Emotional intelligence as a moderator of the relations hip between participative leadership and psychological climate among the employees of an automotive dealer company in East London region
- Authors: Ramncwana, Ntombekhaya
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
- Identifier: vital:11561 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1014671
- Description: This study investigates the role of emotional intelligence in participative leadership and psychological climate. The objective of the study was to examine whether emotional intelligence is related to participative leadership and psychological climate, and whether participative leaders generally possess some levels of emotional intelligence. Based on the literature review an instrument composed of four sections was used to find the levels of perceived participative leadership, psychological climate and emotional int elligence. For this purpose, data from employees of an automotive dealer company was used. The study found no significant correlations between the three variables. However, the study did find a significant negative correlation between participative leadership and psychological climate. In addition, the study showed that emotional intelligence is not related to either participative leadership or psychological climate. Based on the findings, recommendations and suggestions for future research and for auto motive dealer managers are presented.
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Ensuring high quality public safety data in participatory crowdsourcing used as a smart city initiative
- Authors: Bhana, Bhaveer
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Information Systems)
- Identifier: vital:11141 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1014673
- Description: The increase in urbanisation is making the management of city resources a difficult task. Data collected through observations of the city surroundings can be used to improve decision-making in terms of manage city resources. However, the data collected must be of quality in order to ensure that effective and efficient decisions are made. This study is focused on improving emergency and non-emergency services (city resources) by using Participatory Crowdsourcing as a data collection method (collect public safety data) utilising voice technology in the form of an advanced IVR system known as the Spoken Web. The study illustrates how Participatory Crowdsourcing can be used as a Smart City initiative by illustrating what is required to contribute to the Smart City, and developing a roadmap in the form of a model to assist decision-making when selecting the optimal Crowdsourcing initiative. A Public Safety Data Quality criteria was also developed to assess and identify the problems affecting Data Quality. This study is guided by the Design Science methodology and utilises two driving theories: the characteristics of a Smart City, and Wang and Strong’s (1996) Data Quality Framework. Five Critical Success Factors were developed to ensure high quality public safety data is collected through Participatory Crowdsourcing utilising voice technologies. These Critical Success Factors include: Relevant Public Safety Data, Public Safety Reporting Instructions, Public Safety Data Interpretation and Presentation Format, Public Safety Data Integrity and Security, and Simple Participatory Crowdsourcing System Setup.
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Euryops floribundus encroachment in Eastern Cape communal rangelands: indigenous and scientific understanding of effects on range
- Authors: Gxasheka, Masibonge
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Euryops -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ethnoscience -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food security -- South Africa - Eastern Cape , Communal rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Pasture Science)
- Identifier: vital:11585 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016203 , Euryops -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ethnoscience -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food security -- South Africa - Eastern Cape , Communal rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The study was conducted in Eastern Cape Province to 1) investigate local people’s knowledge and perceptions on Euryops floribundus and 2) landscape distribution and effect of Euryops floribundus on herbaceous vegetation and soil. A total of 90 households who own livestock were randomly selected from the three communal areas, namely; Tsengiwe, Upper Mnxe and Manzimdaka for household surveys and group discussions. For landscape study, a total of about 5 ha of land were selected at Upper Mnxe communal area. Selection criteria included the presence of E. floribundus and different landscape gradients. A total of four 50mx50 plots were marked along the landscape gradients: Bottom, Middle, and Upper Slope and upland positions. To study the effect of E. floribundus invasion on the herbaceous vegetation and soil, a total of 4 ha communal land was selected in an accessible area which had a largely flat terrain. The area was selected to have adjacent sites with no invasion (< 5% shrub cover), light (5-15% shrub cover), moderate (>15-35) and heavy invasions (>35% shrub cover) of E. floribundus. The average household size in the study area was 6.8± 0.7. All people in the three communal areas unanimously ranked sheep as the most important species for their livelihood, but the ranking of cattle and goat varied among the communal areas. All elder groups agreed that Europs floribundus decreases both the quantity and quality of herbaceous forage as well as livestock production. Moreover, invaded patches create more bare areas which are responsible for the loss of top fertile soils and the formation of rills and gullies. The result showed that the total density of E. floribundus significantly increased from the topland (2301 plants ha-1) moving to the bottomland (4888 plants ha-1). Canopy cover was significantly lowest in the topland (17.9%), but the remaining gradients had similar cover. Grass dry matter yield was higher in the bottomlands and sloppy gradients than the toplands. Soil organic carbon was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the flat than the sloppy terrain. Soils from higher elevations (toplands and upper sloppy) had significantly higher N than the lower elevations (bottomlands and Middle sloppy). The lowest dry matter was observed at low invasion and non-invaded sites. Soil chemical properties were generally different from all density levels. In conclusion, E. floribundus encroachment was found to be major cause of decline in the peoples’ livelihood because as this reduces the vegetation diversity and livestock production, both of which are the major of their livelihoods.
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Evaluating integrated participatory planning in a decentralised governance system: the case of Yei River County, Southern Sudan
- Authors: Matata, Khamis Charles
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Decentralization in government -- South Sudan , Intergovernmental cooperation -- South Sudan , Local government -- South Sudan , Political participation -- South Sudan , Human services -- South Sudan , Sustainable development -- South Sudan , Economic development -- South Sudan , South Sudan -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11656 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006985 , Decentralization in government -- South Sudan , Intergovernmental cooperation -- South Sudan , Local government -- South Sudan , Political participation -- South Sudan , Human services -- South Sudan , Sustainable development -- South Sudan , Economic development -- South Sudan , South Sudan -- Politics and government
- Description: Local government is an important level of participatory democracy, where communities play an active role not only as the electorate, but also as end-users and consumers, and thereby holding their municipal councils accountable for their actions. Given the above statement, the interim Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011, entrusts local government with the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner. It also provides for the promotion of social and economic development and the promotion of a safe and healthy environment. This also entails the need for a commitment to service delivery hence, public representatives and public officials must take seriously their obligation to render services to the people that could be in the form of ensuring that refuse gets collected, electricity being supplied and other services rendered which better the general welfare of citizens. There are several definitions of public participation, but it can be defined as a process of empowering citizens by involving them in making decisions on all issues that concern them, which can be political, social or economic. The main aim of this study was to, investigate and identify the nature and extent of integrated participatory planning in Yei River County and the extent to which opportunities for public participation are accessible to the communities. The study sought to investigate: How different stakeholders in the community in Yei River County make use of public participation opportunities during the integrated participatory planning process? As such, the main objectives of the study were to; to assess the existing integrated participatory planning practices in Yei River County, to examine and evaluate how the existing integrated participatory planning practices influence service delivery in Yei River County and lastly to identify the barriers to effective integrated participatory planning in YRC and advance recommendations for improvement. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used and data was collected from a sample of two hundred and twenty-six (226) public officials, comprising of Local Government officials, County councillors and members of the public. Results from the data collected using open and close-ended questionnaires, showed that public participation is very important in local government planning as it leads to incorporation of public suggestions and interests in the development strategies. The results further showed that public meetings and workshops were the only public participation mechanisms being used by Yei River County. The study therefore recommended among other things that, Yei River County should strengthen public participation in integrated participatory planning by providing adequate skilled human resources and establishing structures, as well as public participation mechanisms at the Payam and Boma levels. It was also recommended that the communities needed to utilise all available mechanisms of participation to ensure maximum participation during the integrated participatory planning processes.
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Evaluating the Efficacy of Poverty Eradication Strategies and Interventions: Department Of Human Settlement (King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, Eastern Cape)
- Authors: Sentiwe, Maxwell
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11715 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015269
- Description: Poverty in the Eastern Cape KSD Municipality remains widespread and deep due to South Africa’s Apartheid history, poverty is intergenerational and structural. The commitment by the South African government to poverty reduction has been expressed in recent years through various national, provincial and local policy interventions. As such since 1994 the South African government has introduced a large number of interventions to address poverty in its various manifestations, not least income poverty, human capital poverty, service poverty, asset poverty. Former president of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki in 2004 said “Endemic and widespread poverty continues to disfigure the face of our country, it will always be impossible for us to say that we have fully restored the dignity of all our people as long as this situation persists, for this reason the struggle to eradicate poverty has been and will continue to be a cornerstone of the national effort to build the new South Africa”. The ANC led government has committed itself to meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. These goals aim at addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions, including income, poverty, hunger, disease, adequate shelter and exclusion, to promote gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. South African government has sought to address poverty from many angles, like The Reconstruction and Development Programme Policy Framework of 1994 which seeks to address poverty through five key programmes namely, Meeting basic needs, Developing our human resources, Building the economy, Democratizing the state and society, and Implementing the RDP. (RDP 1994). Interventions have varied from child support and disability grants, housing, water and electricity. There has been little means of appreciating the overall magnitude or significance of these attempts. Despite what appears to be overall progress in the fight against poverty, it is also generally recognized that there remain pockets of enduring poverty that government is struggling to eradicate. In particular, there is evidence that those residing in deep rural areas have tended to see fewer improvements across the board, be they access to improved services or amenities. At this point in time it appears somewhat fluid, in the sense that different statements package the elements differently, sometimes omitting one and including something else and this is evidence of a lack of coherence in government’s anti-poverty strategies. The unjust state of rural areas in the Eastern Cape has remained unchanged since 1994. Political analyst, Dr Somadoda Fikeni said even with rural development being national government’s priority, there has been no massive shift of resources from urban cities to the rural. “The fixation is on urban development, leaving the rural to fend off diseases, unemployment and pathetic leaving conditions”. The Eastern Cape OR Tambo district’s poverty rate is higher than the provincial and national averages, with an estimated 1,183,517 people living in poverty, According to the community survey report conducted in 2207 has determined the housing backlog showing the OR Tambo as the largest area of need by 36% and the largest part is the KSD Municipality with an average growth rate of -1.67, number of people in poverty from year 2000 to 2010 and average growth rate of -2.42 of poverty rate. Eastern Cape government have undertaken a series of programmes to address poverty, however programmes implemented since 1994 have not yielded the desired impact in eradicating poverty.
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Evaluating the need for an Employee Performance Management System in the Eastern Cape Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (2012)
- Authors: Mthembu, Bhekisisa Jacob
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11686 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013579
- Description: Local government is the most important sphere of government, given the fact that, it is the closest to the people. It always experiences the service delivery protest by the community residents it serves. This is often due to unfulfilled promises concerning the delivery of services. Often the annual performance results are also unsatisfactory as compared to the agreed upon service delivery agreements. National treasury as a distributor of funding to Municipalities often has to request the return of the unused funds at the end of the financial year period. This is the results of poor managing and planning for the resources at the disposal of the Municipalities. There has been a number of transformational processes over the past few years in the manner that municipalities are being managed and run on a day today basis. This research is focused on the system enhancement for Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality which is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, in particular, has in the 2011 Local government election acquired a metropolitan status, which requires another transformationprocess in the manner it is being managed. At the same time this automatically raises the bar on the service delivery mode and expectations by the communities. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, act 108 of 1996 states how Municipalities are to render services to the communities. And therefore pieces of egislation serves as a guide for the processes and systems in the municipalities at large. This research examined the need for an employee performance management system in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality for the 2012 period. In the review of the literature, there was a number of analysis of issues such as organisation culture which plays an important role in the system implementation and success. And it became evident that, there can be no success of any system in an organisation without the thorough evaluation of the organisational culture. The data was sourced through close ended questionnaires which were distributed to 51 respondents that were identified. These were five Directors, five General Managers, 10 Programme Managers from across the institution, 30 staff members from across all directorates and one portfolio councillor from Corporate service directorate.Each respondent was given a period of one week to respond to the questionnaires. The research provides suggested solutions to the current problems in Municipalities in terms of employee performance management within the organisation. The recommendations provided are not conclusive as the circumstances cannot be the same from one municipality to the other. In order to ensure their sustainability within Local Government, there is need for an employee performance management system to evaluate the performance of all the employees. The research findings identified the leadership role in ensuring the introduction and successful implementation of the employee performance management system, in order to address the service delivery challenges faced by the municipalities.
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Evaluation of range condition, soil properties, seed banks and farmer's perceptions in Peddie communal rangeland of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mndela, Mthunzi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Forage , Range management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nguni cattle -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil seed banks -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ethnoscience -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Pasture Science)
- Identifier: vital:11583 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013153 , Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land degradation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Forage , Range management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nguni cattle -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil seed banks -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ethnoscience -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: South African rangelands in combination with their surrounding homesteads occupy 13% of the entire land surface in South Africa. These rangelands are a source of forage for communal livestock. The rangelands in communal tenure system are degraded due to high human population and livestock numbers. The rangeland of Peddie was never evaluated since the introduction of Nguni Cattle Empowerment Project. Therefore, socio-ecological evaluation was conducted in order to interlink farmer‟s perceptions and scientific data to recommend appropriate rangeland management and restoration programme. Two structured questionnaires consisting of close and open ended questions were used to investigate farmer‟s perceptions on rangeland condition, dynamics, and their causes. Sixty households were randomly selected on the bases of livestock ownership and the membership in Nguni Cattle Project. In each household, any respondent of 20 years or greater, and a key informant of age greater than 40 years were selected. For scientific assessment of range condition, three homogenous vegetation units namely grassland, scattered and dense bushland were demarcated into four 100m x 50m replicates. In each replicate, two 100m transects were laid parallel to each other with 30m equidistant apart. The step point and harvesting method along each transect were employed for herbaceous species composition and biomass production. The point-to-tuft distance was also determined as a proxy for basal cover. Woody density, species composition and tree equivalents were determined in 200m2 belt transects in each HVU replicates. The germination method for soil seed bank evaluation was also employed to find plant species composition and density. The soil nutrients (OC, N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu and Mn) and pH were analysed through solution preparation and observation under photospectrometer to determine functional capacity of the soil of Peddie rangeland. The farmer‟s perceptions comprised of 63% females and 37% males (n = 120) with a mean household of 8 people, 5 adults and 3 children. It was perceived by 93.3% respondents that the rangeland of Peddie have undergone changes over two decades. These changes were perceived by 83% respondents to be accompanied by decline in livestock numbers. Woody encroachment and overgrazing were perceived to be the major attributes of these vegetation changes. The scientific rangeland condition assessment confirmed that these changes were more pronounced as bush density increases. Dense bushland had a significantly high (p<0.05) encroached condition with 6650 trees ha-1 and 4909.5 TE ha-1 beyond the recommended thresholds of 2400 trees ha-1 and 2500 TE ha-1 respectively. Scattered bushland had a fair condition of 1950 trees ha-1 and 1198.1TE ha-1. Themeda triandra as a key species was significantly higher (p<0.05) in grassland (31.1%) than scattered (15.6%) and dense bushland (6.1%). There was a declining trend in biomass production from grassland to dense bushland. The summer biomass production was significantly higher (p<0.05) in grassland than scattered and dense bushland but winter biomass was not significantly different (p>0.05) from all homogenous vegetation units of Peddie rangeland. However, the soil fertility increased with an increase in bush density except organic carbon (OC) which was 1.61% in grassland, 1.46% in scattered and 1.53% in dense bushland respectively. Soil N, K, P, Mg2+ Na+, Ca2+, Cu, Zn, Mn and pH were significantly higher (p<0.05) in dense bushland than grassland and scattered bushland. High soil fertility in dense bushland may be attributed to by abscission of woody plants and litter decomposition. In the soil seed bank, the abundances of forbs were significantly higher than sedges (χ2 = 12, df = 1, p = 0.001) and grasses (χ2 = 8.333, df = 1, p = 0.004) in all homogenous vegetation units while sedges were not significantly different (χ2 = 3, df = 1, p = 0.083) from grasses. The Sorensen‟s index indicated that soil seed bank and extant vegetation were significantly different (p<0.05). Annual and biennial forbs and sedges had high abundances while perennial grasses formed a bulk in above ground vegetation. This provided an insight that a reliance on soil seed bank for restoration of Peddie rangeland would not be advisable because it can result in retrogression. The communal rangeland assessment provided clear qualitative and quantitative data when the combination of indigenous knowledge and scientific assessments was done. The rationale is that conclusions and recommendations of range assessment are relient on the farmer‟s perceptions pertinent to their livestock production systems and their rangeland management objectives. This study has shown that inclusion of communal farmers in policy making can provide better insight because those are the people experiencing the consequences of range degradation.
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Evaluation of the Performance Management Systems (PMS): a case study of the Eastern Cape Provincial Treasure
- Authors: Baxana, Mandilakhe
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11693 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015045
- Description: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Performance Managements System (PMS) policy by looking at the implementation of the PMS in line with provincial and national policies. The purpose is to achieve sustainable improvement in organizational performance whilst examining the value of PMS in assessing performance of the Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury employees. The questionnaire was personally delivered to potential respondents. The study showed that the performance management system used by the Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury was on track with clear objectives, and was largely integrated with the departments' planning process, primarily through the use of divisional planning objectives as a basis for employee performance agreements. However, the general findings were qualified by the need to address. Several key issues, and to make some improvements to the process. It was also concluded that the revised performance management system should have a stronger emphasis on effective managing, monitoring, reporting and rewarding high performance and correcting low performance respectively. Key recommendations are made to assist this department in its quest to achieve maximum return on the investment from its human capital. The recommendations are: The Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury needs to establish clear organizational objectives and the performance management tool should be negotiated and agreed with the union councils and management. The performance measures or key performance indicators should be agreed upfront with all employees, irrespective of their level in the organization.
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Evalution of the knowledge and skills of the professional nurses regarding IMCI service delivery, including HIV/AIDS case management in primary health care facilities in Buffalo City Sub-District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Noluvuyo, Leonelle Gosangaye
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nurses -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Ability testing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Standards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- Supervision of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Prenatal diagnosis -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Primary health care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Nursing Science)
- Identifier: vital:11903 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006782 , Nurses -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Ability testing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Standards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- Supervision of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Prenatal diagnosis -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Primary health care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: An increase in diarrhoea and upper respiratory tract infection has been noted for the past five years and this is associated with the prevalence of Human Immune-deficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV infection is an increasingly common cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in South Africa. In some areas of the country, like the Eastern Cape, more than 30 percent of the women attending antenatal clinics are HIV infected. Without intervention, approximately one third of the babies born to these HIV infected mothers will get infection from their mothers (WHO, 2003). Aim and Objectives of the study: The study was meant to assess the specific knowledge and skills of professional nurses at the primary health facilities regarding management and integration of childhood illnesses, evaluate the quality of training of professional nurses on aspects of IMCI including integration of HIV within IMCI programme for children under five years in Primary Health Care facilities in Mdantsane Township. Methods: A quantitative descriptive method was used for this study. The questionnaire developed by the researcher was used for data collection. The items on the questionnaire were divided into four (4) subsections. The questionnaire was administered to all professional nurses on duty and those available at the time of data collection. A checklist for IMCI was used to collect data from Road to Health files of children who were HIV positive admitted in the pediatric ward at Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital. Results: The results of this study for all the variables examined showed that the highest score was 56 percent and the lowest was18 percent.These results indicated that the knowledge and skills of professional nurses were inadequate.
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Examining the role of local government County legislative council in promoting service delivery in South Sudan, case of Yei River County, Central Equatoria State
- Authors: Oba Cicilia Tito Towongo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Human services -- South Sudan , Poor -- Services for -- South Sudan , Finance, Public -- South Sudan , Local government -- South Sudan , Municipal services -- South Sudan , South Sudan -- Politics and government , South Sudan -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11664 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007097 , Human services -- South Sudan , Poor -- Services for -- South Sudan , Finance, Public -- South Sudan , Local government -- South Sudan , Municipal services -- South Sudan , South Sudan -- Politics and government , South Sudan -- Economic conditions
- Description: This Study was conducted in Yei River County, Central Equatoria State the Republic of South Sudan from July-December/2012 under the topic: Examining the role of Local Government County Legislative Council in promoting service delivery. The Legislative Council in Yei was established since 2007 inaccordance with the provisions of the Transition Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011:166, LG Act, 2009:8-29 and Governors’ Decree dated 25/August/2007 with the mandate to enact laws and policies and supervise the Executive to implement its decisions. The study investigated into why there was under performance of Legislative Council in promoting service delivery in Yei River County (YRC) and how can service delivery be improved in YRC. The findings revealed that, the capacity of the Council is low in making appropriate decisions and supervising the Executive to implement its decisions, it lacks the necessary working requirements to facilitate its duties, some of its directives are not implemented by the Executive and negative attitudes towards the work of the Council by some members of the Executive. Despite the difficulties encountered, the Council was able to enact 31 laws, conducted some joint consultative meetings on County projects and the study recommended that, the relevant institutions of Local Government to review the irregularities in the Local Government Act of 2009 to regulate the duties of the Council and to guide the recruitment of the future Councillors, training of the Councillors to improve performance, improve the working conditions of the Council, conduct public awareness on the role of the Council and promotion of exchange programs for further learning purposes. The significance of this study is that, the topic was good according to the participants, the recommendations of the study may be adopted by the Local Government Authorities to address the identified gaps and challenges facing the Council not only in Yei River County but also in other parts of the Country and finally, the report may be used by the University of Fort Hare for further Academic purposes and/or other interested individuals/institutions or organizations of the same or similar objectives.
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Experiences of final year nursing students at a public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape province regarding their preparedness to become registered nurses
- Authors: Mampunge, Fezeka
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nursing students -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Ability testing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Examinations , Nursing -- Standards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing student -- Registered nurse -- Experience , Preparedness -- College -- Clinical staff and Clinical accompaniment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Nursing Science)
- Identifier: vital:11905 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006815 , Nursing students -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- In-service training -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Ability testing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing assessment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing -- Examinations , Nursing -- Standards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nursing student -- Registered nurse -- Experience , Preparedness -- College -- Clinical staff and Clinical accompaniment
- Description: Within the nursing profession, the transition from the student to a graduate nurse is a common rite of passage that marks the end of initial educational preparation in the discipline and the beginning of a professional journey as a nurse and a member of the multidisciplinary team (Nash, Lemcke & Sacre. 2009:48). This is a period of adjustment, stress, growth and development and the transitional nurse is likely to feel uncomfortable, fearful and may experience feelings of inadequacy. This study was undertaken to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students at a public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape regarding their preparedness to become registered nurses, with the aim to identify gaps and make recommendations on strategies to close the gaps. The objectives were to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students at the public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape Province with regard to their preparedness to become registered nurses and to recommend strategies to improve the preparation of nursing students for transition to become registered nurses. To answer the research question “What are the experiences of final year nursing students at a public college of nursing in the Eastern Cape Province with regard their preparedness to become registered nurses”, a qualitative, explorative and descriptive design was used as a framework for the study. Data were collected by means of unstructured focus group interviews with a purposively selected sample of 27 final year nursing students at the particular college of nursing. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method of analysis for qualitative research. Two themes emerged, revealing that participants at the college experienced preparedness and lack of preparedness to assume the role of a professional nurse. This related to certain aspects that had an impact on the preparation of the final year nursing students for practice and included: curriculum-related aspects; clinical teaching and learning support; learning opportunities; interpersonal relationships between lecturers, students and clinical staff; equipment; and library resources. It was concluded that the learning needs of the nursing students were not adequately catered for, leading to lack of preparedness. Through the involvement of nursing students in the evaluation of their learning, shortfalls in both education and practice areas could therefore be detected. Recommendations regarding strategies to be used to promote preparedness of final year nursing students included: continuous feedback on student performance in the form of exit evaluations on the part of students to identify learning needs; writing of progress reports on the part of clinical practice; and the employment of clinical preceptors with clear role specifications between the lecturers, ward sisters and preceptors to avoid role confusion.
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Experiences of HIV and AIDS patients and families regarding palliative care in an urban care centre in Buffalo City
- Authors: Bunt, Helen
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Palliative care -- HIV/AIDS , Patients and families experiences
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Nursing Science)
- Identifier: vital:11904 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006814 , Palliative care -- HIV/AIDS , Patients and families experiences
- Description: The South African Constitution (South Africa, 1996) states that access to healthcare services is a basic human right. The Patients’ Rights Charter (HPCSA, 2008: 6) stipulates that the provision for “special needs in the case of persons living with HIV or AIDS” and palliative care be “affordable and effective”. The need for palliative care in South Africa today continues to increase. Khan and Sayed 2011[2]) found that five years after commencement of anti-retrovirals, twenty five percent of their patients had passed away. This study was performed in the Eastern Cape which is one of the poorest provinces with the second highest HIV prevalence rate. Since 2008, Sophumelela Centre Incorporated has offered palliative care for HIV and AIDS patients in Buffalo City. Some of these patients and their families were interviewed about their experiences in this care centre. The South African Constitution (South Africa, 1996) states that access to healthcare services is a basic human right. The Patients’ Rights Charter (HPCSA, 2008: 6) stipulates that the provision for “special needs in the case of persons living with HIV or AIDS” and palliative care be “affordable and effective”. The need for palliative care in South Africa today continues to increase. Khan and Sayed (2011[2]) found that five years after commencement of anti-retrovirals, twenty five percent of their patients had passed away. This study was performed in the Eastern Cape which is one of the poorest provinces with the second highest HIV prevalence rate. Since 2008, Sophumelela Centre Incorporated has offered palliative care for HIV and AIDS patients in Buffalo City. Some of these patients and their families were interviewed about their experiences in this care centre.
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Experiences of students living with HIV and AIDS (SLWHA) regarding support group in a selected university campus, Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Chulayo, Amanda
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Nursing Science)
- Identifier: vital:11919 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016202
- Description: South Africa has one of the highest HIV and AIDS epidemic statistics in the world, especially people under 25 years of age (Department of Social Development, 2002:11). Some university students are implicated, thus Support groups in this context are crucial to help them cope with their unique circumstances. Purpose: of this study was to assess the effectiveness of support groups for SLWHA within a university campus in the Eastern Cape Province. Method: Interviews were used to explore the experiences and challenges of SLWHA. Results: The study shows that support groups are pivotal in the wellbeing of SLWHA in meeting diverse needs such as sense fo belonging, emotional, psychological, information and knowledge,socio-economic as well as health and physical needs. Support group members experience relatively similar living experiences, dynamic as their various lives are, they are able to share their emotions and problems arising from their HIV statuses, thereby lessening their burdens. Some negative experiences were observed, like issues of confidentiality, depression and stress. Conclusion: University support groups can be improved through structured programs that includes various stakeholders like health professionals (wellness centre), university management, and others including academics within the university. Also, expanding their borders via the use of social networks, and expanding their activities to include music, sports, vegetable gardening, group visitations, skills training, and other useful projects shall help to improve lives of victims and fight against the infection of other community members.
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Explorative study on the efficacy of the Total Quality Management System as a performance enhancement instrument: the case of Walter Sisulu University (Eastern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa)
- Authors: Gwele, Xolani
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:11681 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013544
- Description: With the advent of a democratic South Africa in 1994, national public administration has effected reforms to improve government performance and service delivery. The importance of education for the development of excellence, expertise and knowledge leading to overall development in economy cannot be undermined. This has necessitated a sound strategy for the development of higher education in South Africa. Establishing leadership in this country is possible only when there is a developed system of higher education in which efficiency remains the sole criteria to evaluate performance. Higher education institutions are faced with an increasing number of complex challenges including implementing and maintaining a quality management system. This study seeks to explore the efficacy of total quality management as the performance enhancement instrument at Walter Sisulu University, in the Eastern Cape Province – South Africa. Relevant literature regarding quality, quality assurance, total quality management and performance management has been reviewed in order to establish and test if this study is researchable. Interviews with students have been conducted in order understand a sense of student perception towards quality assurance in the university. Observations and Staff questionnaires have been used to collect more data on total quality management and performance management system. The data collected is analysed and interpreted in chapter four and chapter five provides for findings and recommendations in concluding this study.
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Exploratory study of the University of Fort Hare students' perception of the role of global television in cultural homogenisation
- Authors: Moyo, Rachel
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: University of Fort Hare , Globalization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Mass media -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Television viewers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Television broadcasting -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Com)
- Identifier: vital:11365 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005988 , University of Fort Hare , Globalization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Mass media -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Television viewers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Television broadcasting -- Social aspects
- Description: The implications of globalisation in African societies raise an interesting debate and also pose a challenge to 21st century scholars of media/cultural tradition. While the media/cultural imperialism theory views global media as perpetuating cultural imperialism, revisionist theories of the media such as the audience reception theory argue against this, saying that media texts can be negotiated with. Both sides have always provided facts to argue their cases and the argument between them remains fluid. This study, which is a quantitative survey of some University of Fort Hare students’ perception of the role of global television in cultural homogenisation, has adopted the second phase of revisionism which is a counter to the audience reception theory, arguing that in the process of interaction with media texts, there may be transference of cultural values. This study used the media imperialism theory and the cultivation theory in exploring respondents’ perceptions of whether global television is perpetuating cultural imperialism and consequently cultural homogenisation among receiving cultures. The study adopted the quantitative methodology and a self-administered questionnaire structured according to the Likert Scale of measurement was used to gather data. Four cultural products of language, music, dress and religion were used as the measurable indicators to determine perceptions of global television consumption’s influence in cultural imperialism. The study used the case of University of Fort Hare students since they are a heterogeneous group and because there is not much research done concerning the influence of technological advancement, especially on the youth in remote areas such as Alice town where Fort Hare is situated. Although there were problems in the sampling process, most respondents did seem to perceive the notion that global television consumption does perpetuate cultural imperialism and that this is consequently leading to cultural homogenisation to a certain extent. According to the sampled group, the measure of the extent of homogenisation caused by global television consumption was 67.69%, falling behind by 27.31% from the anticipated standard of 95%. The difference between the anticipated standard and the realised standard was attributed to the dialectical debates emanating from the study findings which were also reiterated in the literature review. Importantly, the respondents indicated their preference for local media productions while at the same time agreeing that they were often unavailable, which leaves them without much choice but to watch those Western programmes that are readily available on both local media stations and on global television. To this end, most students denied that their own cultural values have deteriorated.
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Exploring the management of information technology funding as a critical aspect of managing teaching and learning : a case study of two schools in the King William's Town Education District
- Authors: Ngcoza, Xoliswa Phyllis
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Information technology--Management Management information systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Public Administration
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17439 , vital:40968
- Description: Today the term ‘Information Technology’ (IT) is a buzz word globally. It is an indispensable tool in government departments and it enhances management, planning and organisation of all activities in the departments. Information Technology (IT) refers to equipments such as overhead and digital projectors, digital cameras, cell phones, Television recorders, language laboratories, printers, computers and all its components such as different soft wares, hard wares, Central Processing Units (CPU) etc. These machines are teaching aids just like pens, rulers, writing boards etc when they are used by teachers and become learning tools when they are used by learners. It can be argued that IT can be the life blood of management in schools because by using it all the departments in the institutions are managed and co-ordinated easily. The database containing information about the learners, the staff, the subjects offered, the compiling and filing of mark schedules are easily done and are available at any time on request. IT helps in the managing of learning and teaching. The main focus of this study is to explore the management of IT funding as a critical aspect of managing teaching and learning. Today without funds IT use would be impossible. Relevant soft wares for all subjects taught such as Mathematics, Biology, Physical Education Environmental Studies etc are managed and planned by the management of the institutions to enable teachers to teach effectively and efficiently and to make studies easy for the learners to understand and to do research on their own. When the IT equipments are used properly, fast, efficient and effective service delivery would be realized. All these technological tools aforementioned depend on the availability of funds in the institutions.
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Factors affecting rural farming households’ willingness to participate in a proposed irrigation scheme: a situation analysis of Guquka in Nkonkobe District Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Ngwenya, Kwanele
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Irrigation farming -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007145 , Irrigation farming -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Previous studies conducted in the study area recommended an irrigation scheme as a much desired intervention in order to reduce poverty levels, reduce unemployment, provide a livelihood for the households and trigger development. The Land Bank of South Africa has shown keen interest to provide funds to set up an irrigation scheme in Guquka. Absence of peoples’ involvement and farmer participation has been identified as one of the causes of poor performance of smallholder irrigation schemes in South Africa. The poor performance of smallholder irrigation projects in South Africa provided a good basis for exploring factors that could possibly affect farmer participation and the success of the proposed irrigation scheme. This knowledge would be useful to providers of extension services, capital providers, policy makers and the recipients of the proposed irrigation scheme. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the willingness of farming households to participate in the proposed irrigation scheme. This investigation helped to analyse demographic; socio economic situation; farming practices; economic activities; water sources, uses and management in the study area. The major tool of enquiry in this study was the questionnaire which was used to collect data from the households. Household and farm characteristics were collected using structured questionnaires with the help of locally recruited and trained enumerators. The data used for the empirical analysis was obtained from a survey of 50 farming households in Guquka, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The following variables were selected to determine the scope of their influence on farmer willingness to participate in the proposed scheme: age; membership in local group; investment in agriculture, educational level of the farmers, knowledge, household size, labour and gender. A logit model was used to determine the extent to which these selected characteristics influence the willingness of farmers to participate in the proposed irrigation scheme. The results showed that willingness to participate in the scheme was significantly influenced by the afore mentioned variables as well as knowledge about the planned irrigation scheme which is mainly provided by extension agents; and total household income. Age was found to decrease the willingness of farmers to participate in irrigation. A positive association existed between participation and the following variables; membership in local group, investment in agriculture, educational level of the farmers and knowledge. On the other hand, household size, labour and gender were not significant variables affecting willingness to participate in the proposed irrigation scheme. Based on the results from the logit regression model, it can be concluded that membership in a local group, investment in agriculture, education, knowledge and total household income are responsible for increasing the probability of participation. The negative relationship on age and participation indicates that the older the person is, the lesser the chances of participation. It is recommended that stakeholders should improve access to education and farmer training programmes. Support systems to disseminate information, training and knowledge should be enhanced. Improving institutional support and access to financial services should be prioritised by the stakeholders in the study area. Further studies on building institutional capacity and a cost benefit analysis of irrigation options in the study area are recommended.
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Factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers in Buffalo city metropolitan, South Africa
- Authors: Moyo, Hazel Nobandile
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Marketing -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010689 , vital:26496
- Description: Despite the significant contribution to socio-economic development by SMEs (small and medium enterprises), their failure rate is very high in South Africa. Adoption and implementation of market orientation has been identified by various scholars as a means to mitigate SME failure in the highly competitive environments they operate in. This study investigated the factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers in King Williams Town and East London, South Africa. The objectives of the study were to investigate whether owner/manager involvement of had an influence on market orientation in SME computer retailers, to establish whether organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics had an impact on the customer focused culture as well as investigate whether competitive intensity influenced the SME computer retailers to be market focused. Both primary and secondary data sources were used in this study. A quantitative research design was used in conducting this research. Simple random sampling, a probability sampling technique was used to select a sample of 104 from the sample frame of 141 registered SME computer retailers. The survey method, by way of a selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) as statistical software was used to analyse data. The Chi-square test, Pearson correlation, the t-test, and descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. The findings of this research found that there are factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers, such as owner/manager involvement. Competitive intensity was found to influence SME computer retailers to be market focused. It was also found that organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics did not impact on the customer focused culture. The findings of this research showed that SME owner/managers hold the key to shaping an organisation‟s values and culture orientation therefore in order to be market orientated, they need pass on a clear message to the lower levels of the organisation. The careful implementation of organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics that encourage market orientation as well as constant matching and monitoring of competitors was recommended to enable SMEs to be market orientated and in turn improve their business performance and success.
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Factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
- Authors: Moyo, Hazel Nobandile
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com (Business Management)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/788 , vital:26497
- Description: Despite the significant contribution to socio-economic development by SMEs (small and medium enterprises), their failure rate is very high in South Africa. Adoption and implementation of market orientation has been identified by various scholars as a means to mitigate SME failure in the highly competitive environments they operate in. This study investigated the factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers in King Williams Town and East London, South Africa. The objectives of the study were to investigate whether owner/manager involvement of had an influence on market orientation in SME computer retailers, to establish whether organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics had an impact on the customer focused culture as well as investigate whether competitive intensity influenced the SME computer retailers to be market focused. Both primary and secondary data sources were used in this study. A quantitative research design was used in conducting this research. Simple random sampling, a probability sampling technique was used to select a sample of 104 from the sample frame of 141 registered SME computer retailers. The survey method, by way of a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data. The statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) as statistical software was used to analyse data. The Chi-square test, Pearson correlation, the t-test, and descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. The findings of this research found that there are factors influencing market orientation in SME computer retailers, such as owner/manager involvement. Competitive intensity was found to influence SME computer retailers to be market focused. It was also found that organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics did not impact on the customer focused culture. The findings of this research showed that SME owner/managers hold the key to shaping an organisation‟s values and culture orientation therefore in order to be market orientated, they need pass on a clear message to the lower levels of the organisation. The careful implementation of organisational systems and interdepartmental dynamics that encourage market orientation as well as constant matching and monitoring of competitors was recommended to enable SMEs to be market orientated and in turn improve their business performance and success.
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Financial management practices employed by small and medium enterprises (SMES) in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Marembo, Mathew
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Com (Business Management)
- Identifier: vital:11325 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013583 , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Finance , Small business -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management
- Description: This study examined how financial management decisions are made by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Buffalo City Metropolitan in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study aimed at discovering SME awareness on financial management practices. The financial management practices address issues on capital budgeting, working capital management, capital structure, financial reporting and analysis. The study, therefore, hypothesised that SMEs were not aware of the sound financial management practices. It was also intended in this study to examine the relationship between employment of sound financial management practices and firm financial performance. Subsequently, the study hypothesised that the employment of sound financial management practices by SMEs did not significantly affect their financial performance. The results obtained in this study revealed that SMEs were aware of the sound financial management practices that could be employed to yield high financial performance. However, the results also revealed that most SMEs were not employing qualified personnel and this in turn had an effect on the effectiveness of the financial management practices that the SMEs utilised. The findings also indicated that the employment of sound financial management practices did significantly and positively affect the financial performance of SMEs. The study recommended that SMEs could increase their chances of financial survival if they employ sound financial management practices. The study also gave recommendations to the South African Government to provide effective facilities and services to SMEs and help sustain them because they are important in the economy. Lastly, the study recommended financial institutions to relax their credit granting policies so that SMEs could access funds.
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