The hepatoprotective capacity of selected natural products from South Africa
- Authors: Reddy, Shanika
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Liver -- Physiology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43611 , vital:36929
- Description: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is recognized as a significant clinical problem, which may account for up to 50% of all cases of acute liver failure. DILI is initiated by the bioactivation of parent drug molecules to produce chemically reactive metabolites. These reactive intermediates induce mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress leading to glutathione (GSH) depletion and damage to cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, which eventually culminates in necrotic cell death. The principal objective of this study is to establish an in vitro screening platform to identify potential hepatoprotective natural products (plants and mushrooms) from South Africa (SA). Aqueous plant extracts (Cyclopia intermedia, Opuntia ficus indica and Kigelia africana), and aqueous and ethanolic macrofungal extracts (Ganoderma lucidum, Russula capensis, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lenzites elegans) were prepared and screened against HepG2 and VERO cells to assess their safety using Hoechst 33342-PI dual labelling. A drug-induced hepatotoxic model was established, using the dietary supplement menadione (vitamin K3). Hoechst 33342- PI, -CellROX® Orange and -TMRE dual labelling was used for necrosis, oxidative stress and mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization (ΔΨm) detection, respectively. The accuracy of the hepatoprotection model was confirmed through HepG2 cellbased assays (Hoechst 33342- PI, -CellROX® Orange and -TMRE dual labelling) that measured the protective effects of natural products against the menadione-induced toxicity, anti-oxidant assays (DPPH, NO, ORAC, CAPe and FRAP) that measured their anti-oxidant potential and enzyme assays (βglucuronidase, carboxylesterase and CYP450 isoform 3A4) that measured their effects on drug metabolism. Silymarin was used as a positive control for each assay. Menadione displayed significant cell death, increased oxidative stress and decreased ΔΨm at an elevated concentration of 100 μM; confirming the hepatotoxicity model, where necroptosis was suspected to be menadione’s cell death mode. Only ethanolic G. lucidum was cytotoxic. All three aqueous plant extracts demonstrated strong anti-oxidant capacities out of all the tested extracts; where C. intermedia displayed the most promising DPPH, NO, ORAC, CAPe and FRAP activity, followed by aqueous G. lucidum. Aqueous plant and ethanolic macrofungal extracts (C. intermedia, O. ficus indica, K. africana, and ethanolic P. ostreatus, R. capensis) displayed decreased menadione-induced ROS production and protected against menadione-induced ΔΨm depolarization, posing them and aqueous G. lucidum potential therapeutic interventions for DILI. Ethanolic L. elegans demonstrated the highest enzyme inhibition for each assay and presented genotoxicity, ruling it out as a therapeutic strategy against DILI. Together these assays addressed several aspects relating to DILI and hepatoprotection, and served as a good starting point in evaluating the therapeutic value of natural products from South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Reddy, Shanika
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Liver -- Physiology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43611 , vital:36929
- Description: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is recognized as a significant clinical problem, which may account for up to 50% of all cases of acute liver failure. DILI is initiated by the bioactivation of parent drug molecules to produce chemically reactive metabolites. These reactive intermediates induce mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress leading to glutathione (GSH) depletion and damage to cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, which eventually culminates in necrotic cell death. The principal objective of this study is to establish an in vitro screening platform to identify potential hepatoprotective natural products (plants and mushrooms) from South Africa (SA). Aqueous plant extracts (Cyclopia intermedia, Opuntia ficus indica and Kigelia africana), and aqueous and ethanolic macrofungal extracts (Ganoderma lucidum, Russula capensis, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lenzites elegans) were prepared and screened against HepG2 and VERO cells to assess their safety using Hoechst 33342-PI dual labelling. A drug-induced hepatotoxic model was established, using the dietary supplement menadione (vitamin K3). Hoechst 33342- PI, -CellROX® Orange and -TMRE dual labelling was used for necrosis, oxidative stress and mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization (ΔΨm) detection, respectively. The accuracy of the hepatoprotection model was confirmed through HepG2 cellbased assays (Hoechst 33342- PI, -CellROX® Orange and -TMRE dual labelling) that measured the protective effects of natural products against the menadione-induced toxicity, anti-oxidant assays (DPPH, NO, ORAC, CAPe and FRAP) that measured their anti-oxidant potential and enzyme assays (βglucuronidase, carboxylesterase and CYP450 isoform 3A4) that measured their effects on drug metabolism. Silymarin was used as a positive control for each assay. Menadione displayed significant cell death, increased oxidative stress and decreased ΔΨm at an elevated concentration of 100 μM; confirming the hepatotoxicity model, where necroptosis was suspected to be menadione’s cell death mode. Only ethanolic G. lucidum was cytotoxic. All three aqueous plant extracts demonstrated strong anti-oxidant capacities out of all the tested extracts; where C. intermedia displayed the most promising DPPH, NO, ORAC, CAPe and FRAP activity, followed by aqueous G. lucidum. Aqueous plant and ethanolic macrofungal extracts (C. intermedia, O. ficus indica, K. africana, and ethanolic P. ostreatus, R. capensis) displayed decreased menadione-induced ROS production and protected against menadione-induced ΔΨm depolarization, posing them and aqueous G. lucidum potential therapeutic interventions for DILI. Ethanolic L. elegans demonstrated the highest enzyme inhibition for each assay and presented genotoxicity, ruling it out as a therapeutic strategy against DILI. Together these assays addressed several aspects relating to DILI and hepatoprotection, and served as a good starting point in evaluating the therapeutic value of natural products from South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The hypolithic invertebrate community in the eastern Karoo: the role of rock size, microclimate and recolonization
- Authors: Van der Westhuizen, Tara
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Karoo , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Karoo Invertebrates Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Karoo Soil microbial ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44191 , vital:37128
- Description: Hypolithic habitats are important for the persistence of fauna that utilize these habitats as refuges and resource patches. Little is known, however, about the composition and structure of this community in the semi-arid Karoo. The current study therefore aims to explore the patterns and processes behind hypolithic communities, through determining the effect of rock size and baboon presence on the hypolithic community, the influence of rock size on the microclimate experienced under rocks, as well as determining the short- (over five days) and long- (over 12 months) term colonisation of the hypolithic habitat following a rock rolling disturbance, in a semi-arid Karoo environment. The hypolithic fauna encountered, and the temperature and moisture content experienced under a range of rock sizes were measured. Additionally, hypolithic fauna under rocks that were rolled to mimic rock rolling by baboons were sampled after a set period (i.e. over five days and 12 months). Large rocks were found to provide a more stable microclimate than small rocks. The probability of hypolithic fauna presence was influenced by rock size and season, and hypolithic fauna abundance (except in the dry season), richness, body size and biomass did not correlate with rock size. Additionally, the probability of detecting hypolithic fauna under intermediate sized and larger rocks was greater in the presence of baboons than in the absence of baboons, and in the presence of baboons hypolithic fauna richness increased with rock size. Furthermore, it was shown that hypolithic fauna abundance and biomass did not differ under rolled rocks over a short- (i.e. over five days) or long- (i.e. over 12 months) term period. The short-term colonisation of hypolithic habitats was not influenced by season or rock density. Lastly, most of the change in hypolithic community composition (over 12 months) occurred in the first three months and thereafter the hypolithic community composition approached pre-disturbance levels in month 12. The hypolithic habitat was shown to be influenced by a variety of conditions and processes affecting hypolithic community composition and structure. This study therefore contributes to our understanding of the hypolithic invertebrate community in the eastern Karoo, and the influence of rock size, baboon presence, microclimate and colonisation on hypolithic community composition and structure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Van der Westhuizen, Tara
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Karoo , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Karoo Invertebrates Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Karoo Soil microbial ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44191 , vital:37128
- Description: Hypolithic habitats are important for the persistence of fauna that utilize these habitats as refuges and resource patches. Little is known, however, about the composition and structure of this community in the semi-arid Karoo. The current study therefore aims to explore the patterns and processes behind hypolithic communities, through determining the effect of rock size and baboon presence on the hypolithic community, the influence of rock size on the microclimate experienced under rocks, as well as determining the short- (over five days) and long- (over 12 months) term colonisation of the hypolithic habitat following a rock rolling disturbance, in a semi-arid Karoo environment. The hypolithic fauna encountered, and the temperature and moisture content experienced under a range of rock sizes were measured. Additionally, hypolithic fauna under rocks that were rolled to mimic rock rolling by baboons were sampled after a set period (i.e. over five days and 12 months). Large rocks were found to provide a more stable microclimate than small rocks. The probability of hypolithic fauna presence was influenced by rock size and season, and hypolithic fauna abundance (except in the dry season), richness, body size and biomass did not correlate with rock size. Additionally, the probability of detecting hypolithic fauna under intermediate sized and larger rocks was greater in the presence of baboons than in the absence of baboons, and in the presence of baboons hypolithic fauna richness increased with rock size. Furthermore, it was shown that hypolithic fauna abundance and biomass did not differ under rolled rocks over a short- (i.e. over five days) or long- (i.e. over 12 months) term period. The short-term colonisation of hypolithic habitats was not influenced by season or rock density. Lastly, most of the change in hypolithic community composition (over 12 months) occurred in the first three months and thereafter the hypolithic community composition approached pre-disturbance levels in month 12. The hypolithic habitat was shown to be influenced by a variety of conditions and processes affecting hypolithic community composition and structure. This study therefore contributes to our understanding of the hypolithic invertebrate community in the eastern Karoo, and the influence of rock size, baboon presence, microclimate and colonisation on hypolithic community composition and structure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The Impact of capital structure on performance of banks in South Africa
- Authors: Jiza, Andiswa Abongile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Banks and banking Capital management and capital structure
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16895 , vital:40783
- Description: The study examined the relationship between capital structure and bank performance in South Africa using five small banks and the two big banks from 2002-2017. Fixed effects model, Pooled and the random effects model were utilised to test the relationship between capital structure and bank performance. Return on assets and the earnings per share were used as a measure for financial performance while the debt to equity ratio and the debt to assets ratio were used as proxies for capital structure. The results show that there is a negative significant relationship between return on assets and the two capital structure measures meaning that higher leverage ratios lead to lower profits measured by return on assets. while there is a negative significant relationship between earnings per share and the capital structure meaning that higher leverage ratios lead to lower profits. The study recommends that financial managers of banks should maintain lower debt than equity in their mix of capital structure as more debts is not good for the performance of banks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Jiza, Andiswa Abongile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Banks and banking Capital management and capital structure
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16895 , vital:40783
- Description: The study examined the relationship between capital structure and bank performance in South Africa using five small banks and the two big banks from 2002-2017. Fixed effects model, Pooled and the random effects model were utilised to test the relationship between capital structure and bank performance. Return on assets and the earnings per share were used as a measure for financial performance while the debt to equity ratio and the debt to assets ratio were used as proxies for capital structure. The results show that there is a negative significant relationship between return on assets and the two capital structure measures meaning that higher leverage ratios lead to lower profits measured by return on assets. while there is a negative significant relationship between earnings per share and the capital structure meaning that higher leverage ratios lead to lower profits. The study recommends that financial managers of banks should maintain lower debt than equity in their mix of capital structure as more debts is not good for the performance of banks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of declining trade union membership on collective bargaining
- Authors: Nombembe, Vuyani
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Collective bargaining -- South Africa Industrial relations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42814 , vital:36694
- Description: Trade unions play an important role in the South African labour relations. Power relations in the workplace favour the employers in terms of decision-making due to the resources that employers have at their disposal, as compared to single employees. In order for employees to be at par with employers during collective bargaining, they join or form trade unions. In South Africa for example, the apartheid government was against trade unions as they were viewed as a threat to the hegemony of the apartheid regime. The democratic dispensation that was ushered in, 1994, sought to change that through a tripartite arrangement between employees, employers and the government. This was done to ensure that trade unions become part of the decision making process on workplace related matters. The South African Constitution of 1996 states that every employee has the right to form and join a trade union and participate in the activities and programmes of a trade union. Trade unions are also able to influence policy related decisions as they participate in decision-making bodies like the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Government has enacted legislation that gives effect to the rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. Through protection afforded by legislation, trade unions are able to recruit members in different sectors and with sufficient sector representation are able to form sector specific Bargaining Councils with Employers’ Organisations representing such sectors, that are able to negotiate terms and conditions of employment for employees in that sector. This study considers and evaluates the rights conferred to trade unions by the Constitution and legislation. The study focuses on the impact of dwindling trade union membership numbers on collective bargaining in South Africa and makes a brief comparison with the European Union (EU). It examines the history of trade unions and the causes of the reduction of trade union membership numbers in South Africa and the EU. Case law is considered in order to gain an understanding of the changing collective bargaining landscape in South Africa. Consideration is given to some of the challenges faced by trade unions in seeking new members and this study makes recommendations of measures that could be put in place to assist trade unions increase their presence in the workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Nombembe, Vuyani
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Collective bargaining -- South Africa Industrial relations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42814 , vital:36694
- Description: Trade unions play an important role in the South African labour relations. Power relations in the workplace favour the employers in terms of decision-making due to the resources that employers have at their disposal, as compared to single employees. In order for employees to be at par with employers during collective bargaining, they join or form trade unions. In South Africa for example, the apartheid government was against trade unions as they were viewed as a threat to the hegemony of the apartheid regime. The democratic dispensation that was ushered in, 1994, sought to change that through a tripartite arrangement between employees, employers and the government. This was done to ensure that trade unions become part of the decision making process on workplace related matters. The South African Constitution of 1996 states that every employee has the right to form and join a trade union and participate in the activities and programmes of a trade union. Trade unions are also able to influence policy related decisions as they participate in decision-making bodies like the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Government has enacted legislation that gives effect to the rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. Through protection afforded by legislation, trade unions are able to recruit members in different sectors and with sufficient sector representation are able to form sector specific Bargaining Councils with Employers’ Organisations representing such sectors, that are able to negotiate terms and conditions of employment for employees in that sector. This study considers and evaluates the rights conferred to trade unions by the Constitution and legislation. The study focuses on the impact of dwindling trade union membership numbers on collective bargaining in South Africa and makes a brief comparison with the European Union (EU). It examines the history of trade unions and the causes of the reduction of trade union membership numbers in South Africa and the EU. Case law is considered in order to gain an understanding of the changing collective bargaining landscape in South Africa. Consideration is given to some of the challenges faced by trade unions in seeking new members and this study makes recommendations of measures that could be put in place to assist trade unions increase their presence in the workplace.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of elephants on thicket vegetation and other mammals in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Nuttall-Smith, Gareth David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Albany Thicket -- Effect of browsing on , Elephants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Woody plants -- Effect of browsing on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Animal-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation monitoring -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant -- Food , Vegetation dynamics -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76365 , vital:30554
- Description: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were absent from large portions of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for more than 100 years following widespread hunting for ivory. However, recent shifts in land use practices have resulted in the establishment of many private game reserves throughout the region. Some of these reserves have reintroduced elephants, raising management concerns because of the perceived impact that elephants can have on vegetation and the animals that rely on it for resources. My thesis aimed to assess the role of elephants in determining the structure and complexity of the locally important Thicket Biome and how medium and large mammals are affected. I quantified the woody and succulent components of Albany Thicket across nine reserves with elephants between May 2016 and November 2017 using a modified Point-Centre-Quarter method. Camera traps were deployed at each site for the duration of a calendar year to measure the relative abundances of all medium and large mammals at the sites. Across all study sites, climatic conditions (specifically rainfall and temperature) were the primary drivers of woody vegetation structure and diversity. Elephants appeared to have little influence since they were reintroduced at low densities 20 years ago. The associated mammal communities were mostly influenced by the height and basal area coverage of the thicket across the sites. I conclude that because elephant populations have been maintained at relatively low densities across my study sites, negative effects on the thicket vegetation and the associated mammal communities were not observed. In fact, the establishment of private game reserves, even with elephants, present may offer sustainable conservation for the threatened Albany Thicket. However, these elephant populations are still relatively new and changes to the vegetation are likely to be cumulative. Thus, future research should focus on how the vegetation is affected over time. To this end, I recommend the establishment of permanent sampling stations across all reserves with elephants in the Eastern Cape Province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Nuttall-Smith, Gareth David
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Albany Thicket -- Effect of browsing on , Elephants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Woody plants -- Effect of browsing on -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Animal-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation monitoring -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant populations -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , African elephant -- Food , Vegetation dynamics -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76365 , vital:30554
- Description: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were absent from large portions of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for more than 100 years following widespread hunting for ivory. However, recent shifts in land use practices have resulted in the establishment of many private game reserves throughout the region. Some of these reserves have reintroduced elephants, raising management concerns because of the perceived impact that elephants can have on vegetation and the animals that rely on it for resources. My thesis aimed to assess the role of elephants in determining the structure and complexity of the locally important Thicket Biome and how medium and large mammals are affected. I quantified the woody and succulent components of Albany Thicket across nine reserves with elephants between May 2016 and November 2017 using a modified Point-Centre-Quarter method. Camera traps were deployed at each site for the duration of a calendar year to measure the relative abundances of all medium and large mammals at the sites. Across all study sites, climatic conditions (specifically rainfall and temperature) were the primary drivers of woody vegetation structure and diversity. Elephants appeared to have little influence since they were reintroduced at low densities 20 years ago. The associated mammal communities were mostly influenced by the height and basal area coverage of the thicket across the sites. I conclude that because elephant populations have been maintained at relatively low densities across my study sites, negative effects on the thicket vegetation and the associated mammal communities were not observed. In fact, the establishment of private game reserves, even with elephants, present may offer sustainable conservation for the threatened Albany Thicket. However, these elephant populations are still relatively new and changes to the vegetation are likely to be cumulative. Thus, future research should focus on how the vegetation is affected over time. To this end, I recommend the establishment of permanent sampling stations across all reserves with elephants in the Eastern Cape Province.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of financial developments on economic growth in Ghana: evidence from the manufacturing industries
- Authors: Brafi, Paul Osei
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development -- Ghana , Finance -- Ghana Manufactures -- Finance -- Ghana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/37184 , vital:34135
- Description: This study provides an analysis of financial and growth dynamics with a view to assess the impact of financial development on economic growth in Ghana. The study also examines the extent to which financial developments in Ghana are affecting capital accumulation and industrial sector growth. The analysis was performed by examining the financial development indicators and economic growth data for Ghana over the period from 1965 to 2016. The study was motivated by the theoretical indications that improvements in financial intermediation within the economy can induce growth of the real sector and thus lead to economic growth. There have been notable structural and financial sector reforms in Ghana since the early and late 1980s. The indications in the financial sector portray improvement in the measures of financial development in the post-reform era as compared to the years before. The findings of the study complement existing research findings and information on finance-growth association as well as the influence that finance has on the sources of growth. The study adopted real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of economic growth. In addition, three real sector indicators serving as the sources of growth, included; capital accumulation, industrial value-added and manufacturing value added. The analysis also adopts four financial indicators, expressed as percentage shares of GDP, namely; domestic credit to private sector, total domestic credit provided by financial sector, broad money supply and financial sector deposits—as measures of financial development. The analysis of the impact of the financial development on capital accumulation, industrial output growth, manufacturing productivity and economic growth were estimated using the linear regression estimation techniques within the GMM estimation approach. The study, additionally, examined the short-run and long-run impacts of financial development on economic growth indicators by employing the Vector Autoregressive Regression (VAR) within the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. The study further assesses the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth indicators using the cointegration and Engle-Granger causality testing approach within VAR models. The Bayesian Vector Auto Regression (BVAR) models were applied to examine the drivers of economic growth and to assess the sensitivity of economic growth to financial development and macro-economic shocks. This assessment was carried out to examine the maximising behaviour of financial development and to find out if there exists threshold point beyond which finance adversely affects economic growth in Ghana. The results showed that credit to private sector shows a strong positive persistence in promoting economic growth in Ghana. The results show that financial development dynamics in Ghana positively affect long run economic growth and further indicate that the rate of impact was relatively higher in the post reform period of 1984 to 2016. The study further found a bi-directional causal association between financial development and economic growth. Regarding the sources of growth, the study found that financial development strongly contributes positively to capital accumulation in the long-term, however, the findings further suggested that, to some extent, the growing size of finance dampens capital formation and economic growth. This suggested the existence of inefficiencies in the expanding size of total credit offered by the financial system in Ghana. The study further found a long-run positive association between financial development and industrial productivity (except for manufacturing) growth in Ghana, with industry growth substantially determined by private credit. The results of the assessment on the sensitivity of economic growth to shocks in financial development indicators show that Ghana ‘s economic growth is, to a larger extent, influenced by domestic credit provided to the private sector. Also, the results showed that economic growth has been highly responsive to macro-economic shocks such as government expenditure and industrial sector growth although industrial growth seems to show a strong negative persistence on Ghana ‘s economy. The results from the analysis of finance and economic growth shows that existence of different optimal growth maximising points domestic credit, broad money, financial sector deposits and the overall financial development ratios as depicted by the various inverted U-shaped relationship between the financial development indicators and economic growth. The optimal size or maximising positions or thresholds for private credit and total credit were found to be at approximately 20.0 per cent and 28.0 per cent of GDP, respectively. On the other hand, the optimal size or minimum positions or thresholds for broad money supply and total financial sector deposits were found to be at approximately 19.0 per cent and 10.0 per cent of GDP, respectively. With regards to broad money supply-to-GDP and financial sector deposit-to-GDP ratios, the respective averages of 23.19 per cent and 13.77 per cent for the period 1965-2015 are higher than the minimum required thresholds of 19.00 per cent and 10.00 per cent, respectively. The findings show that financial developments have a strong positive association with economic growth, but the results also give the indication that although financial development can enhance growth and inefficiencies in the financial system can equally dampen growth at some levels. overall, the study found that financial reforms have positively contributed to economic growth in Ghana and the impacts of financial development on economic growth in Ghana have been higher in the post-reform era. The effect of financial reforms on capital accumulation was not significant although the study established that the impact of structural reforms was strong and adversely affected capital accumulation in Ghana. With regards to the industrial productivity growth, the study found a positive association between financial development and industry growth in Ghana. It was, however, observed that financial reforms have fails to significantly affect growth of industrial productivity and the impact of financial development on industry sector growth in Ghana are low but the sector experienced relatively higher growth in the pre-reform era.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Brafi, Paul Osei
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development -- Ghana , Finance -- Ghana Manufactures -- Finance -- Ghana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/37184 , vital:34135
- Description: This study provides an analysis of financial and growth dynamics with a view to assess the impact of financial development on economic growth in Ghana. The study also examines the extent to which financial developments in Ghana are affecting capital accumulation and industrial sector growth. The analysis was performed by examining the financial development indicators and economic growth data for Ghana over the period from 1965 to 2016. The study was motivated by the theoretical indications that improvements in financial intermediation within the economy can induce growth of the real sector and thus lead to economic growth. There have been notable structural and financial sector reforms in Ghana since the early and late 1980s. The indications in the financial sector portray improvement in the measures of financial development in the post-reform era as compared to the years before. The findings of the study complement existing research findings and information on finance-growth association as well as the influence that finance has on the sources of growth. The study adopted real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of economic growth. In addition, three real sector indicators serving as the sources of growth, included; capital accumulation, industrial value-added and manufacturing value added. The analysis also adopts four financial indicators, expressed as percentage shares of GDP, namely; domestic credit to private sector, total domestic credit provided by financial sector, broad money supply and financial sector deposits—as measures of financial development. The analysis of the impact of the financial development on capital accumulation, industrial output growth, manufacturing productivity and economic growth were estimated using the linear regression estimation techniques within the GMM estimation approach. The study, additionally, examined the short-run and long-run impacts of financial development on economic growth indicators by employing the Vector Autoregressive Regression (VAR) within the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. The study further assesses the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth indicators using the cointegration and Engle-Granger causality testing approach within VAR models. The Bayesian Vector Auto Regression (BVAR) models were applied to examine the drivers of economic growth and to assess the sensitivity of economic growth to financial development and macro-economic shocks. This assessment was carried out to examine the maximising behaviour of financial development and to find out if there exists threshold point beyond which finance adversely affects economic growth in Ghana. The results showed that credit to private sector shows a strong positive persistence in promoting economic growth in Ghana. The results show that financial development dynamics in Ghana positively affect long run economic growth and further indicate that the rate of impact was relatively higher in the post reform period of 1984 to 2016. The study further found a bi-directional causal association between financial development and economic growth. Regarding the sources of growth, the study found that financial development strongly contributes positively to capital accumulation in the long-term, however, the findings further suggested that, to some extent, the growing size of finance dampens capital formation and economic growth. This suggested the existence of inefficiencies in the expanding size of total credit offered by the financial system in Ghana. The study further found a long-run positive association between financial development and industrial productivity (except for manufacturing) growth in Ghana, with industry growth substantially determined by private credit. The results of the assessment on the sensitivity of economic growth to shocks in financial development indicators show that Ghana ‘s economic growth is, to a larger extent, influenced by domestic credit provided to the private sector. Also, the results showed that economic growth has been highly responsive to macro-economic shocks such as government expenditure and industrial sector growth although industrial growth seems to show a strong negative persistence on Ghana ‘s economy. The results from the analysis of finance and economic growth shows that existence of different optimal growth maximising points domestic credit, broad money, financial sector deposits and the overall financial development ratios as depicted by the various inverted U-shaped relationship between the financial development indicators and economic growth. The optimal size or maximising positions or thresholds for private credit and total credit were found to be at approximately 20.0 per cent and 28.0 per cent of GDP, respectively. On the other hand, the optimal size or minimum positions or thresholds for broad money supply and total financial sector deposits were found to be at approximately 19.0 per cent and 10.0 per cent of GDP, respectively. With regards to broad money supply-to-GDP and financial sector deposit-to-GDP ratios, the respective averages of 23.19 per cent and 13.77 per cent for the period 1965-2015 are higher than the minimum required thresholds of 19.00 per cent and 10.00 per cent, respectively. The findings show that financial developments have a strong positive association with economic growth, but the results also give the indication that although financial development can enhance growth and inefficiencies in the financial system can equally dampen growth at some levels. overall, the study found that financial reforms have positively contributed to economic growth in Ghana and the impacts of financial development on economic growth in Ghana have been higher in the post-reform era. The effect of financial reforms on capital accumulation was not significant although the study established that the impact of structural reforms was strong and adversely affected capital accumulation in Ghana. With regards to the industrial productivity growth, the study found a positive association between financial development and industry growth in Ghana. It was, however, observed that financial reforms have fails to significantly affect growth of industrial productivity and the impact of financial development on industry sector growth in Ghana are low but the sector experienced relatively higher growth in the pre-reform era.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of job embeddedness on innovative work behaviours
- Authors: Wood, Jaryd Marc
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Organizational behavior -- South Africa , Employee retention -- South Africa Work -- Psychological aspects Work ethic -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44379 , vital:37160
- Description: Modern day organisations compete in an ever growing and highly competitive global environment. International competitiveness continues to play a critical role in ensuring that both organisations and employees grow and succeed. An organisation’s and employee’s ability to innovate remains one of the key factors in ensuring that they remain competitive and relevant amongst global organisations. Globalisation, access to advanced technology and the enhanced ability to travel has further enabled consumers and to keep up to date with international trends. These phenomena’s make it increasingly and ever important to remain relevant and innovate to attract new customers or consumers and to retain the current ones. The term job embeddedness relates to the relationships employees have between the organisation they work for and the community they form part of. It is felt that a link may exist between job embeddedness and employees engagement in innovative work behaviours to ensure that employees continuously generate new and improved processes, ideas, technologies to contribute to the organisations success. It is against this setting that an empirical study was created for the purpose of concluding evidential data needed to draw conclusions and make recommendations to leadership within organisation’s relating to the impact that job embeddedness has on engagement in innovative work behaviours. Furthermore, the impact of job embeddedness is tested against employee’s engagement in innovative work behaviours. 90 professional part-time executive MBA programme individuals who were enrolled at the Nelson Mandela University Business School in South Africa and who are based at the four major centres of the Business School, which included Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg were approached to take part in this study. These individuals were employed in a variety of spheres in industry, including engineering, financial services, information technology, accounting and management in organisations that spanned a multitude of additional industries. As a result of these individuals participation, 549 participants took part in the survey. Key findings of the study includes that employee fit into the organisation, employee fit into the community and employee perceived sacrifice in the event of leaving the organisation are all significantly related to engagement in innovative work behaviours. A key recommendation of the study would be that in order to increase the organisational aspect of job embeddedness, organisational leaders would need to consider ways to or place emphasis on factors that would promote organisational fit and organisational sacrifice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Wood, Jaryd Marc
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Organizational behavior -- South Africa , Employee retention -- South Africa Work -- Psychological aspects Work ethic -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44379 , vital:37160
- Description: Modern day organisations compete in an ever growing and highly competitive global environment. International competitiveness continues to play a critical role in ensuring that both organisations and employees grow and succeed. An organisation’s and employee’s ability to innovate remains one of the key factors in ensuring that they remain competitive and relevant amongst global organisations. Globalisation, access to advanced technology and the enhanced ability to travel has further enabled consumers and to keep up to date with international trends. These phenomena’s make it increasingly and ever important to remain relevant and innovate to attract new customers or consumers and to retain the current ones. The term job embeddedness relates to the relationships employees have between the organisation they work for and the community they form part of. It is felt that a link may exist between job embeddedness and employees engagement in innovative work behaviours to ensure that employees continuously generate new and improved processes, ideas, technologies to contribute to the organisations success. It is against this setting that an empirical study was created for the purpose of concluding evidential data needed to draw conclusions and make recommendations to leadership within organisation’s relating to the impact that job embeddedness has on engagement in innovative work behaviours. Furthermore, the impact of job embeddedness is tested against employee’s engagement in innovative work behaviours. 90 professional part-time executive MBA programme individuals who were enrolled at the Nelson Mandela University Business School in South Africa and who are based at the four major centres of the Business School, which included Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg were approached to take part in this study. These individuals were employed in a variety of spheres in industry, including engineering, financial services, information technology, accounting and management in organisations that spanned a multitude of additional industries. As a result of these individuals participation, 549 participants took part in the survey. Key findings of the study includes that employee fit into the organisation, employee fit into the community and employee perceived sacrifice in the event of leaving the organisation are all significantly related to engagement in innovative work behaviours. A key recommendation of the study would be that in order to increase the organisational aspect of job embeddedness, organisational leaders would need to consider ways to or place emphasis on factors that would promote organisational fit and organisational sacrifice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of land restitution and resettlement in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: restoring dignity without strengthening livelihoods?
- Authors: Xaba, Mzingaye Brilliant
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Reparations for historic injustices -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96336 , vital:31264
- Description: Land reform in South Africa, which is comprised of land redistribution, land tenure reform, and land restitution, continues to be an emotive subject and has largely racially polarised South Africa. The slow pace of land reform, expropriation, the amount of land to be returned to black people, debates around the role of the Constitution in land reform, the market-based approach and the perceived negative attitude of white farmers have dominated the debates on land reform. There is, therefore, a huge chorus on the struggles for land acquisition and less on what happens when people are given land. A few studies on post-settlement livelihoods experience have managed to close this gap slightly in the literature by showing that land reform has contributed little or no material and livelihood benefits to beneficiaries and that many farms are lying idle after land reform, especially land restitution, projects. These studies on post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land reform beneficiaries have not managed to capture fully the “voices” of beneficiaries on land and livelihoods. This dissertation seeks to provide a sociological documentation of the post-settlement livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries. It does this by primarily tracing the ability and/or the inability of land restitution beneficiaries of Macleantown, about 40 kilometres northwest of East London, in the Eastern Cape to reconstruct livelihoods after resettlement, bearing in mind that these land restitution beneficiaries have been resettled twice, during forced removals in the 1970s and after land restitution, post-1994. Therefore, the study engages with questions of whether or in what ways land compensated restitution beneficiaries have managed to reconstruct livelihoods after land transfer. To capture the livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries fully, I also studied the Salem restitution case, which is 20km away from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Because land restitution involves resettlement, I decided to use two resettlement theories, namely Thayer Scudder’s four stages model and Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR), to understand risks associated with resettlement. Additionally, since this dissertation seeks to understand and document livelihood reconstruction and poverty reduction within the context of restitution resettlement, I also utilised the Sustainable Livelihoods approach and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. This thesis is based on multiple research methods that include documentary study, focus group discussions, conversations, archival research, in-depth interviews, transect walks, participant observation and life histories. My findings show that land transfer under the land restitution programme has largely not enabled land beneficiaries in Macleantown and Salem to reconstruct land-based livelihoods after settlement. I also established that land restitution beneficiaries face risks that are identified by resettlement theorists such as lack of proper planning, resettling trauma, struggles in community reconstruction and poverty. Beneficiaries have not managed to reap any meaningful benefits from the land, meaning that restitution has not led to self-sufficiency for these beneficiaries because all land beneficiaries are heavily dependent on social grants. However, one needs to emphasize that land restitution has restored the dignity of beneficiaries because beneficiaries have accessed their forefathers’ land that they fought for. This is because beneficiaries believed that it was their duty to fight for their land on behalf of their ancestors. I reach the conclusion that the whole idea that restitution claimants who are scattered all over can be grouped into a Community Property Association (CPA) and farm collectively as a ‘community’ to improve livelihoods is a misleading romanticisation of the envisaged outcomes of the land restitution project. Time has passed after land dispossession and land claimants are different human beings to what they were before land dispossession, i.e. far from the agrarian society they were before land dispossession. Group dynamics, lack of adequate post-settlement support (PSS), land reform designs, lack of commercial agricultural skills, as well as entitlement syndrome, old age of beneficiaries, infighting and marginality of agricultural business has made it nearly impossible for restitution beneficiaries to reconstruct land-based livelihoods. Additionally, the government appears to be more interested in ‘correcting apartheid’ rather than creating viable farms. It is important to state that this thesis does not advocate for the erasure of the restitution programme or to belittle land beneficiaries but argues for the rethinking of the restitution model in the context of massive failures, as well as coming up with a new and flexible model of land restitution that will meet the modern needs of beneficiaries. This thesis contributes to an understanding of the risks and the challenges of livelihoods reconstruction faced by resettling communities through an investigation into the post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land restitution beneficiaries through ‘thick descriptions’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Xaba, Mzingaye Brilliant
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Reparations for historic injustices -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Land reform -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Social aspects , Land tenure -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96336 , vital:31264
- Description: Land reform in South Africa, which is comprised of land redistribution, land tenure reform, and land restitution, continues to be an emotive subject and has largely racially polarised South Africa. The slow pace of land reform, expropriation, the amount of land to be returned to black people, debates around the role of the Constitution in land reform, the market-based approach and the perceived negative attitude of white farmers have dominated the debates on land reform. There is, therefore, a huge chorus on the struggles for land acquisition and less on what happens when people are given land. A few studies on post-settlement livelihoods experience have managed to close this gap slightly in the literature by showing that land reform has contributed little or no material and livelihood benefits to beneficiaries and that many farms are lying idle after land reform, especially land restitution, projects. These studies on post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land reform beneficiaries have not managed to capture fully the “voices” of beneficiaries on land and livelihoods. This dissertation seeks to provide a sociological documentation of the post-settlement livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries. It does this by primarily tracing the ability and/or the inability of land restitution beneficiaries of Macleantown, about 40 kilometres northwest of East London, in the Eastern Cape to reconstruct livelihoods after resettlement, bearing in mind that these land restitution beneficiaries have been resettled twice, during forced removals in the 1970s and after land restitution, post-1994. Therefore, the study engages with questions of whether or in what ways land compensated restitution beneficiaries have managed to reconstruct livelihoods after land transfer. To capture the livelihood experiences of land restitution beneficiaries fully, I also studied the Salem restitution case, which is 20km away from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Because land restitution involves resettlement, I decided to use two resettlement theories, namely Thayer Scudder’s four stages model and Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR), to understand risks associated with resettlement. Additionally, since this dissertation seeks to understand and document livelihood reconstruction and poverty reduction within the context of restitution resettlement, I also utilised the Sustainable Livelihoods approach and Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. This thesis is based on multiple research methods that include documentary study, focus group discussions, conversations, archival research, in-depth interviews, transect walks, participant observation and life histories. My findings show that land transfer under the land restitution programme has largely not enabled land beneficiaries in Macleantown and Salem to reconstruct land-based livelihoods after settlement. I also established that land restitution beneficiaries face risks that are identified by resettlement theorists such as lack of proper planning, resettling trauma, struggles in community reconstruction and poverty. Beneficiaries have not managed to reap any meaningful benefits from the land, meaning that restitution has not led to self-sufficiency for these beneficiaries because all land beneficiaries are heavily dependent on social grants. However, one needs to emphasize that land restitution has restored the dignity of beneficiaries because beneficiaries have accessed their forefathers’ land that they fought for. This is because beneficiaries believed that it was their duty to fight for their land on behalf of their ancestors. I reach the conclusion that the whole idea that restitution claimants who are scattered all over can be grouped into a Community Property Association (CPA) and farm collectively as a ‘community’ to improve livelihoods is a misleading romanticisation of the envisaged outcomes of the land restitution project. Time has passed after land dispossession and land claimants are different human beings to what they were before land dispossession, i.e. far from the agrarian society they were before land dispossession. Group dynamics, lack of adequate post-settlement support (PSS), land reform designs, lack of commercial agricultural skills, as well as entitlement syndrome, old age of beneficiaries, infighting and marginality of agricultural business has made it nearly impossible for restitution beneficiaries to reconstruct land-based livelihoods. Additionally, the government appears to be more interested in ‘correcting apartheid’ rather than creating viable farms. It is important to state that this thesis does not advocate for the erasure of the restitution programme or to belittle land beneficiaries but argues for the rethinking of the restitution model in the context of massive failures, as well as coming up with a new and flexible model of land restitution that will meet the modern needs of beneficiaries. This thesis contributes to an understanding of the risks and the challenges of livelihoods reconstruction faced by resettling communities through an investigation into the post-settlement livelihoods experiences of land restitution beneficiaries through ‘thick descriptions’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of perceived ethical leadership on employees’ predisposition to behave ethically: a case study within a South African-based financial institution
- Authors: Rudzani, Magau
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership -- Moral and ethical aspects , Leadership Business ethics Ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40768 , vital:36234
- Description: Ethical leaders consistently set ethical principles within the institution and act in accordance with them; hence, leaders should be a key source of ethical guidance for employees. As the business world is constantly evolving, leaders increasingly are required to ethically lead across different sectors. Current literature on ethical leadership and its influence of employees reflects mostly a Western, European and Asian-based private-sector perspective, pointing toward a compliance-oriented understanding of ethical and unethical leadership. This study examined how perceived ethical orientation of a leader has an impact on employees’ predisposition to behave ethically within a South African context. Qualitative data was collected as the study adopted the interpretivist paradigm, which made it easier for participants to use descriptive words and qualifying statements to express the level of influence their leaders had on their ethical orientation. The target population of the study included all staff of the institution; and participants were chosen using the purposive sampling method. Data was collected from 12 employees using semi-structure interviews. Thereafter, thematic analysis was used to identify and organise participants’ experiences into themes that established the basis for the study findings. These findings confirmed that perceived leader ethical orientation has an impact on employees’ predisposition to behave ethically. The study found that ethical leaders had a track record of being consistent, honest, trustworthy, truthful and credible, and being a role model. In addition, the study also found that unethical leaders are easily identifiable by their perpetual inability to uphold principles of integrity, reliability, rationality, and social justice and fairness. The researcher concluded that the moral identity of the leader has an influence on followers’ predisposition to behave ethically or unethically. The implications of this study are that ethical morals, by their very nature, are transferable from one person to the other and ethical leadership was one antecedent through which this transfer takes place. However, ethical leadership was not the only apparatus that influenced employees’ ethical predisposition and these afford opportunities for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Rudzani, Magau
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership -- Moral and ethical aspects , Leadership Business ethics Ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40768 , vital:36234
- Description: Ethical leaders consistently set ethical principles within the institution and act in accordance with them; hence, leaders should be a key source of ethical guidance for employees. As the business world is constantly evolving, leaders increasingly are required to ethically lead across different sectors. Current literature on ethical leadership and its influence of employees reflects mostly a Western, European and Asian-based private-sector perspective, pointing toward a compliance-oriented understanding of ethical and unethical leadership. This study examined how perceived ethical orientation of a leader has an impact on employees’ predisposition to behave ethically within a South African context. Qualitative data was collected as the study adopted the interpretivist paradigm, which made it easier for participants to use descriptive words and qualifying statements to express the level of influence their leaders had on their ethical orientation. The target population of the study included all staff of the institution; and participants were chosen using the purposive sampling method. Data was collected from 12 employees using semi-structure interviews. Thereafter, thematic analysis was used to identify and organise participants’ experiences into themes that established the basis for the study findings. These findings confirmed that perceived leader ethical orientation has an impact on employees’ predisposition to behave ethically. The study found that ethical leaders had a track record of being consistent, honest, trustworthy, truthful and credible, and being a role model. In addition, the study also found that unethical leaders are easily identifiable by their perpetual inability to uphold principles of integrity, reliability, rationality, and social justice and fairness. The researcher concluded that the moral identity of the leader has an influence on followers’ predisposition to behave ethically or unethically. The implications of this study are that ethical morals, by their very nature, are transferable from one person to the other and ethical leadership was one antecedent through which this transfer takes place. However, ethical leadership was not the only apparatus that influenced employees’ ethical predisposition and these afford opportunities for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of policies on development-induced resettlement processes and outcomes: a Lesotho-India comparative study
- Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Authors: Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forced migration -- Lesotho , Forced migration -- India , Dams -- Social aspects -- Lesotho , Dams -- Social aspects -- India , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- India , Land settlement -- Government policy -- Lesotho , Land settlement -- Government policy -- India
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72307 , vital:30032
- Description: The practice of Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR), historically, has often led to negative consequences for those affected by development projects, including but not limited to, the construction of large dams. Although DIDR arises from the need to provide goods and services that characterise development, it often leaves those who are forced to give up their assets, resources, and long standing social networks in dire socio-economic conditions as a result of resettlement. In many such cases, the provision for losses suffered by those primarily affected is often insufficient, leading to further losses experienced as a result of the complete life change experienced by those affected by resettlement. Research has shown that the insufficiency of such provisions for losses is attributable to not only the value of the provision itself, but also the manner in which resettlement processes are implemented. While early on, researchers believed that the development of policies would have a significant, positive impact on the practice of resettlement and its outcomes, evidence would later show that the development of policies alone is not a panacea for all challenges associated with forced resettlement. Further research revealed that resettlement is characterised by inherent and active complexities which are often at play, and may impede effective implementation. Hence, while the development of policies is essential, both the development and implementation of policies must be undertaken in a manner that seeks to actively address the inherent complexities of resettlement. This thesis aims to explore the implementation of resettlement policies in two case studies, where in one case, resettlement was informed by national policy, and in the other, by policies developed by a parastatal tasked with the responsibility of executing resettlement. The study makes a comparative analysis between the two cases, and explores the factors at play in the implementation of resettlement policies – whether such factors serve to facilitate or impede effective implementation – as well as the nature of the outcomes on the ground. As an overarching goal, the research aims to provide a basis upon which a framework for the development of a national level policy of resettlement may be developed. In this regard, the thesis undertakes a comparison of the Indian resettlement case with the Lesotho case. The former, in addition to having developed a resettlement policy at the national level, has a long history of experience in forced resettlement and displacement, from which invaluable lessons have been learned. The latter, on the other hand, has no resettlement policy at the national level, although the country has also experienced forced resettlement dating back to nearly three decades ago. Although India and Lesotho have distinct social, cultural, economic and demographic characteristics, research has shown that the complexities of forced resettlement, and their outcomes on affected people, are largely applicable across the different contexts. Hence, certain dimensions and lessons can be transferable from the Indian case to the Lesotho case, and vice versa. However, for the purpose of this thesis, the focus is on providing a basis for national policy development in Lesotho, in light of Indian policies and practice. The empirical basis of the thesis is an ethnographic study undertaken in relation to the Chandil Dam resettlement case in Jharkhand, India and the Mohale Dam resettlement case in Maseru, Lesotho. The thesis engaged both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as four, complementary theoretical tools that analyse the effects of forced resettlement on affected people. The thesis reveals that the negative consequences of forced resettlement resulting from its inherent complexities continue to manifest with concerning effects on the lives of those affected. It shows that the implementation of policies is a complex process that requires collaborative effort from a wide range of stakeholders in a given context. National policies of resettlement are, thus, instrumental in this regard, as they can create an enabling environment for the facilitation of collaborative efforts towards sustainable livelihood re-establishment for those who involuntarily suffer losses to resettlement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Tsietsi, Teboho Priscilla Mosuoe
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forced migration -- Lesotho , Forced migration -- India , Dams -- Social aspects -- Lesotho , Dams -- Social aspects -- India , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Irrigation projects -- Economic aspects -- India , Land settlement -- Government policy -- Lesotho , Land settlement -- Government policy -- India
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/72307 , vital:30032
- Description: The practice of Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement (DIDR), historically, has often led to negative consequences for those affected by development projects, including but not limited to, the construction of large dams. Although DIDR arises from the need to provide goods and services that characterise development, it often leaves those who are forced to give up their assets, resources, and long standing social networks in dire socio-economic conditions as a result of resettlement. In many such cases, the provision for losses suffered by those primarily affected is often insufficient, leading to further losses experienced as a result of the complete life change experienced by those affected by resettlement. Research has shown that the insufficiency of such provisions for losses is attributable to not only the value of the provision itself, but also the manner in which resettlement processes are implemented. While early on, researchers believed that the development of policies would have a significant, positive impact on the practice of resettlement and its outcomes, evidence would later show that the development of policies alone is not a panacea for all challenges associated with forced resettlement. Further research revealed that resettlement is characterised by inherent and active complexities which are often at play, and may impede effective implementation. Hence, while the development of policies is essential, both the development and implementation of policies must be undertaken in a manner that seeks to actively address the inherent complexities of resettlement. This thesis aims to explore the implementation of resettlement policies in two case studies, where in one case, resettlement was informed by national policy, and in the other, by policies developed by a parastatal tasked with the responsibility of executing resettlement. The study makes a comparative analysis between the two cases, and explores the factors at play in the implementation of resettlement policies – whether such factors serve to facilitate or impede effective implementation – as well as the nature of the outcomes on the ground. As an overarching goal, the research aims to provide a basis upon which a framework for the development of a national level policy of resettlement may be developed. In this regard, the thesis undertakes a comparison of the Indian resettlement case with the Lesotho case. The former, in addition to having developed a resettlement policy at the national level, has a long history of experience in forced resettlement and displacement, from which invaluable lessons have been learned. The latter, on the other hand, has no resettlement policy at the national level, although the country has also experienced forced resettlement dating back to nearly three decades ago. Although India and Lesotho have distinct social, cultural, economic and demographic characteristics, research has shown that the complexities of forced resettlement, and their outcomes on affected people, are largely applicable across the different contexts. Hence, certain dimensions and lessons can be transferable from the Indian case to the Lesotho case, and vice versa. However, for the purpose of this thesis, the focus is on providing a basis for national policy development in Lesotho, in light of Indian policies and practice. The empirical basis of the thesis is an ethnographic study undertaken in relation to the Chandil Dam resettlement case in Jharkhand, India and the Mohale Dam resettlement case in Maseru, Lesotho. The thesis engaged both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as four, complementary theoretical tools that analyse the effects of forced resettlement on affected people. The thesis reveals that the negative consequences of forced resettlement resulting from its inherent complexities continue to manifest with concerning effects on the lives of those affected. It shows that the implementation of policies is a complex process that requires collaborative effort from a wide range of stakeholders in a given context. National policies of resettlement are, thus, instrumental in this regard, as they can create an enabling environment for the facilitation of collaborative efforts towards sustainable livelihood re-establishment for those who involuntarily suffer losses to resettlement.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of public health expenditure on health outcomes in South Africa
- Authors: Hlafa, Besuthu
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Health services administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13381 , vital:39639
- Description: Health holds an important position in maintainable economic development since it is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of economic development. This means that health contributes hugely to the attainment of sustainable development and health outcomes. The importance of health is demonstrated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) where three of the eight goals are aimed at improving health outcomes. Despite progress made by other middle-income countries in achieving health-related MDGs, South Africa still has worse health outcomes and experiences a challenge in attaining positive outcomes for these goals (Coovadia et al., 2009; Malaudzi 2016). This study’s main focus was to identify the association between public health expenditure and health outcomes in South Africa’s nine provinces from 2002 to 2016. The study implemented fixed effects and a random effects panel data estimation technique to control for time effects and individual province heterogeneity. This was followed by employing the Hausman specification test to identify the fixed effects model as the appropriate estimator for the study. The study also employed the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model and the least squares dummy variable (LSDV) model to examine the impact of public health expenditure on each province separately. The findings from the study elucidated that the relationship between public health expenditure and health outcomes in South Africa varied across provinces depending provincial management and infrastructure availability.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Hlafa, Besuthu
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Health services administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13381 , vital:39639
- Description: Health holds an important position in maintainable economic development since it is both a prerequisite for and an outcome of economic development. This means that health contributes hugely to the attainment of sustainable development and health outcomes. The importance of health is demonstrated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) where three of the eight goals are aimed at improving health outcomes. Despite progress made by other middle-income countries in achieving health-related MDGs, South Africa still has worse health outcomes and experiences a challenge in attaining positive outcomes for these goals (Coovadia et al., 2009; Malaudzi 2016). This study’s main focus was to identify the association between public health expenditure and health outcomes in South Africa’s nine provinces from 2002 to 2016. The study implemented fixed effects and a random effects panel data estimation technique to control for time effects and individual province heterogeneity. This was followed by employing the Hausman specification test to identify the fixed effects model as the appropriate estimator for the study. The study also employed the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model and the least squares dummy variable (LSDV) model to examine the impact of public health expenditure on each province separately. The findings from the study elucidated that the relationship between public health expenditure and health outcomes in South Africa varied across provinces depending provincial management and infrastructure availability.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of public libraries in the Eastern Cape Province with reference to three Buffalo City Municipal libraries in King Williams' Town
- Authors: Gunuza, Nokuthula
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Public libraries Information services
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M.Bibl
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16452 , vital:40721
- Description: The study sought to investigate the impact of public libraries in developing information literacy in libraries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: a case study of Buffalo City Municipality public libraries in King William’s Town. The objectives of the study were to find out how these three libraries in Buffalo City Metro public libraries ensure equity of library and information services provision to the user communities, to find out how public libraries support education and lifelong learning, to identify the challenges that public libraries face in rendering library and information services with reference to the three libraries, and to investigate the role of library professionals in marketing the library services to the community. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were employed in a descriptive survey. The main research instrument was a questionnaire supported by face to face interviews. A total of 297 questionnaires were distributed and 200 were returned giving a response rate of 67.3%. The quantitative data which was collected through questionnaire was presented using graphs and tables, while qualitative was analysed manually by content analysis, using the notes that were taken by the researcher from the respondents during the interview sessions and reported verbatim in some instances. The findings showed that regardless of South African LIS environment having contradictions resulting from years of apartheid, most of the Buffalo City Metro public library patrons indicated that they experienced fair and equitable access to library and information services. In addition to participants’ quantitative responses, the qualitative excerpts from librarians attested to the library having a classification system that allows easy access to library resources. In addition, findings of the study also revealed that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries have a diversity of users, ranging from different age groups and social standing. The results from the current study revealed that the Buffalo City metropolitan public library users have little knowledge about literacy programmes that are taking place in the library. The findings also indicated that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries market library services by word of mouth, posters and notice boards. One of the major findings of the study is that Buffalo City Metro public libraries are faced with financial constraints and that led to a myriad of challenges ranging from inadequate library operating hours; limited information sources; lack of information retrieval training to patrons; internet connectivity issues; xii lack of professional staff and lack of training on the latest technological trends. The study concludes that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries should establish a marketing strategy to motivate for funding. The study recommended that the Buffalo City public libraries should create an integrated system for all libraries in the metromunicipality that encourages adult literacy programme to raise awareness of information literacy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Gunuza, Nokuthula
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Public libraries Information services
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M.Bibl
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16452 , vital:40721
- Description: The study sought to investigate the impact of public libraries in developing information literacy in libraries in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: a case study of Buffalo City Municipality public libraries in King William’s Town. The objectives of the study were to find out how these three libraries in Buffalo City Metro public libraries ensure equity of library and information services provision to the user communities, to find out how public libraries support education and lifelong learning, to identify the challenges that public libraries face in rendering library and information services with reference to the three libraries, and to investigate the role of library professionals in marketing the library services to the community. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were employed in a descriptive survey. The main research instrument was a questionnaire supported by face to face interviews. A total of 297 questionnaires were distributed and 200 were returned giving a response rate of 67.3%. The quantitative data which was collected through questionnaire was presented using graphs and tables, while qualitative was analysed manually by content analysis, using the notes that were taken by the researcher from the respondents during the interview sessions and reported verbatim in some instances. The findings showed that regardless of South African LIS environment having contradictions resulting from years of apartheid, most of the Buffalo City Metro public library patrons indicated that they experienced fair and equitable access to library and information services. In addition to participants’ quantitative responses, the qualitative excerpts from librarians attested to the library having a classification system that allows easy access to library resources. In addition, findings of the study also revealed that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries have a diversity of users, ranging from different age groups and social standing. The results from the current study revealed that the Buffalo City metropolitan public library users have little knowledge about literacy programmes that are taking place in the library. The findings also indicated that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries market library services by word of mouth, posters and notice boards. One of the major findings of the study is that Buffalo City Metro public libraries are faced with financial constraints and that led to a myriad of challenges ranging from inadequate library operating hours; limited information sources; lack of information retrieval training to patrons; internet connectivity issues; xii lack of professional staff and lack of training on the latest technological trends. The study concludes that the Buffalo City Metro public libraries should establish a marketing strategy to motivate for funding. The study recommended that the Buffalo City public libraries should create an integrated system for all libraries in the metromunicipality that encourages adult literacy programme to raise awareness of information literacy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of public spending on economic growth, employment and poverty reduction in South Africa
- Authors: Kavese, Kambale
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Expenditures, Public -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa Labor economics -- South Africa Employment (Economic theory) Poor -- Employment -- South Africa South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39940 , vital:35570
- Description: This study seeks to assess the effect of public spending on economic growth, employment, and poverty reduction. The co-existence of a sound fiscal policy and a substantial government expenditure but insignificant returns in terms of social development suggests the potential of a dilemma that needs to be investigated, and to reflect on the dynamics of selected marginalised groups of people and marginalised areas. Hence, the “social inclusion” strategy of the RDP in 1994, and the “inclusive economy” strategy of the NDP in 2014 were implemented with one single objective in mind, that is to narrow the gaps associated with the legacy of apartheid. Despite the implantation of government plans like the RDP and recently the NDP, and regardless of the effective use of fiscal policy, low growth has continued during the post-recession era; unemployment and inequality have persistently remained at high levels. This paradox has led to controversies around fiscal policy’s dual role of stimulating economic growth and income redistribution. To achieve the research objective, the study employs four types of empirical techniques: the nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (N-ARDL) cointegration model; the economy-wide Leontief approach calibrated on the supply and use tables (dynamic SUT model); a partial general equilibrium approach based on the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM model) used for micro-simulations; and lastly a contemporaneous dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the effect of fiscal policy on macroeconomic and socioeconomic variables. The study found that during the post-recession era, expansionary fiscal policy had a positive but minute effect on growth, employment and poverty reduction. The effect of government spending has had a minimal effect on historically marginalised groups of people and marginalised areas. This is why a tortoise pace in reducing poverty and inequality has persisted. So, the study recommends that governments should follow a priorities-based government spending policy which fits well with the current situation of the country. Moreover, South Africa needs to adopt international standards and best practices of “science-based strategic” rather than that of “evidence-based strategy” and ensure that only programmes that have proved to be effective be financed in the fiscal budget.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Kavese, Kambale
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Expenditures, Public -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa Labor economics -- South Africa Employment (Economic theory) Poor -- Employment -- South Africa South Africa -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39940 , vital:35570
- Description: This study seeks to assess the effect of public spending on economic growth, employment, and poverty reduction. The co-existence of a sound fiscal policy and a substantial government expenditure but insignificant returns in terms of social development suggests the potential of a dilemma that needs to be investigated, and to reflect on the dynamics of selected marginalised groups of people and marginalised areas. Hence, the “social inclusion” strategy of the RDP in 1994, and the “inclusive economy” strategy of the NDP in 2014 were implemented with one single objective in mind, that is to narrow the gaps associated with the legacy of apartheid. Despite the implantation of government plans like the RDP and recently the NDP, and regardless of the effective use of fiscal policy, low growth has continued during the post-recession era; unemployment and inequality have persistently remained at high levels. This paradox has led to controversies around fiscal policy’s dual role of stimulating economic growth and income redistribution. To achieve the research objective, the study employs four types of empirical techniques: the nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (N-ARDL) cointegration model; the economy-wide Leontief approach calibrated on the supply and use tables (dynamic SUT model); a partial general equilibrium approach based on the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM model) used for micro-simulations; and lastly a contemporaneous dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the effect of fiscal policy on macroeconomic and socioeconomic variables. The study found that during the post-recession era, expansionary fiscal policy had a positive but minute effect on growth, employment and poverty reduction. The effect of government spending has had a minimal effect on historically marginalised groups of people and marginalised areas. This is why a tortoise pace in reducing poverty and inequality has persisted. So, the study recommends that governments should follow a priorities-based government spending policy which fits well with the current situation of the country. Moreover, South Africa needs to adopt international standards and best practices of “science-based strategic” rather than that of “evidence-based strategy” and ensure that only programmes that have proved to be effective be financed in the fiscal budget.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of re-establishment practices on tree survival, growth and uniformity in South African eucalypt plantations
- Authors: Hechter, Ullrich
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forests and forestry -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forest nurseries -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal Forest management -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40338 , vital:36142
- Description: Commercial forestry plantations in South Africa play an important role in the economy of the country, contributing 1.2% towards the gross domestic product, as well as with job creation in rural communities. Currently plantation forests occupy 1.1% (1.2 million hectares) of the South African land surface, of which 75 000 hectares are re-established each year. Eucalypts are the preferred species in the commercial forestry industry as they have the ability to grow fast. In addition, desirable characteristics from different eucalypt species can be combined to develop hybrids that can be used to further improve productivity. In South Africa, eucalypt plantations are mostly found in the warm temperate and sub-tropical zones situated in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces. Various strategies are used to increase productivity and maximise site occupancy, including genetic tree improvement, site-species matching, optimising stand densities, management for risk (abiotic and biotic), as well as improved silviculture. Intensive silviculture is practiced by forest companies to maximise initial tree survival and reduce the time to canopy closure. This includes practices such as site preparation, slash management, tree protection, pruning and thinning, fertilisation and vegetation management treatments. Of the silvicultural aspects that are important during re-establishment, pitting, plant quality (plant size) and watering techniques/regimes have all been shown to influence short-term stand productivity. Despite research carried out on these individual components, recommendations as to best operating practices are varied and have changed over the years, with the application of these practices also varying across companies. Furthermore, there is limited published information related to the interaction between these practices, as well as any longer-term impacts of these factors on stand productivity. The objective of the present study was to gain an understanding of the impacts of pitting, plant quality (plant size), planting depth and watering on tree survival, growth and uniformity in South African Eucalyptus plantations. The study was carried out using three separate field trial series. In a first experiment, two field trials compared post-establishment performance of eucalypts planted using various pitting methods. The two trials were planted using Eucalyptus grandis and E. grandis x E. nitens on two contrasting sites, one at Greenhill in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and one at Vroegeveld in Mpumalanga. Four manual (notch, agricultural hoe, mattock, road pick) and three motor-manual heads (inverted A, Archimedes screw and Mondi-designed pitting head) were used to prepare and determine the effect of pit size/quality on tree survival, growth and uniformity. The notch pit implement created the smallest pit (1 L volume) compared to the other pitting implements (4 – 6 L volumes). For both trials, pitting method did not have a significant impact on the success of re-establishment or longer-term tree performance (6 yrs 7 mos at Greenhill and 3 yrs 7 mos at Vroegeveld). This indicates that for the sites and the species tested, all pitting implements could be considered viable alternatives. Other factors, such as operational costs, efficiency and ergonomics should be considered when selecting appropriate pitting methods together with tree performance. In a second experiment, three field trials were implemented to test three main factors: plant size (small and large); planting depth (standard and deep); and watering (dry and water planting). The eight treatments (2 x 2 x 2 factorial) were replicated four times and laid out in a randomised complete blocks design. The trials were established across a range of site types (Mt Home in Kwazulu-Natal, Vroegeveld in Mpumalanga and Trust in Zululand) in the summer rainfall region of South Africa using various eucalypt genera (E. dunnii, E. grandis x E. nitens and E. grandis x E. urophylla). Tree performance was assessed, with results up to four, six and seven years presented for the different sites. Results show that planting larger plants had the highest overall survival (x̄ = 81%) compared to smaller plants (x̄ = 58%), which also resulted in improved basal area and volume across all sites. Larger plants were able to tolerate a wider range of site conditions, thus providing an advantage for re-establishment. The cost-to-benefit of this however needs to be assessed, particularly in the context of current operational nursery standards. The benefits of deeper planting and applying water at planting are less clear, but appear to be beneficial under water stress conditions, such as on sandy sites when the weather is hot and dry. A third experiment tested the interaction between different methods of pit preparation (manual versus motor-manual), dry versus water planting, and re-watering at periodic intervals. The experiment consisted of one field trial established with E. dunnii in Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal. Twelve treatments (2 x 6 factorial) were replicated four times and laid out in a split-plot design, with the main factor of watering regime forming the whole plots, and pitting method the sub-plots. Differences in pit size, pit quality and tree performance were assessed. Pit dimensions and soil friability for the two pitting treatments were different, but pit volumes were similar (manually prepared pits = 4.7 L; motor-manually prepared pits = 4.4 L). Differences in pit soil moisture content were detected between dry planting (4.1%) and all other treatments (9.9%). Rainfall occurred in week 1 - 4 after planting (55.2 mm). Subsequently re-watering, relative to watering only at planting, was not beneficial. No significant growth differences occurred between the two pitting methods, nor was there any interaction between the main factors (pitting methods x watering regimes). Survival for dry planting (75%) was significantly lower than all the other treatments (92%), with a weakly significant difference in Biomass index (corrected) (BIc) at one year. Different pit qualities, determined by pitting method, will not significantly affect early eucalypt performance. However, the addition of water or hydrogel (as opposed to dry planting) will improve early eucalypt survival and growth. Eucalypt survival, growth and uniformity in South Africa continue to be impacted by an increase in mechanisation, changing climate conditions and the use of unskilled labour. It is therefore necessary to implement silvicultural practices which improve survival, growth and uniformity. Planting seedlings into good quality pits (regardless of pitting method) with water has shown to improve survival. It is also beneficial in terms of survival to plant larger (prime) plants at a deeper depth especially on sites with drought conditions. Despite all the establishment trials which have been implemented under controlled conditions, high mortality is still experienced and could be due to the lack of knowledge on the effects of plant quality and handling on post planting performance (particularly survival). In future, plant quality and handling in combination with various planting densities and the application of plant stress relievers should be considered to improve survival..
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Hechter, Ullrich
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Forests and forestry -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forest nurseries -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal Forest management -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40338 , vital:36142
- Description: Commercial forestry plantations in South Africa play an important role in the economy of the country, contributing 1.2% towards the gross domestic product, as well as with job creation in rural communities. Currently plantation forests occupy 1.1% (1.2 million hectares) of the South African land surface, of which 75 000 hectares are re-established each year. Eucalypts are the preferred species in the commercial forestry industry as they have the ability to grow fast. In addition, desirable characteristics from different eucalypt species can be combined to develop hybrids that can be used to further improve productivity. In South Africa, eucalypt plantations are mostly found in the warm temperate and sub-tropical zones situated in the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces. Various strategies are used to increase productivity and maximise site occupancy, including genetic tree improvement, site-species matching, optimising stand densities, management for risk (abiotic and biotic), as well as improved silviculture. Intensive silviculture is practiced by forest companies to maximise initial tree survival and reduce the time to canopy closure. This includes practices such as site preparation, slash management, tree protection, pruning and thinning, fertilisation and vegetation management treatments. Of the silvicultural aspects that are important during re-establishment, pitting, plant quality (plant size) and watering techniques/regimes have all been shown to influence short-term stand productivity. Despite research carried out on these individual components, recommendations as to best operating practices are varied and have changed over the years, with the application of these practices also varying across companies. Furthermore, there is limited published information related to the interaction between these practices, as well as any longer-term impacts of these factors on stand productivity. The objective of the present study was to gain an understanding of the impacts of pitting, plant quality (plant size), planting depth and watering on tree survival, growth and uniformity in South African Eucalyptus plantations. The study was carried out using three separate field trial series. In a first experiment, two field trials compared post-establishment performance of eucalypts planted using various pitting methods. The two trials were planted using Eucalyptus grandis and E. grandis x E. nitens on two contrasting sites, one at Greenhill in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and one at Vroegeveld in Mpumalanga. Four manual (notch, agricultural hoe, mattock, road pick) and three motor-manual heads (inverted A, Archimedes screw and Mondi-designed pitting head) were used to prepare and determine the effect of pit size/quality on tree survival, growth and uniformity. The notch pit implement created the smallest pit (1 L volume) compared to the other pitting implements (4 – 6 L volumes). For both trials, pitting method did not have a significant impact on the success of re-establishment or longer-term tree performance (6 yrs 7 mos at Greenhill and 3 yrs 7 mos at Vroegeveld). This indicates that for the sites and the species tested, all pitting implements could be considered viable alternatives. Other factors, such as operational costs, efficiency and ergonomics should be considered when selecting appropriate pitting methods together with tree performance. In a second experiment, three field trials were implemented to test three main factors: plant size (small and large); planting depth (standard and deep); and watering (dry and water planting). The eight treatments (2 x 2 x 2 factorial) were replicated four times and laid out in a randomised complete blocks design. The trials were established across a range of site types (Mt Home in Kwazulu-Natal, Vroegeveld in Mpumalanga and Trust in Zululand) in the summer rainfall region of South Africa using various eucalypt genera (E. dunnii, E. grandis x E. nitens and E. grandis x E. urophylla). Tree performance was assessed, with results up to four, six and seven years presented for the different sites. Results show that planting larger plants had the highest overall survival (x̄ = 81%) compared to smaller plants (x̄ = 58%), which also resulted in improved basal area and volume across all sites. Larger plants were able to tolerate a wider range of site conditions, thus providing an advantage for re-establishment. The cost-to-benefit of this however needs to be assessed, particularly in the context of current operational nursery standards. The benefits of deeper planting and applying water at planting are less clear, but appear to be beneficial under water stress conditions, such as on sandy sites when the weather is hot and dry. A third experiment tested the interaction between different methods of pit preparation (manual versus motor-manual), dry versus water planting, and re-watering at periodic intervals. The experiment consisted of one field trial established with E. dunnii in Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal. Twelve treatments (2 x 6 factorial) were replicated four times and laid out in a split-plot design, with the main factor of watering regime forming the whole plots, and pitting method the sub-plots. Differences in pit size, pit quality and tree performance were assessed. Pit dimensions and soil friability for the two pitting treatments were different, but pit volumes were similar (manually prepared pits = 4.7 L; motor-manually prepared pits = 4.4 L). Differences in pit soil moisture content were detected between dry planting (4.1%) and all other treatments (9.9%). Rainfall occurred in week 1 - 4 after planting (55.2 mm). Subsequently re-watering, relative to watering only at planting, was not beneficial. No significant growth differences occurred between the two pitting methods, nor was there any interaction between the main factors (pitting methods x watering regimes). Survival for dry planting (75%) was significantly lower than all the other treatments (92%), with a weakly significant difference in Biomass index (corrected) (BIc) at one year. Different pit qualities, determined by pitting method, will not significantly affect early eucalypt performance. However, the addition of water or hydrogel (as opposed to dry planting) will improve early eucalypt survival and growth. Eucalypt survival, growth and uniformity in South Africa continue to be impacted by an increase in mechanisation, changing climate conditions and the use of unskilled labour. It is therefore necessary to implement silvicultural practices which improve survival, growth and uniformity. Planting seedlings into good quality pits (regardless of pitting method) with water has shown to improve survival. It is also beneficial in terms of survival to plant larger (prime) plants at a deeper depth especially on sites with drought conditions. Despite all the establishment trials which have been implemented under controlled conditions, high mortality is still experienced and could be due to the lack of knowledge on the effects of plant quality and handling on post planting performance (particularly survival). In future, plant quality and handling in combination with various planting densities and the application of plant stress relievers should be considered to improve survival..
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The impact of unanticipated news announcements by the US Federal Reserve On South African stock returns
- Authors: Sibanda, Lorna
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Monetary policy -- United States , International finance , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign economic relations -- South Africa , Banks of issue -- United States , Investments -- South Africa , Stocks -- Prices -- South Africa , Stocks -- Rate of return , Rate of return -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94703 , vital:31070
- Description: This thesis analyses whether monetary policy announcement shocks are transmitted across countries, with special emphasis on the impact of US Federal Reserve announcements on the South African stock market. Monetary policy is an important source of economic news and affects the risk perceptions of market participants. This study will improve the understanding of stock price determinants and possibly influence SA monetary policy in guarding against possible shocks originating from abroad. Using Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcements over the period 2008 – 2014, the research studied changes in volatility of the South African FTSE/JSE All Share Index returns over this period. An event study and GARCH model approach was adopted to reach the goals of the analysis. The findings were a statistically insignificant connection between SA stock returns and both anticipated and unanticipated US Federal Reserve announcements. Over the sample period, each shock to SA stock returns persisted for approximately 4-5 months. Although SA stock return volatility demonstrated clustering behaviour (indicating sensitivity to economic shocks), the research could not find an obvious relationship between these spikes in volatility and US Federal Reserve announcements. It is concluded that South African stock returns do not change in response to unexpected US monetary policy announcements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Sibanda, Lorna
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Monetary policy -- United States , International finance , South Africa -- Foreign economic relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign economic relations -- South Africa , Banks of issue -- United States , Investments -- South Africa , Stocks -- Prices -- South Africa , Stocks -- Rate of return , Rate of return -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94703 , vital:31070
- Description: This thesis analyses whether monetary policy announcement shocks are transmitted across countries, with special emphasis on the impact of US Federal Reserve announcements on the South African stock market. Monetary policy is an important source of economic news and affects the risk perceptions of market participants. This study will improve the understanding of stock price determinants and possibly influence SA monetary policy in guarding against possible shocks originating from abroad. Using Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) announcements over the period 2008 – 2014, the research studied changes in volatility of the South African FTSE/JSE All Share Index returns over this period. An event study and GARCH model approach was adopted to reach the goals of the analysis. The findings were a statistically insignificant connection between SA stock returns and both anticipated and unanticipated US Federal Reserve announcements. Over the sample period, each shock to SA stock returns persisted for approximately 4-5 months. Although SA stock return volatility demonstrated clustering behaviour (indicating sensitivity to economic shocks), the research could not find an obvious relationship between these spikes in volatility and US Federal Reserve announcements. It is concluded that South African stock returns do not change in response to unexpected US monetary policy announcements.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The implementation of a developmental-contextual framework for young adults’ career explorations
- Authors: Roberson, Natalie Georgia
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Vocational guidance -- South Africa , Focus groups , Action research , Youth -- South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994- , Self-Directed Search Questionnaire , Occupational aptitude tests -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114895 , vital:34053
- Description: Career development theory and counselling practices in South Africa, which have traditionally utilised imported theory, have long been and continue to be criticised as being unsuitable in contexts different to those in which they were developed. In light of this, the aim of this study is to customise and trial the Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg (1986) Developmental-Contextual Framework of career development with a group of employment-seeking young adults at a local community-based setting, as the basis of a career development intervention. Research questions asked were ‘In what ways is the examination and discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual facilitative of career exploration, in addition to seeking to identify contextual factors that influence career thinking and associated decision making. In doing so, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the career development of South Africans. Focus group methodology, within an overarching framework of collaborative action research, was employed. The approach to career exploration here was that of peer learning through group discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual. Data were generated through pre-intervention questionnaires, collaborative action research cycles, participatory observation, focus group discussions, and post-interventionist semi-structured individual interviews. Template Analysis was used for the thematic organisation and analysis of the data. Findings were that the intervention facilitated increased self-knowledge in relation to career development, increased knowledge of work and careers, and enhanced career planning abilities. Findings further highlighted the limitations of imported career development theories and the importance of the utilisation and development of local career assessment instruments. The group setting was found to be of value in facilitating self-reflection, a source of motivation and a valuable source of career-related information.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Roberson, Natalie Georgia
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Vocational guidance -- South Africa , Focus groups , Action research , Youth -- South Africa -- Social conditions -- 1994- , Self-Directed Search Questionnaire , Occupational aptitude tests -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114895 , vital:34053
- Description: Career development theory and counselling practices in South Africa, which have traditionally utilised imported theory, have long been and continue to be criticised as being unsuitable in contexts different to those in which they were developed. In light of this, the aim of this study is to customise and trial the Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg (1986) Developmental-Contextual Framework of career development with a group of employment-seeking young adults at a local community-based setting, as the basis of a career development intervention. Research questions asked were ‘In what ways is the examination and discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual facilitative of career exploration, in addition to seeking to identify contextual factors that influence career thinking and associated decision making. In doing so, this study aims to contribute to the existing literature on the career development of South Africans. Focus group methodology, within an overarching framework of collaborative action research, was employed. The approach to career exploration here was that of peer learning through group discussion of developmental-contextual factors of the individual. Data were generated through pre-intervention questionnaires, collaborative action research cycles, participatory observation, focus group discussions, and post-interventionist semi-structured individual interviews. Template Analysis was used for the thematic organisation and analysis of the data. Findings were that the intervention facilitated increased self-knowledge in relation to career development, increased knowledge of work and careers, and enhanced career planning abilities. Findings further highlighted the limitations of imported career development theories and the importance of the utilisation and development of local career assessment instruments. The group setting was found to be of value in facilitating self-reflection, a source of motivation and a valuable source of career-related information.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The implementation of National Health strategy (2009-2013) in Vungu District clinics, Midlands Province in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mangwanya, M G
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Medical care -- Zimbabwe Public health administration -- Zimbabwe National Health Strategy (Zimbabwe)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18514 , vital:42579
- Description: The practice of strategy implementation is key to the public sector in Zimbabwe because it helps the government to be up to speed in providing services to the public. This research focused on the National Health Strategy 2009-2013 and its impact on health service delivery in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The research was based on qualitative desk study design which made use of existing data and semi structured interviews to understand the effect of the National Health Strategy on health service delivery in Vungu Rural Districts Council Clinics. From the literature reviewed and the data collected, it can be noted that lack of resources has had a huge effect on the execution of the strategy. The findings from the study show that the National Health Strategy was a good initiative. However, it lacked financial resources which posed challenges to the health workers in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The health workers were not very familiar with the National Health Strategy and this had a negative impact on its execution because they cannot execute a strategy that they are not familiar with. The study highlighted the importance of resources for the execution of the National Health Strategy. The study therefore sought to find ways the Zimbabwean Health System may formulate the health strategy with the limited resources in order to achieve desired goals. The Health Workers echoed the same sentiments that they needed resources for the implementation of the strategy. It is hoped that the findings would provide guidelines for the formulation and implementation of future health strategies. Recommendations given would ensure that there is utilisation of available resources, which would help in the execution of other health strategies to ensure efficient and effective health care service delivery. The recommendations are also intended to enhance the performance of health workers. Though the study was limited to Vungu Rural District Council Clinics the findings and recommendations would provide guidelines for other rural clinics as they use the National Health Strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mangwanya, M G
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Medical care -- Zimbabwe Public health administration -- Zimbabwe National Health Strategy (Zimbabwe)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18514 , vital:42579
- Description: The practice of strategy implementation is key to the public sector in Zimbabwe because it helps the government to be up to speed in providing services to the public. This research focused on the National Health Strategy 2009-2013 and its impact on health service delivery in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The research was based on qualitative desk study design which made use of existing data and semi structured interviews to understand the effect of the National Health Strategy on health service delivery in Vungu Rural Districts Council Clinics. From the literature reviewed and the data collected, it can be noted that lack of resources has had a huge effect on the execution of the strategy. The findings from the study show that the National Health Strategy was a good initiative. However, it lacked financial resources which posed challenges to the health workers in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The health workers were not very familiar with the National Health Strategy and this had a negative impact on its execution because they cannot execute a strategy that they are not familiar with. The study highlighted the importance of resources for the execution of the National Health Strategy. The study therefore sought to find ways the Zimbabwean Health System may formulate the health strategy with the limited resources in order to achieve desired goals. The Health Workers echoed the same sentiments that they needed resources for the implementation of the strategy. It is hoped that the findings would provide guidelines for the formulation and implementation of future health strategies. Recommendations given would ensure that there is utilisation of available resources, which would help in the execution of other health strategies to ensure efficient and effective health care service delivery. The recommendations are also intended to enhance the performance of health workers. Though the study was limited to Vungu Rural District Council Clinics the findings and recommendations would provide guidelines for other rural clinics as they use the National Health Strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The implementation of performance management systems: Chris Hani District Municipality
- Authors: Zazi, Luzuko
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Performance -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44301 , vital:37150
- Description: This study stemmed from the researcher’s observations about the seemingly ‘obvious’ under performance of the Chris Hani District Municipality and the Lukhanji Local Municipality. As a resident of Komani – under the now Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, the researcher noticed the rampant water cuts and electric power outages, among other issues, experienced in the district; and sort to understand the underlying causes to these. To understand the root-cause, this study aimed to describe the implementation of performance management systems within the Chris Hani District Municipality; neglecting the Lukhanji Local Municipality as it was in the process of amalgamation to form the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality. The process was finalised in August 2017, proving the municipality ‘too new’ to study. As a descriptive, qualitative study following the constructivist paradigm, focus was placed on the role senior management plays in the performance management processes, with six operational staff’s perceptions about this process interrogated through a focus group. As custodians and drivers of quality service delivery, five directors and senior managers were interviewed through semi-structured interviews to gather thick, descriptive narratives about the process. The study found performance management was implemented at management level only, with ‘loose’ performance arrangements between supervisors and subordinates. This made it difficult to manage performance or account for poor performance as there are not strict, contractual targets. At management level, critical issues found included poor performance information collection, management not owning their respective targets on their portfolios of evidence, non-alignment of targets with the Integrated Development Plan, and Council not holding persons responsible for irregular expenditure accountable - as no investigations were done in order to recover the monies. This, the Auditor General says promotes a general culture of unaccountability; thus, confirming the researcher’s observations and identifying the root-cause. Recommendations included a ‘back-to-basics’ philosophical approach to municipal governance. These included an adoption of a comprehensive performance management policy; management empowerment in the collection and use of performance information; a change in organisational culture from both side of the political-administrative dichotomy; and an introduction of a community-based monitoring mechanism supplemented with a non-partisan voter education initiative. Furthermore, the strengthening of intergovernmental relations was recommended insofar as this pertains to the delivering of basics services and infrastructure, developing the local economy, and improving the quality of life within the district.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Zazi, Luzuko
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Performance -- Management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality , Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Chris Hani District Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44301 , vital:37150
- Description: This study stemmed from the researcher’s observations about the seemingly ‘obvious’ under performance of the Chris Hani District Municipality and the Lukhanji Local Municipality. As a resident of Komani – under the now Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, the researcher noticed the rampant water cuts and electric power outages, among other issues, experienced in the district; and sort to understand the underlying causes to these. To understand the root-cause, this study aimed to describe the implementation of performance management systems within the Chris Hani District Municipality; neglecting the Lukhanji Local Municipality as it was in the process of amalgamation to form the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality. The process was finalised in August 2017, proving the municipality ‘too new’ to study. As a descriptive, qualitative study following the constructivist paradigm, focus was placed on the role senior management plays in the performance management processes, with six operational staff’s perceptions about this process interrogated through a focus group. As custodians and drivers of quality service delivery, five directors and senior managers were interviewed through semi-structured interviews to gather thick, descriptive narratives about the process. The study found performance management was implemented at management level only, with ‘loose’ performance arrangements between supervisors and subordinates. This made it difficult to manage performance or account for poor performance as there are not strict, contractual targets. At management level, critical issues found included poor performance information collection, management not owning their respective targets on their portfolios of evidence, non-alignment of targets with the Integrated Development Plan, and Council not holding persons responsible for irregular expenditure accountable - as no investigations were done in order to recover the monies. This, the Auditor General says promotes a general culture of unaccountability; thus, confirming the researcher’s observations and identifying the root-cause. Recommendations included a ‘back-to-basics’ philosophical approach to municipal governance. These included an adoption of a comprehensive performance management policy; management empowerment in the collection and use of performance information; a change in organisational culture from both side of the political-administrative dichotomy; and an introduction of a community-based monitoring mechanism supplemented with a non-partisan voter education initiative. Furthermore, the strengthening of intergovernmental relations was recommended insofar as this pertains to the delivering of basics services and infrastructure, developing the local economy, and improving the quality of life within the district.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The implications of teacher development in the improvement of learner achievement in the Kwamhlanga sub-district of Mpumalanga Province
- Authors: Mhaule, Makgabo Regina
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Career development Teacher educators -- Professional relationships
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , D.Admin
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13690 , vital:39691
- Description: This study sought to investigate the implication of teacher development in learner performance with reference to the Nkangala sub-district of the Mpumalanga Department of Education. My interest is this area of study was triggered in the debate around the mismatch between the resources which the Department of Education invests in the teacher development programmes vis-à-vis learner performance in schools, in particular, the Grade 12 class which is the exit point of the school system. The argument is that the department invests significant resources in developing teachers but that there appears to be very little return on the investment in the form of learner performance which has been the subject of debate and discussion for many years in the education circles. The study made use of the mixed method approach in terms of which both quantitative and qualitative methods were fully employed. Questionnaires and interviews were used as the data collection methods. In order to collect the requisite quantitative data four teachers and three school management teams were sampled using the simple random sampling method per school in the sub-district. The return rate of the instruments was more than 50%. For the qualitative data subject advisors were sampled using the purposive sampling method. Eight of the twelve advisors who were sampled participated in the face to face interviews. The collected data was then analysed using the Special Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS). The literature reviewed included Senge’s Learning Organisation theory and Wenger’s social learning theory which were explored extensively and which informed the study to a significant extent. The researcher also explored the legislative framework which informs the HRD in general and teacher development in particular. v The study revealed that there is, indeed, a significant relationship between teacher development programmes and learner performance. The study also revealed that teacher development programmes do, in fact, address the needs of both learners and teachers. An interesting finding, which is also a matter of concern, was the finding that teachers are almost, if not totally, excluded from participating in the teacher development programmes offered. The study also found that the content of teacher development programmes is devised by subject specialists who are not based in the classroom and who have little experience of the prevailing classroom situation. It appeared that this approach was creating a huge gap in the teacher development programmes. The researcher made several recommendations and also developed a proposed (rudimentary) teacher development model, as informed by the study and the gap which was identified from the literature review. The model is extremely basic and, therefore, requires further research on the part of education practitioners and/or anyone interested in the field of teacher development and education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mhaule, Makgabo Regina
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Career development Teacher educators -- Professional relationships
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , D.Admin
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13690 , vital:39691
- Description: This study sought to investigate the implication of teacher development in learner performance with reference to the Nkangala sub-district of the Mpumalanga Department of Education. My interest is this area of study was triggered in the debate around the mismatch between the resources which the Department of Education invests in the teacher development programmes vis-à-vis learner performance in schools, in particular, the Grade 12 class which is the exit point of the school system. The argument is that the department invests significant resources in developing teachers but that there appears to be very little return on the investment in the form of learner performance which has been the subject of debate and discussion for many years in the education circles. The study made use of the mixed method approach in terms of which both quantitative and qualitative methods were fully employed. Questionnaires and interviews were used as the data collection methods. In order to collect the requisite quantitative data four teachers and three school management teams were sampled using the simple random sampling method per school in the sub-district. The return rate of the instruments was more than 50%. For the qualitative data subject advisors were sampled using the purposive sampling method. Eight of the twelve advisors who were sampled participated in the face to face interviews. The collected data was then analysed using the Special Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS). The literature reviewed included Senge’s Learning Organisation theory and Wenger’s social learning theory which were explored extensively and which informed the study to a significant extent. The researcher also explored the legislative framework which informs the HRD in general and teacher development in particular. v The study revealed that there is, indeed, a significant relationship between teacher development programmes and learner performance. The study also revealed that teacher development programmes do, in fact, address the needs of both learners and teachers. An interesting finding, which is also a matter of concern, was the finding that teachers are almost, if not totally, excluded from participating in the teacher development programmes offered. The study also found that the content of teacher development programmes is devised by subject specialists who are not based in the classroom and who have little experience of the prevailing classroom situation. It appeared that this approach was creating a huge gap in the teacher development programmes. The researcher made several recommendations and also developed a proposed (rudimentary) teacher development model, as informed by the study and the gap which was identified from the literature review. The model is extremely basic and, therefore, requires further research on the part of education practitioners and/or anyone interested in the field of teacher development and education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
The importance of a donor management framework on the sustainability of non-profit organisations in Nelson Mandela Bay
- Authors: Van Boomen, Clinton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Nonprofit organizations -- Management , Nonprofit organizations -- Finance -- Management Nonprofit organizations -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43676 , vital:37029
- Description: Fundraising and income generation to service operational expenses play a significant role in ensuring the sustainability of non-profit organisations. Literature maintains that in order for non-profit organisations to remain sustainable, designing campaigns and strategies with stakeholder needs in mind is crucial. The study aims at improving donor relations by determining the role donor management systems play in the strategic objectives of non-profit organisations, and whether non-profits adopt strategic approaches to create and maintain relationships with donors. The research also attempted to understand the importance of managing relationships with donors. According to the framework of Determinants of Philanthropy formulated by Bekkers and Wiepking, the researcher utilised the eight key mechanisms as a framework to answer the research question. In the study, simple probability sampling was used to identify non-profit organisations within Nelson Mandela Bay. Data from anonymous participants were collected using a self-completion questionnaire using the determinants of philanthropy framework themes to link responses to the research question and literature. While the study returned a low response rate, the main finding of the research was that non-profit organisations spent more time servicing relationships with existing donors, instead of creating relationships with new potential donors. In the event that a major long-term donor stopped donating, this left the non-profit with a significant predicament of sourcing a new donor, which could be time consuming at best. A possible solution to this issue is to create a strategic relationship management framework which identifies each new and existing donor’s attributes, thereby linking it to the correct campaigns at the right time. The anticipated outcome of this solution is to ensure that there is a consistent supply of donors which will ensure sustainability for the non-profit organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Van Boomen, Clinton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Nonprofit organizations -- Management , Nonprofit organizations -- Finance -- Management Nonprofit organizations -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43676 , vital:37029
- Description: Fundraising and income generation to service operational expenses play a significant role in ensuring the sustainability of non-profit organisations. Literature maintains that in order for non-profit organisations to remain sustainable, designing campaigns and strategies with stakeholder needs in mind is crucial. The study aims at improving donor relations by determining the role donor management systems play in the strategic objectives of non-profit organisations, and whether non-profits adopt strategic approaches to create and maintain relationships with donors. The research also attempted to understand the importance of managing relationships with donors. According to the framework of Determinants of Philanthropy formulated by Bekkers and Wiepking, the researcher utilised the eight key mechanisms as a framework to answer the research question. In the study, simple probability sampling was used to identify non-profit organisations within Nelson Mandela Bay. Data from anonymous participants were collected using a self-completion questionnaire using the determinants of philanthropy framework themes to link responses to the research question and literature. While the study returned a low response rate, the main finding of the research was that non-profit organisations spent more time servicing relationships with existing donors, instead of creating relationships with new potential donors. In the event that a major long-term donor stopped donating, this left the non-profit with a significant predicament of sourcing a new donor, which could be time consuming at best. A possible solution to this issue is to create a strategic relationship management framework which identifies each new and existing donor’s attributes, thereby linking it to the correct campaigns at the right time. The anticipated outcome of this solution is to ensure that there is a consistent supply of donors which will ensure sustainability for the non-profit organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019