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Bottlenecks faced in administering and managing student leadership development programmes at a selected University of Technology (UOT) in South Africa
No full textSubmitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences in Administration and Information Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The primary objective of this inquiry was to educate student leaders about crucial administrative processes and challenges associated with political clubs at UoT’s. We aimed to advocate for specific changes within the Department of Student Governance and Development (DSGD) to facilitate the development of policies and eliminate obstacles hindering political clubs’ initiatives in fostering student leadership programmes. To guide our investigation, we adopted the social change model for leadership, which helped shape our study literature and interview questions. The investigator chose this framework because it nurtures potential leaders who share similar values with specific organisations and society, thus enhancing student learning. The research focused on assessing how streamlining administrative procedures could enhance the efficiency of political clubs and their leadership programmes. The investigator successfully demonstrated that a better understanding of administrative procedures could help UOT’S adhere to administrative standards, thereby upholding the credibility of student-associated programmes. To achieve this, the investigator employed a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to gain insights into the bottlenecks associated with administering student development programmes. In this investigation the philosophy of pragmatism was embraced, allowing for the flexibility to select methods, techniques, and procedures that best suited the research goals in exploring the correlation between leadership programmes and bottlenecks. The study had two distinct populations: student leaders responsible for managing and administering student development programmes, and employees from the DSGD. The study primarily focused on assessing student leaders responsible for programme administration from 2018 to 2020. The aim was to understand the challenges these elected student leaders faced during this three-year period. For data analysis, we utilised the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 to analyse the surveys. This software employs both inferential and descriptive statistics to present study findings. In the case of interviews, we employed content analysis to analyse the collected data. Thematic analysis enabled us to extract meaning from participants’ views, knowledge, opinions, experiences, and values, considering both written and spoken data. The findings were presented by means of both numerical and nonnumerical formats to highlight the differences in findings between students and university participants. To establish trustworthiness, the research employed triangulation to validate the findings; this involved cross-referencing information from various sources, including participants, academic articles, and various data structures, among others. Additionally, the study utilised detailed notes from diverse authors’ research to draw comparisons in terms of research context and methodologies. To maintain the study’s reliability, an audit trail was maintained, encompassing comprehensive documentation of the data collection, analysis, and interpretation procedures. The study's findings recommended that student leaders advocate for substantial institutional changes aligned with the goal of reducing administrative obstacles. To facilitate this, the model endorsed ongoing assessment and feedback to enhance collaboration in simplifying procedures and policies. Student leaders were encouraged to evaluate results and adjust their programs based on the evaluation's conclusions, which would facilitate effective reporting on implemented programs.
Ethical leadership and service delivery : a case of Mangaung Metropolitan area
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters in Public Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The study assessed the ethical leadership impact and service delivery challenges in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM), in the Free State province of South Africa. An interview and open-ended questionnaire were used to gather in-depth information from individuals, allowing participants to voice their own opinions and ideas. The study provided inductive reasoning; as a result, holistic results can be interpreted. The sampling size was drawn from five ward committees consisting of 10 members, with two members from each ward selected as participants. Ten randomly selected residents from Mangaung and two senior managers from MMM were also considered for interviews. Therefore, a total of 10 ward committee members, two senior managers and 10 selected residents were used as a means of gathering data through interviews and a semi-structured questionnaire.
The findings of the study reveal poor compliance with legislation, ineffective policy implementation, and shortage of skills required for Local Economic Development (LED), as well as poor ethical leadership, resulted in slow service delivery provision. The study also showed financial constraints are a significant problem in MMM.
It was, furthermore, revealed that MMM is currently placed under national administration, and the researcher noted the unhappiness of the Mangaung community with the poor service delivery and unfair job appointments in MMM, which resulted in service delivery protests around Mangaung. The findings highlight that certain ward committees believe residents are deprived of services in Mangaung due to political (dys) functionality and failure of employees to execute their duties efficiently.
The study results will be highly beneficial to researchers, scholars, policy makers, and MMM officials, as well as CoGTA, SALGA and other relevant stakeholders. Generalisation of the research findings ought to be undertaken with care; however, further research is encouraged and could focus on other municipalities and Metropolitan municipalities in the country.
An assessment of sustainable supply chain management practices in the upstream pharmaceutical industry of Ghana
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences
Specialising in Public Management & Economics at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The drive for the adoption of Sustainable Supply Chain Management practices among
pharmaceutical companies is on the rise given the global effort to attain net zero of carbon
emissions as well as attaining other targets for the sustainable development goals. The
pharmaceutical industry plays vital role in the manufacturing and distribution of medications,
and therefore sustainability issues are critical for the survival of the industry. However, the
adoption of sustainable practices in the upstream pharmaceutical industry is still low, and there
is lack of empirical research in this area, particularly in emerging economies like Ghana. This
study aims to fill this gap by examining the level of adoption of sustainable supply chain
practices, focusing on the role of the policy framework, the influence of these practices on
company performance, and the role of top executives in ensuring sustainability.
The study utilizes a mixed method approach and leverages the upper echelon theory to explore
the role of managers on sustainable supply chain practices. This dissertation explore the state
of the upstream pharmaceutical Sustainable Supply Chain Management practices in Ghana,
evaluate the role of the upstream pharmaceutical policy framework of Ghana on supply chain
sustainability, identify how upstream pharmaceutical Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Practices influence the performance of pharmaceutical companies in Ghana, and to examine
the role of top management in ensuring upstream pharmaceutical sustainable supply chain
management practices in Ghana. By addressing the above objectives, the study promotes
academic debate and provides insights for policy directions in the pharmaceutical industry for
sustainable growth and development. The research design includes both explanatory and
exploratory approaches, with a concurrent/parallel mixed methods design combining
quantitative and qualitative data. Specifically, the concurrent triangulation design mixed
method was adopted. The target population was employees of locally owned upstream
pharmaceutical companies in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. From a finite population of
about 2000, stratified and purposive strategies were used to select 18 participants under the
qualitative aspect, while random sampling technique was used to select 334 for the quantitative
aspect of the study. Therefore, the total sample size for this study was 352 participants. Data
collection involved the use of questionnaire and structured interview guide, and data analysis
included structural equation modeling for quantitative data and thematic analysis as well as
content analysis for qualitative data.
Quantitative results indicated that Sustainable Supply Chain Management practices have a
positive significant association with Sustainable Supply Chain Management performance for upstream pharmaceutical companies. Results showed that, there was positive impact of Top
Management Commitment on Sustainable Supply Chain Management to performance.
Furthermore, there was justification for Top Management Commitment as a moderator on the
association between Sustainable Supply Chain Management practices and Sustainable Supply
Chain Management performance. The study's findings on sustainable supply chain
management practices in the upstream pharmaceutical sector in Ghana have significant
theoretical, managerial, and policy implications. The interviews revealed the importance of
socially inclusive practices, eco-friendly manufacturing, waste management, supplier
involvement, and collaborations are important factors to consider in achieving sustainability
goals. Theoretical implications include the recognition of responsible sourcing as a crucial
component of sustainable supply chain management and the importance of socially responsible
human resource management strategies. Managerially, the adoption of green manufacturing
practices, waste management, and supplier engagement are highlighted as strategies for
enhancing sustainability. Policy implications emphasize the need for supportive policies and
regulations that promote responsible sourcing, green manufacturing, waste management, and
supplier engagement in the upstream of pharmaceutical industry. The study contributes to the
literature by providing empirical evidence of the positive association between sustainable
supply chain management and organizational performance. The role of top management in
ensuring the adoption and implementation of sustainable supply chain management practices
is crucial, with implications for leadership, resource allocation, collaboration, and stakeholder
engagement. Policy-wise, support for sustainable supply chain management practices and
capacity-building initiatives are crucial for the adopting and implementations of these practices
within the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the study provides insights for theory, practice,
and policy to enhance sustainability in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Entrepreneurial financial governance strategies used by the Technical Universities in Ghana
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Business Administration) at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The primary research objective of this study is to identify those factors considered critical
that contribute to entrepreneurial financial strategies of governance in the TUs of Ghana
and propose strategies for improvement that could enhance the generating of revenue by
these institutions. Other sub-objectives examined the reliability of entrepreneurial financial
governance strategies in technical universities in Ghana and the a n a l y s i s of the
entrepreneurial financial leadership governance role in the dynamic capabilities of
developing TUs in Ghana. The study adopted a mixed methodology, comprising
quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis. The 10 technical universities in
Ghana made up the study population, with the target population comprising senior staff of
the Centre for Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Finance departments and
Directorate of Internal Audit of these institutions. The study selected 160 respondents for
the quantitative study and 12 participants for the qualitative study by means of census
sampling for the quantitative study and purposive sampling for the qualitative study.
Whereas the quantitative study instrument comprised a questionnaire, the qualitative data
instrument consisted of an interview guide, with the latter developed to enable the
researcher to question participants on issues the questionnaire could not provide. SPSS
enabled quantitative data processing; where analysis used descriptive analysis.
Frequencies, means, and standard deviations, as well as SEM. For the qualitative data,
thematic network analysis was used to generate themes after transcriptions had been
completed and the data coded using NVIVO 12 software. The study revealed Pearson’s
Correlation coefficient = 0.693 (p = 0.03), which shows a strong and significant relationship
between the financial governance and growth of the University. In addition, a significant
value of 0.01 suggests the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and growth is
significant. This further suggests that when the various leaders in the TUs have the
relevant entrepreneurial skills, their work ethics will propel and foster growth within the
TUs community. The findings further revealed that entrepreneurial financial governance
strategies of the surveyed technical universities are affected by both internal and external
environmental factors, including economic factors, limit of state regulation. Inadequate
budgetary allocation, and lack of financial monitoring systems, as well as lack of
entrepreneurship culture and management competence. The study concluded that benchmarking and continuous improvement, collaboration and strategic alliance, along
with income diversification, the role of leadership and entrepreneurship, and efficient
resource allocation can be effective strategies in financial governance in technical
universities in Ghana to achieve financial sustainability. The study supports national
efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development by focusing
on entrepreneurial financial governance. The study's insights may have broader
applicability beyond Ghana, serving as a benchmark for other developing nations facing
comparable challenges in funding higher education.
Employers' perspectives of Durban University of Technology's Work Intergrated Learning students
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences specialising in Entrepreneurial Studies - Business Administration, at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Work Integrated Learning (WIL) focuses on the student applying their theoretical knowledge
achieved at the University to that of the workplace. The anticipated outcome is an enriched
understanding of the workplace, how it functions and thereby allowing the student to become
competent and proficient. At DUT, selective qualifications have WIL as a compulsory module for
students. In order for a student to fulfil the requirement to graduate, the student must successfully
complete a placement at an industry partner for a stipulated period. The University conducts
monitoring and assessments during the placement. In this study, the purpose was to explore and
analyse the perspectives of employers regarding WIL students. WIL programs have gained
prominence as an effective means of bridging the gap between academic education and industry
requirements.
Understanding the employers’ viewpoints is crucial in assessing the impact and effectiveness of
the WIL initiatives and identifying areas for improvement. This study applied mixed comprising
quantitative and qualitative studies. Theories aligned to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) guided
the discussion about employers’ perspectives of Durban University of Technology. The findings
of the study reveal that employers (industry partners) noted the need for the improvement of the
quality of the students. Much of which can be achieved through the development and
enhancement of the students’ knowledge as required for the world of work. There is a need to
implement an integrated system that supports a value-added consistency of information. In
addition, computerized systems are in all spheres of the work environment and the university must
ensure that there exist programs that allows for adequate practical usage of such programs.
The relationship between corporate governance and service quality in the South African banking industry : a case study of Capitec Bank
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences specialising in
Business Law, at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The study sought to investigate the relationship between corporate governance and service quality in the South African banking industry. To achieve the study aims, a mixed methods approach was used, which included a set of questionnaires distributed to Capitec Bank clients and employees. Client data was collected and analysed using descriptive sampling techniques (SPSS) and employee data was collected and analysed using NVIVO software. Questionnaires were distributed to 30 Capitec Bank employees and 384 clients at three Capitec Bank locations in the Durban area (Westwood Mall, Overport City Shopping Centre and The Pavilion Shopping Centre). The researcher distributed a face-to-face, paper-based data collection tool personally to the participants. Respondents were chosen via non-probability sampling.
The problem of the study emanated from the seriousness of the challenges confronting banks, since a number of scandals and crises have occurred in the history of corporate governance, causing substantial damage. To tackle these issues and find solutions to address them, excellent corporate governance must be established; hence, improving corporate governance may have a positive impact on service quality, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. The issue has been resolved. The study's findings show that there are sufficient and effective laws and rules that support strong corporate governance practices; the bank is effectively controlled; and it has ethical policies and procedures. Furthermore, the bank has internal programs in place to improve the level of service it provides to its customers. This means that Capitec Bank's successful involvement in corporate governance to enhance standards of service quality may have an impact on customer happiness and loyalty. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations have been made to close the gaps and, finally, improve service quality so that the bank may achieve customer satisfaction and, as a result, higher productivity. It was recommended that internal programs be enhanced to increase service quality.
This will result in happier clients and better compliance with corporate governance norms. It was also recommended that bank management work towards improving appropriate corporate governance procedures to maintain customer satisfaction; a lack of these procedures may have a negative effect on customer satisfaction. In Chapter Five, the final chapter of this thesis, a number of conclusions and recommendations are presented based on the findings.
A home away from home for adolescents: narratives on residential care life in eThekwini
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Child and Youth Care, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.In South Africa, the escalating necessity to place young people in residential care facilities
is a response to the growing population of vulnerable and orphaned children. The
breakdown of traditional family dynamics and various social issues that they are faced
with contribute to this situation. Research exploring the experiences and support that
adolescents in residential care encounter is sparse. This highlights the significance of the
current research study, especially as it seeks to explore the perspectives of the
adolescents regarding their residential care life experiences without a narrow focus on
specific aspects of residential care. A qualitative approach was used to explore
adolescents’ experiences of twenty-six adolescents in a residential care facility within the
eThekwini region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insight into
participants’ experiences of residential care, including the reasons behind their
placement, their daily lives and challenges within residential care, and their experiences
of formal and informal support. The study was guided by the Maslow Hierarchy theoretical
framework.
The participants included thirteen males and thirteen females of different racial
backgrounds. Using thematic analysis, six themes and fifteen sub-themes emerged from
the data. The findings revealed that the primary reasons for children’s placement in
residential care were found to be parental alcohol and substance use, destitution, the
need for safety and protection, the challenges of education and abandonment. The
participants had mixed experiences of the residential care facility, as both positive and
negative experiences were reported by the child and youth care workers and social
workers. The participants who had positive experiences with the child and youth care
workers felt supported and cared for, while those with negative experiences felt victimised
and not liked by the child and youth care workers. Some participants felt abandoned by
their families while in residential care, as they did not visit them and did not receive phone calls from their families. However, some did receive support from their families, such as
weekend visits or phone calls to check how they were coping at the residential care
facility. Lastly, the study findings revealed that some participants had negative
experiences of peer support in the form of victimisation by their peers while at the
residential care facility.
In order to improve residential care life, the study recommends that child and youth care
workers based in residential care facilities receive training on how to improve adolescents’
experiences of residential care life through building effective, protective and caring
relationships. Furthermore, child and youth care workers should encourage family contact
to sustain family support while their children are in residential care facilities. Lastly, child
and youth care workers and social workers must maintain equal treatment among the
children and young people.
Investigating factors contributing to poor performance in teaching and learning of N3 assembly drawing : a case of uMgungundlovu TVET college
No full textPoor performance in Assembly Drawing (AD) has been a significant issue in Engineering Graphics and Design (EGD) in high schools and TVET colleges. This poor performance in AD, which is a crucial component of the EGD exam, leads to students not performing well in Grade 12 and consequently limits their entry into engineering programs in TVET colleges. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the contributing factors to poor performance in the teaching and learning of AD among N3 students. To achieve the objectives of this study, a mixed research approach was employed, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT). A purposive sampling method was used to select four Engineering Drawing (ED) lecturers and 45 N3 Engineering Drawing students to participate in this study. Furthermore, Piaget's perception and imagery theory and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) were utilized as frameworks underpinning this study. The interview results were analyzed using thematic analysis, while the data from the PSVT was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of this study indicate that N3 students have very low spatial visualization skills, and the negative attitude displayed by both students and lecturers towards the teaching and learning of AD contributes to poor performance in N3 ED. The findings further revealed that the lack of drawing-related teaching qualifications among lecturers also contributes to poor performance in AD. Furthermore, the quantitative findings show that the students achieved a mean score of 16.82, with a standard deviation of 8.389, indicating poor performance on the PSVT test. One limitation of this study is the small number of lecturers interviewed (four), which makes it difficult to generalize the results. Therefore, future studies should include a larger sample size of lecturers. This study recommends that lecturers be hired based on their relevant teaching qualifications and further suggests the use of technology to enhance students' spatial visualization skills and improve their performance in AD.</jats:p
Application of explainable artificial intelligence technique to model the predictors of South African SMMEs resilient performance during the Covid-19 pandemic
No full textVarious studies have been carried out to establish the key drivers impacting small enterprise sustainable performance in developing countries. Despite many policy-oriented studies to uncover the factors influencing SME resilience in emerging markets, these firms continue to register high failure rate, which has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Guided by a history of linear- and log-linear econometric model estimation that ignores potential network effects, our study extends the literature by implicating SMME resilience as a production network. Utilising data from both incubated and non-incubated SMMEs, marking a departure from traditional linear econometric models, radial basis function artificial neural network algorithm was invoked to establish the drivers of SMME resilience during Covid-19 regime. The study extends the literature by implicating eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods. Specifically, optimal SHapley Additive Explanations values (SHAP values) were computed to enhance the prediction output from the machine learning algorithm. The XAI analytics provide insightful findings on the key drivers which influenced the resilience of SMMEs during the Covid-19 pandemic. The importance of innovation through introduction of new products, company age and higher number of marketing mediums is confirmed however total assets, analytics, educational level and number of workers surfaced as a threat to these enterprises’ sustainable performance. The study recommends that both the government and SMEs should leverage XAI to identify their heterogeneous attributes and inform intelligent decision-making which necessities their resilient performance.</jats:p
Assessment of an organisational decision and the financial performance among retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textThe retail sector has become prominent and fast growing since last decade in South Africa and in most countries
across the globe. Retailers are making a huge contribution towards the GDP and the sales completed are a central economic
measure. The study has found it crucial to scrutinise the decisions made by retailers and find out whether those decisions have
an influence on the financial performance of retail stores specifically in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. To
satisfy the aim of the study, a quantitative research method was adopted. A total of two hundred copies of questionnaires were
administered to participants. The questionnaires were sent out to 5 respondents per retail store. Each retail store chosen to
participate in this study consisted of two dissimilar outlets. In total, there were 20 retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal selected to
contribute to this research and all these stores are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Furthermore, the study used
Statistical Package for Social Sciences program for coding and data analysis. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and
Linear regressions were used with the intention of uncovering the relationships that exist between measured variables. The
tests exhibited how organisational decisions impact the retail stores’ financial performance and the results indicated the
following coefficients (F (1, 159) = 21.382, p<.0005). The results showed that a constructive association exist between the
variables established in the study. Therefore, this study’s findings corroborated prior research findings. The study further
makes suggestions to resolve a lot of apprehensions about organisational decisions and how retailers can improve their
financial performance since there is a connection between decisions made by the company and financial performance. Taking
the suggestions and recommendations of the study into consideration, retailers can enhance their financial performance and
make an improvement in future organisational decisions. Additionally, implementing different financial strategies can enhance
sales, and growth to meet the company’s objectives. Consequently, as the retail stores progress, the economy is not enfeebled
by a diminution from the retail industry’s contribution to the GDP of South Afric