11613 research outputs found
Sort by
Entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction in the Afromontane region: analysing the livelihood strategies of female entrepreneurs in Qwaqwa
No full textResilience in female entrepreneurship appears as a significant component that critically influences the achievement and capacity to overcome vulnerabilities inherent in the development and management of businesses. Up to now, various scholars in the field of entrepreneurship have understood resilience as a response to adversity extreme events, or disasters. However, this study understands resilience as the ability to bounce back after exposure to vulnerabilities. Concerning female entrepreneurship, this study understands entrepreneurship resilience as the ability of female entrepreneurs to bounce back and reduce their vulnerabilities. To understand entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction of female entrepreneurs, this study conducted a systematic literature review which indicated that there is an existing gap in the literature on entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction of female entrepreneurs in marginalised regions like the Afromontane. Thus, due to this existing literature gap, less is known about the vulnerabilities encountered by female entrepreneurs in the Afromontane regions. In the Afromontane regions like QwaQwa for instance, female entrepreneurs are exposed to multidimensional vulnerabilities due to weak resilience capacity. Furthermore, due to a lack of empirical research and a gap in the literature on entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction, there is less knowledge on the resilience-building strategies that female entrepreneurs in this region can use to reduce their vulnerability exposure. To address the issue of vulnerability and resilience of female entrepreneurs and close this existing gap in literature and knowledge, this study explored entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction of female entrepreneurs in the Afromontane. It particularly analysed the livelihood strategies of female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa to understand the vulnerabilities they are exposed to, their vulnerability reduction, and entrepreneurship resilience capacity.
This study followed a multi-theoretical framework to understand the multidimensional vulnerabilities encountered by female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa as well as their resilience to these vulnerabilities. In line with the research objectives, a qualitative approach was followed to understand the experiences and perceptions of female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa. Through a participatory approach, a total of 27 female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa were involved in this study. These participants were selected through snowball sampling. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, life history narratives, transect walks, and entrepreneurship hotspot analysis. Data was thematically analysed using ATLAS ti 22 version. The findings of the study indicate that female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa are exposed to multidimensional vulnerabilities. To reduce their vulnerabilities and strengthen their resilience, the female entrepreneurs in QwaQwa rely on various types of capital. However, though they rely on capital, their vulnerability exposure remains high while their resilience capacity remains low. They have a higher vulnerability exposure and low resilience capacity. The scientific evidence brought by this study indicates that there is a lack of research on female entrepreneurs, resilience, and vulnerability reduction in the QwaQwa region, precisely in QwaQwa. Given this gap in research and literature, female entrepreneurs in this region continue to experience multidimensional vulnerabilities. In an attempt to contribute to the body of knowledge of entrepreneurship resilience and vulnerability reduction, this study developed a vulnerability reduction and entrepreneurship resilience model from the study findings and multi-theoretical framework.
This study hopes that female entrepreneurs in the future will apply the developed model to reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their entrepreneurship resilience capacity.
Recommendations for policy development and future research emerged and have been provided by this study
Hybrid working system from a civil servant perspective: a case of the National Treasury of South Africa
No full textOrganisations all around the world are focusing critically on implementing hybrid work systems as a result of changing work dynamics, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, careless system implementation can lead to inefficiencies, misalignment of team goals, and lower production. This study examines the challenges and merits of implementing hybrid work systems, particularly at the National Treasury of South Africa. The study addressed the inadequacies in the adoption of hybrid work systems, which has impeded employee alignment with team goals and organisational efficiency. A qualitative research design informed by the interpretivism philosophy was used to acquire profound insights into employee experiences and perspectives. Structured interviews were utilised to gather data from a sample of twelve (12) National Treasury officials. This allowed for a thorough investigation of the implementation-related concerns. The key themes include the origin of the hybrid working system, employee awareness about the hybrid working system, barriers to the application of the hybrid working system, positive and negative impact of the working systems on productivity and performance at the National Treasury of South Africa. These key findings indicate that while hybrid work systems can save operating costs and boost efficiency, their effectiveness primarily hinges on maintaining employee alignment with team objectives and offering continuous, tailored training and support. Staff familiarisation with the digital tools and workflows necessary to maximise productivity in a hybrid work environment is made possible by these training programs. The study recommends that, the National Treasury of South Africa implement more adaptable work schedules considering employees' preferences and commitments. By doing so, businesses may enhance worker satisfaction, which will boost output and create a more effective compelling hybrid work environment
The failure factors of change management initiatives within a large insurance organisation
No full textDissertation(MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2024Change management is an important concept for leading organisations through changes and transitions, by helping them adapt to new organisational strategies that are often put in place to increase an organisation’s capability, competitive landscape, and, often, to increase market share.
Apart from strategic changes, organisations, specifically insurance organisation, are often expected to comply with regulatory requirements and therefore need to be in a position to effect those changes should there be any regulatory changes from the bodies that govern the industry. The insurance industry is an environment categorised by strict regulations, technological advancement, and client expectations that evolve regularly; therefore, effective change management ensures that the organisations have operational resilience and are continuously at a competitive advantage.
This qualitative study explored the factors that contributed to the failure of change management initiatives within MMA in Gauteng, South Africa. The study made use of the descriptive research design and engaged 14 participants, through semi structured interviews to gather data and insights on the challenges that were encountered by the organisation when implementing change. The participants were employed within the organisation and were directly involved in change efforts.
The most important research findings were identified to include but not limited to change saturation, a culture of entitlement, insufficient or lack of understanding of the organisation’s strategic objectives, insufficient or lack of leadership commitment which contributed to the communication and engagement gap highlighted by some of the participants. The absence or lack of a designated change methodology was also highlighted by the participants as a critical contributor to change initiatives failing in the organisation. The literature review conducted demonstrated that these findings were not isolated to this organisation; rather, this was a global challenge faced by various institutions globally
Creating an action research-based framework for blended Mathematics Teacher Development in Rural South African Schools
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Mathematics, Science and Technology Education))--University of the Free State, 2024This thesis describes a participatory action research study that creates a framework for a blended mathematics teacher development programme in rural South African schools. The literature highlights the importance of integrating cognitive, social, and teaching presence to enhance teacher engagement in blended learning environments. However, a gap exists between practice and theory, particularly in applying blended learning to mathematics teacher development in rural contexts. This study addresses the gap by moving from an online-dominant to a traditional face-to-face (F2F) blended approach, leveraging manipulative and structured curriculum resources to trigger teachers’ interest in Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (MKT). In this study, this approach led to open conversations, exploration of online MKT resources, and improved engagement.
The study employed a mixed-methods instrumental case study design across four action-research cycles, with 46 teachers from seven low-quintile schools participating in the PG Bison Infundo EC Schools Project. Data were collected through questionnaires, classroom observations, workshops, reflective journals, and semi-structured interviews. A combination of inductive and deductive qualitative data analysis was used, with the Community of Inquiry and Engagement Theory providing analytical frameworks for consistent indicator development.
The findings showed that teachers engage more meaningfully in the programme activities while following a traditional blended, low-tech approach. I suggest that this is due to low ICT skills and consistent connectivity issues in rural areas. The significance of this research is the explicit explanation of the importance of the low-tech traditional F2F approach to blended learning, how it can be designed and implemented, and the value of Community of Inquiry Theory through facilitating mathematics teacher development programmes. Furthermore, it highlights the difficulty of the online approach to blended learning in rural South African schools. This Blended Mathematics Teacher Development framework should be valuable to programme developers and contribute to educational and teaching practice in rural, under-resourced education contexts
Exploring South African school management response to COVID-19 pandemic: case of selected schools in Petsana, South Africa
Get PDFDissertation (M.Ed.(Education Management and Leadership))--University of the Free State, 2024Public schools’ management faces different challenges, ranging from a lack of an effective mechanism to manage the COVID-19 pandemic when it struck. This study explored management’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in public schools. The Strategic Management Theory as a theoretical framework for the study assist the researcher to come up with strategic plans capable of helping public schools’ management to manage their schools effectively. The study is situated in transformative paradigm and adopted a Participatory Research Design to enhance public school management strategies towards effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic in schools. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. This is appropriately in line with the qualitative research approach since it understands the experiences of individuals through non-numerical data. The participants comprised nine (9) people: public school principals, deputy principals and departmental heads. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique to select the principals and deputy principals and convenient sampling to select the departmental heads. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data generated through a qualitative research approach. The study found that syllabus reduction, shortage of teachers and absenteeism, and workload pressure are challenging that school management faced during the pandemic. It was also found that COVID-19 regulations, teamwork among staff members, and extra classes are methods that school management adopted to deal with the virus. It was concluded that online learning, parental involvement, and modification of the school syllabus were the best possible solutions that might help deal with such a pandemic in the future
Teachers’ lived experiences of school violence and their coping strategies
No full textSchool violence perpetrated against teachers is becoming a scourge in South African schools, and as a result, teachers feel stressed, depressed, unsafe and demotivated to continue teaching. This problem, which has had a severely negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning, has also permeated the entire educational system in South Africa. Hence, the emergence of this study, which applied the routine activity theory also to investigate factors influencing perpetrators (learners) to target their victims (teachers) in the absence of capable guardians. This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological case study design to establish teachers’ lived experiences of school violence and their coping strategies to improve teaching experiences. The sample size comprised eight purposively selected high school teachers who had experienced at least one form of violence at a school in the Free State Province. Data were collected via audio recordings during face-to-face semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed and analysed following Braune and Clarke’s thematic analysis approach. The findings indicate that the teachers interviewed were emotionally stressed and demotivated by their experiences of school violence. Additionally, data revealed that the teachers in the study expressed strong feelings of insecurity and disappointment with the teaching profession. Regarding teachers’ coping strategies, the findings indicate that school-based counselling services and sharing experiences with colleagues help to alleviate the influences of school violence. It is recommended that incidents of school violence experienced by teachers be reduced or even eliminated if all relevant stakeholders consider the coping strategies.Publisher's versio
Core competencies in critical care for general medical practitioners in South Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2024To prevent death or disability, critically ill patients require timeous life-sustaining interventions by competent healthcare providers. These patients often require management within an intensive care unit (ICU), although the initial resuscitation and stabilisation may happen outside of an ICU setting. Currently, there is a global shortage of intensivists or intensive care specialists. The majority of intensivists are employed at tertiary hospitals in major cities. At district and regional hospitals in South Africa, which are generally located outside major cities, critical care services are often provided by medical practitioners who are not intensivists. The problem is that the undergraduate medical curriculum does not provide dedicated critical care training and, therefore, there is uncertainty regarding the competency of non-intensivist medical practitioners to provide critical care services.
In order to address the problem stated, three research questions are addressed in this thesis:
. ?
. , ?
. ?
The aim of the study was to identify deficiencies in the competency of general medical practitioners who provide critical care services to patients at the district and regional levels of healthcare in South Africa, and the overall goal was to establish which core competencies are required of general medical practitioners if they are to provide critical care to patients in South Africa.
The study was conducted in three phases, with each phase addressing one of the research questions. During phase 1, the objective was to gain deeper insight into the current state of critical care service provision in the public healthcare sector, specifically at district and regional hospitals in the Free State province of South Africa. The objective was achieved by means of a literature review and questionnaire survey among designated personnel at public sector hospitals who were knowledgeable about critical care service delivery in their respective hospitals in the Free State province and who were able to provide the required information. The findings are reported in the first draft manuscript (Title: A survey of critical care resources at district and regional public sector hospitals in the Free State province of South Africa), which describes a critical shortage of available ICU beds at regional hospitals, and reports that none of the ICUs had intensivists available.
During phase 2 of the study, the objective was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical doctors who provide care to critically ill patients at district and regional public hospitals in the Free State province of South Africa. A survey was conducted among medical practitioners and the results indicate that medical practitioners had a severe deficiency in critical care knowledge and were of the opinion that their undergraduate medical training had not prepared them adequately to manage critically ill patients. The majority responded that additional training is required. These findings are reported in the second draft manuscript (Title: A survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining critical care medicine among medical practitioners at district and regional hospitals in South Africa).
During phase 3 of the study, the objective was to establish core competencies expected of medical practitioners working in critical care settings or providing critical care services. A list of suggested core competencies was compiled, after which a Delphi study among international and national experts in the field of critical care medicine was conducted. The results of the Delphi study provide consensus recommendations on core competencies in critical care medicine and are reported in the third draft manuscript (Title: Core competencies in critical care for general medical practitioners in South Africa: A Delphi study).
The thesis concludes with recommendations with regard to a curriculum for a postgraduate diploma in critical care training programme, intended for medical practitioners already employed at hospitals where critically ill patients are managed. The training programme was compiled based on the findings of the three phases of the study. Such a training programme is suggested as a feasible solution to improve the critical care competencies of medical practitioners and, thereby, mitigate the challenges posed by the shortage of intensivists at district and regional hospitals in South Africa
Exploring gender legislation in closing the gender gap in primary schools’ leadership at Ekurhuleni district
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Education Management and Leadership))--University of the Free State, 2024Gender equality in Gauteng School's leadership remains a challenge. It is documented and encouraged for women to apply in yearly promotional circulars for school managerial positions vacancies. It shows that the gender gap, which the Ekurhuleni district aims to close, remains stagnant with gender legislation in place. Various studies have sought to understand the reasons behind the gender gap in terms of women becoming leaders, which involved socio-cultural factors. However, there has been minimum research on the effectiveness of the current gender legislation as the mechanism of ensuring gender equality is achieved in schools’ leadership. Therefore, the study explores gender legislation and their roles in achieving gender equality among school leadership. The emancipatory paradigm underpins the survey because it was concerned with transformation in terms of equality and challenging the status quo. The theoretical framework employed in this transformational leadership theory fits well with the study as it aims to transform primary school leadership to achieve gender equality in the employment of school principals. The study was qualitative to gather an in-depth understanding of the research phenomenon. Employing the narrative inquiry, the participants were able to narrate their experiences aimed at implementing gender legislation in schools' leadership. Therefore, the study's sampling comprises of two schools and the Department of Education district. The survey participants were School Governing Bodies (SGB), two union representatives, and two district officials. The selected participants were regarded as crucial parties who must apply and observe gender legislation when appointing the school leaders to meet the gender equality set target. Therefore, semi-structured interviews and document reviews were implemented during data collection. The data was analysed using themes that emerged from the data collected from the participants. The study revealed that gender legislation relies highly on the implementors, who often overlook it. Moreover, women are associated with weaknesses regarding school disciplinary measures, which is currently a crucial focus when hiring principals, resulting in males dominating the middle and top management roles and prioritising union members' affiliates for top management roles. The study recommends that all stakeholders in the Education Department should implement gender legislation in contrast to merely the selection panels, who often overlook it by imposing prejudice and self-interest agendas in leadership roles
Teachers’ topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge: a driver in understanding graphs in dynamics of market
No full textUnderstanding graphs in the dynamics of market (DM) is a challenge to learners; its teaching demands a specific kind of teacher’s knowledge. This study aims to examine the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (TSPCK) of experienced economics teachers in teaching graphs in DM to enhance learners’ understanding of the topic. It reports using a qualitative approach underpinned by the TSPCK framework for teaching specific topics developed by Mavhunga. Data were collected through classroom observations and analyzed thematically using a case study of two economics teachers. The study revealed that adopting a step-by-step approach and the use of worked graphical examples promote an understanding of graphs in DM. It also established that active learning is preferable to the predominant chalk-and-talk (lecture) method of teaching graphs in DM. The study proposed a Dynamics of Market Graphical Framework (DMG-Framework) to enable teachers, particularly pre-service teachers in lesson delivery, to enhance learners’ understanding of graphs in DM. The result of this study will broaden the international view in the teaching of graphs in DM.Publisher's versio
On some new and poorly-known Chrysillini from arid western South Africa (Araneae, Salticidae)
No full textFollowing a rapid biodiversity assessment of spiders in the arid western interior of South Africa, we report on the occurrence of some poorly known and new species of chrysilline jumping spiders. (Simon, 1901), (Wesołowska, 1986), . (Wesołowska, 1986) and Lawrence, 1927 are recorded from the Northern Cape Province for the first time, and (Wesołowska & Haddad, 2014) (Lesotho) and Wesołowska, 1986 (Angola) are recorded from South Africa for the first time, both also from the Northern Cape. The hitherto unknown females of (Wesołowska, 1986) and Haddad & Wesołowska, 2011 and the male of . are described for the first time. Three new species are described: . . (♂), . . (♂) and . . (♂♀). One new combination, (Wesołowska, 2011), . . (ex Simon, 1885), is proposed. We present the first comprehensive molecular analysis of South Africa jumping spiders, based on the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, which supports the monophyly of all but two genera ( Wesołowska, 1986 and C.L. Koch, 1833), which we briefly discuss.Publisher's versio