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Factors affecting implementation of risk management systems at municipalities in the Overberg district, South Africa
No full textDissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Internal Auditing in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyThe aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of risk management systems within
municipalities in the Overberg district of South Africa. The value of effective risk management systems in any organisation cannot be underestimated as it is responsible for appropriately identifying, assessing, and treating risks that may adversely influence the achievement of organisational objectives. The Overberg district municipalities were used as case studies to identify and evaluate the factors that could affect implementation of risk management systems at a local government level in a specific geographical area. The primary research question was what factors affect the effective implementation of risk management systems at the Overberg district municipalities. To answer this research question, sub-questions and research objectives were formulated to determine the relevant factors. The research employed descriptive statistics, as well as inferential analysis to analyse the data. Lack of sufficient funding for risk mitigation seemed to be the main factor that affects the implementation of risk management systems within the municipalities. In addition, the research highlighted the current gaps in the implementation of risk management processes. This made municipalities aware of the risks within their organisation and identified the benefits of implementing sound risk management initiatives.
The contribution of the research will empower the Overberg district municipalities to manage their key organisational risks proactively. This will lead to sustainable local governments that will be able to continue to perform their primary functions effectively. From the results, it was evident that although the Overberg district municipalities had risk management systems in place, insufficient funding posed a challenge to effective risk mitigation. Municipal management should therefore allocate sufficient funding to ensure effective implementation of risk management systems
An investigation of the reasons for defaulting by chronic medicine recipients (patients) in the metro district of the Western Cape
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Research findings indicate that between 42% and 56% of people dying between the ages of 25 to 70 are most likely to die out of a preventable cause. Most of these illnesses are chronic illnesses, directly a result of lifestyles that people have adopted over long periods. Whilst it has been difficult to cure some of the diseases, it has been however possible to treat the ailments. Consequently, patients who have followed faithfully the treatment regimes have lived far longer than would have been expected. Because these illnesses needed continued treatment, they are therefore referred to as chronic illnesses. It is expected therefore that the patients should regularly go for medical check-ups as well as take their medicines continuously. Chronic illnesses are an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in Metro District primarily because most chronic patients die even though their deaths are preventable. The research findings presented here are a result of a survey of 200 chronic-patients in the Metro-District in Cape Town using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods. The objectives of the studies were primarily to establish reasons for the noticed defaulting rate amongst the patients. Because the medication was subsidised by the government and the patients got the treatment at no cost, it was expected that few, if any, would default. The findings indicated that close of 40% of the patients’ default and various reasons were provided ranging from forgetting, no transport money, no one to accompany them to the outlets to absence from town. The findings provide valid information to be used by the district to address the high rate of chronic medicines defaulting
The employability of human resources management graduates from a selected University of Technology in the Western Cape, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Universities have been producing graduates at a fairly fast rate, yet the cry for technical expertise and educated graduates. Thousands of university graduates are not employed, or they end up in industries and places that have nothing to do with their education and or qualifications. Too often the unemployed graduates they owe money loaned for studies which they are not able to repay because they are essentially unemployable, the may be because of a stagnated economic growth thereby a general high level of unemployment. The levels of entrepreneurial activities have remained low and there are no expectations of a sudden turn around for the economy. The researcher looks at one aspect of the graduate studies, specifically human resources management qualifications offered by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in the Western Cape South Africa from the period 2014 to 2017. The research was largely descriptive and partially exploratory which resulted in the use of an assorted method approach (qualitative and quantitative). The research focuses mainly on the activities of those employed as Human Resource practitioners and the expectations at their work stations. Together with this the respondents gave extra detail on what is expected of them together with duties frequently performed. Based on this, the data was captured and analysed for similarities of expectations from more than 50 organisations. The findings indicate that there is a serious disjuncture between what is taught in the class and what the industry practices and expects. Recommendations of the ideal course structure are added to the findings to enable institutions of higher learning to adjust their curricula in line with industry needs
The antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of Cotyledon Orbiculata extracts
No full textThesis (MSc (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.The challenge of antimicrobial resistance has increased drastically over the years as more microorganisms are becoming resistant to the available conventional treatments. The burden of antimicrobial resistant infections is intensified by the increase in immunocompromising conditions such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Due to this challenge, pharmaceutical companies, health sectors and researches are in search of new antimicrobial agents that can solve the problem at hand. Medicinal plants are a reliable source for drug discovery as it is estimated that 25% of modern medicine originated from plants. They have also been used traditionally as sources of medicine in the treatment of many human ailments. Plants can also be applied in the field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is a promising field in medicine as it has the potential to offer improved methods for disease diagnostics and therapeutics. The use of plants in nanotechnology brings about biologically friendly nanomaterials. Cotyledon orbiculata is one of the well-known and common plants of South Africa that is used in traditional medicinal practices. The nanotechnology applications as well as the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects of this plant were evaluated. The ability of C. orbiculata to synthesize silver nanoparticles was determined. Optimisation of silver nanoparticle synthesis using water extract of C. orbiculata was done at different conditions. The conditions evaluated include, reaction temperature (25 and 70°C), silver nitrate concentration (1 and 3mM), plant extract concentration (1.5, 3 and 6mg/ml) and reaction time. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles using this plant was successful. The optimal conditions for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using C. orbiculata were 3mg/ml of the C. orbiculata extract, 3mM silver nitrate at a reaction temperature of 70°C for 2 hours. Under these conditions, spherical, crystalline nanoparticles with sizes of 20-40nm were produced. The antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties of C. orbiculata extracts and silver nanoparticles were evaluated. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, using the micro-dilution assay to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The results obtained revealed that all extracts of C. orbiculata have antimicrobial properties against all the microorganisms tested. The MICs of the extracts ranged from 3.13 to 50mg/ml and the MBC/MFC from 6.25 to >100mg/ml. The methanol extract exhibited better antimicrobial activity in comparison to the others extracts whereas the water extract had better antifungal properties. The chloroform extract showed the lowest activity in both antibacterial and antifungal studies. Silver nanoparticles also exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms tested. It’s MICs against these microorganisms ranged from 5–80μg/ml and MBC/MFC from 20-160μg/ml. The silver nanoparticles were highly active than the water extract against both the bacteria and the fungi. Immunomodulatory effects of the plant extracts and silver nanoparticles were determined by evaluating cytokine production using the enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) assay. All the extracts and silver nanoparticles of C. orbiculata were found to have anti-inflammatory properties. The water extracts showed more anti-inflammatory activity against the cytokines than the other extracts. However the silver nanoparticles were more active than the water extract. The findings from this study confirmed that C. orbiculata have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. This provided scientific evidence of the traditional use of this plant in the treatment of skin infections and inflammatory conditions
Reduction of the causes of stock-outs in ERP supply chain management by prioritization of the causes : a case study at the City of Cape Town
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have a good reputation for automation and strength in the integration of business processes (BPs), therefore more and more organisations are adopting ERP systems. The City of Cape Town (CCT), a metropolitan municipality, is one of the organisations that have adopted an ERP system. CCT provides a wide range of services to residents and citizens in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The ERP system at CCT manages the Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes, among others, to ensure good service delivery. ERP systems are able to provide statistical reports on stock-outs; however, the information provided is insufficient to link a specific stock-out to its causes within the SCM process at CCT. This makes it difficult to select the most appropriate solution to minimise the causes and number of stock-outs. The study aims to explore the possible reduction of the causes of stock-outs at CCT stores, therefore the study has adopted a qualitative research methodology with a case study research strategy. It uses subjectivism to understand the truth, with an inductive approach applied to five different interviewee groups, namely the ERP Support Department consultants, the Procurement Department, the Inventory and Stores Management Department, the Master Data Maintenance Department, and the reservation creators. A purposive sampling method is used because the study targets knowledge and experience on the subject from the interviewees in the investigation of the problem. The case is the SCM division at CCT, the unit of analysis is the CCT stores, and the unit of observation is the employees who work for the SCM division of CCT. All ethical procedures and policies of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are adhered to. For the data collection, in depth semi-structured questions have been developed, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The leading causes of stock-outs were discovered by analysing the themes. The results revealed the themes, in descending order according to the causes of stock-outs, as follows: procedures, service delivery, suppliers, stock-outs, human resources, and systems. All the objectives were achieved, thereby answering the research questions
The assessment of workforce diversity in the hospitality industry : a case study in the Western Cape, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration ))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, [2018].Diversity management was developed in the 1980s in response to demographic changes within the labour force and commercial competition in the US. This context establishes the fundamental point that organisations stand to profit from having a diversified workforce (Naik, 2012). However, the integration of immigrants within South African businesses is a process characterised by intense challenges. The reasons for this are unclear, as are the benefits of having a diverse workforce in the South African labour market. In order to explore and better understand the phenomenon, this study adopts a qualitative research approach and makes use of semi-structured interviews. Such a process is appropriate for gaining insight into complex issues concerning the research problem (East et al., 2010; Monette et al., 2014). According to several sources, immigrants face challenges linked to the degree of their language proficiency, educational level, lack of experience, ethnicity and country of origin. This notwithstanding, immigrants bring to organisations new ideas, a sustainable competitive edge, productivity and profits, and much more. This study provides an understanding of how the hospitality industry value immigrants and how they can accommodate them in their organisations. This will add to the existing body of knowledge and contribute to improvement in the quality of social relationships in organisations, bringing about returns on investment. The researcher adopted the ten ethical guidelines of Bryman and Bell (2007) in carrying out this study. Specifically, the participants’ consent was sought and they were informed that they
could exit the project at will, and would not be subjected to any harm. The data collection process was also clearly explained (Bryman & Bell, 2007). The findings of this study were that not only immigrants find it difficult to find a job in the Western Cape Province: South Africans, the majority semi-skilled and under-qualified, are also trying to find a job in their own country. In short, South Africa is in a crisis of high
unemployment, and there is an urgent need for more infrastructure to address this. But those who are most disadvantaged in this crisis are immigrants with formidable and remarkable qualifications. They have left their home countries with the sole desire to get work, to succeed, and to enjoy a good life in the host country. Unfortunately, certain destructive circumstances, such as discrimination, obstructive situations in the Department of Home Affairs, etc., prevent them from even obtaining a suitable job offer. At the end of their job search, some remain unemployed while others have to work in hazardous jobs, or in jobs not related to their qualifications, just to have an income. The study concluded that although workforce diversity has some inherent challenges, it has benefits for business organisations and so, should be supported by the government and business owners
A performance and energy evaluation of a fertiliser-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) system
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Globally, water is considered an essential resource as it sustains human, animal and plant life. Water is not only essential for all forms of life but imperative for economic growth. The world’s population is increasing at a disquieting rate, which will result in an increased demand for fresh water and food security. The agricultural industry is the main consumer of global freshwater and utilises fertilisers in order to meet food demands. The demand for water in South Africa (SA) has increased considerably due to the rapid expansion of the agricultural industry, and of the municipal and industrial sectors. Agricultural developments in SA are affected greatly as the country is facing a current drought crisis as a result of low rainfall and large water demands. With an abundance of saline water globally, desalinisation will be a major contributor to solving the global freshwater crisis. With limited fresh water resources accompanied by the agricultural industry as a major consumer, alternative measures are required to desalinate water specifically for agricultural use. Forward osmosis (FO) is a membrane technology that gained interest over the past decade because it has several advantages over pressure-driven membrane processes such as reverse osmosis (RO). FO technology is based on the natural osmotic process which is driven by a concentration gradient between two solutions separated by a semi-permeable membrane. Naturally, water will permeate through the membrane from a solution of low solute concentration or low osmotic pressure (OP) known as a feed solution (FS) to a solution of a higher concentration or higher OP also known as a draw solution (DS). Whilst various research studies have contributed to several advances in FO, several process limitations such as reverse solute flux (RSF), concentration polarisation (CP) and membrane fouling remain problematic, hindering FO for large-scale applications. Further investigation is therefore warranted and crucial in order to understand how to mitigate these limitations to develop/improve future processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate a fertiliser-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) system by investigating the effects of membrane orientation, system flow rate, DS concentration, and membrane fouling on an FDFO systems performance and energy consumption. The FS used was synthetic brackish water with a sodium chloride (NaCl) content of 5 g/L whereas a potassium chloride (KCl) synthetic fertiliser was used as a DS. The membrane utilised was a cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane and was tested in forward osmosis mode (FO mode) and pressure retarded osmosis mode (PRO mode) whilst the system flow rate was adjusted between 100, 200 and 400 mL/min. Additionally, the DS concentration was altered from 0.5, 1 and 2 M KCl, respectively. Experiments were performed using a bench scale FO setup which comprised of an i) FO membrane cell, ii) a double head variable peristaltic pump for transporting FS and DS’s respectively, iii) a digital scale to measure the mass of the DS, iv) a magnetic stirrer to agitate the FS, v) two reservoirs for the FS and DS, respectively, vi) a digital multiparameter meter to determine FS electrical conductivity (EC) and vii) a digital electrical multimeter to measure system energy consumption. Each experiment comprised of seven steps i) pre-FDFO membrane control, ii) membrane cleaning, iii) FDFO experiment, iv) post-FDFO membrane control, v) membrane cleaning, vi) membrane damage dye identification and vii) membrane cleaning. Pre- and post-FDFO membrane control experiments operated for 5 h whilst each membrane cleaning procedure operated for 30 min. The FDFO experiment operated for 24 h whilst the membrane damage dye identification operated until a minimum of 10 mL water was recovered. The process parameter which largely contributed to a beneficial system performance and specific energy consumption (SEC) was the increase in DS concentration. Water fluxes increased approximately threefold from a DS concentration increase from 0.5 to 1 M, followed by an additional 30 to 50 % rise in water flux at a DS concentration increase 1 to 2 M. SEC decreased by 58 and 53 % for FO and PRO modes, respectively, with a DS concentration increase from 0.5 to 1 M. An additional 35 and 37 % SEC reduction for FO and PRO modes was obtained for a DS concentration increase from 1 to 2 M. Altering the membrane from FO to PRO did not contribute to a beneficial system performance nor did it improve SEC. However, at a DS concentration of 0,5 M, the PRO mode obtained a 5.3 % greater water recovery compared to the FO mode. Conversely, at a DS concentration of 1 and 2 M, the FO mode achieved 5.4 and 7.0 % greater water recoveries compared to the PRO mode. The increase in flow rate also did not increase system performance significantly, however, a fluctuation in system SEC was observed. Throughout the study, no membrane fouling was observed, however, possible minute traces of membrane fouling could be observed from the membrane surface electron microscope (SEM) images. Additionally, minor changes in post- FDFO membrane control water recovery results were noticed which support the possible occurrence of membrane fouling during the FDFO experiment
Analysis of defects occuring on rail tracks
No full textThesis (Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.South Africa’s railway system is the most highly developed in Africa. There are different kinds of transport systems in South Africa but rail transport is considered as one of an important element of the country’s transport infrastructure. In South Africa, over 2.4 million passengers make use of rail transport to get them to their destinations. However, evidence shows that train accidents have become a common occurrence across the country. Train-related accidents such as collision, derailments, platform change incidents and commuter accidents, cost South Africa over R400 million per year. The analysis of derailments indicates that the most significant single contributor to derailments is rail breaks. This contrasts considerably with prescribed relevant local and international benchmarks, which show a much lower percentage of derailments due to rail break. The frequency of derailments due to rail breaks in South Africa seems to be higher in the northern than the southern region. Furthermore, the proportion of rail breaks that result in derailment is considerably higher than the set benchmarks and therefore, if there is a rail break, then the probability of this translating into a derailment is astonishingly high. Equally, the high incidence of derailments due to rail breaks is affected by the train length and axle load and further exacerbated by the absence of track circuitry. Since derailments are a direct function of the incidence of rail breaks, focus is required to characterize the factors causing defects on rail lines. This study investigated steel rail material by characterising the piece of the damaged rail with the aim to gain a better understanding of the wear mechanism. Chemical composition analysis of steel rail sample was conducted with the use of a Scanning Electron microscopy. Hardness of steel rail was measured with a Vickers hardness tester. An Optical Microscopy was used to examine the microstructure features of the worn rail samples.
This study discovered that the worn out rail, which was produced from high carbon steel with pearlite and ferrite microstructure, undergoes decarburization and a plastic deformation process. The decarburization process happens when the rail track is heated to 700 oC and above when the carbon atoms at the surface interact with the atmospheric gases and are removed from the steel as a gaseous phase. Plastic deformation is created when the iron atoms are heated above the elastic point resulting in the permanent movement of iron atoms
A survey of the working environment of medical technologists in South Africa
Get PDFThesis (MSc (Health and Wellness Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018Biomedical Laboratory Technologists play a fundamental role in the diagnosis of disease in patients. Their role in South Africa is currently undergoing profound changes with an emphasis placed on a four-year professional degree that will replace the National Diploma in Biomedical Technology at most Universities of Technology and Comprehensive Universities (UJ and NMU) by 2020. Training and competency programs, along with the retention of experienced staff, remain key in providing accurate laboratory results. It is therefore imperative to investigate this field in factors related to training, work experience and job satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians with regards to salary, interpersonal relationship, continuing professional development (CPD), work ethic and scope of practice within the profession.
A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate salary, career choice happiness and CPD compliance of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians, as well as their perceptions around interpersonal relationships, work ethic and scope of practice. In sampling, a convenience sample was identified, after which a snowballing method was used. A link to a web-based survey was distributed to a group of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians who attended the Society of Medical Laboratory Technology of South Africa (SMLTSA) Medical Laboratory Professionals congress. This congress was held in 2015 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
A sample of 144 Medical Technicians and Medical Technologists was obtained, of which 98.6% were registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Only 54.2% were active members of the Society of Medical Laboratory Technologist of South Africa. Age (r = 0.674, p < 0.05) and years worked at current employer (r = 0.533, p < 0.05) proved to have stronger relationships with salary than education (r = 0.195, p < 0.05). Those employed in the public sector earned significantly lower salaries than those in any other sector (p < 0.05), with the exception of those working in independent practice. Both Medical Technologists (44.2%) and Medical Technicians (34.4%) perceived that they did not receive the respect they deserved from Pathologists in their working relationship. In addition, 31.3% of Medical Technicians perceived that their roles were regarded as of lesser value, and that their knowledge, training and attained qualifications were not recognised by the Pathologists. Despite this, this study concluded respondents were generally happy with their career choice, as 71.9% of respondents reported. Findings of this study serve as a strong foundation for additional research on the topic of career happiness versus job satisfaction and retention of staff in medical diagnostic laboratories
Responses of selected enterprises to the amended broad-based black economic empowerment legislation in Cape Town, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) has been the epitome of policy reform pervading South Africa (SA) since 1994, the end of apartheid. Often making media headlines, it inherently arrogates itself to all stakeholders engaged in commerce with/within SA. The impetus for the study ensued owing to recent (2013) changes to the B-BBEE legislative landscape. More specifically, the focus of the study was on one segment: Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs), operating within the same realm as Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The rationale for such a focus stemmed from this market segment’s seemingly rigid response to such change, deemed to support this study’s results. The literature review embarked upon in Chapters 2 to 4, that is, collecting secondary data, provided for a solid foundation relative to a subject matter embedded with technical jargon and often driven by highly emotive/subjective inputs from stakeholders. The literature primarily drew from untested assumptions: these were mainly due to the high degree of contentiousness surrounding B-BBEE as subject matter, the lack of research (statistical results) relative to B-BBEE legislative change and more specifically, the lack of the latter relative to this study’s scope. The above introduction initiates the notion of there being inherent demarcations to this study, dictating the most relevant research design and methodology suited thereto. A pragmatic research philosophy was adopted, owing to its qualitative, exploratory enquiry. Furthermore, the unit of analysis, consisting of 16 samples, was conveniently selected. Although convenience sampling was regarded the most suitable approach to collecting data, it gave rise to the study’s biggest limitation: its inability to generalise findings. On that note, its findings were in line with the researcher’s precedential assumption upon its initiation: legislative change to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) for Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) lead(s) to non-compliance and impeded transformation goals. The results give rise to a plethora of valuable insights into the dynamics of the industry, not only for strategic direction to be set for/by stakeholders on both a micro and macro level, but also providing a solid foundation relative to further research to be embarked upon – a notion highly advocated in supporting the integration of sustainable transformation in modern South Africa (SA)