International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478)
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Evaluating the effectiveness of local economic development strategies within UMhlathuze Local Municipality
Get PDFLocal Economic Development strategies were formulated in response to the stipulations made by the national government of South Africa. The national mandate placed the responsibility on the local sphere of government to promote economic progression from a grassroots level and to contribute to developmental activities within the state. The National Framework LED has been created as a basis for the effective practice of LED in terms of implementation. This paper focused mainly on evaluating the effectiveness of Local Economic Development strategies in uMhlathuze Local Municipality within Empangeni town. This paper and its problem were developed by the researcher due to the growing unemployment rate in South Africa which mostly affects young people, more especially at the municipal level. The researcher was convinced to evaluate how the economic development strategies or initiatives addressing the issue of unemployment and assisting economic development within the uMhlathuze Local Municipality, intending to come up with mechanisms that may be put at hand to ensure the effectiveness of these strategies provided to address economic issues with the municipality. This paper employed qualitative methods to collect and analyze data. Qualitative data were collected from community members and staff of the municipality within the Department of Economic Development through the use of questionnaires. The analysis of qualitative data was done through thematic analysis. The findings of the research revealed that there is a communication breakdown between the community and the municipality to enable the community to use the opportunities for economic development. This paper recommends that the municipality needs to develop/advance communication methods to ensure that the community is informed and aware of the development opportunities that are provided by the community
A bibliometric analysis of the development of business incubation literature in South Africa
Get PDFThe study analyzes the development of business incubation literature in South Africa. The VOSviewer software was used to perform the bibliometric analysis of 44 articles on business incubation in South Africa conducted between 1996 and 2023 that were obtained from the Scopus database. The study has also revealed literature on business incubation started to appear in 1996 in South Africa. The study’s keyword co-occurrence analysis also revealed that the following words had the most occurrences and were clustered into the following: entrepreneurship and business incubation, business incubators and effectiveness, entrepreneurial education and informal Business, SMEs and start-up, business and sustainability, and business development and competitiveness. The study sorts the articles based on the following indicators: number of documents published in a year, eminent authors and keyword co-occurrence, which identified six categories of the most prominent research themes being covered by articles reviewed. The study only used articles that were written in English language only. Therefore, future research should consider articles written in other languages and expand the study to other regions, continents, and even global scale
Non-life insurance: The state of the art of determining the superior method for pricing automobile insurance premiums using archival technique
Get PDFThe pricing of insurance premiums in the non-life insurance sector remains a challenging and complex task. It demands a delicate balance between accurately estimating risk exposure and ensuring profitability for insurers. Generalised Linear Regression Models (GLMs) have become the preferred methods for premium price modelling in the motor insurance sector. While the approach of using a single superior model on which predictions are based ignores the use of robust estimator models. This paper examines various methodologies and sheds light on superiority of twenty-two models compared to each other for pricing automobile insurance. These methods vary from traditional actuarial methods to the modern statistical models such as machine learning algorithms. By using archival technique, their inferiority and superiority are explored, considering the ever-changing landscape of risk factors and market dynamics. Furthermore, it highlights the potential benefits of leveraging these methods and the mechanism for pricing short-term insurance, particularly in motor vehicle insurance. It also develops a framework that can be used in pricing to cater to risk analysis constituents to mitigate uncertainties and provide good services to clients. Our findings show that ANN, NN, XGB, random forest (RF) are superior models, and we conclude that the modern statistical methods can accurately estimate the risk exposure as compared to traditional methods such as the GLMs
Exploring the nexus of oral communication, masculinity, and gender-based violence in congolese households: a qualitative study
Get PDFThis research explores the nexus of oral communication, masculinity, and gender-based violence (GBV) in Congolese households the City of Bukavu. It was conducted between October and December 2023. It used a qualitative approach with 30 in-depth interviews with Congolese married men the researchers chose randomly, and whose ages ranged between 35 and 67. The research applied thematic analysis to identify major themes. Results indicate that Congolese men in Bukavu appreciate when family members value their masculinity. Monopolizing the speech gives them the feeling they are listened to, which mirrors power and respect. Interrupting a man’s oral communication conveys disdain of his masculine power, which can push him to resort to GBV. This attitude originates from gender roles and beliefs that patriarchy has preset for men, obliging women to remain silent and submissive. Gender differences in spoken communication led to either competition or connection, and affiliation or action. The study applied the theories of family violence and masculinity. Family violence entails how communication styles can influence each partner’s behaviours. The man’s abusive communication in the household can manipulate his wife\u27s feelings to prompt emotional abuse. Masculinity encompasses hegemonic masculinity that dominates all other masculinities. Masculinity sets a boundary of what it means to be a man by giving him power and control over women and other men. This elucidates how men have full speech while women are passive. Once gender dissimilarities and masculinity couple with voiced negative communication, they fuel male GBV in Congolese households. To overcome this issue, constructive masculinity can promote healthy communication by encouraging men to value women and communicate freely by respecting freedom of expression in large or reduced locales
Unveiling challenges with e-learning faced by academic staff at a University of Technology after COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
Get PDFThe global shift from traditional face-to-face learning to e-learning, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly transformed higher education (HE) landscapes. Many institutions in developing countries, unprepared for this shift, now find e-learning integral to the educational process. This study explores challenges faced by academic staff at a South African University of Technology (UoT) post-COVID-19. Utilising a phenomenological qualitative research approach, insights were gathered from academic staff through semi-structured interviews. Key challenges identified include insufficient infrastructure, limited training, technological proficiency gaps, student engagement issues, and concerns about academic dishonesty. Practical recommendations encompass infrastructure enhancement, digital training, blended learning strategies, improved student engagement, and measures to ensure academic integrity. These adaptable suggestions provide insights for institutions seeking to enhance e-learning environments, contributing to improved teaching and learning (T&L) outcomes in an evolving educational landscape. It was further recommended that future studies can explore long-term intervention effects, conduct comparative institution studies, and delve into innovative pedagogical approaches
Family factors contributing to high school crime at Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District
Get PDFCrime in high schools has become a major concern all over the world. High schools in Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa also experience waves of youth crime perpetrated by learners. The aim of this study was to explore family factors which contribute to youth crime amongst learners in high schools in Nzhelele East Circuit. Three high schools (i.e. Mushaathoni, Nndweleni and Mphephu) known for high rate of crime were selected. Quantitative research approach was used. Survey questionnaires were administered among learners in order to collect quantitative data. Stratified random sampling was used to survey 40 grade 10 and 40 grade 11 learners from each of the three high schools. In total, 240 learners participated in this study. Data was analyzed using the SPSS instrument. Appropriate ethical principals were applied to ensure that research participants were not harmed. The study found that youth crime in high schools was attributed to family factors such as absence of parents, poor parenting style, abuse and domestic violence, poverty, divorce, single parenting and family size. The study recommended the need for a multi-pronged strategy through mobilization of relevant stakeholders (families, community leaders, education authorities, law enforcement agencies and other relevant government department to curb youth crime in high schools.
Key words: Crime, Learners, Bullying; Offenders; Victims; Violence; Youth crime, High schoo
The Village Expansion Model for Village Governance and Public Service Improvement in North Lombok Regency
Get PDFThis study aims to analyze the model of village expansion for village governance and improving the quality of public services. The Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method was used in the analysis of this study. Using 122 respondents of village officials in North Lombok Regency in 2022 indicated that the village expansion model (objectivity, subjectivity and psychological) improves village governance (accountability, transparance, openness and rule of law) and the quality of public services (convenience, security, reliability, personnel attention, problem-solving approach, fairness, fiscal responsibility and citizens influence). In addition, good village governance can strengthen the quality of public services. This research implies that the model of village expansion used in participatory development planning is to strengthen strengths to overcome weaknesses
Covid-19 pandemic and international commerce in Southern Africa: documentary review
Get PDFInternational commerce across southern Africa has increased significantly in recent years. This phenomenon has been replicating what has been happening on the African continent as a whole, and it does indicate that the region has significant growth in economic opportunities. Hence, the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted international commerce and caused significant concern. The emphasis of this work was on the global economic interconnectivity in the Southern African region prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The main objective of this study was to determine how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced international commerce in Southern Africa. The study was qualitative in nature, as well as secondary data collection methods were used. The research used a documentary review as its analysis method. This included compiling and analysing more than 60 online resources relating to various and relevant the Covid-19 pandemic and international commerce from several past research. The study found that the world economy, particularly the economies of Southern African nations, was encountering certain difficulties before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was stated that as a consequence of the pandemic, Southern African countries implemented a slew of steps in an effort to overcome the issues posed by the Covid-19 pandemic interruptions
The influence of proactive personality and emotional regulation on employee engagement with religiosity as moderator in Muslim lecturers in West Java
Get PDFThe increasingly rapid development of education in Indonesia requires strong involvement and engagement of lecturers, including in West Java. In reality, there are still some lecturers who have low involvement and engagement in education at their universities. This study examines the influence of proactive personality and emotional regulation on employee engagement, by considering the moderation of religiosity in this relationship pattern. expertise and knowledge in their field make them not focus on developing the quality of the campus they hold. The population of this study were Muslim lecturers who taught at universities in Bandung City, selected using the purposive sampling method, with 100 respondents. The data obtained was processed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The results of this study show that employee engagement can be influenced by proactive personality and emotional regulation, and this influence is stronger when the lecturer\u27s level of religiosity is high. These findings provide important insights for understanding factors that influence employee engagement in academic contexts
Challenges faced by learners who are survivors of school violence: implications for support structures
Get PDFThe main aim of this study is to explore challenges faced by learners who are survivors of school violence and the implications for support structures. Many schools are branded with violence, gangsterism, substance abuse and general crime. The scourge of violence in schools is cause for concern, citing daily reports that appear in the written and electronic media about high levels of violence, physical and sexual abuse, and gang-related activities in schools. Qualitative research design and phenomenology as a mode of inquiry were employed in this study. School principals\u27 and teachers\u27 experiences and perceptions were elicited through focus-group interviews, document reviews, and observations. The population comprised principals and teachers in five schools. Purposive sampling was used as a method of sample selection. The findings revealed that support is key, and lack of support can negatively impact learners’ access to schools and academic achievement in many ways. It was also found that most learners who leave school prematurely, through the fear of violence, do not report when they leave. The study recommended that support must be provided promptly, and parents, teachers, and caregivers must be capacitated to offer effective and efficient support