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Work-integrated learning assessment methods for hospitality students at a university of technology in the Western Cape, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management) --Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.A key focus of higher education institutions is to produce employable graduates. Many institutions now include a work-integrated learning (WIL) component in their courses, as research has shown that students exposed to WIL have a greater opportunity of finding employment after graduation. WIL has formed an integral part of the hospitality management qualifications offered by the Cape Town Hotel School (CTHS) for many years. From January 2019, the current hospitality management qualification is being replaced with a new qualification, the Diploma in Hospitality and Hotel Management (Dip.H&HM), in alignment with the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF). The WIL component will remain in the new qualification under a new name, Hotel Practice, and it is necessary that the learning outcomes of the WIL subject are aligned with the day-to-day work of the WIL placement. Furthermore, it is crucial that the WIL component is assessed adequately to meet the learning outcomes of both the subject and the qualification as a whole. There has been some concern that students exposed to WIL for the qualification as presently offered are not being adequately assessed in terms of the learning outcomes of the courses they are taking. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the assessment procedures for CTHS students recently on WIL placements, and from the results, determine the most appropriate assessment tools and procedures for the assessment of the new qualification, in order to meet the learning outcomes of the subject, Hotel Practice. The population for this study were the CTHS students registered for the WIL subject in 2017, as well as the hospitality establishments in the Western Cape that accepted the CTHS students for their WIL placements. Because the population of students was small, the sample group was the whole population. The sampling technique used for selection of hospitality establishments depended on which establishments that accepted students for WIL placements in 2017. The data was collected via an online survey and all responses were anonymous. The findings showed that only half of the student sample felt that they were assessed adequately, and that a new assessment process to encourage formative assessment feedback is required. A revised assessment form would encourage the monitoring of the learning outcomes for the WIL subject. The study therefore recommends the implementation of a new assessment form for the Dip. H&HM
Effects of outsourcing on the logistics performance of selected small and medium manufacturing enterprises in Cape Town, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.South Africa for more than three decades has been described as the economic capital of Africa because of its level of industrialization, production, interactions and business transactions with other companies locally, nationally, regionally and globally. This situation goes hand in hand with the continual emergence in South Africa of business organizations, notably major international groups or their subsidiaries, other foreign or national large corporations, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The SME sector has significantly emerged in industries such as retail and manufacturing that produce a wide variety of consumer goods and related services. They produce services and goods that are destined for both local and international consumption. Similarly, they are also sourcing goods and services from local or international suppliers. Consequently, SMEs are involved in a complex supply chain management challenges and are exposed to the chain’s intense logistics activities. The main objective of this study was to determine how outsourcing can improve effectively the logistics performance of wine producing SMEs in the manufacturing sector. The findings from the interviews conducted with 16 personnel responsible for logistics performance from selected small and medium wine producers in Constantia, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, offer support for the assumption that outsourcing is a key to logistics performance in SMEs. The general outcome of the study suggests that logistics performance of SMEs is dependent on their ability to manage outsourcing of logistics services. Thus, knowing beforehand the “what for” of outsourcing is very important determinant for driving logistics performance, especially defining, assessing and measuring the performance objectives the SMEs expect from outsourcing and choosing logistics partners that can meet these objectives
The impact of project maturity on project performance in the Cape Metropole
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Organisations in both private and public sector have embraced Project Management as the ideal means of managing projects with the hopes of ensuring that they deliver their intended benefit. Projects have therefore become particularly prominent within the public sector including Municipalities, as a means of fulfilling developmental goals and delivering services. This has resulted in organisations investing
considerable resources to ensure that they build the capacity needed to effectively manage projects. This investment usually takes the form of training and development of project managers or adopting and implementing project management methodologies with clear processes that guide how projects are managed. Within academia there has also been a broad spectrum of research devoted to the field of project management. A major focus area of project management research has been to determine the value of Project Management by measuring aspects of an organization’s project management performance and how best they can improve it to ensure project success. However, despite the advances in Project research and the practice of project management, organisations continue to face low project success rates. Findings from previous research has found that project management is very context
specific and that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to implementing project management practices. Therefore, organisations should be tailoring their project management approach to best suit their unique needs. This study has therefore chosen to evaluate project management performance within
Municipalities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The aim of which was to find how best municipalities can improve their current performance and ensure project success. The rationale for this research is further supported by evidence which indicates that project management within the public sector is generally less developed than in the private sector. In this study a construct was developed to define project management performance consisting of Project Management Maturity, the impact of project teams and effective project partnerships. Project management maturity was analysed adapting a project
management maturity model developed by Labuschagne and Marnewick (2008). Project success was defined by five project success criteria that were identified through literature reviews. The success criteria consisted of the completion of a project within time, budget, quality requirements, satisfaction of the public’s needs and ensuring organizational success. A survey questionnaire was developed and
distributed to 108 project managers working within a selected municipal department in South Africa.
The results of this research has provided evidence of the link between project management performance and project success within municipalities. These findings provide insights on which aspects of their project management practice a municipality should focus on and develop to maximise project success. In addition, the research also contributes to a deeper insight into the application, benefits and pitfalls of project management maturity models
Adoption of cloud computing services amongst the micro-enterprise sector in Cape Town
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Information Systems))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Micro-enterprises play a vital role towards the South Africa’s economic growth by contributing towards job creation. Despite the importance of the role of micro-enterprises, micro-enterprises face several challenges such as lack of finance, lack of skilled workers and lack of technological resources. Previous studies indicate that Information Technology has a distinct role in assisting micro-enterprises overcome several challenges. It is further evidenced in the extant literature that cloud computing, provides a low cost entry for enterprises to support several facets of their business operations. In the current era cloud computing requires a constant as well as fast internet connection and the South African government has various interventions to address the infrastructure divide. However, we have a scant understanding of the adoption challenges amongst micro-enterprises to adopt cloud solutions, which to date feature more prominently amongst larger organisations. This research investigated the factors that influence cloud computing adoption in the micro-enterprise sector in Cape Town. This is a city that promotes the contribution of micro-enterprises to their economic activity, and was such an ideal location to investigate cloud computing adoption amongst the micro-enterprise sector. This research provides a rich understanding of the factors that influence micro-enterprises in Cape Town to adopt cloud computing services and proposes guidelines to encourage micro-enterprises in Cape Town to use cloud services to improve their productivity. The researcher uses the UTAUT model as a framework and a qualitative research methodology to investigate the research question. Data for this research study was collected via face to face interviews with semi-structured questions of ten micro-enterprises and an IT expert. The findings showed that the factors influencing the adoption of cloud computing services are performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, lack of training, cost efficiency and reduction of working hours
The possible therapeutic effects of vindoline on testicular and epididymal function in diabetes-induced oxidative stress male Wistar rats
Get PDFThesis (MSc (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018Diabetes mellitus is defined as a group of metabolic disorders characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia due to insufficient production and/or action of insulin and is regarded as one of the major sources of morbidity, mortality and economic burden to the modern society. A large body of scientific evidence support the fact that oxidative stress is elevated in diabetic conditions. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the development of secondary complications of diabetes including diabetes-linked male sexual dysfunction. The management of sexual dysfunction as a secondary complication of diabetes relies on the management of the underlying diabetic condition. Glycaemic control and increased antioxidant protection are therefore necessary in the management of diabetes-induced oxidative stress male infertility.
Pharmacological management of diabetes in form of various antihyperglycaemic, synthetic drugs has improved the outlook of diabetic patients; however, they are expensive, harbour unfavourable adverse effects and some have done little to prevent secondary complications of diabetes including diabetes-induced male sexual dysfunction. In addition to this, access to basic technologies for the management of diabetes mellitus and its secondary complications is still a challenge in low resource areas. Because of these challenges, there is a need to search for alternative remedies such as medication from natural products which are more affordable, well tolerated by the human body and are easily accessible. Medicinal plants are therefore viewed as an easily accessible and potent source of antioxidants capable of scavenging free radicals and fighting diabetes-induced oxidative stress. This study therefore investigated the effects of vindoline; an alkaloid extractable from Cantharanthus roseus in ameliorating diabetes-induced oxidative stress effects in testicular and epididymal tissues using male Wistar rats.
Forty-eight (48), 6-week old male Wistar rats weighing between 190-230g with a conventional microbial status were divided into 6 groups, n=8, and used for this research project. Group 1 was the normal control, group 2 comprised non-diabetic rats treated with vindoline, and group 3 was the non-diabetic group of rats treated with glibenclamide- the standard drug for the treatment of diabetes. Group 4 was the diabetic control, group 5 comprised diabetic rats treated with vindoline and group 6 was the diabetic group of rats treated with glibenclamide. Diabetes was induced in group 4, group 5 and group 6 rats by subjecting them to 10% fructose water over a period of 2 weeks and thereafter, administering a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg b.w streptozotocin (STZ). Fasting blood glucose levels were measured 72 hours after STZ injection and hyperglycaemia was confirmed where fasting blood glucose levels were more than 18mmol/l.
The diabetic control (group 4) had higher fasting blood glucose levels, lower body weights as well as lower testicular and epididymal weights in comparison to the normal control (group 1). Additionally, the extent of lipid peroxidation in testicular and epididymal tissues of the diabetic control (group 4) was higher in comparison to that of the normal control (group 1). The diabetic control had lower testicular and epididymal antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and lower oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) in comparison to the normal control. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in testicular and epididymal tissues of the diabetic control (group 4) were not significantly different from those of the normal control (group 1).
Treatment of diabetic rats with vindoline (group 5) for 5 weeks significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels although the extent of reduction could not restore diabetic blood glucose levels to near-normal levels. Overall, treatment of diabetic rats with vindoline was able to minimise testicular oxidative stress as reflected by reduction in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, results of this study showed an increase in both testicular and epididymal catalase activities, an increase in epididymal SOD, an increase in testicular ORAC as well as an increase in both testicular and epididymal FRAP levels after 5 weeks of treating diabetic rats with vindoline (group 5). Epididymal lipid peroxidation levels, epididymal ORAC levels and testicular SOD levels of diabetic rats treated with vindoline (group 5) were however not significantly different from those of the diabetic control (group 4). Treatment of diabetic rats with vindoline or glibenclamide could not restore total body weights and testicular weights of group 5 and group 6 rats respectively, to near-normal levels. Furthermore, epididymal weights and testicular SOD activity of diabetic rats treated with vindoline (group 5) were not significantly different from those of the normal control (group 1).
In conclusion, findings from this study demonstrated that treatment with vindoline could have protective effects against diabetes-induced oxidative stress in both testicular and epididymal tissues of male Wistar rats. Vindoline can therefore be considered a potential agent for the management of diabetes-induced oxidative stress male sexual dysfunction. Further studies with advanced technologies are however recommended to study the possible efficacy of vindoline in ameliorating diabetes-induced oxidative stress male sexual dysfunction. Furthermore, studies on the dose-dependent effects and long-term effects of vindoline administration on male reproductive function as well as the overall safety of treatment with vindoline are necessary
Saturated absorption spectroscopy of rubidium and feedback control of LASER frequency for Doppler cooling
No full textThesis (MTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.This research investigates the absorption spectra of rubidium and the feedback
control of an external cavity diode laser. This research is a necessary
prerequisite for laser (Doppler) cooling and trapping of rubidium atoms.
Cooling rubidium atoms down to such low temperatures can be achieved
using the Doppler cooling technique. Here a laser is tuned to remain resonant
with a speci c atomic transition. To do this, the absorption spectra of
rubidium must therefore be observed. All of the above require a reasonable
knowledge about topics such as atomic physics, laser cooling and trapping,
feedback control systems, and absorption spectroscopy. A discussion of these
topics is provided.
We have utilised an experimental setup which allowed for measurements
of the Doppler broadened and Doppler free absorption spectra of rubidium,
as well the analysis of the Zeeman e ect on the Doppler free spectra. The
setup consisted of a saturated absorption spectrometer for high resolution
spectroscopy and a Michelson interferometer for calibrating our measurements.
In analysing the Zeeman e ect we added a set of Helmholtz coils to
the saturated absorption spectroscopy arrangement to measure the splitting
of the hyper ne energy levels.French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI)
National Research Foundatio
Mapping product design as a transdisciplinary service
No full textThesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Design is a highly complex process. It involves various stakeholders, processes and interactions that need to work coherently in order to result in a successful design or product. It needs to be acknowledged that offering design as a successful service is not simply an interaction between a customer and a single designer, but in reality is far more complex and detailed. In today’s society, it is no longer sufficient for design-businesses to only focus on providing a well designed end product. Instead, customers now seek value in superior experiences from the services they use. Design-businesses thus need to shift their current outward focus to also create and design superior service experiences. Owing to the intangible complexities and intricacies within design as a
service it makes it incredibly challenging to improve or enhance. Skeg Product Development, a leader in the Product design industry in South Africa, was used as a single case study to offer a real-world working context of Product design as a service. This study used purposefully selected Service design tools and techniques, such as the customer journey and service blueprint, for co-design workshops. Three workshops were facilitated in order to co-design maps with employees from various functions within the case study. Workshop 1 required participants to map their ideal customer journey. This was used to identify an area of focus within the case study that would benefit the most from improved visualisation. Workshop 2 and 3 used a service blueprint
to map the existing front of stage- and backstage interactions and processes respectively. The mapped findings were supplemented by informal interviews with employees as well as continuous observations within the case study. It was found that Product design as a service, although the experience is subjective to each customer and project, is filled with intangible challenges and intricacies. It had been identified that managing customer expectations is currently the biggest challenge in offering Product design as a service. Although this was found to be a crucial obstacle to the customer experience, with multiple
discussions around the topic, very little is actively being done to address it. It was also identified that current internal processes are not completely understood in terms of what they entail or their purpose to the service. This was found to be especially true across the various functions. This holds significant consequences for employees, the service and ultimately the customers.
During the course of the study a number of themes and topics emerged. These include the success criteria for Product design as a service, as well as the significance of understanding roles and processes. The challenge of managing customer expectations in an unpredictable context is also addressed. The study subsequently presents two means for design-businesses to shift their focus to backstage processes in order to mitigate this challenge. The emerged themes speak to the greater industry of Product design as well as the developing field of Service design. This research is aimed at any individual, business or employee involved in the design industry. This includes anyone who has a role in delivering design as service who could benefit from a clearer
understanding of the challenging context in which they work. It would also be beneficial to an individual or business who may want to suggest adjustments or changes to improve design as a service in future
A framework for talent management in the higher education sector : a study at a selected university of technology, Western Cape, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.As the worldwide demand for quality higher education seems to be increasing, growing concern for the foreseeable future over the supply and talent retention of researchers and academics has become a major discussion amongst higher education institutions in South Africa Higher Education South Africa (HESA, 2014). Today almost half of South Africa’s population is under 25 years old and 30 percent are under 15 years old (World Bank, 2015:38). While the country is experiencing this demographic window of opportunity, the majority of academics are entering the retirement phase of their careers (HESA, 2014). Under such circumstances, these academic staff will need to be replaced with talented employees thus alerting scholars to investigate the issue. To reach target levels of education and skills development which will promote growth and development of the economy, it will be essential for the country to attract talented academic staff (Zuma, 2014). It is essential for South Africa to attract academic staff in order to enable government to reach target levels of education and skills development which will promote growth and development of the economy (Zuma, 2014). Retaining academic staff will further ensure that tertiary institutions accomplish their visions and missions and thereby becoming centres of excellence (Ng’ethe, Iravo and Namusonge, 2012). In a study by Currie (2006:119) it was found that the financial costs associated in losing experienced academic staff makes it necessary to retain them. Currently, there appears to be limited research studies on talent attraction and retention factors in higher learning institutions. Previous scholars that have attempted to research into talent management components in higher education (Theron, Barkhuizen and du Plesis, 2014) only focused on factors in academic turnover and retention factors while some scholars only researched on intention to quit factors amongst Generation Y academics in higher education (Robyn and du Preez, 2013). The talent management domain is not receiving enough attention and gaps in research seem to exist in the context of talent management system in higher learning institutions. The research focused on the emerging trends relating in the discipline of talent management specifically on talent attraction and retention which have become predominant topics in the higher education. The study provides comprehensive overview of challenges and obstacles that are found in the aspect of talent management within the higher education sector. It is against this background that the primary aim of the researcher was to introduce a framework model to attract and retain talented employees as the means to harness the issue of talent management in the higher education sector
Design of integrated processes for a second generation biorefinery using mixed agricultural waste
No full textThesis (Doctor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Lignocellulosic biomass (agro-waste) has been recommended as the most promising feedstock for the production of bioalcohols, in the biofuel industry. Furthermore, agro-waste is well-known as the most abundant organic matter in the agricultural and forestry product processing industry. However, the challenge with utilizing agro-waste as a feedstock is its highly recalcitrant structure, which limits hydrolysis to convert the holocelluloses into fermentable sugars. Conventional pre-treatment methods such as dilute acid, alkaline, thermal, hot water and enzymatic, have been used in previous studies. The challenge with these conventional methods is the generation of residual toxicants during the pretreatment process, which inhibits a high bioalcohol yield, by reducing the microbial populations’ (fermenter) ability to be metabolically proficient during fermentation. Numerous studies have been developed to improve the engineered strains, which have shown to have an ability to reduce the inhibition and toxicity of the bioalcohols produced or by-products produced during pre-treatment, while enhancing the bioalcohol production. In the present study (chapter 5), evaluation of common conventional methods for the pretreatment of the mixed agro-waste, i.e. (˃45µm to <100µm) constituted by Citrus sinensis, Malus domestica peels, corn cobs from Zea mays and Quercus robur (oak) yard waste without a pre-rinsing step at a ratio of 1:1 at 25% (w/w) for each waste material, was undertaken, focusing on hot water pre
treatment followed by dilute acid (H2SO4) pre-treatment. To further pretreat the mixed agro-waste residue, cellulases were used to further hydrolyse the pre-treated agro-waste in a single pot (batch) multi-reaction process. The TRS concentration of 0.12, 1.43 and 3.22 g/L was achieved with hot water, dilute acid and cellulases hydrolysis as sequential pretreatment steps, respectively, in a single pot multi-reaction system. Furthermore, a commercial strain was used to ascertain low (C1 to C3) and high carbon content (C4+) bioalcohol production under aerobic conditions. Multiple bioproducts were obtained within 48 to 72 h, including bioethanol and 1-Butanol, 3-methyl, which were major products for this study. However, undesirable bio-compounds such as phenolics, were detected post fermentation. Since multiple process units characterised by chemical usage and high energy intensivity have been
utilized to overcome delignification and cellulolysis, a sustainable, environmental benign pretreatment process was proposed using N. mirabilis “monkey cup” fluids (extracts) to also reduce fermenter inhibitors from the delignification of mixed agrowaste; a process with minimal thermo physical chemical inputs for which a single pot multi-reaction system strategy was used. Nepenthes
mirabilis extracts shown to have ligninolytic, cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities, were used as an enzyme cocktail to pretreat mixed agro-waste, subsequent to the furtherance of TRS production from the agro-waste, by further using cellulase for further hydrolysis. N. mirabilis pod extracts were determined to contained carboxylesterases (529.41±30.50 U/L), β-glucosidases (251.94±11.48 U/L) and xylanases (36.09±18.04 U/L), constituting an enzymatic cocktail with a significant potential for the reduction in total residual phenolic compounds (TRPCs). Furthermore, the results indicated that maximum concentration of TRS obtainable was 310±5.19 mg/L within 168 h, while the TRPCs were reduced from 6.25±0.18 to 4.26 ±0.09 mg/L, which was lower than that observed when conventional methods were used. Overall N. mirabilis extracts were demonstrated to have an ability to support biocatalytic processes for the conversion of agro-waste to produce fermentable TRS in a single unit facilitating multiple reactions with minimised interference with cellulase hydrolysis. Therefore, the digestive enzymes in N. mirabilis pods can be used in an integrated system for a second generation biorefinery
Constraints facing SMEs in the pursuit of job creation : the case of the Cape Metropolis clothing industry
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018The objective of the study was to determine the constraints that SMEs face in the Cape Metropolis Clothing Industry and what owners and managers within the Clothing Industry believe is required to revitalise the industry. SMEs, particularly within the Clothing Industry in the Cape Metropolis, have a vital role to play, in stimulating economic activity, poverty alleviation and raising living standards, which has been widely recognised in most countries. The high level of failure in this regard can be attributed to various reasons, among these being a lack of financial support, training, bottle necks and red tape. In order to obtain information about SMEs in the clothing industry of SMEs within the Cape Metropolis, a mixed method approach was used, both explorative and descriptive and quantitative in nature. A self-developed questionnaire was used to answer multiple choice, dichotomous type, self-assessment type and measure based questions which deal with the state of the clothing industry in the Western Cape, as well as face to face interviews by using the questionnaire as a template. Generally, the findings reveal numerous constraints, the clothing industry in the Cape Metropolis faces, including government assistance, lack of financing, a skilled workforce and cheap imports and buying power of retailers. The opinions of owners and managers in the industry are essential for government and policy makers. Issues that are highlighted include restrictive labour laws, local sourcing and changing customer behaviour and greater demand for their products. Owners and managers should adopt various strategies to remain competitive and to ensure that they remain profitable. Government support and purpose directed policies and programmes are essential for the sector’s survival. The recommendations could lead to better government interventions, and rigorous import controls. This study recommends better coordination between government agencies, interventions, and for owners and managers within the clothing industry as well as retailers and local consumers to revitalise the clothing industry in the Western Cape. However, innovation is essential for the clothing industry to be able to respond effectively to the changing environment which is triggered by globalisation forces. The industry faces a number of challenges. These were considered in the study and recommendations were made to provide guidelines to both government and the industry in order to improve business operations and increase employment