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The relationship between talent management, motivation and service orientation of support staff at a higher education institution in Namibia.
No full textMini-thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Leadership and Change Management in the Harold Pupkewitz School of Business, NUST.The main problem that Institution of Higher Learning is experiencing regarding administrative and support staff, is a workforce that is not motivated to perform optimally and this results in poor service delivery. Organisations are losing talented and skilled personnel to competitors because employees are of the opinion that their abilities and skills are not valued. There are also no practices in place where shortcomings pertaining to skills and competencies are addressed in order for them to do their jobs effectively.
The challenge currently facing Namibian higher education institutions is for them to implement talent management practices successfully and put systems in place to attract, train and support the best people for the jobs in the field of education. The importance of talent management to higher education is starting to attract more interest from human resource practitioners who are looking at the implications of high turnover rates and poor fit within current positions.The employees of the Namibian Higher Education Institution have experienced a high level of dissatisfaction as a result of poor talent management practices. This has resulted in poor motivation levels by the employees and low levels of productivity. The purpose of the study is therefore to investigate the relationship between Talent Management, Motivation and Service Orientation at a Higher Education Institution in Namibia.Supervisor: Prof. Nicolene Barkhuizen. Co-supervisor: Dr. Grafton Whyt
An assessment of the impact of ethical practices in the public procurement process on Namibia's socio-economic objectives.
No full textThesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Leadership and Change Management , in the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business, at the NUST.Discussions around the public procurement system in the local media have been
largely negative. Many articles have revealed mismanagement in the system. The
emphasis of these articles has been on the need to uphold transparency and accountability in the way public procurement is conducted in Namibia. The Namibian experience is that the tendering process seems transparent on the surface, especially in connection with the sending out of tender invitations. However, the process becomes less transparent during the awarding process, which has in some instances necessitated recourse to the courts. As
a result of these course cases, it could be said that the Namibian community has reached a point where the weaknesses in the current public procurement system can no longer be
ignored. This study sought to address some of the flaws in the public procurement
system, by interviewing people who have some knowledge of the system. Findings of the study confirm that there are weaknesses in the current system which needs to be addressed. The results further show that the control mechanisms that have been put in place are seriously ineffective. After reviewing the control mechanisms in place, suggestions are made to strenghten them. In terms of socioeconomic development, the findings indicate that the public procurement system could contribute to job creation and poverty reduction. The study also reveals that there is no comprehensive code of ethical conduct for Board Members and staff in the public procurement establishment. The researcher suggests that further research be conducted on areas that were not touched on in this study, such as the practice of exemptions, to evaluate the impact of exemptions on the image of the Tender Board, on the Secretariat, and on the tender process – in the context and spirit of anti-corruption.Supervisor: Prof. Samuel Mensa
Public transport in Namibia: What is the customer satisfaction experience? Paper presented at the 1st Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, 2014.
No full textNamibia Customer Service Awards & Conference (1st: 2014 Nov.: Windhoek)This study investigates customer satisfaction related to public transportation in Namibia. Transport plays a major role in any place worldwide, as it enables the movement of people (passengers) and goods from one point to another. Most Namibians use road and rail as their form of transport, thus this research is designed to gain understanding as to what extent customers are satisfied with the customer service they receive from the public transportation. Customer satisfaction is an essential element to staying in business in this modern world of global competition. Therefore, providers must satisfy and even delight our customers with the value of our transport services delivery, in order to gain their loyalty and repeat business. Customer satisfaction is therefore a primary goal of process improvement programmes.
To what extent are customers satisfied with public transport in Namibia? One of the best ways to find out is to ask them by means of customer satisfaction survey to elicit customers participation. These surveys can provide management with the information they need to determine their customer level of satisfaction with services associated with their public transport. Thus this information will be of relevance to the municipality as well as to the country at large, as it strives toward achieving vision 2030. The survey targeted public transport users, since they are the most affected and that is where we can get relevant data that we need to obtain. We collected primary research data through the dissemination of a questionnaire that will be distributed to different public transport customers, namely those who are using taxis, Municipality buses, long distance buses, long distance minibuses and railways. Our sample size will be of 30 for each mode of transport, and the survey was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
The main objective of this research is to evaluate the level of customer satisfactions of public transport clients. Potential recommendations will be made based on the research outputs, to not only improve the transport service countrywide but also to implement an effective public transport system based on international standards
The oppression of women in selected narratives by Namibian female authors.
No full textThe oppression of women, especially in African narratives, has been attributed to many factors, culture being the dominant amongst others. Culture and tradition have a variety of notable aspects to offer and there is much to appreciate, cherish and preserve. There are, however, some cultural practices and beliefs that are harmful. They disrespect, devalue, suppress and destroy human dignity. Harmful gender practices such as widow cleansing, girls’ initiation and others that marginalize women, are the focus of this study. This paper examines various cultural practices that oppress women as they are reflected in selected narratives of Namibian female writers. After gaining its independence in 1990, Namibia passed laws protecting the rights of women against
various forms of oppression. With its history traced and rooted in the old and strong patriarchal norms, beliefs and practices, the notion that men are superior to women still affects women in the modern world. Cultural practices which marginalize women are still in existence, enforced by some of those that feel that they are important and superior. Through different women organizations, Namibian women demand and take the right to speak about those practices. Some have voiced them in writing or speaking out and breaking through the debilitating silencing. In the more formalized political and social field, this can be seen in women’s networking through women’s movements and solidarity groups, which are working towards equality in civil societies. It is therefore against this background that this study looks at female oppression; on how cultural
practices enhanced or fuelled women oppression as well as various forms of oppression as highlighted in the selected narratives by Namibian female authors. They are from the book entitled, We must choose life (2008), compiled by Elizabeth !Khaxas, a Namibian feminist. These narratives are a testimony of the courage of Namibian women who express their agony and suffering in their own words
An exploration of corporate governance and performance of a state-owned-enterprise: A case study of TransNamib in Namibia.
No full textMini-thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Leadership and Change Management in the Harold Pupkewitz School of Business, NUST.Weaknesses in corporate governance are one of the primary problems which TransNamib is facing currently. Therefore, the study concentrated on investigating the impact of corporate governance on the performance of
TransNamib. The major objectives of the study were to determine elements of
corporate governance that impact on performance at TransNamib; to evaluate
the corporate governance process at TransNamib and to establish governance
factors that limit performance at TransNamib.
In conducting this research four research questions were answered. The data collection instrument used was the self-administered questionnaire, which was targeted to the board of diVice Chancellors, the shareholder and the executive management of TransNamib. In-depth interviews were also conducted targeting
the executive management. The research applied both qualitative and quantitative methods. The estimations and data analysis were done using the IBM 20 SPSS statistical software. The main tests that were used in the current study are the frequency tables and the one-way ANOVA test. The questionnaire
instrument reliability and validity were tested using the Cronbach’s Alpha
coefficient. The qualitative data collected was organized and summarized by using descriptive statistical methods such as averages, tables and percentages. In
addition, qualitative data were interpreted and directly linked to the relevant
research questions. The results obtained were compared with what theory says
and some appropriate recommendations were made. The recommendations were made with the view of assisting TransNamib improve in areas where it is lacking. The study recommends that an improvement on the corporate governance process within the company has to be enhanced.Supervisor: Mr. Lovemore Matipir
Students' English writing skills at the NUST.
No full textThe effectiveness of learning language requires that users of a language be provided with the right knowledge to cope with its complexity and demanding nature especially in the area of writing. In this sense, this article seeks to draw attention to some of the important features of writing skills in English at NUST. This article also reports on a study that investigated the writing and spoken proficiency of students of English as a second language at the NUST. But, this article only deals with students’ writing skills at the institution. There are many barriers that prevent students from writing English competently. However, it should be noted that the study only investigated various English syllabi and the teaching of writing skills that I consider to be some of the barriers
Exploring the effectiveness of management communication from and within the Ministry of Education Head Office, Namibia.
No full textThesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Leadership and Change Management , in the Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business, at the NUST.Purpose – the purpose of this mini-thesis is to explore the Effectiveness of Management Communication from and within the Ministry of Education Head Office in Namibia. The Ministry of Education has an important role to play in the education of the Namibian people. According to Ministry of Education (2012), the mandate is to educate and train for citizens for national development. To this end, the study aims at identifying and examining factors that contribute to poor management communication in the Ministry of Education Head Office, and how this impact on staff performance and service delivery to the public.
Design and methodology - the study is a qualitative research, which used a narrative design. Data was collected from staff members and members of the public who have/had a relation with the Ministry of Education. Data was collected through interviews and questionnaire. A desk research was also used.
Findings – An efficient structure is indispensable for a high performance
organization. The findings of the study show that the structure of the Ministry of
Education is inefficient and does not enhance high performance of the staff, nor
does it provide employee growth. Another significant finding of the study indicates
that the communication style of the management cadre is aggressive and
authoritative, and impact negatively on service delivery. Key benefits – The study was very important for the Ministry of
Education as it identified reasons why the Mandate of the Ministry of Education has not been implemented as required. Furthermore, the study identified challenges faced by the Ministry, and offered recommendations on how these challenges could be addressed.
Key words – Communication Styles, Communication Skills, Leadership
Skills, Management Skills, Organizational Structure, Teamwork, Internal
Communication, Interpersonal Relations.Supervisor: Prof. Earle Taylo
Speech by Ms. Evelyn Breuer, Acting Chairperson, NUST Council, on the occasion of the Official Opening of the NUST's Academic Year, on Wednesday 5 February 2014, Windhoek.
No full textAcademic welcome (2014 Feb. 5: Windhoek
Local and international students' perception on service quality: A case study on a South African university. Paper presented at the First Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, Windhoek, Namibia.
No full textPaper presented at the 1st Namibia Customer Service Awards & Conference, 2014, WindhoekThe quality question has now been thrust to the fore in the academic market because students and their sponsors more rigorously shop around for quality of programmes and of modes of delivery. Universities, especially those that thrive on intake of foreign students, must therefore accommodate this trend in their academic and support services. This paper conceptualises service quality within a university environment, teases out the economics of service quality, and determines if there are differences in the way local and international students at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal perceive quality of academic and support services, using the SERVQUAL model for data collection and the Mann-Whitney test. Data was collected from a sample of 380 students drawn from all five campuses of the University. The Mann-Whitney test results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in the Gap scores between local and international students on service quality at the 95% level; that expectations of foreign students on services provided by the international office were not met; and that students ranked the University’s services as “poor”. The management of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal should therefore seriously consider the strategies recommended here for improvements in quality of academic and support services and in the institution’s ranking inside and outside South Africa
Keynote address by Honourable Dr. David Namwandi, Minister of Education, on the occasion of the Official opening of the NUST. 5 February 2014, in front of EHaus, NUST.
No full textOfficial Opening of the NUST (2014 Feb. 5: Windhoek