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Modelling selected factors influencing business success in tourism-related entrepreneurship: a case of Mtubatuba Local Municipality
Get PDFA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Arts in the Department of Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2022.Entrepreneurship is recognised as a significant component of economic growth, employment generation, and innovation. Tourism remains an important economic sector worldwide, and its contribution to any country’s economic growth, employment, and poverty reduction, including developing countries like South Africa (SA) cannot be overemphasised. Drawing from human capital theory and theory of opportunity identification, this research aimed to develop and statistically test a theoretical model of tourism entrepreneurial success by exploring factors that may lead to tourism entrepreneurial success and investigating the relationship links on how these factors interact to influence tourism entrepreneurship success. The study used a sample of 350 tourism-related entrepreneurs surveyed in different regions of Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, to address study hypotheses. Data analyses were conducted in two phases. The first phase of the analyses dealt with data integrity, using IBM SPSS software version 28, while the second phase tested the measurement (that is, construct validity and reliability of the instrument) and structural model using partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method involving a multivariate analytical technique, implemented on SmartPLS software version 4.0.8. The study found significant relationships between human capital theory and opportunity identification theory with business success in tourism entrepreneurship. The study examined theoretically derived factors leading to tourism business success and the relationship was higher for internal environmental factors than external environmental factors. The results suggest that internal business environmental factors such as entrepreneurs’ profile (e.g., gender, age, level of education), entrepreneurs’ type of business, and entrepreneurial attributes have significant influence on tourism business success. The results further validate that external business environmental factors such as the nature of the business competitive environment, government regulations, guidance on business development, and access to information have significant influence on tourism business success. This study provides an alternative model that challenges the existing models of business success and this alternative model, which is in-line with human capital theory and opportunity identification theory, offers more flexibility in understanding business success models in different entrepreneurial contexts. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made to Mtubatuba Local Municipality business support offices, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, and owners of Small Medium and Micro Tourism Enterprises in Mtubatuba Local Municipality. Further studies in other African or developing nations are necessary to compare and contrast different entrepreneurial success models generated from these nations. By so doing, national specifics will be unearthed and added to the body of knowledge
Complexities in the availability of mathematics and physical science teachers in rural high schools within the King Cetshwayo District
Get PDFA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2022.Research indicated that South Africa currently lacks the potential to develop economically without importing international technical and technical resources. If this country is to be a part of the technologically advanced global village, science must educate policy and accelerate the transition to a mathematical and critical thinker society. This is critical since a lack of experience affects the country's overall economic outlook. The study examined the complexities in the availability of Mathematics and Physical Science teachers in rural high schools within King Cetshwayo District while focusing on exploring the factors responsible for the poor performance among Grade 12 learners. Results show that rural environment demotivates teachers. Most science and mathematics teachers only stay for two to three years, while only a few stay for five years or more. It is therefore difficult to keep science subject educators in rural schools. The study also established that fewer students are taking mathematics and science-related subjects at the universities for their degree qualifications, which adversely affects the supply of teachers in rural based high schools. In some cases, this has led to schools discontinuing the teaching of mathematics and physical science. The study recommends that teachers in rural areas should be motivated by offering them enough support and giving them incentives or allowances. The department of education should provide resources to equip the school’s science laboratory for science teachers to deliver results
Challenges experienced by visually impaired secondary school teachers in inclusive education in the Vhembe East District
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education, Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2022.Teachers play an essential role in quality learning and for that to happen in an inclusive education set up, visually impaired teachers must be thoroughly equipped to effectively impart knowledge to all learners regardless of the teacher's impairment. The study was conducted with the aim to investigate the challenges experienced by visually impaired teachers in inclusive education in secondary schools in the Vhembe East District. It made use of a qualitative research approach to obtain relevant results to achieve the aims and objectives of the research. In this method data was collected using interviews and analyzed using a thematic approach. The relevant ethical requirements were followed according to the set guidelines. Various steps to ensure the trustworthiness of the study were carried out. Basically, the participants faced a number of challenges due to visual impairment that negatively affected their work such that they were not able to finish teaching the syllabuses in the stipulated time despite the strategies employed. Challenges included inability to read, mark, write, seclusion, unrealistic workload, ill-disciplined leaners, and overreliance on other people for assistance in doing their work among many other challenges. The participants also shared their strategies to cope with the allotted teaching duties, chief among them being thorough preparation for the lessons and hiring teaching assistants. They also advised on the measures to enhance performance which include assistive devices, trainings and funding and support from government and school governing bodies. Overall, the study is an important source of information concerning the challenges that affect the performance of teachers with visual impairment at work and the accommodations required to address these challenges. The study shows that the implementation of the Education White Paper 6 was initiated in the Vhembe East District, however the challenges observed from the study are a testimony of the insufficient impact it has on the visually impaired teachers
The effect of a normal progression managerial framework for monitoring promotion of teaching and learning in primary schools in the Manzini region, Eswatini
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Curriculum and Instructional Studies in the Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, 2022.The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) of Eswatini implemented Normal Progression with Circular Number 11 of 2017. These were strategies for lowering grade retention as the government realised that grade retention put further strain on public resources by requiring more inputs, such as teachers, classes and desks. Normal progression then gave the economic benefit of not having to pay fees for a child who was in the same grade for two or more times. In the first three classes, the circular prohibits repeating. It also stipulates that from grade four to grade seven, repetition should be less than 5%. The study's main aim was to look at the benefits of a normal progression managerial framework for monitoring and promoting teaching and learning in primary schools in the Manzini region of Eswatini. A purposive sampling method was utilized to select ten primary school principals in the Manzini Region. A qualitative data collection strategy was employed. Face-to-face interviews were chosen because they allow participants to respond to questions or express their own thoughts in their own language. The findings of this study contradict Picklo and Christenson's (2005) view that when a learner progresses to the next grade without having completed the previous grade's content, they fail to understand new concepts because they lack the basis. Students who are struggling to progress academically have benefited substantially from intervention tactics, such as incentive and remediation. According to head teachers, students are frequently promoted to the following grade with the previous grade teacher. This usually aids in the development of a deeper understanding in the teacher-student connection. Teachers have also remarked that maturity and the spiral instructional technique have assisted students in catching up with their academic achievement. The study has proposed a model for the realisation of an effective managerial framework for the implementation of an effective implementation and management of normal progression in schools
Library Use and User Satisfaction of Students on the Service Quality of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus Main Library
Get PDFLibrary Use and User Satisfaction of Students on the Service Quality of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus Main LibraryThe study aimed to investigate the library use and user satisfaction of postgraduate students in the School of Social Sciences regarding the service quality at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus’s Cecil Renaud Main (CRM) Library. The study investigated postgraduate students’ usage of and satisfaction with the library as an environment for reading, studying and conducting research. The study’s objectives are to determine the level of satisfaction of postgraduate students with the library. The study also sought to examine postgraduate students’ library use. The study employed a quantitative research method, with a survey research design. Its population comprised the postgraduate students in the School of Social Sciences in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg Campus. The overall response of the postgraduate students indicated that they were satisfied with most of the services. The study found that the majority of the students were satisfied with the information skills needed for studies. However, the study found a few honours, master’s and PhD degree students who were dissatisfied. In terms of the library support for reading, research and studying, the study found high levels of satisfaction. Concerning access to information, the study found that the majority of students were satisfied with the access to information, but there were a few dissatisfied students from honours, master’s and PhD levels. The study found that concerning the library facilities, the majority of the students were satisfied with what was provided for them. A few students were dissatisfied, especially honours and master’s degree students. Regarding the overall quality of the services provided by CRM library, the study found that most of the students were satisfied with the overall quality while the few dissatisfied students were from the honours and master’s programmes
Exploring crime prevention measures to address motor vehicle theft in Jozini, Kwazulu-Natal
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters (Criminology) in the Department of Criminal Justice, at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2022.Vehicle crimes, particularly vehicle theft and hijacking, are some of the most challenging crimes in South Africa. Vehicle crimes have tremendous impact on the stability of our country as people have lost trust in the police and related government departments due to their inability to curb these crimes. The main aim of this study was to explore current vehicle theft prevention strategies and to determine what, if anything, could be instituted to deter motor vehicle theft and hijacking in the Jozini area in KwaZulu-Natal. This study utilised a qualitative research approach and data were collection by means of semi-structured interviews. An in-depth interview was used to obtain clear and meaningful data from purposively selected participants. Thematic content analysis was employed to ensure that the processed data made sense and contributed to meaningful and trustworthy findings.
Three significant theories underpinned this study, namely the routine activity theory, the rational choice theory, and the crime pattern theory. The study found that a major problem that exacerbated vehicle theft and hijacking in the study area was that the government failed to protect the Jozini community against vehicle crimes. Furthermore, the study confirmed that vehicle crimes were not a new phenomenon as these crimes had been perpetrated in this area for decades. Moreover, despite some measures to proactively try to prevent vehicle theft and hijacking in the study area, the government have failed dismally as vehicles are still hijacked and stolen with impunity.
The study revealed that the police are doing very little to curb vehicle crimes, particularly as they are impeded by staffing shortages. Proposed crime prevention measures such as building a new police station in Empangeni, collaborating with a mobile tracker company in the Jozini area, constructing a fence between South Africa and Mozambique, and deploying more police officers can really help to curb and eventually eradicate vehicle crimes in this region. The study will contribute towards eradicating these crimes if the proposed recommendations, particularly the employment of more police officers to ensure strong visibility and effective response, are implemented as a matter of urgency. Moreover, the permanent deployment of the SANDF on the border is a strong recommendation
Person-Centred caring towards improvement of diabetic foot care compliance in rural primary health care, KwaZulu-Natal
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of Nursing in the Department of Nursing Science at the University Of Zululand, 2022.BACKGROUND
The five-year mortality rate after a diabetic diabetic is higher than 40% globally. In KwaZulu-Natal, 2500 diabetic foot amputations are carried out per year. Only 7.8% of patients with diabetes undergo foot examinations within KwaZulu-Natal public health, while 90% are not educated about foot care. Person-centredness and caring can potentially improve foot care outcomes for patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
AIM & OBJECTIVES
This study aims to identify how registered nurses could achieve person-centred caring to improve diabetic foot care compliance in the rural primary healthcare context in KwaZulu-Natal. The objectives of the study were to: determine the experiences of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus regarding person-centred caring in the management of foot care. To describe the experiences of registered nurses regarding person-centred caring in the management of diabetic foot care. To explore current practices of registered nurses regarding diabetic foot care. To compare data from in-town clinics to out-of-town clinics and develop a person-centred caring, guideline-based in-service training programme for registered nurses in the management of diabetic foot care.
METHODOLOGY
A mixed-method-convergent design was used for the study. The rural King Cetshwayo district was stratified according to subdistrict and in-town versus out-of-town. One in-town clinic and two out-of-town clinics were selected from each sub-district for data collection. Interviewed surveys were conducted with 376 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus to determine their experiences of person-centred caring, in foot care management at the primary healthcare clinics. During the qualitative strand of the study, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with registered nurses working at primary healthcare clinics. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the semi-structured interviews.
FINDINGS
The central theme of the study is that the registered nurses feel they are nursing the queues. They feel patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and their foot care gets neglected. As a result, these patients don’t attend clinics and relatives are sent to collect medication. Registered nurses are rushing to “push” the long queues of integrated chronic patients. Nursing care gets neglected due to staff shortages, non-conduciveness of facilities and a lack of training. In the quantitative data, the patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus significantly disagreed that nurses were competent in managing diabetic foot care. The competence was a significant predictor of diabetic foot problems, which suggests that when diabetic foot problems arose, registered nurses became more competent. Even though patients significantly disagreed that nurses were competent in managing diabetic foot care, they significantly agreed that they are cared for with compassion.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
The data supports that diabetic foot care was only done when problems arose and that currently there is no preventative diabetic foot care. There is a need for an in-service training programme that considers the district’s rurality. This training will have to equip registered nurses with the knowledge to implement person-centred caring while managing the foot care of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursin
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic
No full textA research project submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for Master of Arts in Geography, in the department of Geography and Environmental Studies in the Faculty of Science Agriculture and Engineering.This study aims to analyse how the Covid-19 pandemic affected the livelihoods of the Machibini community adjacent to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park (HIP). Its objectives are to a) analyse the livelihood activities of the Machibini community before the Covid-19 pandemic, b) evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on the livelihood activities of the Machibini community, c) evaluate the local community’s access to resources found within the HIP during the pandemic, d) explore the coping strategies utilised by the community members to deal with the impacts of Covid-19 and, e) propose strategies which can be implemented to assist rural communities to respond to disasters. To achieve this a qualitative research methodology was used in which the community members, the traditional authority of the Machibini community as well as the HIP park official were interviewed. The findings show that the Machibini community engage in various livelihoods. While some livelihoods require resources from the HIP, others do not. The pandemic affected the livelihoods of the respondents in different measures. Some respondents lost their only income-generating schemes, while others managed to maintain their livelihoods. The results also show that the respondents were granted access to the park to extract the resources they needed although the harvesting period was cut short during the pandemic. To cope with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, some respondents engaged in entirely new livelihoods such as selling chickens and fast foods. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park (HIP) and the traditional authority must work together to establish a system that will ensure that information about the availability of employment opportunities in the park is disseminated to every part of this community. In this way, everyone has a fair chance of getting employment. It is also imperative for the park to make their employees' contracts permanent. The Machibini community also needs life skills programmes and other necessary facilities that will foster their livelihoods. The community members, through the assistance of the park, can open an online store that is featured on the HIP’s website since there is a larger audience there to sell their handicrafts to. This way, even if the people’s crafts are not sold physically due to disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic, they will be available and sold on this online platform
Perspectives of the Ndumo community on the provision of social services by theIinkululeko development project at the Jozini local Municipality, South Africa
Get PDFA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, at the University of Zululand, 2022.The study focused on the perspectives of rural community members on the provision of social services by the Inkululeko Development Project in the Jozini Local Municipality. The aim was to determine whether the Inkululeko Development Project has provided social services leading to community development initiatives to develop and empower individuals. It also examined the extent to which local communities participate or do not participate in the implementation of the multi-sectoral Inkululeko Development Project. The results showed that the implementation of the Inkululeko Development Project did not achieve the intended result. As a result, the community raised concerns on various issues. Firstly, the community said the infrastructure for the 500-ha agricultural project was built at a cost of nearly R33 million, but everything fell apart as the project never saw the light of day. The state-of the-art school was also constructed in the hope of attracting local learners, but unfortunately this has not happened as learners are excluded by high financial costs. The proposed commercial centre did not become operational due to conflict with the Mathenjwa clan demanding a 49% ownership of the structure. Many developments associated with this project were hampered, such as the petrol filing station. What has frustrated the community members was that the existing supermarket in the area is relatively expensive as there is no competition, although most community members are unemployed. The library is reported to exist there, but problems include the water supply and electricity, resulting in weeks-long closures. Finally, the construction of the rental building is one of the successful projects because there are tenants, but the rent is monitored by the Jozini Local Municipality. On the other hand, the officials associated with the project are aware of the problems and cite poor coordination between the departments as the reason for the project’s failure. The lack of participation of the community is also stated as a limitation. In view of the foregoing, promoting effective service delivery in Ndumo through the Inkululeko Development Project is recommende
Patient-centred care: reality or rhetoric— patients’ experiences at ARV clinics located in public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Get PDFPatient-centered care: reality or rhetoric—patients’ experiences at ARV clinics located in public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaBackground: The South African public antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme is considered one of the largest and most successful ART programme worldwide. Hence, a study exploring the patients’ experiences of the public antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme in the second decade of the programme is relevant as no study has been published on patients’ experiences at these sites.
Objectives: To explore patients’ experiences of care in the public ART programme at four ARV clinics within the
eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal.
Method: A mixed-methods study design with 12 in-depth patient interviews, non-participatory observation, and a stratified random sample of 400 patients completed questionnaires. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Quantitative data were analyzed using a SPSS 24 package to determine frequencies and differences in patients’ responses (p<0.05). The socio-ecological model framed the study.
Results: All 412 patients reported valuing the provision of free ARVs. Patients’ positive experiences included: routine
blood results mostly being available, most staff greeted patients, there were sufficient nurses, patients were satisfied
with the time that they spent with doctors, clean clinics, and private and safe counselling areas. The negative experiences included: poor relationships with nurses, negative staff attitudes, disrespectful staff, information was lacking, inadequate counselling at times, varying and inflexible appointments, challenges with data capture and registration systems; varying ARV collection frequencies, routine health tests and processes per site, and the absence of patient
committees and representatives.
Conclusion: The results reflected positive and negative experiences which varied between the facilities, as processes
and systems differed at each site. Innovative patient-centered processes and programmes could be implemented to ensure patients have mostly positive experiences. As part of continuous improvement, patients’ experiences should be regularly explored to ensure that the ART programme meets their needs and expectations