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Impact of Empowering Leadership, Innovative Work, and Organizational Learning Readiness on Sustainable Economic Performance: An Empirical Study of Companies in Russia during the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic shocked the global economy, with numerous companies suffering losses and shutting down. However, some companies proved to be resilient, being able to
sustain their economic performance despite the pandemic. The study aims to explain the sustainable
economic performance of companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships between
empowering leadership, innovative work behavior, organizational readiness to change, and sustainable economic performance were assessed. The data were collected via an online questionnaire from
January 2021 to March 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia. The respondents
were Russian companies’ employees holding management positions, competent to objectively assess
organizational circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 337 was used in the
analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted
using SPSS AMOS. The structural model was tested with standardized parameter estimates, standard
errors, and p-values calculated. The findings of the study suggest that innovative work behavior
and organizational readiness to learn have a direct influence on sustainable economic performance.
The findings also suggest that empowering leadership impacts innovative work behavior but not
sustainable economic performance. The mediation analysis indicates that innovative work behavior
is a mediator between empowering leadership and sustainable economic performance, whereas organizational readiness to learn is not a moderator. The study adds to the leadership and sustainability
body of knowledge and contributes to the research on the COVID-19 pandemic in the organizational
context
Exploring silences among child victims of rape in The Sun Will Rise Again and The Kite Runner
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)
SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR SARALA KRISHNAMURTHYThis thesis explores silences among child victims of rape in The Sun Will Rise Again (1999) and The Kite
Runner (2003) basing on the trauma and resilience theoretical framework. The research explores rape as
a source of trauma and silence as heightening the trauma while speaking up is established as a resilience
strategy. The aim of the research was to establish the different kinds of silences associated with child rape
victims, the factors perpetuating these silences, how male and female child victims of rape respond to the
rape experiences and how these experiences endured in silence influences the future of the child victims.
Applying trauma theory to the analysis of the two texts enabled the researcher to establish the effects of
rape and silence on the child victims as males and as females since the selected texts under study each
looked on one specific gender. This also allowed for an objective review of the gendered nature of rape
and rape trauma. The study was a desktop qualitative research guided by constructivist perspectives of
research, following a phenomenological research paradigm. The research focused on the lived
experiences of child rape victims in the two texts and thematic analysis of the two main themes of rape
and silence was thoroughly conducted. The research found that while rape has the same damaging effects
on boys and girls, it is experienced differently, and the degree of damage differs from person to person.
Boys and girls respond to rape differently and the factors perpetuating silence among child rape victims
differ as well. However, despite the differences, speaking up about rape has the same healing effects,
affords justice and forgiveness though these may be attained at different rates. The texts studied are from
different continents, one Asian and the other African thus showing that rape phenomenon cuts across
race, space and time. Recommendations from the research included that this research be pursued further
from an interdisciplinary perspective incorporating literary and sociology and anthropology to further
cement the relationship between literature and society. Another recommendation was the need for an
increase in the amount of trauma literature in Africa especially centered on male child victims of rape and
also told using the child narrative voice
‘Doing things for oneself’: The case of the Dibasen Homeless Committee of Katutura (ILMI Working Paper No. 12).
No full textThesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Award of a MASTERS OF HEALTH SCIENCES In the Department of Health Sciences
No full textBefore hospitals were established, childbirth in Kavango region took place in homes assisted by relatives or elders in the community. Babies were born breastfed and lived into adulthood to experience life. Cultural practices were applied to ensure safety, augment labour and save lives. Hospital are now accessible to many Namibians. The care rendered in maternity wards is based on evidence-based findings and WHO recommendations. Despite the existence of hospitals, there are still women that deliver at home and there are those that take labour cultural/traditional remedies and yet come to deliver at hospitals. This study explored in-depth the cultural practices regarding pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care in the Kavango regions.
A qualitative case study design was used, and data was collected through in-depth one on one interviews with key participants. The target participants for this study are elders who are experts in cultural practices/traditional birth attendants, pregnant women, mothers with history of home deliveries and health care practitioners. Interview guide was developed to facilitate data collection. In addition, samples of traditional remedies in forms of roots used during childbirth were collected for laboratory analysis. The data obtained was analysed using content analysis. Findings of this study revealed that till today some women in the Kavango regions use traditional remedies during pregnancy, labour and postnatal period and practice treatment specific for newly born babies. The purpose for taking the concoctions ranges from safe childbirth, speeding up labour progress and wellness of babies. The effects are positively described by givers and users while health care practitioners regard negatively such practices based on the experiences they have dealing with women who have taken these remedies. Some of the negative effects highlighted by health care practitioners are placenta abruption, uterine rupture, postpartum haemorrhage, foetal distress and infertility highlighted as a late complication. The study also unearthed some practices during home delivery that are not safe. Evidence-based findings of this research enhance understanding of the practices and this shared with relevant stakeholders to improve maternal and child health care in Kavango regions. Recommendations are made based on the findings, this includes developing strategies to educate TBAs and pregnant women on the effects of using traditional remedies in labour and to advise them on safe practices. Further research on these remedies is needed to ascertain the strength and the effect it may possess
Ambivalence in Parts Unknown and The Lie of the Land: a post colonial approach
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE
NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NUST)Africa was colonised and subjected to brutal colonial rule. Namibia, is no exception, in fact, the
country went through two brutal colonial powers; imperial Germany, and the South African regime,
which subjected Namibia to an apartheid rule, a localised form of colonialism fitted to oppress
Africans. Between the two, the imperial German rule was crueler, resulting in genocide.
The 1904-1908 genocide by the Germans against the Ovaherero and Nama people of Namibia is a
horrible and unforgettable history. This dark history, forgotten and ignored by the Germany
government for over a hundred years, has seen much criticism over the resent past year. Many
critiques argue that the Germany army committed acts of annihilation, which the current Germany
government need to pay reparations for. This history has seen four novels published about it, and
hundreds of articles and research papers interrogating the genocide. This thesis explores
ambivalence in two of the four published Namibian literary works on this history: Zirk van der Berg’s
Parts Unknown (2018) and Jaspar Utley’s The Lie of the Land (2017). These works of literature
explore acts of rape against black women by the German army, acts of discrimination and inferiority
complex painted on the natives by ‘superior’ Germany. They record acts of annihilation aimed at
depopulating the country of its natives. They record a slaughter of innocent women and children,
and unarmed surrendered men.
The study explores the shifting nature of the relationship between the coloniser and the colonised. It
traces the ambiguities by examining the language used by the characters, and the cruel descriptions
of the colonial war. The aim of this research is to enable the reader to understand how colonisation
impacted the relationship between blacks and whites.
This is a qualitative, desktop study grounded on Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial concept of ambivalence
as its theoretical framework
EXAMINING STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEWS ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE DELAYED ENACTMENT OF THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL ON MEDIA REPORTING IN NAMIBIA
No full textThe purpose of the study was to examine stakeholders’ views particularly the views of print media
members on the implications of the delayed enactment of the Access to Information Bill on media
reporting in Namibia. The main objective of the study was, to examine stakeholders’ views on the
implications of the delayed enactment of the Access to Information Bill on media reporting in Namibia.
The Social Responsibility theory was underpinned for this study to provide clarity on media mode of
operandi from various scholars’ perspective. The methodology used to collect data was qualitative,
with a targeted population of at least 100 three print media houses journalists and editors. A
purposive sampling strategy was employed to select 7 journalists and one editor from 3 different print
media (The Nambian, Namibian Sun and New Era). Data was collected by interviewing the sampled
participants. The main findings of the study indicated that the Access to Information Bill has an impact
on access and availability of information to journalists. It was found that several provisions within the
Act on restrictions to information classified by the state contradict the ratifications to which Namibia
is a signatory and also the right of every Namibian in the Constitution whereby Article 21 (1990) of the
Namibian Constitution, states that “All persons shall have the right to; freedom of speech and
expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media.” Although the state within the
same constitution is provided reasonable grounds for national security not to disclose classified
information, participants are of the view that the state deliberately freezes information that perhaps
they think will damage the reputations of the institutions if they are to be released to the media.
Journalists sometimes work in environments where they are treated unfairly in particular the private
media versus the state media given preferential treatment while the private media is denied access
to the same venue where a press conference is taking place. One of the findings of the study was that
there is no media freedom in Namibia, due to the absence of laws that promote freedom and access
at the same time. Another finding point to the state which has a moral obligation to make sure that
information dissemination and access to information which are basic Constitutional rights are
maintained but media freedom is restrained by censorship, as such the state should speedily pass the
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Access to Information Bill into a law whereby the journalists' Modus Operandi will be facilitated
through the same laws. Several recommendations were made including abolishing of outdated laws.
In line with the findings, the legislators must set timelines and commit to meet each deadline, industry
stakeholders must be consulted to commonly decide which laws or aspects of it must be repealed,
consult their industry and consider their views and inputs. Similarly, it was found that unfair
treatment of journalists and harassment with litigation on publishing information rightfully gained
make the legislative environment toxic, therefore it is recommended that the legislative environment
should be proactive and not reactive, laws affecting bread and butter issues and quality of life for now
and the future should be prioritized, new laws should be promulgated. Last but not least in line with
the objective of the legislative environment, the justice ministry should ensure they provide a portal
that will provide court rolls and case appeals; however, it needs to be more frequently updated as
well as promoted
Developing a cybersecurity framework for the banking sector of Namibia
No full textThe banking sector represents a vast assortment of firms, agencies and institutions with
operations ranging from small community banks to massive international corporations.
Managing the banking sector in Namibia presents a herculean task to regulators charged with its
regulation oversight on cyber risks. The management of cybersecurity takes on greater
complexity in considering multinationals with global partners and operations in countries with
varying levels of cybersecurity sophistication. With the increase of cyber-attacks worldwide and
banking institutions being key targets, the degree of risks from cybersecurity threats that banks
are facing has grown rapidly in recent years. The increasing threats place sensitive data and
organisational security at risk. This is exacerbated by the absence of a recognised cybersecurity
framework that can safeguard the online transactions of financial data between banks and
customers in the banking sector. To overcome these problems, a Namibia Banking Cybersecurity
Framework (NBCF) to guide banking institutions in safeguarding the online transactions of
financial data between banks and customers was developed. A qualitative research approach
using the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) was adopted to address the research
objectives. This research was conducted in the commercial banks of Namibia and involved their
staff. In addition to data collected from literature reviews, data were also collected from a sample
of 6 out of 10 licenced banks in Namibia using semi-structured interviews. The selection of the
banks was done using the purposive sampling method and universally accepted ethical standards
were considered. Data were analysed through a technique known as coding. The study identified
various elements which are essential for a cybersecurity framework: data protection and privacy,
human factors such as soft skills, Principle of Least Privilege (POLP), public knowledge on
information security practices, aspect of disaster recovery documentation, and cyber breach
simulations. The NBCF framework is proposed as a guideline on how the Namibian banking
institutions can securely build cyber resiliency, manage their cyber risks and strategies and also
help in implementing an appropriate level of rigor for their cybersecurity programmes. The NBCF
framework should therefore guide the adoption of cybersecurity best practices in the Namibian
banking sector. In addition, the framework is envisaged to complement the current Namibian
government initiatives and the long-term goals of Vision 2030 such as the strategy of attaining
infrastructure development as stated in the Harambee Prosperity Plan which highlights the
urgent necessity to invest in cybersecurity. Expert reviews of the proposed framework were
conducted and they yielded that the framework is relevant, applicable, usable and
understandable in combating cybersecurity issues in the Namibian banking sector
Investigating Stakeholder Engagement in Public Relations Practices of two Namibian Universities (The International University of Management and Namibia University of Science and Technology
No full textThe purpose of the study was to establish the effectiveness of Public Relations Departments of IUM and
NUST in stakeholder engagement. The main objective was to investigate the extent of stakeholder
engagement by IUM and NUST’s public relations departments. The study was qualitative, with a
population of all universities in Namibia. Purposive sampling was used to select two Universities namely
IUM and NUST. Represented by the Marketing and Communication Department at NUST and the
Marketing, Communication and Stakeholders Engagement Department at IUM. Interview guides were
used to collect data. The findings of the study indicated that PRO’s roles are innumerable for each
organisation but the most common areas are dealing with media, stakeholders and marketing the
institution’s brand through event planning and social media as well as maintaining the image and
reputation of the two Universities. It was also indicated that Public Relations Departments are of benefit
to stakeholders of the two Universities because they act as custodians of the universities' brand and
ensure that the institution's images are well positioned in the public eye. They are also the ears and eyes
on the ground. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made:
Email and social media platforms are the most preferred forms of communication among the two
Universities. The academic staff and the university management in general of the two universities need
to take advantage of this, to make use of email and social media platforms to engage and preserve
relationships with their stakeholders. The study also noted that to keep the effectiveness of the PRO of
the two universities each communicated message should be carefully crafted for the various audiences
to ensure maximum engagement. Information should also be made simple, summarizing the programs
they offer to make it easier for the learners to understand.In managing stakeholders of the two Namibian universities, PRO’s of the two Namibian Universities
should always fulfil their promises to their stakeholders as they are nothing without their stakeholders
and always give correct information to meet stakeholder’s needs
Strategic planning and sustainable innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a literature review
No full textThe COVID-19 crisis posed an opportunity for entering new avenues and market segments for large and financially viable enterprises, whilst SMEs lacking resources for such manoeuvre required cost-effective and quick-fix solutions. In this literature review, we reflect on the drivers of sustainable development of SMEs compared to their larger counterparts during major disasters. We have analyzed prior studies drawing from the concept of “sustainability“ during COVID-19, published between 2020-2021, as well as relevant studies from the domains of crisis management, sustainability, enterprise sustainability, digitisation effects on sustainability, sustainable business practices. Each research was screened to check for the content relevance to the subject matter. The paper suggests that radical sustaining innovation in service delivery combined with diversification could be fostered to mitigate risks and ensure SMEs survival in times of economic downturn. The paper adds to the existing body of organizational knowledge on entrepreneurial sustainability deriving from multiple perspectives on the subject. The review provides pragmatic recommendations for SME owners, entrepreneurs, managers and academicians. We find that there are grounds for SMEs to concentrate on innovating in the context of products and services that are considered revenue-generating for same-industry large enterprises, considering this strategy allows SMEs to align their interests and engage in cooperation with competition
Sociology of Crime and Criminology: Towards a Unified Theory (Model Visualisation)
No full textA research working paper model, in preparation towards a more substantial publication.In 2006 (p. 5) Schulz surmised that “[I]f the state of criminological theory could be assessed in quantitative terms, little would be left for improvement. Today there is a maze of academic contributions to the different strands of criminological thought.” Since then about 15 years have passed in which criminology has further developed. And the interest in the field has grown again. However, apart from minor exceptions (e.g. child justice), in general the impact of criminological theorising on public policy is insignificant. “No explanation consistent with a disciplinary perspective seems to have the ring of truth” (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990, p. 3). The positivist theory driven paradigm may have to do with this. The quest for the best theory in term of parsimoniousness has us looking for a specific type of explanations. Gottfredson and Hirschi’s self-control theory is a prime example in point. Their theory is parsimonious to the extreme, and its core mechanism, low self-control, is proven to be a strong predictor of a specific category of action (crime). However, to the extent that predictor variables of the many theories around each explain only a portion of the variance, the theories cannot be – exclusively – true. If theories make only different, but not contradictory predictions, they can be combined through integration. What is more, criminological theories can be classified according to their location in respect of the divide between macro- and micro-theories. Then, a central, unifying approach to integration should be able to combine micro- and macro-theory. Based on the assumptions discussed hereafter, I want to suggest such approach borrowing from Coleman’s ‘bathtub model’.1 The explication of this model will proceed step by step, beginning with a visualization of Durkheim’s mantra that social facts (phenomenal propositions of the social world) can only be explained by other social facts