of Labour. This Determination is legally binding and applies to all 

farming operations in the Republic, including the following: 

2.9.1.1 Minimum Wage 

All farm workers are to be paid a minimum wage which will be adjusted annually, which 

came to effect on 01 March 2006. In 2021, the minimum wage was set at R23,19 for 

each ordinary hour worked. 

2.9.1.2 Payment of remuneration  

An employer is to pay workers in South African currency based on the hours the 

employee has worked and as per the agreed frequency of such remuneration. This 

includes daily, weekly, bi-weekly or every month. 

2.9.1.3 Prohibited Acts Concerning Pay 

The employer has no right to withhold any portion of the employer's remuneration, and 

neither can an employee be expected to carry the cost of training for a specific job 

trade within the farm, whether internal or external. 

2.9.1.4 Deductions 

An employer may not make any deduction from wages without written permission, and 

deductions are to be no more than 10% for food and 10% for accommodation, where 

the food and accommodation are provided regularly and consistently. 

2.9.1.5 Ordinary Hours of Work 

An employer may not require or permit farm workers to work more than 45 hours a 

week; 9 hours if the farm worker works for five days or less in a week or 8 hours if the 

farm worker works for more than five days in a week. 

Overtime is any work done that exceeds the above limits. An employer must pay 

workers at least one and a half times the farm workers' wage for overtime. 

2.9.1.6 Work on Sundays 

The hourly rate will double the normal rate when the farm worker works on Sunday. 



26 
 

2.9.1.7 Night work 

This is for all work performed after 8 pm and before 4 am the next day. This is all work 

performed after 8 pm and before the following day, and the farm worker must agree to 

this work and be compensated at least 10% of the ordinary hourly rate and transport 

made available if the worker works off-site. 

2.9.1.8 Meal Intervals 

A farm worker is entitled to 1 hour of interval for every 5 hours of work; however, this 

can be reduced to 30 minutes through a written agreement between the employer and 

employee. It must be noted that if the employer works less than 6 hours a day, it may 

be agreed through written agreement to do away with the meal interval. 

2.9.1.9 Rest period 

A farmworker is entitled to an interrupted 12 hours rest period and 36 hours 

uninterrupted weekly rest, including Sundays unless the employer and employee enter 

into an agreement stating otherwise. 

2.9.1.10 Public Holiday 

No worker is required to work on a public holiday except under a written agreement. 

2.9.1.11 Leave 

Farm workers must be granted at least three weeks' leave on full pay for each twelve 

months of employment. For sick leave, a worker is entitled to 1 day paid every 26 days 

worked. A farm worker is entitled to 4 months in a row maternity leave that can start 

anytime from 4 weeks before the birth date. An employer need not pay the workers for 

the period they are on maternity leave provided they can claim maternity benefits from 

the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Employees are not permitted to work six weeks 

after giving birth, unless the medical practitioner gives permission. 

Farmworkers employed for four months and at least four days a week are entitled to 

a 3-day paid family responsibility leave every 12 months.  

2.9.1.12 Freedom of association and political right 

As per the constitution, farm workers have a right to association and pollical rights like 

all South African Citizens of the country. Another violation of labour rights that is still 

happening is that some farmers do not allow farm workers to be part of a union. 



27 
 

2.10 Farm workers contribute to Sustainable Agriculture 

Farm workers contribute to Sustainable Agriculture; hence, they need to have high 

morale levels. Farm workers and their representation through trade unions and non-

government organisations (NGO’s) are critical to contributing to sustainable 

agriculture, food security and sustainable development. The purpose of sustainable 

agriculture is to fulfill society's current food demands without jeopardizing future 

generations' capacity to meet their own (Feenstra, 2021). Sustainable agriculture aims 

to achieve three key goals: a healthy environment, financial viability, and social and 

economic equality (Feenstra, 2021). In practice, the ideas of sustainable development, 

sustainable agriculture, and food security are comparable and overlap. Promoting food 

security and sustainable agriculture necessitates addressing the same 

concerns(International Labour Office. et al., 2007). Farming is critical to the economy 

and agriculture's long-term viability. It ensures food security, among other things; thus, 

farmworkers' dedication is important to be well engaged in their jobs. It is, therefore, 

vital to improving their morale. 

2.10.1 Improved health, safety and environmental standards  

Good farmers understand the importance of reducing accidents and ill health among 

their employees and the financial and other benefits of achieving and maintaining high 

health and safety standards. A sustainable agricultural business requires a high level 

of health and safety, which should be considered an integral aspect of farm 

management (Devereux, 2020). 

Farm workers contribute to tackling occupational hazards in their working 

environments by promoting integrated production and the management of pest 

management chemicals (International Labour Office. et al., 2007). Farm workers are 

the ones who work the land and ensure animal husbandry. The farm worker also must 

comply with the processes they have been trained on. The farm worker becomes an 

“agent” for promoting these processes to co-workers, thus ensuring standards agreed 

upon are upheld (International Labour Office. et al., 2007). 



28 
 

2.10.2 Food security 

At the 1996 World Food Summit, it was decided that for everyone to live a healthy and 

active life, they must always have physical and financial access to enough food that is 

safe, nourishing, and meets their dietary needs (World Food Summit, 1996). Between 

May/June 2020 and April/May 2021, about 34% of respondents that took part in the 

NIDSCRAM survey that lived in homes with children reported child hunger once, and 

nearly a third reported family hunger. According to these findings, 13.4 million people 

in the NIDSCRAM survey experienced hunger in their homes at least once (Patel & 

Bridgman, 2021). 

In addition, from September to December 2020, 9.34 million people in South Africa 

(this amounts to 16 percent of the population studied in the IPC food security analysis) 

experienced severe acute food insecurity, necessitating immediate action to close 

food gaps and preserve livelihoods. Eight of South Africa's nine provinces, 

Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West, Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern 

Cape, and Western Cape, were classed as Stressed (IPC Phase 2), requiring 

immediate action to preserve livelihoods, while Kwa-Zulu Natal Province was 

designated as Crisis (IPC Phase 3). The COVID-19 epidemic and mitigation efforts, 

as well as rising food prices, drought, and economic downturn, all contribute to South 

Africa's poor food security (IPC, 2021). 

The agriculture industry is critical to increasing food availability and ensuring food 

security (Pawlak & Kołodziejczak, 2020). Farm workers play a major role in food 

production and ensuring that food insecurity risk factors are reduced (International 

Labour Office. et al., 2007). 

2.11 Conclusion 

This chapter presented information related to the phenomena of morale in the 

workplace. The purpose of the literature review was to understand the various aspects 

of the workplace that can affect employees' morale. Various factors such as 

remuneration, work environment, recognition, interpersonal relations, promotion 

opportunities and job security affect an employee’s morale.  



29 
 

The information from this chapter has formed a base for the formulation of interview 

questions for the study participants and assisted in answering the study's objective. 

The research methodology employed in this study will be explained and examined in 

the next chapter, with special emphasis on the research design, sampling technique, 

data collecting, data analysis, and research ethics. 

  



30 
 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology 

3.1 Introduction 

This chapter discusses the research design, sample design and size, data collection 

process and ethical considerations. The research approach employed for this study is 

described in this chapter. The selection of participants and a review of the data 

collection techniques will make up the framework of this chapter. The last section will 

summarize the techniques used to analyse the data and test the study hypotheses. 

3.2 Research Philosophy 

The orientation of the research study followed a qualitative approach to gather the 

participants' opinions. The research study followed an epistemological interpretivism 

paradigm. According to Bryman et al. (2014), epistemology relates to what is or is 

considered adequate knowledge in a discipline. The study's objective is to get 

sufficient knowledge from participants chosen as the study's appropriate audience. 

The interpretivism paradigm as employed to help the researcher interpret the 

participants' viewpoints. Interpretivism is the term for capturing the subjective meaning 

of social activity (Bryman et al., 2014). Therefore, the study’s angle involves 

understanding the farmworkers' viewpoints on the factors that affect their morale. 

3.3 Research Design 

The proposed study adopted the qualitative research design, which aimed at 

understanding the meaning people or groups ascribe to human or societal problems 

or phenomena using non-numerical data (Aspers & Corte, 2019). Qualitative data was 

collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews took an average of 30-45 

minutes, using an interview guide in Appendix A. 

The qualitative research design used in the study was phenomenological since the 

research subject was interpreted from the eyes of those who directly lived the 

experience (Bryman et al., 2014). Thus, the personal insights of the participants on 

the research matter were harnessed.  



31 
 

3.4 Population 

A population is every person or every entity which could be included in the research. 

It defines the scope of a research study and offers the reader environmental and 

contextual information (Casteel & Bridier, 2021). The Dihoai Chicken Farm has 30 

employees; however, only 25 farmworkers from this population will be interviewed as 

a sample. The sample population interviewed comprised male and female 

farmworkers 18 years and older.  

3.4.1 Sampling 

Sampling is a method of selecting a sample from an individual or a large group of 

people to conduct research (Bhardwaj, 2019). The following section focuses on the 

sample size and the sampling method used in this study. 

3.4.1.1 Sample size 

A sample is a collection of people, things, or items selected for measurement from a 

larger population (Bhardwaj, 2019). The recommended sample size for qualitative 

research interviews is 20 – 30 respondents (Malterud et al., 2016). For this study, the 

sample size was 25 respondents. 

In qualitative research, data saturation is a key concept. It is used to identify when a 

research's data is sufficient to produce a solid and reliable knowledge of the topic 

under study (Faulkner & Trotter, 2017). The sample size is 25, and the researcher 

interviewed participants until data saturation was reached and when there was no 

longer new data being received from the interviews. 

3.4.1.2 Sample methods 

The selection of participants was made using non-probability sampling. Since the 

sample required participants to respond to the research questions, purposive sampling 

was preferred. Purposive sampling is the deliberate choice of participants due to the 

qualities of the participant and is a non-random technique (Etikan, 2016). Since the 

study intends to identify factors affecting farmworkers’ morale at Dihoai Chicken Farm, 

the researcher needed to allocate farmworkers willing to participate in providing 

information based on being practically involved in the farm. 



32 
 

Included in the study were farmworkers that tend chickens. These are the farm 

workers that feed and weigh the animal on the farm. They also record all the animals, 

examine them to detect diseases and injuries and administer vaccines, medicine and 

insecticides. Also included are farmworkers that maintain the chicken houses and 

other areas and collect, wash and package the eggs. Excluded in the study are 

workers who are not directly involved in the farm's bird husbandry and office staff. 

3.5 Data Collection Method 

The research method for collecting the participants' perceptions followed semi-

structured interviews, allowing for probing and exploring the subject matter (Bryman 

et al., 2014). An Interview Schedule (see appendix A) was developed to guide the 

discussions and partially structure the conversations. Each interview begins with 

obtaining some demographic information from the participants. The researcher kept 

records of the relevant characteristics, allowing the researcher to make certain 

inferences regarding the study. The demographic questions were followed by 

questions relating to the factors in the workplace that may influence employee morale. 

The participants were probed based on their responses to gain further insights into 

their opinions. Interviews were conducted one-on-one because dealing with an 

individual can allow the researcher to delve deeper and focus on personal matters 

(Adhabi & Anozie, 2017). 

The sample population is farmworkers, whom the researcher believed would be best 

suited for face-to-face interaction rather than an electronic self-administered survey. 

The face-to-face interviews were in the form of semi-structured open-ended questions 

to allow elaboration from the interviewee. 

The method of analysis utilised in the study is thematic analysis, which allowed the 

researcher flexibility in that it does not bond the researcher to specific rules; instead, 

the personal experiences of each farm worker interviewed were of the most 

importance. These experiences expressed by the participants assisted in providing a 

deeper understanding of the topic. 



33 
 

Language barriers might pose a challenge; therefore, the questions were translated 

into the local language of Welkom, Sesotho. The interviews were 30 - 45 minutes long 

per individual at a convenient time for the employees. 

Figure 1 depicts the research design, and methodological approaches followed: 

 

Figure 3: Research design and methodological approach 

3.6 Recruitment Strategy 

Permission was sought from the company regarding conducting interviews. Once this 

permission had been secured, the participants were interviewed at the workplace. 

Those farmworkers concerned with animal husbandry and the upkeep of the stables 

were selected from the list provided by the organisation.  

The researcher travelled to the town, where management introduced the researcher 

and explained the study to the farm workers. The researcher stayed for a few days at 

the farm to ensure the completion of the data collection. These interviews were done 

as soon as permission from the ethics committee and the organisation was received. 

 

Research 
Design 

• Qualitative 
research

Sampling 
Procedure

• Purposive 
sampling

Research 
sample 

• Farm workers (animal 
farming)

Research 
instruments

• Semi structure interviews

• Individual face to face 
interviews 

Data 
analysis 

procedures

• Thematic 
Analysis



34 
 

3.7  Data analysis 

The narrative thematic analysis was used to analyse information obtained from the 

participants (Bryman et al., 2014). This analysis entails extracting themes from the 

participants' replies and organising the participants' thinking around those emerging 

topics. (Castleberry & Nolen, 2018). Identifying fundamental thinking patterns within 

participants' replies is crucial for deducing significant signals from the interviews. In 

this study, the researcher discovered themes on the important elements influencing 

farmworker morale. 

3.8 Ethical considerations 

Ethical considerations are a collection of principles that govern a researcher’s study 

designs and procedures in research (Arifin, 2018). When gathering data from 

individuals, scientists and researchers must always follow the rules (Bhandari, 2021). 

Accordingly, permission was sought from the University of the Free State’s Research 

Ethics Committee. Next, consent to conduct this research was requested from the 

company, especially to interview their farm workers. Participants were informed about 

the purpose of the study to get their signed voluntary consent to participate in the study 

(Arifin, 2018).  

• Harm to participants: Any harm, psychological or physical, was avoided 

to guarantee the safety of participants (Arifin, 2018).  

• Breach of confidentiality: The potential risk of breach of confidentiality 

arising from the data collected was mitigated by signing a confidentiality 

agreement. The researcher signed a confidentiality agreement with the 

participants to secure their legitimate privacy and confidentiality protection 

rights. The participants’ identities were kept private, and confidentiality was 

strictly adhered to. Codes and/or pseudonyms were assigned to 

interviewees and research sites to protect identities.  

• Loss of work time: The appointments with the participants were scheduled 

when convenient for each participant. The scheduled times within working 

hours were communicated with supervisors and management for approval.  

 



35 
 

• Negative impact on professional/personal relationships: Farm workers 

that may be afraid of damaging relationships with the management by being 

honest about factors that affect their morale were reassured that such 

information would be treated with the strictest confidence. Hence, a 

confidentiality agreement was signed with each participant. 

• Reputation harm: The organisation’s management and the owner may be 

afraid of damaging relationships with their stakeholders, but they, too, were 

assured that information would be treated with the strictest confidence to 

ensure it does not leak out to third parties. Hence, the confidentiality 

agreements. 

• Conflict of interest: refers to situations in which a researcher's 

professional judgment in doing or reporting research is harmed or seems 

to be harmed by monetary or other personal concerns. There is no conflict 

of interest in the case of this research because the researcher does not 

work for the company where the study took place. 

• Vulnerable participants: are people who cannot fully consent to 

participate in a study, i.e., minors and persons with diminished mental 

capacity. Participants in this study were of sound mind and could give full 

consent. Because of the language barrier, the consent form was explained 

to them before signing. 

3.9 Demarcation of the study  

The research study consolidated the perspectives of the farmworkers of Dihoai 

Chicken Farm in Welkom, relating to the factors that affect their morale. This research 

study is classified under human resources because it deals with the well-being of 

farmworkers. Due to time and financial constraints, the study was limited to 25 

participants drawn through purposive sampling.  

3.10 Conclusion 

As indicated at the outset of this chapter, the research design lays out the framework 

for gathering, measuring, and analysing data for this study. This chapter describes the 

technique and research strategy employed in this study to address the research 

questions. The research study followed an epistemological, interpretivism paradigm 



36 
 

and a qualitative research approach. The selected sample approach is non-probability 

sampling. Individual interviews were used to perform the research. The procedures 

and sample size were chosen for this study to obtain data from the participants. 

 

  



37 
 

Chapter 4: Data analysis and interpretation 

4.1  Introduction 

The previous chapter detailed information relating to the research methods that have 

been undertaken for this study, which respond to the research question on the morale 

of farmworkers at Dihoai Chicken Farm in Welkom. The main objective of this chapter 

is to present the analysed data collected from semi-structured interviews conducted 

to determine farmworkers' perspectives on factors affecting their morale at work.  

This chapter further evaluates the experiences and responses of 25 farm workers. 

This chapter’s data originates from interviews with farmworkers at Dihoai Chicken 

Farm in Welkom, Free State. The chapter discusses the factors that affect the morale 

of these farmworkers, and, lastly, recommendations are made based on these 

experiences. 

The research applied thematic analysis, which allowed the researcher to thoroughly 

scrutinise data to identify emerging patterns across the data set after considering 

similar or common experiences from the participant's responses. 

4.2 Data analysis procedure 

The data was collected from semi-structured interviews. All interviews were conducted 

on a one-to-one basis with each participant at the farm. During the interviews, 

questions were posed to participants and translated where necessary. Following each 

interview question, the researcher transcribed answers on an answer sheet for data 

coding and analysis. Coding gives each data segment a label that simultaneously 

classifies, summarises, and explains it. Coding is the initial stage in developing 

analytical interpretations of the data once specific assertions in the data have been 

made (Charmaz, 2006). 

The emerging patterns and messages were interpreted following the thematic analysis 

of the coded participants' perspectives. These patterns were preserved within the 

subjective views to retain their original meaning. The subsequent section outlines the 

interpretation of the analysis made and supports the arrangement of the semi-

structured interview schedule. 



38 
 

4.3 Biography of participants 

The study sample involved 25 Dihoai Chicken Farm farmworkers. The researcher 

managed to interview all 25 participants. The profiles of all participants involved in the 

semi-structured interviews are deliberated on in this section. The profiles covered the 

age of participants, gender equity, and whether they were breadwinners or not in their 

respective homes.  

4.3.1 Age of participants 

Figure 4 and Table 1 represent the age groups of the study participants. The bar graph 

shows that most of the participants (n= 8, 32%) were in the age group of 20 to 29 

years; equally, 32% (n= 8) of the participants were in the age group of 30-39 years, 

while 20% (n= 5) were between the ages of 40 and 49 years. Only 4 participants (16%) 

fell in the age category of 50 to 59 years. The youth age in South Africa is anyone 

between the ages of 15 and 34 (Statistics South Africa, 2022). The data collected 

demonstrates that 44% of the participants were in the youth category. The details 

regarding the age and number of participants are illustrated in figure 2 and table 1 

below.  

 

 

Figure 4: Age of participants 

 

 

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

20-29 years 30-39 years 40-49 years 50-59 years

32% 32%

16%
20%

AGE



39 
 

Table 1: Age and number of participants 

 

Age
Number of 

participants
Percentage (%)

20 – 29 years 8 32%

30 – 39 years 8 32%

40 – 49 years 4 16%

50 – 59 years 5 20%

Total 25 100%
 

4.3.2 Gender of participants  

Figure 5 and Table 2 illustrate the categories of the gender of the study participants. 

It indicates that 60% of the respondents (n= 15) were males, while 40% (n=10) were 

females. 

 

Figure 5: Gender of participants 

Table 2: Gender of participants 

Gender  Number of participants Percentage (%) 

Male  15 60% 

Female  10 40% 

Total  25 100% 

60%

40%

GENDER

male female



40 
 

4.3.3 Breadwinners  

Figure 6 and Table 3 below show that 68% (n=) of participants were breadwinners, 

while 32% (n=) were non-breadwinners.  

 

Figure 6: Details of breadwinners 

Table 3: Breadwinner 

Breadwinner (Y/N) Number of participants Percentage (%) 

Yes 17 68% 

No 8 32% 

Total  25 100% 

 

4.4 Occupation categories of farmworkers at Dihoai Chicken Farm 

While conducting the interviews, the researcher asked the participants to give daily 

examples of their work on the farm. From the responses, the researcher identified four 

categories of duties that apply to Dihoai Chicken Farm. Figure 7 and table 4 depict the 

different categories, the number of participants interviewed from each category and 

the duties of the farm workers working in each category: 

Breadwinner

Non-breadwinner

68%

32%

BREADWINNER STATUS OF 
PARTICIPANTS



41 
 

 

Figure 7: Occupation Categories 

 

Table 4: Summary of Duties Per Occupational Category 

Occupational categories  Duties  

Poultry Abattoir  

Moving and managing the animals before and after 
slaughtering.  

Removal of feathers and internal organs.  

Trimming carcasses and moving to freezers.  

Boning, slicing and packaging meat.  

Processing of by-products.  

Cleaning machinery, knives and abattoir floor.  

Chicken and egg 
production 

Checking that the chickens have access to food and water.  

Walk around the chicken house looking for ill or injured 
chickens.  

When entering and departing dwellings, adopt strict 
biosecurity standards.  

Control the temperature of the housing for maximum bird 
comfort.  

Maintain the home and the watering/heating system as 
needed.  

Control house illumination to satisfy the demands of 
chickens.  

Maintain strong animal welfare standards.  

Assist with egg collecting, washing, and sorting on layer 
farms.  

Assist with the packaging of the eggs.  

7

11

3

4

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Poultry Abattoir

Chicken and egg production

Feed production

Feed Maintenance

Occupational Categories

Poultry Abattoir Chicken and egg production

Feed production Feed Maintenance



42 
 

Feed production  

Ensure that basic preventive maintenance chores such as 
lubricating bearings, checking gearboxes, and 
inspecting/tightening belts are completed daily, weekly, and 
monthly.  

Assist with repair and maintenance projects with the 
maintenance team. Assist in increasing the mill's efficiency.  

Filling micro-ingredient boxes and cleaning up ingredient 
bins as needed.  

Collaborating with staff to identify and solve ingredient flow 
concerns.  

Ensuring the feeds are put into bags.  

Ensuring feeding orders are loaded onto trucks.  

Ensure that the company's safety procedures are followed.   

Receive ingredients into the mill, both bulk and bagged.  

Grading the ingredients received.  

Farm maintenance 

Routine maintenance check on all equipment, chicken 
houses and watering and heating systems. 

Minor repairs on other structures as well as the fences. 

Loading and offloading stock coming into the farm 
and double checking if it is correct. 

 

4.5 Theme’s related to morale of the farmworkers 

Emanating from the data gathered, the following themes were developed as per the 

semi-structured interviews conducted:  

Table 5: Themes and sub-themes 

 

Themes  Sub-themes  

4.5.1 The Farm 4.5.1.1 Service to the farm 

4.5.1.2 Best and worst period of the year for farm 

work 

4.5.2 Attitudes towards farm work 4.5.2.1 Attitudes towards farm work 

4.5.2.2 Difficult work tasks 

4.5.2.3 Attitudes towards other occupations 

4.5.3 Remuneration  4.5.3.1 Rewards and recognition  

4.5.3.2 Employee benefits  

4.5.4 Job security  4.5.4.1 Retrenchments  



43 
 

4.5.4.2 Unemployment  

4.5.5 Work relationships 4.5.5.1 Work-life balance  

4.5.6 Physical working environment  4.5.6.1 Resources  

4.5.6.2 Infrastructure and pest control  

4.5.7 Health and wellness 

4.5.7 Training and development  

4.5.8 Recommendations from participants 

 

4.5.1 The farm 

4.5.1.1 Service to the farm 

The participants taking part in the study were asked about how long they have been 

working for the organisation and how many hours they work per week. 

The years worked ranged from 6 months to 10 years, and the hours worked per week 

ranged from 32 to 58 hours per week. 

Part-time farm workers usually work 8 hours daily, four days a week. Among the 

permanently employed farm workers, some work five days a week and others seven 

days a week. Among them, some work the night shift only. Emanating from the 

participants' views, the researcher established that those working the night shift 

generally worked longer hours than those working the day shift. The night shift staff, 

work an extra 1- 2 hours a day, especially if they living on-site. 

Below are the views of some of the participants: 

Participant 3 “I live on site. My work day starts at 4:30 in the afternoon until 4 in the 

morning, every day.” 

Participant 9 “I have worked for the farm since 2013. I work 8 hours a day for 5 days.” 

Participant 12 “…. 5 years, part-time. I work for 8 hours a day for 4 days.” 

Participant 14 “Worked 8 years on and off. I work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.” 

Participant 24 “I all week, for 8 hours a day.” 



44 
 

From the comments above by the participants, the researcher noted an inconsistency 

in the working hours of the farm workers depending on their occupational category 

and the shift they work. The hours worked by employees directly affect their 

productivity levels and morale. The farmworkers that worker longer hours than others 

felt over worked and their morale levels appeared to be much lower than those who 

worked fewer hours. 

 

4.5.1.2 The best and worst period of the year for farm work 

The participants were then requested to express which periods in the year they 

enjoyed working in the most and which period they found to be difficult to work. 

From the responses, 11 participants (44%) preferred the summer, 9 participants (36%) 

preferred the winter, and 6 participants (24%) had no preference. Emanating from the 

participants' views, it was established that the farm workers working in the abattoir 

preferred the winter because the smell was manageable, and there were fewer insects 

and less meat contamination. The farm workers in the chicken and egg production 

houses preferred the summer as far as favourable production is concerned; however, 

the houses can get uncomfortably hot in the summer. The farm maintenance workers 

preferred the winter because they found it more difficult to work in the heat. The feed 

production workers had no particular preference.  

Below are some of the views of the participants: 

Participant 1 “The summer, as the production in the summer goes well.” 

Participant 5 “…. prefer the winter, the smell in the abattoir is manageable….” 

Participant 22 “The summer gets very hot, and doing hard labour in the heat is difficult.” 

It is also important to understand why they choose these periods, and if there is 

something the management can do to make things easier, then management can 

request should be recommended. If not managed, it can affect the organisation's 

motivation, morale, overall productivity and profitability 



45 
 

4.6 Attitudes toward farm work 

The participants were asked to raise their views on farm work. The following themes 

were identified from their responses: 

 

4.6.1 Enjoyable work tasks 

The researcher asked participants which tasks they enjoyed most about farm work. 

The views of the participants were as follows: 

Participant 6 “I like farm work because I grew up on a farm, and that is all I know, and 

I enjoy looking after the animals.” 

Participant 16 “…. Planting crops. I enjoy contributing to the ability for people to have 

food on their tables.” 

Participant 24 “…. I love working with the animals….” 

The participants' views illustrate that they enjoy the kind of work they do. The reasons 

vary from loving animals to the familiarity of farm work because of growing up on a 

farm to realising the importance of farming for food security. Although participants 

demonstrated the love of the work that they do, it cannot be explicitly deduced whether 

it affects the morale of farmworkers.  

 

Similarly, to enjoyable tasks, the participants were asked what they found most difficult 

about farm work. The researcher noted that the most difficult tasks for the employees 

were dealing with disease breakout, animal mortality rate, and little rest, especially for 

farm workers who live on-site and have to attend to emergencies. 

 

Below are the views of the participants: 

Participant 10 “…. When production is low. Also, when there are a lot of mortalities 

with the chickens.” 

Participant 13 “The hard labour, with little rest.” 



46 
 

Participant 15 “Containing a disease breakout amongst the chickens. Keeping watch 

for sickly chickens.” 

Participant 24 “In farming, even if I have knocked off. When there is an emergency at 

the farm with the chickens, I have to go and attend to it.” 

The responses show that there are duties that prove difficult for farm workers. It is 

important for management to take note of them so this can be managed, as it can lead 

to high levels of absenteeism and negatively affect morale. 

4.6.2 Feelings toward other occupations 

The participants were asked to express their feelings towards people in other 

occupations and the reason for that. From the responses, 18 participants (72%) had 

no feelings toward people in other occupations, and the remaining 7 participants (28%) 

did. 

Below are the views of the participants:  

Participant 1 “No feelings. We are all just employees.” 

Participant 4 “None. I focus on my own work because work is scarce.” 

Participant 7 “Do not respect people in corporations. We do hard labour, and we 

deserve to get well paid just like them.” 

Participant 16 “No, each job has its own advantages and disadvantages.” 

Participant 20 “Yes, I do. I feel like others see their work as more important, and we 

are looked down upon.” 

The above responses illustrate some farmworkers seem to have negative feelings 

towards other occupations, while others seem to suppress their feelings and others do 

not really care all that much.  

4.7 Other occupational interests 

The researcher then asked participants if they were interested in doing something else 

if they stopped working at the farm-what kind of work they see themselves as qualified 

for. 



47 
 

Below are the views of the participants: 

Participant 8 “I could work in brick manufacturing. I am qualified for any factory work.” 

Participant 12 “…I could be a domestic worker. I am qualified for food production and 

vegetable ploughing.’ 

Participant 18 “…. cleaning jobs. Not qualified, I only studied up to standard 6.” 

It can be noted from the responses that there are other jobs in the area that they could 

do should they find themselves no longer doing farm work. 

4.8 Remuneration 

The participants were asked to raise their views on whether they could make a living 

through farm work. This question is based on the remuneration they are earning. The 

following are the sub-themes emanating from the participant's responses: 

4.8.1 Reward and recognition 

While discussing the remuneration, the participants were further invited to raise their 

views about the reward and recognition system of the organisation. Emanating from 

the views of the participants, it was then established that the organisation applies a 

reward and recognition system selectively as some of the employees were offered 

vouchers for a job well done while others were not; even though they would have 

reached targets they were not rewarded nor recognised for their job well done.  

Below are the views of the participants in this study.  

Participant 3 “The type of work we do on the farm is hard and a lot, but we do not 

receive recognition.”  

Participant 16 said, “I feel demotivated because my efforts are not fully 

recognised/rewarded.” 

Participant 22 also emphasized that “I always put a lot of effort in my work and because 

I live on site and I assist when there is a need for extra work to be undertaken and 

emergencies; however, despite that, I receive no reward nor recognition.” 

 



48 
 

Therefore, it can be noted from the above quotes that the farm workers are not happy 

when it comes to rewards and recognition. This might affect their morale as the 

literature states that job s