UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
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An investigation into inventory management sytems' efficiency for production improvement at Navachab Gold Mine
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business AdministrationThe study focused on the inventory management sy tems' effi ciency fo r production
improvement at Navachab Go ld Mine. The study was guided by the fo llowing obj ective ·
to investigate factors that contribute to high non-moving inventory, factor contributing
to understock and overstocking and factors contributing to high expiry and ob olete
inventory at Navachab Gold Mine.The research used a sequential explanatory mixed
methods approach using quantitative and qualitative research methodology. By u e of
simple random sampling, 97 respondents from Ore Processing, Engineering, Human
Resources Management and Procurement department were selected. The study u ed both
closed and open ended questionnaire to collect data. The findings of the study revea led
that Navachab Gold Mine orders its stock depending on the demand from end u er and
their fo recasting of inventory levels. The fi ndings also showed that Navachab Go ld Mine
makes use of the speculative purchasing policy when making order from upplier .
Navachab Gold Mine has a strong data center fo r it tock such as receipts, invoice which
help in keeping record of all the relevant price o a to carry out a stock va luation.
Navachab Gold Mine al o does quarterly stocktaking and inventory tracking. Ba ing on
the findings the inventory management ystem at Navachab Go ld Mine is ffective,
however a few factor including end user ' demand and foreca ti ng on inventory I el ,
management styles, procurement staff competency, hinder inventory managem nt
activities and hence production at Navachab Go ld Mine. It can therefore be concluded that
inventory management systems' effi ciencies are interrelated to production performance
of an organization. From the fi ndings, it was evident that proper inventory managem nt
y tems could lead to efficiency and effectivene in both production and organizationa l
ervice delivery by avoid ing over tocking and under t eking, havi ng the right tock at
the right time and in the right quantity, Navachab old Mi ne can improve it in ent r
management by fo llowing the recommendation gi e
An investigation into effects of organisational culture on employee performance at the Oshana Regional Council
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration Management StrategyThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of organisational culture on
employee performance at Oshana Regional Council (ORC). Mixed research methods were
used to collect, analyse and interpret data from respo!'ldents and key infonnants.
Participants of the study consisted of 103 employees of Oshana Regional Council.
Questionnaires and face to face interviews were u ed to collect quantitative and qualitative
data respectively. The Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 wa used
to compute the quantitative data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to
better understand the meaning of data. To examine the association between employee
performance and organisational culture at Oshana RC, methodological triangulation was
utilized to strengthen the credibility and validity of the findings. The study found that a
Hierarchical Culture is the dominant culture at Oshana Regional Council. It was the
finding of this study that the Hierarchical Culture is relatively weak and ineffective in
driving employee performance. It was also a finding of this study that employee
performance is positively influenced by organisational culture. The study concluded that
a strong organisational culture can provide a number of benefits including organisational
unity of purpose, behaviour control and it improves employee commitment. Furthermore,
the study found that managers play a critical role in creating a successful organisational
culture. The study recommended that Oshana Regional Council should improve its
organisational culture. The study also recommended that ORC managers should use
leadership styles that are most suited to their employees in order to achieve high
productivity, ORC should strengthen its organisational culture and periodically conduct
cultural audit
Assessing the impact of online learning on student performance at the Namibia business school during COVID-19
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the master of Business administration management strategy degreeThe aim of thisthesis was to assesses the impact of online learning on student performance
at the Namibia Business School during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was in relation to
students studying towards their Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and Doctor of Business
Administration. Data was gathered from 3 different campuses including the Windhoek
main campus, Ongwediva and Swakopmund Campuses. Data for the study was collected
from a quantitative sample of registered students at the Namibia Business School at the
University of Namibia. Questionnaires were administered and distributed online because
of the COVID-19 regulations that were prevailing at the time of the study. The study
found several challenges to be affecting students’ online journey and key among them
included lack of internet access, cost of data and noisy environments. Further analysis of
the findings shows that the online learning processes, benefits of online and student
motivation are critical and statistically significant predictors of students’ performance in
online environments. The study concluded that with several challenges in place, online
learning could be problematic, and these challenges need the cooperation of higher
education managers and government. It is imperative for NBS to leverage the data-driven
insights obtained from this study to design adaptable and flexible learning approaches that
cater to the diverse needs of its student community. By harnessing the potential of
technology and tailoring educational resources to promote interactive and collaborative
learning experiences, NBS can create an environment that empowers students to thrive
academically, even in times of crisi
An investigation of factors affecting utilisation of antenatal care services among women in post-natal wards in Namibian hospitals. A case study of Intermediate Katutura and Windhoek Central Hospitals
No full textA research thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Master's Degree of Nursing ScienceAntenatal care services are the care provided by skilled health-care professionals to
pregnant women to ensure the best health for both mother and baby during pregnancy and
after delivery. Utilisation is a quantification or description of the use of services by
persons to prevent and cure health problems, promoting maintenance of health and well being, or obtaining information about one's health status and prognosis. In Namibia
utilisation of antenatal care services has been reported to be dropping from 97% in 2013
to 91% in 2016. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the
utilisation of antenatal care services among women in post-natal wards at the Intermediate
Katutura Hospital and Windhoek Central Hospital in Khomas region. The objectives of
the study were to investigate the factors affecting the utilisation of ANC services and to
investigate association of the factors affecting utilisation of antenatal care services among
the mothers admitted in the postnatal wards at the selected hospitals.
A quantitative approach and a cross-sectional analytical design were used to carry out the
study. The population of the study was all mothers who delivered and were admitted to
the postnatal ward of Intermediate Hospital Katutura and Windhoek Central Hospital
during the time of the study. Data were collected from a total sample of 320 mothers
using self-administered structured questionnaires. The data were analysed using the
Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 25 software. Desc'riptive statistics
were used to analyse factors influencing the utilisation of ANC services among the
respondents. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to investigate the association
between categorical variables in the study. The back ward stepwise Binary logistic
regression was used to predict the odds of not utilizing ANC based on the values of the
independent variables (predictor).
The participants of the study were aged between 18 years and 42 years with a mean age
of 27 years. The result shows that 229 (71.6%) utilised ANC while 91(28.4%) did not
utilise ANC services. Utilisation of ANC was significantly associated with women's
attitude toward the current pregnancy (p-value 0.0 14).
The study identified factors that affect utilisation of ANC services such as age, marital
status, mothers education, partner's formal education, negative attitude of health care
providers, long distance to and from ANC health care facilities, fear of HIV test and
results, Covid-19 regulations, inability to determine the pregnancy at the earlier stages
and financial constraints. Based on this study findings, it is recommended that the
utilisation of ANC might be improved through effective community mobilisation and
outreach of maternity services to educate and improve awareness on the importance of
ANC. Furthermore, qualitative research utilising interviews may be conducted for the in depth feedback from participants. Finally, a countrywide study may be conducted to
reflect the true picture of antenatal care utilisation in Namibi
Nutrient content and the effects of feeding four Namibian encroacher bush species on growth, methane production and carcass characteristics of Damara sheep
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture (Animal Science)The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and feeding value of four Namibian encroacher species on the intake, digestibility, growth performance and carcass characteristics of Damara sheep. In the first experiment, the nutritional quality of four encroacher bush species (Senegalia mellifera, Dichrostachys cinerea, Terminalia sericea and Rhigozum trichotomum) was evaluated. Leaves and twigs ( 70 g/100g CP) of their CP bound to ADF. The levels of condensed tannins (CT) was relatively low ( 0.05) to the control diet. In conclusion, milled bush species could be considered of intermediate nutritional quality, despite their high fibre fraction, high proportion of their CP bound to ADF and indigestible NDF. Milled bush can replace traditional roughage sources such as grass and lucerne hay at 40% inclusion rate in properly formulated and balanced ruminant diets without adverse effects on the dry matter intake, digestibility, growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing lambs. However, there is still a need for further research to improve the utilisation of these bush specie
Investigating the role of formative assessment among grade 10 geography learners in the Ohangwena educational region of Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Studies)The continuous failure of Namibian students in the subject of Geography has been a concern for several stakeholders in the education sector. One of the problems identified for such a failure rate is poor assessment approach employed by Geography teachers in junior and senior secondary schools. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Formative Assessment in Grade 10 learners‘ final grades for the subject of Geography in Ohangwena Educational Region of Namibia. Therefore, to collect relevant information for the study, the study addresses three research questions. (a) What are the teachers‘ perceptions about formative assessment in Grade 10 Geography Continuous Assessment (CA) in the Ohangwena Educational Region? (b) What are the guidelines that could be provided in the syllabus for Grade 10 Geography to guide teachers on the assessment of learners to work formatively? (c) What are some of the strategies that can be implemented to improve the effectiveness of formative assessment in Grade 10 Geography in Ohangwena Educational Region? Furthermore, the study utilized a mixed method approach rooted in phenomenology. In collection of information, systematic and convenience sampling was used to select participants for the study. The results indicate that formative assessment was an everyday process within the schools. Formative assessment was used frequently to evaluate the learners‘ progress in schools. The continuous assessment marks are more important than exam marks to learner‘s progress because they provide opportunities for learners to improve because of the immediacy of the feedback that teachers give to leaners. Finally, the study recommends that the Geography teachers need to dedicate themselves and increase efforts towards continuous formative assessment as it monitors and improves learning. Teachers also need to be motivated and attend workshops, seminars, training or conferences to build their capacities and acquire adequate and contemporary skills to practice formative assessment
An investigation of the challenges faced by the small and medium enterprise contractors in the construction industry of Windhoek
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Management Strategy)This study investigated the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contractors in the construction industry of Windhoek. The study seeks to establish the challenges that SMEs are faced with on a daily basis. A quantitative method was used to obtain data from the owners of SMEs and the Site Foreman, utilising the survey design, which suggests the collection and analysis of quantitative data. The study revealed that SMEs in Windhoek are challenged by internal and external factors that mostly emanate from financial problems caused by limited access to finance, delayed payments from clients, and high competition that leads to low profit margins, low profit margins, and high cost of material, tools, labour, and machinery. The factors mentioned were the key factors
that hindered the operations of SMEs in the construction industry in Windhoek. SMEs survived by advancing business strategies such as joint venture partnerships, acquisitions, subcontracting, and vertical integration, obtaining tenders, being able to provide mandatory documents required by clients, and lowering tender prices in order to increase the likelihood of obtaining tenders. It is therefore recommended that the government must introduce financial and contract conditions training and the financial assistance given to SME contractors must be different from current commercial bank conditions. Clients must pay SME on time. Furthermore, further studies can be conducted to find out the best strategies that can be implemented to ensure the growth and survival of SMEs despite the challenges they face
Community perspectives of empowerment from trophy hunting tourism in Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park
No full textTrophy hunting (TH) tourism plays an important and often controversial role in wildlife conservation and community livelihood in many African countries. Despite its potential social and economic benefits, TH can have a negative impact among the locals and pose critical challenges in governance. However, research on the local community perspective of TH and how it is linked to empowerment of locals and wildlife conservation in Namibia remains limited. Therefore, to address these gaps, our study explores how communities of Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park
perceive TH and how TH supports or hinders empowerment of local communities and their relationship with wildlife. Through semistructured interviews with community members, this study elucidates the economic benefits and inequities, cultural impacts from lack of traditional hunting, perceived relationship to poaching, and limitations of governance and distrust among stakeholders. This research innovatively applies empowerment theory to TH tourism and thus, can strengthen
and inform sound governance and sustainable practices of TH at local, national, and international levels by providing the local perspective that has largely been absent from the TH debate
Assessing the role of local authorities in mitigating the effects of climate change: A case of the City of Windhoek
No full textA mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Arts (Development Studies)The African continent is faced with critical climate change challenges which need immediate attention. Local Authorities are mandated to play a crucial role in safeguarding the environment for areas under their jurisdictions. They are closer to the people; hence they are the immediate implementers of climate change mitigation activities. This study assessed the role of local authorities in mitigating the effects of climate change. Although there are many studies on climate change focusing on mitigation, there is a dearth of literature that addresses the role of local authorities. A qualitative case study was carried out in the City of Windhoek. Person-centred face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection method with an interview guide as the research instrument. Interview questions were structured in a way that captured information for all the objectives formulated. A sample of 22 respondents was purposively selected. Results indicate that the City of Windhoek is doing relatively well in mitigating the effects of climate change. The City of Windhoek is coordinating with other local and international organisations and it has managed to implement various mitigation activities such as water infrastructural development and road improvement amongst others. However, insufficient funds due to budget cuts from the City as well as shortage of experts working at the City, have adversely affected the mitigation efforts relating to climate change. The results also show that the City of Windhoek did not make deliberate budget provision for climate change mitigation due to lack of funds. While this research provides some ground breaking discoveries; a number of limitations exist. These include the use of a purely qualitative methodological approach with a small sample size. In future, research can be conducted using a quantitative research method and a bigger sample size, allowing for more generalisable outcomes and recommendations
History, Politics, Culture
No full textRobert Gordon explores the central role of Ethnologists on the development of
Apartheid ideology and separate development policies to an unknown peripheral or
marginal part of the world formerly called South West Africa, now Namibia. He shows why a historic research focus on SWA/ Namibia was necessary as the country had previously been largely overlooked despite having been an important testing ground for South Africa’s Apartheid ideology and separate development
policies