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Job satisfaction amongst employees in the Department of Education in eThekwini region, South Africa
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences
specialising in Human Resource Management at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The case study was conducted in the Department of Education, Umlazi and
Pinetown district in the eThekwini region. The study was confined to managers of
Umlazi and Pinetown employees, out-of-service employees and office-based
employees and explores how job satisfaction influences employee turnover in the
department. The researcher examines how the working environment of the
Department’s districts influences job satisfaction. The study further examines the
correlation between job satisfaction and employee turnover at the Department of
Education, as well as how intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors influence job
satisfaction. A mixed methods approach employed both qualitative and
quantitative data collection and analysis. For qualitative data, seven managers
and four out-of-service employees were interviewed for in-depth understanding of
the challenges affecting job satisfaction. Quantitative data were collected from
238 employees on their feelings and perceptions regarding job satisfaction. The
quantitative data were analysed through SPSS 28.0, while thematic analysis was
utilised for qualitative data.
Recommendations are provided in the final chapter on how to improve and
enhance employee loyalty and the level of job satisfaction. The recommendations
seek to assist the Department of Education in eThekwini region to improve
employee job satisfaction, job performance and employee loyalty with the aim of
attracting and retaining high-quality skilled employees.
The role of digital marketing in the sustainability of the formal retail sector in Flagstaff
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Management Sciences: Public Relations Management at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Marketing is a fundamental part of any retail business as it is the means of promoting
products and services to the target market (Grönholm 2012). Digital marketing has
transformed retailers’ marketing strategies significantly. Online marketing channels
are undeniablyoneof the most advanced digital technologies to be used in marketing,
which makes it essential for retailers to incorporate these strategies into their
businesses. The internet and its rapid technological developments have provided
retailers with numerous tools for online marketing, such as email marketing, social
media, pay-per- click, search engine optimisation, pop-ups and so forth. While many
rural South African businesses are starting to adopt these marketing tools in their
businesses, the role of digital marketing in the sustainability of the formal retail sector
in the rural areas of South Africa (SA) has not been explored fully.
The aim of this study was to explore the role of digital marketing in sustaining retail
businesses in Flagstaff, while the primary objective of the research is to identify and
describe the role of digital marketing in retail businesses in rural areas. According to
Bala and Verma (2018), digital marketing is the greatest platform to transform a
product into a brand and has the potential to increase sales tremendously, provided
that businesses have knowledge and understanding of how to apply it properly. The
study adopted a mixed research method in order to achieve the set objectives. This
study followed the probability sampling method in recruiting participants. Random
sampling was the probability sampling method employed to generate the sample for
this study. Retailers operating in Flagstaff and members of the public (customers) were
the two populations targeted for this research. The study used a structured self administered questionnaire consisting of 20 items to collect quantitative data from
retailers. Focus group discussions were also conducted with members of the public to
gather qualitative data. The researcher adopted the census method, whereby all 52
stores in Flagstaff took part in the study. The sample for the focus group interviews
comprised of thirty (30) participants that were allocated into six groupsof 5 participants
in each group. The study used version 27.0 of the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS) to analyse quantitative data, and thematic analysis was used to
analyse qualitative data. According to the study's findings,retailersutilise a variety of digital marketing methods,
including social mediamarketing, email marketing, andmobile marketing, to exchange
information, contact with customers, send them sales pitches and other marketing
materials, and interact with them online. Retailers claimed that digital marketing had
introduced novel ways to conductonline business,such as onlineshopping.However,
this activity is connected to a numberof difficulties in rural areas, which hasprevented
many retailers from offering it as a substitute for traditional shopping.As a result, there
is little use of online shopping in Flagstaff retail businesses. Consumer feedback
indicates that retailers' use of SMS communication, Facebook, and emails to convey
information about sales pitches and promotions has inspired and encouraged
customers to make purchases from particular retailers. However, participants have
stressed that they prefer hearing from retailers through traditional channels sincethey
are simpler to access because they have trouble getting information on digital
platforms.
The study recommends that rural retailers should integrate digital marketing into their
marketing activities, which will increase awareness of the brand; reach a wider
audience; aid in keeping up with trends and staying ahead of the competition; and
maintain their presence on social media platforms. The study suggests that further
research be conducted on the impact of specific online marketing tools in order to allow
retailers to focus on online channels that align with their brand to generate profitable
results for the business
Perception of chiropractic students in their preparedness in the diagnoses and management of headache disorders at a selected University of Technology
No full textDissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Health Sciences Degree in Chiropractic, at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.A headache is defined as “pain found in the head above the orbito-meatal line and or nuchal
ridge” and widely affects both males and females globally. Chiropractic treatment and the
management of headaches is substantial, with one in five new patients’ chief complaint being
a headache and, thus, the use of chiropractic care in the management and treatment of
headaches is popular. The term “self-perceived preparedness” refers to how people view
themselves in terms of confidence and competency with regard to certain skills. Self-perceived
preparedness is essential as it relates to one’s confidence and the ability to accurately
diagnose and manage headache disorders. There is a definite scarcity in South African
literature as to the self-perceived preparedness of students in the diagnosis and management
of headache disorders. In a South African chiropractic context, the literature, with regard to
students’ confidence, awareness and self-assessment of skills is lacking.
There are a number of advantages that can come from exploring the concept of self-perceived
preparedness. The benefits include, but are not limited to, the assessment of whether or not
the curricula goals have been achieved, the readiness of chiropractic students to confidently
and correctly diagnose and manage patients sufficiently, and the different aspects that can
lead to one feeling unprepared.
Aim
The aim of this study was to explore and describe the self-perceived preparedness of the
chiropractic students’ in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders.
Methodology
This study design employed a qualitative, explorative and descriptive design. Purposeful
sampling was utilised and individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13
Master’s degree students in the chiropractic programme. These interviews took place “in person” and an interview guide was utilised in each interview. The interviews were conducted
over a week from the 18th to the 23rd of September 2023. The questions surrounded the topics
of self-perceived preparedness, confidence, challenges (whether educational or personal) and
the effect of clinical exposure on one’s confidence and skills. The interviews were analysed
and themes were extracted utilising Tesch’s eight-step approach of data analysis.
Results
The chief themes that emerged from the data collection included the level of preparedness,
educational and environmental challenges, as well as the positive role that clinical exposure
had on students’ views of their self-perceived preparedness. The participants felt largely
unprepared to deal clinically with headache disorders. This stemmed from the feeling of
isolation within academia, lack of support from staff and clinicians, lack of practical aspects
within the curriculum and the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a lack of in-person
interaction.
Conclusion
The findings of this study highlighted the lack of confidence and feeling of under-preparedness
to deal with headache disorders within a clinic setting by chiropractic Master’s students. This
was mainly attributed to educational and environmental challenges. However, the exposure
students gained within a clinical environment greatly improved their feeling of overall self-perceived preparedness
Developing academic and clinical collaboration guidelines for nurse training at a public nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textThesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctoral Degree in Nursing, at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Introduction and background
Global reports of theory, practice gaps, decreased levels of competency and challenges with
utilising clinical reasoning amongst newly qualified nurse graduates, have created a major
concern in a complex healthcare environment, which requires efficiency. In South Africa,
like most African countries, the healthcare system is predominantly nurse-driven, requiring
nurses to have the necessary competencies and expertise to effectively manage the
country’s disease burden and meet the healthcare needs of the South African community.
Challenges have however, been identified in the clinical training of nurses which may impact
on their graduate competency. These challenges may be attributed to deficiencies in the
integration of theory and practice, and clinical support provision for nursing students.
Aim of the study
The aim of the study was to develop academic and clinical collaboration guidelines for
nurse training at a public nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study were: to gain in-depth insight into the practices for clinical
education of nursing students at a public nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal; explore and
describe the role of the nursing educator with regards to clinical accompaniment and clinical
teaching; explore and describe the experiences of the clinical ward staff in supervision and
mentoring of nursing students; explore and describe the experiences of student nurses
regarding clinical teaching and learning and develop guidelines for academic and clinical
collaboration for nurse training in public nursing colleges.
Research Method
A qualitative exploratory design with a constructivist approach was utilised. Ethics approval
was obtained from the: Durban University of Technology Institutional Research Ethics (Irec.
No. 200/21). All participants, which comprised 49 academic staff, 43 professional nurses
and 21 students registered in the Diploma in Nursing Programmes, were purposively
sampled. Data were collected using focus group discussions and one-on-one semistructured
interviews conducted between January and May 2022 and analysed manually using the content analysis strategy and following the eight-step analysis procedure by Tesch
(1990).
Findings
The study findings revealed five themes namely: ineffectual clinical training structure;
inadequate collaboration and supportive relationship between the academic institution and
clinical placement area; clinical placement institutional challenges, clinical preparedness of
students prior to clinical allocations and graduate competency not guaranteed on completion
of training. These factors posed challenges to nursing students meeting their mandatory
training objectives during their placements. The guiding principles of Schünemann, Fretheim
and Oxham (2006), were utilised to develop guidelines for facilitating academic and clinical
collaboration for nurse training at a public nursing college in the province of KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa. The Delphi technique was utilised to incorporate inputs from expert members
on the group.
Conclusion
Challenges being experienced during the clinical learning placements of nursing students at
this college, could result in theory and practice gaps during and after training. The guidelines
developed, aims at enhancing the collaborative relationships between the academic and
clinical partners in nurse training and can be used by the management of both structures
who are responsible for nurse training, to improve the clinical training platforms.
Recommendations
The study recommendations are aimed at strengthening clinical training platforms for
students at Public Nursing Colleges and includes: improving collaborative relationships
between the academic and clinical partners in nurse training; planning together with clinical
stakeholders for all resources required; prioritising nursing students meeting their clinical
objectives and developing mutual nurturing relationships. A need exists to address
challenges of student supervision, mentoring, negative staff attitudes and a lack of
standardised clinical practice between the academic and clinical training partners. A review
of the system of clinical preparation, accompaniment, and supervision of nursing students
is critical.
Mitigating risks of tacit knowledge loss in state-owned enterprises in South Africa through knowledge management practices
No full textBackground: State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa face a serious challenge of
knowledge loss caused largely by resignations, the ageing workforce and a lack of knowledge
management (KM) practices.
Objective: This article explores KM practices in the South African SOEs to mitigate the risks
inherent in tacit knowledge loss.
Methods: The study adopted a mixed methods research strategy using an exploratory
sequential design to identify KM practices and their effectiveness in addressing the issue of
tacit knowledge loss. The qualitative data was collected through the interviews and document
analysis of 2018 annual reports in nine SOEs across five market sectors. A survey questionnaire
was distributed to 585 respondents, with a 25% response rate (145) for quantitative data in
three SOEs.
Results: The results revealed that the majority of the SOEs lacked KM practices in their
structures. The lack of KM practices implies that the SOEs are lagging behind in knowledge
protective capacities to mitigate the risks inherent in the organisational tacit knowledge loss.
With many South African SOEs, facing all these sorts of knowledge loss risks and a lack of KM
practices to mitigate them, achieving the objectives of a developmental state remains a far
fetched idea.
Conclusion: The absence of KM practices negatively affected knowledge transfer and retention
in most of the SOEs. A lack of KM practices will negatively affect their performance and their
sustainability to deliver on their developmental mandate. Investment in KM practices will
assist SOEs to mitigate the risks associated with loss of organisational tacit knowledge
The role of dimension and electric charge on a collapsing geometry in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity
No full textThe analysis of the continual gravitational contraction of a spherically symmetric
shell of charged radiation is extended to higher dimensions in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet
gravity. The spacetime metric, which is of Boulware–Deser type, is real only up to a
maximumelectric charge and thus collapse terminates with the formation of a branch
singularity. This branch singularity divides the higher dimensional spacetime into two
regions, a real and physical one, and a complex region. This is not the case in neutral
Einstein–Gauss–Bonnetgravityaswellasgeneralrelativity. The charged gravitational
collapse process is also similar for all dimensions N ≥ 5 unlike in the neutral scenario
where there is a marked difference between the N = 5 and N > 5 cases. In the
case where N = 5uncharged collapse ceases with the formation of a weaker, conical
singularity which remains naked for a time depending on the Gauss–Bonnet invariant,
beforesuccumbingtoaneventhorizon.Thesimilarityofchargedcollapseforallhigher
dimensionsisauniquefeatureinthetheory.Thesufficientconditionsfortheformation
of anakedsingularity are studied for the higher dimensional charged Boulware–Deser
spacetime. For particular choices of the mass and charge functions, naked branch
singularities are guaranteed and indeed inevitable in higher dimensional Einstein
Gauss–Bonnet gravity. The strength of the naked branch singularities is also tested
andit is found that these singularities become stronger with increasing dimension, and
no extension of spacetime through them is possible
Collapsing radiating stars with various equations of state
No full textWe study the gravitational collapse of radiating stars in the context of the cosmic censorship conjecture. We consider a generalized Vaidya spacetime with three concentric regions. The local internal atmosphere is a two-component system consisting of standard pressure-free, null radiation and an additional string fluid with energy density and nonzero pressure obeying all physically realistic energy conditions. The middle region is purely radiative which matches to a third region which is the Schwarzschild exterior. We outline the general mathematical framework to study the conditions on the mass function so that future-directed nonspacelike geodesics can terminate at the singularity in the past. Mass functions for several equations of state are analyzed using this framework and it is shown that the collapse in each case terminates at a locally naked central singularity. We calculate the strength of these singularities to show that they are strong curvature singularities which implies that no extension of spacetime through them is possible
Evolution in online learning : implications for South African higher educational institutions in post COVID-19
No full textThe Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to online learning, leading to significant changes in higher education institutions in South Africa and across the world. The importance of online learning has increased, and institutions are now challenged with providing a high quality, adaptable, and accessible education in a digital setting. In order to fully embrace online teaching and learning, this demands institutions to make investments in digital infrastructure and reevaluate pedagogical practices. In this literature review paper, we use PRISMA methodology to examine the discipline of online teaching and learning, the strategies used by universities during the epidemic, and the online teaching and learning strategies used in the post pandemic period. We explore how the Covid-19 epidemic has altered the online learning environment in South African higher education institutions in the post pandemic period. The review results established that in order to provide high-quality education to students across the country, South African higher education institutions need to make a flexible and accessible education, rethink pedagogical methodologies, and implement best practices in online learning. We recommend that higher institutions, policymakers, and stakeholders must work together to ensure that online learning remains a viable and successful modality of instruction in the post-Covid-19 era
Molecular interactions of binary mixtures of deep eutectic solvents with organic solutes
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Applied Sciences in Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.Deep eutectic solvents are the new emerging solvents formed by the combination of hydrogen bond acceptor and hydrogen bond donor. This type of solvent is still under development for possible industrial application including in chemistry, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical processes. The deep eutectic solvents have attracted much attention because they are characterized as greener solvents when compared to the currently used volatile organic solvents. Deep eutectic solvents are to replace the ionic liquids, which are posed as green solvents, however, their toxic nature has turned to be its drawbacks. The deep eutectic solvents attracted great interest due to their unique properties such as biodegradability, thermal stability, less toxicity, easy and cheap to prepare.
This work explores the activity coefficients at infinite dilution of deep eutectic solvents. The deep eutectic solvents under investigation were carefully synthesized using hydrogen bond donors (HBD) and hydrogen acceptors (HBA) at a specific ratio. The analysis of these prepared deep eutectic solvents were analysed using spectroscopic techniques (FTIR and NMR) to confirm the formation of deep eutectic solvents and the type of interaction occurring between the HBD and the HBA. Additionally, thermal stability of the prepared deep eutectic solvents was investigated. The DESs were then used to measure the activity coefficients at infinite dilution for volatile organic compounds (alkanes, alkene, alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, alcohols and thiophene) using the chromatography technique. The activity coefficients at infinite dilutions were conducted over a range of temperature (313.15 - 353.15) K. The prepared deep eutectic solvents for this include.
DES1 {1- butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride + ethylene glycol (1:3)}
DES2 {1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride + diethylene glycol (1:2)}
DES3 {1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate + ethylene glycol (1:3)}
DES4 {1 -butyl-2,3-dimethylImidazolium tetrafluoroborate + diethylene glycol (1:3))
The study also focuses on understanding the behaviour of these DES through a comprehensive analysis of their thermophysical characteristics and their ability to dissolve solutes at infinite dilution. The investigation revealed intriguing trends in the solvation behaviour of different classes of solutes within the DES. Alkanes exhibited higher activity coefficients, with a clear dependence on the alkyl chain length. Cyclic hydrocarbons showed distinct behaviour due to stronger interactions with the imidazolium ring. Alkynes demonstrated the lowest activity coefficients, attributed to the presence of triple bonds influencing solute-solvent interactions. Aromatic hydrocarbons exhibited unique solvation behaviour influenced by the delocalized pi- π- electrons on the benzene ring.
To use the deep eutectic solvents at an industrial level, it is highly imperative to understand the intermolecular interactions and properties of the pure deep eutectic solvents and their mixtures with volatile organic solutes. The prepared deep eutectic solvents for thermophysical properties include.
DES5 (1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bromide + ethylene glycol)
DES6 (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride + ethylene glycol)
Thermophysical properties, such as densities, speed of sound, and refractive indices were measured as a function of temperature. The study investigated the binary mixtures containing (DES5 + acetic acid or ethanol) and (DES 6 + acetic acid or ethanol). These were investigated at temperatures ranging between (293.15 and 313.15) K and at atmospheric pressure (0.1MPa) over a range of mole fraction (1= 0 to 1) as a function of DES. The measured property values were used to compute the excess properties such as excess molar volumes, isentropic compressibilities, deviation in refractive indices, deviation in isentropic compressibilities and intermolecular free length. The data obtained provides insights into the molecular interactions within the DESs, shedding light on their structural arrangements and overall stability.
This study contributes to the fundamental understanding of deep eutectic solvents, offering a detailed exploration of their thermophysical properties and their solvation behaviour at infinite dilution. The findings have implications for the design and optimization of DESs for various applications, including their use as green solvents in chemical processes and separations.
The potential role blue flag status plays in promoting sustainable coastal tourism, Mthunzini Beach, uMlalazi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textThis paper investigates the role of using a blue flag (BF) as a marketing tool for
promoting tourism within Mthunzini Beach in South Africa. Although Blue
Flags are expensive and difficult to maintain, there is limited research on
whether blue flags are effective in promoting coastal areas as tourism destinations. This is a study of the uMlalazi Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, home to Mthunzini Beach. Although Mthunzini Beach is
environmentally sensitive, it could advance local economic growth by attracting
more tourists to the region. This paper investigates the role of the Blue Flag as a
marketing tool that can both protect the environment and simultaneously
promote coastal tourism. Thus, this study is underpinned by the theory of
ecological economics where there is a balance between being sensitive to the
environment and to economic gains. Sixteen (16) semi-structured interviews
were conducted with conservation managers, environmentalists, tourism
officers, and the conservancy chairperson at Mthunzini Beach. Results show
that the Blue Flag is recommended as an effective marketing tool that can
preserve the environment and promote tourism development. However, much
work needs to be done by investing in supporting infrastructure such as parking
facilities, waste disposal, security, and upgrading the ablution facilities