UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
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An assessment on the effect of leadership styles on the employee performance: A case of Namibia Dairies in Namibia
No full textThe paper examines the effect of leadership styles on the employee performance a case of
Namibia dairies. From the study, it was discovered that the type of leadership style that
managers use influences the morale of the employees. This study adopted a qualitative
research approach using a case study design. A case study is a qualitative research method
that allows a deep exploration within a natural context and hence provides a full and through
understanding of the particular and lived experience of a participant. The study has 15
participants who were selected using non-probability sampling method. The results also
highlighted that some of the leadership styles that are used by managers stifles employee
morale thereby affecting the employees’ efficiency in an organisation. The study findings also
indicated that there was significant positive relationship between democratic leadership and
employee performance. The study findings furthermore indicated that there was significant
positive relationship between democratic leadership and employee performance. Whilst the
study results revealed that laissez-faire leadership style and individual performance has a
negative relationship. The study recommends that democratic leadership style should be
encouraged, for the fact that it would further empower their subordinates by developing
teams and accord some measure of responsibility and authority to their employees. Therefore,
workers would ignite their potentials, realize job satisfaction, and execute their tasks
maximally for organization surviva
Migration securitization in SADC: Assessing its impact on the free movement of people and regional economic integration agenda
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in political studiesThis exploratory study looks at migration and securitization in SADC. More
specifically, the study assesses the impact that migration and securitization have on
the free movement of people and on regional economic integration agenda of SADC.
The study uses the securitization theory espoused by Buzan and Wæver in order to
assess the how the securitization of migration affects freedom of movement and
regional integration within the SADC region. The theory argues that political issues
are defined as security issues that need to be dealt with urgently when they have been
labelled as ‘dangerous’, ‘threatening’ and ‘alarming’ by a securitising actor, that holds
social and institutional power to move the issue beyond politics. Further the theory
argues that security issues are not simply out in the air, rather they have to be
articulated as problems by securitising actors. The study draws upon qualitative data
like documentary analyses, books, journals and semi-structured interviews.
The Study also sought to assess the impact of the securitization of Migration in SADC
on the free movement of people and regional economic integration agenda. The study
found that the impact of the securitization of migration, provides SADC governments
with the ability to restrict entry of foreign nationals into their job markets, business
sectors and social spaces. More-so the study also found that the migration
securitization may hinder the ability of ordinary people who are not in big business
from fully participating and being full beneficiaries of the African Continental Free
Trade Area (AfCFTA). The study further found that it has been witnessed that where
circular migration or multiple migration is restricted, in Southern Africa, there is an
impact on trade. The study also found that the overemphasis on formal channels of
trade affects informal trade which is seen to be influential in the functioning of
regional economies. Cross border traders are seen as key contributors to the overall
economy of the region, henceforth the migration securitization continues to hinder
productive integration of cross border trading, which further affects regional economic
development. In relation to SADC developing a migration policy that is more human
centric than state centric, the study found that, the lack of coherence between regional
and national migration policies has created a huge gap between regional legislative
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framework and national legislative framework. The study further pointed that, SADC
needs to formulate and implement a regional migration policy framework, that is
aligned to that of the African Union’s Protocol on Free Movement of Persons which
is seen to be more human centred. Further the study pointed out that the formulation
of the migration policy framework must crafted and implemented through wide
consultations with civil society and local communities and lastly should protect the
freedom of movement of migrants within and from host countries. More-so, the
findings also found that there is a need for ensuring freedom of movement of all
migrants including refugees and asylum seekers without fear of arrest, detention or
deportation. In addition, the study also found that in creating a more human centric
migration policy, SADC member states need to work together to ensure creation and
protection of social security benefits of migrants and foreign nationals. In relation to
how labour migration in SADC contributes to economic development of host nations;
the study found that the South African mining industry has previously benefited
economically from migrants Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The
study also found that in a state where, there is a fertile ground for economic migrants,
labour migration will be key for economic development. More-over the study also
finds that despite the securitised nature of migration people will continue to move. The
study recommends that the region needs to implement a centralised border
management and information system, that will allow for increased data sharing,
increasing legal pathway
An investigation into barriers to the offering of geography to learners with visual impairment in Namibian resource schools
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Inclusive Education)There are two resource schools in Namibia that provide education exclusively to
learners with visual impairment (LWVI). However, these schools do not teach
Geography to LWVI, even though there is a Geography syllabus that was adapted to
cater to LWVI. To understand the barriers to offering Geography to LWVI in
Namibian resource schools, a case study was conducted. The study explored the level
of awareness among educators regarding the adapted Geography syllabus for LWVI
and whether they were willing to teach the subject to these learners. The study also
examined the perceived barriers to teaching Geography to LWVI, as well as how
resource schools could be supported in teaching this subject to LWVI. To collect data,
semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in the Khomas and
Oshana regions. The study found that there was a gap between the developers and
implementers of the curriculum and policies. It also identified benefits of teaching
Geography to LWVI, including the normalization and inclusion of these learners, job
creation opportunities, and the opportunity for learners to gain knowledge about the
world. However, the study also found that there were several barriers to teaching
Geography to LWVI. These included teachers' attitudes and perceptions that LWVI
cannot study Geography, the nature of Geography as a subject, and the lack of relevant
technologies that could support LWVI in their study of Geography. The key finding
of the study was that 70% of the educators connected to resource schools agreed that
Geography should be taught to LWVI. They suggested that resource schools catering
to LWVI should be provided with improved collaboration between curriculum
developers and implementers, finances for Special Educational Needs training of
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existing Geography teachers, fully-fledged libraries (Educational Centres for the
LWVI), and trained personnel to prepare Braille-related materials. Based on the
findings of the study, recommendations were made to the teachers teaching LWVI,
the resource schools that cater to LWVI, the senior education officers, and the
Namibian Ministry of Education, Arts, and Cultur
Exploring work-family conflict and family-work conflict amongst working parents of children with down syndrome in the Khomas region, Namibia.
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in industrial psychologyOrientation: The world and dynamics of work and family have been changing since
the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,
which resulted in the most rapid transformation of the workplace. All these changes
may inevitably impact the work-family and family-work environments of parents of
children with Down syndrome. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to
look into the relationship between WFC, FWC, and individual work performance
among parents parenting children with DS in Namibia's Khomas region. Motivation
for the study: The study was motivated by a lack of adequate and relevant research
on Down syndrome in Namibia. Hence, this study attempted to fill gaps in research on
Down syndrome, its relationship to work and family roles, and their possible effects
on the individual work performances of working parents who have children born with
Down syndrome. Furthermore, to comprehend the potential challenges faced by
working parents of children with Down syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic, in
which remote work became the new global norm across organisations, the study
investigated how these adjustments affected the work-life balance as well. Research
design, approach, and method: The study used a mixed-methods approach,
especially a concurrent research design with non-probability purposive sampling, to
accomplish this. The WFC questionnaire was used to evaluate work-family conflict;
the FWC questionnaire examined family-work conflict; and the Individual Work
Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) was used to measure individual work
performance via a survey. SPSS version 28 was used to analyse the quantitative data.
Concurrently, the study employed a narrative research design, with an in-depth, semi structured, open-ended interview guide serving as the study's qualitative data
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collection tool. The tool was created to document the individual experiences of
working parents with Down syndrome in Namibia's Khomas region. The data was
analysed using content analysis, and the themes that emerged were grouped together.
Research findings: Only work-family conflict was found to negatively influence
individual work performance at the 5% level of significance. These findings showed
that family-work conflict was not a significant variable to impact individual work
performance. The study found five themes from the qualitative analysis, which were:
understanding Down syndrome; balancing caregiving and employment
responsibilities; parental work performance and family commitments; the impact of
family obligations on work; and organisational support and accommodation. Value:
Insights gained from this study highlighted the need for more future research on similar
characteristics, which may be the significant factors that affect individual work
performance. The study results may all in all improve the individual work
performances of parents of Down syndrome children in Namibia and recommend
standard organisational strategies that may drive organisations to design appropriate
and acceptable work expectations for both the employer and employees, especially in
the wake of the COVID-19 pandemi
Post-vaccination SARS-COV-2 infections among vaccinated individuals tested at the unam molecular diagnostic laboratory, June 2021-May 2022
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of masters of science in applied field epidemiology/ laboratory managementBackground: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To curb the disease, COVID-19
vaccines were rolled out. However, because vaccines are not 100% protective against the virus,
post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections (PVSI) do occur. Thus, the study aimed to analyze
the occurrence of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections among vaccinated individuals
tested at the UNAM Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (UNAM-MDL) from June 2021 to May
2022.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of SARS-CoV-2 immunized individuals
tested at the laboratory between June 2021 and May 2022. COVID-19 Case Investigation
Forms (CIFs) were reviewed, and data from 5389 individuals were collected based on inclusion
and exclusion criteria. Using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v.26,
descriptive and inferential analysis was performed; this included logistic regression, Kaplan Meier survival curve, 95% confidence interval, and p-value < 0.05 statistical significance. The
study was conducted in compliance with ethical principles.
Results: The post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among vaccinated individuals was
99.8 per 1,000 population with a median age of 40 years and a mortality rate of 1.1 per 1,000.
The majority of individuals in the study were males, with 4016 (74.5%). Most individuals were
vaccinated with Sinopharm 2399 (44.5%), asymptomatic and had no comorbidities. Only 10
(2%) had sequenced data of the SARS-CoV-2 variants with three variants: Beta, Delta and
Omicron. PVSI were characterized as early post-vaccination 52 (9.7%), partially vaccinated
201(39%) and fully vaccinated 276 (51.3%). The survival distribution in the study was
statistically significant (p < 0.05). Age, number of doses and sex were shown to be significant
factors associated with PVSI.
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Conclusion: The study showed that PVSI occurred mostly among fully vaccinated individuals,
although without complications. Although the study's goal was to further knowledge of SARS CoV-2 infections following immunization, the significance of maintaining high vaccination
rates in Namibia is highlighted by our results. To protect against severe COVID-19, it is critical
to raise community health awareness and actively encourage public vaccination uptak
Lived experiences and coping strategies of domestic violence survivors in Outapi, Omusati region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in social workThe purpose of the study was to ‘’Explore the lived experiences and coping strategies of
domestic violence from the perspective of female survivors in Outapi, Omusati Region,
Namibia.’’ The study sought answers to the following research questions (1) What are the
factors that contribute to domestic violence in Outapi, Omusati in Namibia? (2) What are
the impacts of domestic violence on the victims? (3) What coping strategies can be used
to address the impacts of domestic violence in Outapi, Omusati Region in Namibia? The
study adopted a qualitative research design. A sample of 15 women participants who are
domestic violence survivors were purposefully selected. Data was collected telephonically
after working hours because some participants were busy at work and it was during the
time of Covid-19 when social distance procedures were still in place. The study revealed
that there are numerous factors that contribute to domestic violence in relationships. The
key factors that were identified during the study were the issue of alcoholism and drug
abuse, unemployment and poverty, gender inequality, childhood exposure to domestic
violence, global recession and migration. Other sexual abuses when seeking for services
and employment were exposed during the study. The study also found that domestic
violence has serious effects on the health of the victim which range from mild to severe.
Victims sustain physical injuries, suffer psychological problems, women fail to reach their
potential due to fear of their abusers. Organisations fail to fully achieve their goals due to
absenteeism from employees as they solve their problems at home. Coping strategies were
also brought to the surface during the study. These included medical care, psychological
support, daily exercises, planning for the safety of the survivors and their children, denial
and avoidanc
Predicting the feasibility of data collection for disability-related research in Sub-Saharan Africa
No full textThis study is based on the following objectives:
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to explore how feasible is it for researchers to conduct disability-related research in Sub-Sahara Africa.
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to ascertain if there any significant association between research self-efficacy, attitude towards disability, potential barriers faced by researchers in disability studies and the extent of the disability-related data availability and accessibility.
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to determine which of the independent variables (research self-efficacy, attitude towards disabilities, barriers to research) has the greatest likelihood of predicting the extent to which disability data is available and accessible for research purposes.This study presents the findings of an investigation into the feasibility of data collection for disability-related research in sub-Saharan Africa. Three research questions were raised and answered in the study. Data were collected from 164 respondents from 8 countries within the sub-Saharan African region. Five respondents were also purposively selected for a semi-structured interview. The qualitative data collected was thematically analysed while the quantitative data was descriptively and inferentially analysed. Findings in the study revealed the possibility of conducting disability-related research seamlessly within sub-Saharan African countries. However, there are a myriad of challenges that face the conducting of disability-related research in the region. Attitude towards disability had the highest likelihood of predicting the availability and accessibility of data for disability research. The study concluded that societal attitude had a strong influence on the conducting and productivity of disability-related research in sub-Saharan Africa. Valuable recommendations were offered based on the finding
Exploring determinants of learner dropout in Kavango West region rural primary schools
No full textoai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/3942A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Inclusive Education)The research aims to explore the determinants of dropout among primary school learners
in rural schools and find the strategies that can be applied to retain learners in school until
they complete secondary school. The study employed a qualitative research approach
where data was gathered from the participants through face-to-face interviews and
observations. A purposive sampling method was used to select twenty participants of the
study, which included learners who dropped out of school and returned, parents and
guardians of the learners who dropped out of school and returned, Life Skills teachers,
and Principals. The study found that family/community factors and school/system factors
have a huge impact on dropout rates among primary school learners in rural areas. More
male learners lack motivation and were found to be dropping out of school at an early age
than female learners. More learners faced physical and emotional abuse at home from
their parents. While some parents kept their children at home to take care of their younger
siblings, others left children alone in their houses near the school while they went to work
on their fields in the inland. There was an increase in dropout and absenteeism whenever
there was no food at school. The maize meals arrived late at schools causing learners to
drop out due to hunger, especially those who lived alone and those who stayed far from
school. Teachers have shown to have limited knowledge on how to support learners who
returned to school and those who are at risk of dropping out of school. A major
collaboration between stakeholders is encouraged to address the factors that influence
primary school learners in rural areas to drop out of schoo
Assessing the impact of credit finance on agricultural productivity in Namibia
No full textThesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in economicsThis thesis explores the impact of credit finance on agricultural productivity in Namibia,
with the goal of promoting innovative, economically oriented, and modern agriculture to
enhance rural living standards and drive food production. The study utilizes the bounds
test (ARDL) approach to cointegration, analysing quarterly data from 2001 to 2022 to
examine the short-run and long-run dynamics between credit finance and agricultural
productivity. The empirical findings indicate that credit finance and prime lending rates
have a significant negative impact on agricultural productivity at a 1% level, consistent
with prior research. Inflation was found to negatively affect agricultural productivity but
was insignificant. The stability of the model was confirmed using the CUSUM of squares,
validating the use of the ARDL agricultural gross domestic product function as a target
variable. The analysis reveals a unidirectional causality, with agricultural productivity
predicting credit. Based on the study's findings, several major policy recommendations
are proposed. Firstly, the Namibian government should focus on enhancing the banking
sectors to improve farmers' access to credit and financial services, including measures
such as financial inclusion, expanded banking services in rural areas, and facilitation of
loan availability. Secondly, efforts should be made to develop well-functioning rural loan
markets that cater specifically to the agricultural sector, through initiatives such as
establishing specialized agricultural financing institutions, providing credit guarantees,
and promoting financial literacy programs tailored to the agricultural sector. Thirdly, the
development of township banking infrastructure in rural areas can enhance access to
financial services and credit for farmers, either through banking branches or mobile
banking services. Lastly, short-term and long-term plans should be formulated to support
agricultural growth, including enhancing agricultural extension services, promoting
technology adoption, improving market access for agricultural products, and
strengthening policy and institutional support for the agricultural sector. This study's
conclusions emphasize the significant role of credit finance in shaping agricultural
productivity and the importance of sustained investment in enhancing productivity over
time. The interdependencies among agricultural productivity, credit finance, inflation rate,
and prime lending rate underscore the need for a comprehensive understanding of their
dynamic
Frederick b. Philander: An exploration of his contribution to Namibian theatre (1979-2021)
No full textA masters thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in performing artsThe purpose of this study was to explore Frederick B. Philander's contribution to Namibian theatre
from 1979 to 2021. The study was intended to fill a gap in Namibian theatre history. In-depth
interviews were done with Frederick B. Philander and theatre practitioners familiar with Frederick
B. Philander's theatre practices. This study utilised archival information and written documentation
of his work. The outcomes of the study indicated that Frederick B. Philander made important
contributions to Namibian theatre over the aforementioned years. Philander's contribution includes
a legacy that continues on in the current generation of theatre practitioners to whom he provided
acting and staging opportunities. Philander has made significant contributions to the promotion of
theatre outside of Namibia's borders. Philander is a theatre practitioner who has written and
performed various plays that have been published. Philander established several theatre groups
such as Windhoek Theatre Association, Windhoek Players, Serpent Players and CAN, and also
chaired Assitej-Namibia. Philander was the first ‘black’ Namibian playwright to have published
his plays. He also broke the pillars of apartheid when he staged the first ‘non-white’ play in an
‘all-white’ theatre. He further staged a controversial play The Beauty Contest, in which Philander
and co- star appeared naked on stage. The research further found the need to document the work
of theatre practitioners who have been active in the Namibian theatre, such as Vickson Hangula,
Laurinda Olivier- Sampson, Sandy Rudd, Senga Brockerhoff, and Tanya Terblanche and others.
These practitioners have been active in Namibian theatre over the years by writing plays and
staging productions. Therefore, they deserve to be documented. It should be noted that theatre is
still ongoing in Namibia at the time of this research, therefore it needs to be documented constantl