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Creative and self-exploratory education for children in Batho
No full textDuring 2017, I spent a year in the Netherlands as an Au pair to four children. Their ages varied from two to nine years old. Being a part of their daily lives and seeing how they developed within their educational environment, is what inspired me to research and investigate early childhood development for a M.arch (professional) dissertation. Because South Africa and the Netherlands are two completely different countries in terms of basic education and technology. My interest arose around the question of whether it would be possible to propose a project which addresses the same educational needs for South African children when the resources are so different to those in the Netherlands. Both countries are heading into the 21st century faced with the fourth industrial revolution and South Africa desperately needs to develop children that are able to take control of their future and shape the future of our country. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate whether the way in which children are educated today especially with reference to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is still suitable for the skills needed in the 21st century and how schools can shift their focus toward a more sustainable education, regarding the skills children need to develop. Schools are designed around what adults decide children should learn to become competent adults. Schools, although we would like to think of them as such, are not designed around what benefits the child. They have become strict and ordered to assist the adult to keep control of the children. The significance of education in the 21st century becomes more important as time moves on. The ever-changing world and the increase in the need for new and better technology, requires upcoming entrepreneurs who understand how different technologies can be combined to produce efficient and innovative ideas and products that accommodate a rapidly changing world.This dissertation proposes to design a school that integrates and incorporates creative spaces, allowing for self-exploratory play as a means of education, outside and within scheduled classes. The purpose of the design is to create spaces that encourage children to develop skills and educate themselves without having to change the existing curriculum – spaces that are safe, actively used and stimulate each child’s developing qualities. Childhood education and development are important because with the right education from an early stage, young adults who have earned their Senior certificate (matric) will be better equipped for universities, the labour market and the 21st century
Re-interpreting the invisible boundaries of Bloemfontein: transforming the unconscious edges of familiarity into liminal spaces through architectural influences
No full textThe dissertation was derived from a concept on the geographical analysis of the Bloemfontein context. The investigation came to a realisation that there are invisible boundaries in the city that are created by its residents/inhabitants. These boundaries are formed when the inhabitants primarily participate in specific segments of the city. This is often a result of the day-to-day needs which are sustained by utilities including stores, filling stations, markets, etc. The city is divided into various communal districts, to distinguish between sectors and to aid orientation. Today, 54 percent of the world’s population occupies urban development globally. A proportion expected to increase to 66 percent by 2050 (United Nations, 2014). Concurrently, this particular phenomenon increases the vehicular use in the city context and consequently affects traffic cascade and efficiency. The effortlessness of daily commute around and within a city has a considerable effect on its participation, tourism enticement, daily enterprise and the quality of life. Bloemfontein has established a commuter bus system that assists the daily transitions of its dwellers. However, the system has not adapted to modern-day transit. With the increased automotive transport in the city, the roads have gained congestion since the inception of the system and have therefore lengthened the process of moving from point A to point B. Secondly, the city appreciation and unique experience have depreciated over the years, primarily due to the constraints of vehicle manoeuvre. This escalating phenomenon eliminates the narrative the city can tell, relinquishing the precious gems of Bloemfontein. With regard to the above-mentioned scenarios, the dissertation proposes a Bus Rapid Transit system. Utilising this type of system, the citizens can discover other parts of the city other than the ones they are familiar with. They can appreciate the visual treasures Bloemfontein offers, in the comfort of a transit system.CSI
Optimal portfolio selection with uncertain implicit transaction costs in a dynamic stochastic framework
No full textThis thesis proposes scenario-based approaches and decision models for some problem contexts in investment decision-making which include (i) optimal portfolio investment in periods of economic booms and recessions, (ii) the incorporation of uncertainty in implicit transaction costs incurred in initial trading and in subsequent rebalancing of portfolios, and (iii) the development of a strategy that captures uncertainty in stock prices and in corresponding implicit trading costs by way of scenarios. The method ological advances of the thesis offer several novel insights into the above decision problems. Firstly, the mean absolute deviation model is developed and extended into a stochastic multi-stage model that incorporates uncertainty of implicit transaction costs, asset returns and risk in optimal portfolio selection. This methodology allows investors and investment managers to choose optimal portfolios realising the impact of associated uncertain implicit transaction costs. Secondly, a stochastic multi-stage trading cost model is developed that also takes into account uncertainty of implicit transaction costs, assets’ returns and portfolio risk. This strategy generates optimal portfolios by minimising total implicit transaction costs incurred. Thirdly, a multi-stage stochastic optimal portfolio policy that minimises maximum downside risk in the presence of uncertain implicit transaction costs is proposed. This strategy is appropriate for a risk-averse and conservative investor who is highly concerned about the performance of his portfolio in an economic recession environment. Fourthly, a dynamic stochastic methodology in optimal portfolio selection that maximises upside deviations (investment opportunities) and minimises maximum downside risk while taking into account uncertain implicit transaction costs incurred in initial trading and recourse times is developed. Lastly, the mean-variance model is extended to become multi-period and to incorporate uncertainty in implicit transaction costs, asset returns and portfolio risk. All the proposed models capture uncertainty in implicit transaction costs, portfolio return and risk by way of scenarios
The status of the public protector within the governance framework in South Africa
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2019The Public Protector (PP) is a genus of the Ombudsman and its status within governance has been a controversial subject in the national discourse in South Africa. This institution was created in terms of Section 181 of the Constitution as part of the coterie of institutions mandated to protect and strengthen constitutional democracy. These institutions are colloquially called the Chapter 9 institutions. They have been described as not forming part of government, although they are an integral part of the governance system in South Africa. It has become necessary to study the status of one of these institutions, namely the PP, within the governance framework in South Africa. The governance framework consists of the institutions that form the trias politica, the co-operative government and the organs of state, as defined in Section 239 of the Constitution. This research has indicated that the PP, like all other Chapter 9 institutions, exists outside the trias politica and co-operative government framework, but it is an organ of state as defined in Section 239. As a result of this complex status of the PP within the governance framework, the researcher has defined its place as being part of co- operative governance, although it is not part of co-operative government, as defined in Chapter 3 of the Constitution. This characterisation of the status of the PP means that it is not part of the intergovernmental framework and it is not restricted by the legal and structural strictures of this framework, but it is required to co-operate with other organs of state to achieve its objectives of protecting and strengthening constitutional democracy and promoting good governance. This study has been a normative exercise, which places the PP within the trilogy of normative frameworks: the governance and Ombudsman theoretical frameworks; good governance as a normative function; and the normative values that inform the ethics of the PP as a genus of the Ombudsman. The study’s findings and recommendations seek to further elucidate and embed the status of the PP within the governance framework in South Africa. Therefore, it makes an original contribution to the interdisciplinary science of Governance and Political Transformation.
___________________________________________________________________Die Openbare Beskermer (OB) is 'n genus van die Ombudsman en die OB se status in regeringsbestuur is 'n kontroversiële onderwerp in die nasionale diskoers in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie instelling is ingevolge Artikel 181 van die Grondwet geskep as deel van die samestelling van instellings wat opdrag gegee is om grondwetlike demokrasie te beskerm en te versterk. Hierdie instellings word in die volksmond die Hoofstuk 9-instellings genoem. Hulle word nie beskryf as deel van die regering nie, hoewel hulle 'n integrale deel van die regeringstelsel in Suid-Afrika is. Dit het nodig geword om die status van een van hierdie instellings, naamlik die OB, binne die bestuursraamwerk in Suid-Afrika te bestudeer. Die bestuursraamwerk bestaan uit die instellings wat die trias politica, die samewerkende regering en die staatsorgane vorm, soos omskryf in Artikel 239 van die Grondwet. Hierdie navorsing het aangedui dat die OB, soos alle ander hoofstuk 9-instellings, buite die trias politica en samewerkende regeringsraamwerk bestaan, maar dit is 'n staatsorgaan soos omskryf in Artikel 239. As gevolg van hierdie komplekse status van die OB binne die bestuursraamwerk het die navorser sy plek gedefinieer as deel van samewerkende regering, alhoewel dit nie deel is van samewerkende regering nie, soos omskryf in Hoofstuk 3 van die Grondwet. Hierdie karakterisering van die status van die OB beteken dat dit nie deel is van die interregeringsraamwerk nie en dit word nie beperk deur die wetlike en strukturele beperkings van hierdie raamwerk nie, maar daar word vereis dat dit met ander staatsorgane moet saamwerk om die doelwitte te bereik om grondwetlike demokrasie te beskerm en te versterk en goeie regering te bevorder. Hierdie studie was 'n normatiewe oefening wat die OB binne die trilogie van normatiewe raamwerke plaas: die bestuur en Ombudsman teoretiese raamwerke; goeie regeringsbestuur as 'n normatiewe funksie; en die normatiewe waardes wat die etiek van die OB as 'n genus van die Ombudsman inlig. Die studie se bevindinge en aanbevelings poog om die status van die OB binne die bestuursraamwerk in Suid-Afrika verder toe te lig en vas te lê. Daarom lewer dit 'n oorspronklike bydrae tot die interdissiplinêre wetenskap van Regeringsbestuur en Politieke Transformasie.
___________________________________________________________________Mosireletsi wa setjhaba ke mohlalefi wa Monamoledi mme le boemo ba hae ka hara puso le Mosebetsi wa hae ke o hlokolosi ka hara puso ya setjhaba Afrika Borwa. Lefapha lena le thehilwe ho ikamahantswe le molao wa motheo karolong ya 181 ya karolwana ya molao wa motheo o reretsweng ho sireletsa le ho baballa matla a molao wa metheo ya puso ya setjhaba ka setjhaba. Ditsi tsena di bitswa tsa Kgaolo ya 9. Di hlahiswa di sa etse karolo ya puso, leha e le hore ke karolo ya bohlokwa ya puso naheng ya Afrika Borwa. Ho bile bohlokwa sebakeng sa diphuputso tsena ho ithuta boemo ba setsi sena, e leng sa mosereletsi wa setjhaba ka hara puso ya Afrika Borwa. Puso e na le makala a etsang boraro ba polotiki, kopanelo ya puso le makala a naha a hlaloswang ke kgaolo ya 239 ya molao wa motheo wa naha. Diphuputso tsena di bontshitse hore mosireletsi wa setjhaba, ka ho tshwana le dikgaolo tse ding tsa 9 tsa ditsi tsohle, le tsa kopanelo ya puso, ke karolo ya naha jwalo kaha e hlaloswa ke kgaolo ya 239. Ka lebaka la ho se hlake ha boemo ba mosireletsi wa setjhaba ka hara puso, leha e le hore ha se karolo ya kopanelo ya mmuso, ho ya ka tlhaloso ya kgaolo ya 3, ya molaotheo. Sebopeho sa boemo ba mosireletsi wa setjhaba, se bolela hore ha se karolo ya puso le hore ha a tshwarwe matsoho ke molao le meolwane e behilweng ya molao, empa o a hlokeha ka hara kopanelo le mafapha a mang a naha ho fihlela dipheo tsa yona tsa ho sireletsa le ho ntlafatsa molao wa motheo wa puso ya setjhaba ka setjhaba le ho beha maemong a sehlohlolong a mekgwa e metle ya puso. Diphuputso tsena ke mohato wa tataiso, o tla beha mosireletsi wa setjhaba leseding la moo a lokelang ka hara maoto a mararo a tsamaiso eleng puso le Monamoledi; ho sebetsa ha puso e ntle ya boleng e tataiswang ke mekgwa e amohelehang ya Mosireletsi wa Setjhaba e bile e le mohlalefi wa Monamoledi. Ditshibollo tsa diphuputso tsena le dikgothaletso tsa tsona di batla ho hlakisa le ho lokisa boemo ba Mosireletsi wa Setjhaba ka hara puso ya Afrika Borwa. Ka hona, boithuto bona bo etsa tlatsetso e esong ho etswe ho mafapha a tsa mahlale a puso ya bopolotiki bo fetohileng.
___________________________________________________________________UMvikeli Womphakathi (Public Protector) uwuhlobo lomphenyi futhi isikhundla sakhe phakathi kwezokubusa sibe yindatshana enokuphikisana enkulumweni kazwelonke eNingizimu Afrikha. Lesi sikhungo sakhiwe ngokweSigaba se-181 soMthethosisekelo njengengxenye yezikhungo ezigunyazwe ukuvikela nokuqinisa intando yeningi. Lezi zikhungo zibizwa ngezikhungo zeSahluko sesi-9. Bachazwe njengabangeyona ingxenye kahulumeni, nakuba beyingxenye ebalulekile yohlelo lokubusa eNingizimu Afrikha. Sekunesidingo sokuthi kufundwe ngesikhundla sesinye salezi zikhungo, ukubalula nje isikhundla soMvikeli Womphakathi, ngaphakathi kohlaka lokubusa eNingizimu Afrikha. Uhlaka lokubusa luqukethe izikhungo ezakha amandla amathathu azimele esizwe (phecelezi i-trias politica), uhulumeni onokubambisana nezinhlaka zombuso, njengoba kuchazwe eSigabeni sama-239 soMthethosisekelo. Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi uMvikeli Womphakathi, njengazo zonke ezinye izikhungo zeSahluko 9, isebenza ngaphandle kwamandla amathathu azimele esizwe kanye nohlaka lukahulumeni onokubambisana, kodwa uwuhlaka lukahulumeni njengoba luchazwe eSigabeni sama-239. Ngenxa yalesi sikhundla esididayo soMvikeli Womphakathi ngaphakathi kohlaka lokubusa, umcwaningi uchaze indawo yakhe njengengxenye yokubusa ngokubambisana, yize noma engeyona ingxenye kahulumeni onokubambisana, njengoba kuchazwe eSahlukweni sesi-3 soMthethosisekelo. Lokhu kuchazwa kwesikhundla soMvikeli Womphakathi kusho ukuthi asiyona ingxenye yohlaka oluphakathi kuhulumeni futhi asivinjelwe yimithetho nesakhiwo salolu hlaka, kodwa kuyadingeka ukuthi sisebenzisane nezinye izinhlaka zombuso ukuze kufezwe izinjongo zaso zokuvikela kanye nokuqinisa intando yeningi kanye nokukhuthaza ukubusa okuhle. Lolu cwaningo kube umsebenzi wokuhlola, obeka uMvikeli Womphakathi ngaphakathi kwezinhlaka ezintathu zokuhlola: ukubusa kanye nezinhlaka zenjululwazi zomphenyi; ukubusa okuhle njengomsebenzi wokuhlola; kanye nemigomo yokuhlola echaza izimiso zokuziphatha zoMvikeli Womphakathi njengohlobo lomphenyi. Okutholwe yilolu cwaningo kanye nezincomo zifuna ukuqhubeka nokucacisa nokugxilisa isikhundla soMvikeli Womphakathi ngaphakathi kohlaka lokubusa eNingizimu Afrikha. Ngakho-ke ifaka igalelo emkhakheni wesayensi ezinhlakeni ezahlukene Zokubusa Nokuguqulwa kwezombusazwe.
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The achievement of university access: conversion factors, capabilities and choices
No full textIn the light both of persistent inequality of education opportunities for low income families and a wide equality gap in South Africa, this article explores students’ university access by applying Amartya Sen’s capability approach to a South African case study. The article demonstrates empirically that access is more than an individual project, shaped both by objective conditions and subjective biographies, that is by general conversion factors and a person’s social and personal options. Key conversion factors are material (income) and social (family, community, school, information), which produce an interlocking system of opportunity. Access thus requires more than formal opportunity to enable social mobility for all. The case study comprises qualitative interviews with diverse students in their first year at one university; illustrative narratives are selected to show different pathways, conversion factors and choices. Agency and self-efficacy emerge as especially important for making choices but also for constructing a higher education pathway where none exists for that person and her family. The article suggests that higher education has the potential to advance social mobility provided that it moves in the direction of expanding the capabilities of all students to have the choice of higher education.Publisher's versio
Designing a policy and strategy framework for black, women-owned small and medium businesses in Johannesburg and Pretoria cities, Gauteng Province
No full textThere have been numerous challenges impeding efforts of black women in establishing, growing and sustaining their small and medium businesses in South Africa. This sector is male dominated and yet, females, especially black women, are predominant in the South African economic active population. If meaningful success is to be achieved, it is imperative for both public and private sectors to formulate and implement sustainable policies and strategies to stimulate, grow and sustain black women businesses.
Black women were the focus of this study because of their historic marginalisation, economically. In this study, the insights of black female entrepreneurs hopefully provided an understanding of the challenges facing black women establishing and developing SMEs in different sectors in the South African economy
The aim of the study was to design a policy and strategy framework for black, women-owned small and medium businesses in Johannesburg and Pretoria cities, Gauteng Province. This would be achieved through identifying the obstacles faced by small and medium businesses owned by black women, and using recommendations provided by these women to design such a policy and strategy framework.
An exploratory research design and a qualitative approach to data collection were utilised to collect and analyse primary data for the study. Purposive non-probability sampling was used to identify eight black female SME entrepreneurs. The sampled black female entrepreneurs were contacted and asked to participate in the research study. Initially the sample was supposed to be drawn directly from the DTI’s various women business development and support programmes. However due to challenges experienced to schedule the actual interviews, the snowballing sampling method introduced other black female entrepreneurs outside of the DTI programmes.
Interviews with semi-structured questions were conducted with each of the entrepreneurs to collect the primary data. The focus of the interviews was to review the challenges faced by black women-owned SMEs, determine the current government policies and strategies addressing the SMEs’ challenges, and suggest ways of revising or improving the policies and strategies to promote black women-owned SMEs.
It was found that the micro challenges include: lack of finance, insufficient education and experience, lack of customer satisfaction, female gender roles, lack of marketing, lack of compliance with legislation, and lack of focus, while the macro challenges include: gender prejudices, limited access to finance, bureaucratic processes, execution failure, corruption and nepotism, delays in payments, difficult registration process, lack of infrastructure, lack of networking, and high competition.
The existing government policies and strategies to address the challenges that black women-owned SMEs contend with were as follows: BBBEE, SEDA, SEFA, B'avumile Skills Development Initiative, GWE Unit, and Gauteng Economic Propeller. However, the findings revealed that most participants were not aware of the nature of the support provided by the policies and strategies of the identified programmes
The role of the National Water Act on the adaptive capacity of commercial farmers, investigating climate in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State Province
No full textClimate change is a global phenomenon, which will continue to affect us in the near future. Studies show that climate will rapidly change as compared to previous years. This rapid change will have a great environmental, societal and economic impact on communities around the world, especially developing countries such as South Africa with limited adaptive capacity and resources. The adaptive capacity of commercial farmers can further be restricted by the ongoing amendments to the National Water Act. The main aim was to investigate the role that the National Water Act plays concerning the adaptive capacity of commercial farmers with reference to climate change in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality in the Free State Province. Questionnaires and semi-formal interviews with Government officials and commercial farmers were used to investigate the adaptive capacity within the context of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, National Water Act and climate change. A critical finding showed that failed water policy implementation strategies have a huge impact on the adaptive capacity of commercial farmers regarding climate change
Characterisation of the human papillomavirus genome and p53 mutations in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
No full textHigh-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) are ubiquitous, sexually transmitted, aetiologic agents of head and neck cancer (HNC). To date, no large-scale South African studies report on HPV type distribution and prevalence associated with head and neck cancer. In a previous study from our research group, HR-HPV was detected in biopsy samples from histologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients in a South African cohort. This study went on to determine genetic changes that accumulate within HR-HPV genomes, other than the well-researched HPV 16, that confer differences in oncogenicity. Unlike cervical carcinomas, it is unknown whether HPV variant research in HNSCC translates into clinical application.The first complete genomes of HPV 18 and HPV 31 from HNC were amplified and subjected to deep sequencing analysis. VBD 17/15, the South African HPV 18 isolate, clustered in lineage A1. Mutations were identified in the E2 and long control region (LCR) that might lead to differences in oncogenicity. Evidence of how papillomaviruses evolved is shown in this study, in a phenomenon known as linkage disequilibrium. A novel mutation of the South African isolate is described and further investigations in a larger cohort will determine whether this is a single nucleotide polymorphism unique to variants that preferentially infect the head and neck region. Although geographic and ethnic associations have been described for HPV 16 and 18, this study supports the use of alphanumeric nomenclature. Having obtained the first complete genome of HPV 31, deep sequencing analysis showed that this laryngeal carcinoma was co-infected with a closely related viral variant. HPV quasispecies has recently been described in cervical carcinoma and this is the first evidence in the head and neck region. The quasispecies described belonged to HPV 31 lineage B2. A unique deletion within the E5 gene needs to be investigated further to determine what this deletion represents to viral fitness. Polymorphisms in the LCR were investigated with pBlue-Topo® vector, a reporter gene system. Increased β-galactosidase expression was observed in the mutant that possessed a single nucleotide change within the YY1 binding site. This study provides evidence of sequence variation within HPV 31 LCR having a functional effect on viral p97 promoter activity. HPV-HNSCC is complicated by the synergistic interaction with the host. The human tumour suppressor gene, p53 was investigated for mutations in a subset of HNSCC samples. As the p53 gene is frequently mutated in most cancers, it has been proposed as a biomarker to deintensify treatment of HPV-HNSCC patients. The involvement of high-risk HPV in HNSCC is an alternative mechanism to inactivate the p53 protein function. Evidence of p53 mutations was shown, with a predominance of substitution patterns that are induced by a carcinogen from tobacco smoke. Immunostaining of p16 as a biomarker of HPV infection did not correlate with HPV detection by PCR. It is unknown whether the genomes of participants of African descent are too diverse from the reference genome used in this study to accurately use frequency and functional data of known mutations. All of the mutations within this study were detected within intron 5. Whether there may be mutations lying outside of the area investigated or whether other cancer driver genes are involved in tumourigenesis of this cohort of HNSCC samples is still to be determined. Sequence data for South African isolates from patients with HNSCC adds to the global understanding of this virus-related epidemic and contributes to elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of HPV infection in HNC in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in light of high HPV burden in the cervix.National Research Foundation (NRF)Poliomyelitis Research Foundatio
Resistance to e-magazine adoption by mobile phone users: A South African consumer study
Get PDFDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2019In recent years, the publishing industry has experienced competition from social media,
online publications and the proliferation of free information on the Internet. As a result digital
publishing started to grow during the 2000s and an e-magazine evolved as a digital replica
of a printed magazine. Even though e-magazines became available to the consumer to be
read on electronic devices including mobile phones; consumers continued to demonstrate
a preference for the physical or printed copy of a magazine, and showed reluctance to
explore the digital version. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence South
African consumers’ resistance to the adoption of e-magazines on mobile phones. A
conceptual model was developed to study resistance behaviour in the adoption of emagazines
on mobile phones. The conceptual model consisted of the following constructs:
inertia, usage barrier, value barrier, risk barrier, tradition barrier, image barrier, attitude,
postponement, opposition and rejection. The research design of this study was quantitative and of a cross-sectional nature due to
the data being gathered from a large sample at a particular time. Due to convenience and
for time-saving purposes, convenience sampling was done by means of the distribution of
self-completion questionnaires to a sample size of 358 respondents that represented the
population of magazine readers in South Africa. Primary data was collected through the
distribution of the digital self-completion questionnaires to registered students at the
Business School of the University of the Free State with the permission of the director; as
well as on Facebook and LinkedIn groups. The questions in the questionnaire were kept
to a minimum in order to mitigate the risk of loss of work time by allowing for completion
within 20 minutes. IBM SPSS version 25 and SmartPLS version 3.2.8 software was used
to analyse the collected data. The main findings of the study were as follows. Mobile phone users’ inertia has a positive
influence on all five barriers: usage barrier, value barrier, risk barrier, tradition barrier and
image barrier. The following three barriers had a negative influence on mobile phone users’
attitude towards e-magazines: usage barrier, value barrier and image barrier. The risk
barrier and the tradition barrier did not influence mobile phone users’ attitude towards emagazines.
From the results it became evident that inertia did not have a direct influence on mobile phone users’ attitude towards e-magazines, when controlling for the influences of the five innovation resistance barriers. In turn, mobile phone users’ attitude towards emagazines
had a negative influence on two of the three types of resistance behaviour:
opposition and rejection. Mobile phone users’ attitude towards the adoption of e-magazines
proved not to influence postponement negatively, but that the influence was positive. Mobile
phone users’ attitude towards the adoption of e-magazines thus enhanced mobile phone
users’ adoption postponement. In conclusion, the study provided managers and magazine publishers with
recommendations on how to eliminate factors that contribute towards the resistance of emagazine
adoption on mobile phones. Recommendations were also given to promote the
adoption of the digital product, an e-magazine, amongst South African consumers
An analysis of virtual teams working in higher education online programme management projects in South Africa
No full textDissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2019Virtual teams (VTs) achieve shared goals despite not being co
located, by relying on electronic communicati on media. The use of VTs trans pires into higher education
(HE), allowing them to participate and compete in an ever changing world. In this
study, the focus is on VTs that work on higher education projects in partnership with
an online programme management (OPM) company in South Africa (SA). It provides
the opportunity to study VTs not only in a single organisation, but between different
organisations and at different levels between organisations. The study aims to
investigate VTs, in particular the advanta ges, challenges and success fa ctors that
contribute towards the performance of VTs. The study was an explorative qualitative
case study, making use of nine semi structured interviews followed by a thematic
analysis of the data. The experience and opinions of participants in this study were,
in general, not surprising, and aligned with those documented in previous research
studies. The participants did, however, confirm that VTs in combination with working
virtually across two different organisations (Higher Ed Partners SA and HE
institu tions) present unique challenges and advantages. The interviewees shared
challenges that all VTs face, e.g. the absence of face to face contact, challenges
caused by technology due to bandwidth issues and unstable internet con nections,
and barriers to comm unication and the building of trust. However, circumstances
beyond their control such as load shedding and on campus student riots added to a
more complex work environment. The participants did, despite the challenges,
indicat e that these challenges are no t insurmountable and that they would prefer to
continue working as VTs due to the advantages offered