Cape Peninsula University of Technology
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Key drivers and challenges of succession planning and implementation in family-owned businesses at a selected township in Cape Town, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration (Entrepreneurship))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Family-owned businesses have long played a significant role in the economies of the developed countries and are rapidly becoming an equally dominant force in those of developing countries. Family businesses are also recognised as a potential driver of economic growth and the creation of wealth throughout the world. The significant contribution which family businesses have been making to the South African economy over the last 300 years is made evident by the fact that approximately 80% of businesses in South Africa could be classified as family businesses and the equally compelling fact that they comprised of the order of 60% of the companies which were listed on the (JSE) Johannesburg Stock Exchange during its infancy.
The main objective of the study was to determine the drivers of planning for succession in family-owned businesses in the township of Gugulethu in Cape Town in South Africa. The study also undertook to investigate the challenges which family-owned businesses encounter as they endeavour to transfer ownership and control from one generation to the next. The fact that although family-owned businesses contribute significantly to the economy, very often they do not survive a generational transition provides ample justification for undertaking to determine the factors which contribute to successful successions. This research study took the form of a real-time, longitudinal study in which the researcher could experience how the succession process unfolds in the family-owned businesses of the respondents and participants who made up the research sample.
The study made use of a mixed methods approach to collect and analyse the data. In the quantitative study, questionnaires were administered to 120 owners and managers of family-owned businesses, while the qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with owners and managers. The quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, while the data which were obtained from the face-to-face interviews were analysed by means of thematic analysis
The application of good manufacturing practices as a quality approach to food safety in a food manufacturing establishment in the Western Cape South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Quality (Engineering)))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is a segment of quality assurance which
guarantees that food products produced are uniform and controlled to the
appropriate quality standards for their required use and as expected by the
marketing authority. A survey was carried out to assess the awareness and
implementation level of GMP guidelines amongst manufacturers in the Western
Cape, South Africa. Based on a literature review on GMP in the food manufacturing
establishments a research problem was identified forming the crux of the research
which reads as follows: “the lack of enforcement of approved standards within the
food manufacturing establishments in the Western Cape Province, South Africa may
result in the food product quality being questioned by consumers”.
The objective of this study was to assess the awareness and implementation of
GMP among food manufacturing establishments in the Western Cape. The literature
was reviewed to discover what is currently known concerning GMP in the food
manufacturing industries. Fresh food produce manufacturing establishments in the
Western Cape Province South Africa were targeted for this study, with 52
responding to the questionnaires.
Data was collected by means of self-administered structured questionnaires and
individual face-to-face interviews with six of the establishments that participated in
the questionnaires. Data for the questionnaires was analysed by means Statistical
Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 19 software programme in order to
generate descriptive statistical results and to determine potential areas for
improvement in the establishments surveyed. Data for individual face-to-face
interview was recorded by transcribing and analysed by inductive reasoning. In
particular, Cronbach’s alpha was utilized to test the reliability of the key items of
GMP
Causes and effects of cost underestimation on construction projects in South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.The South African construction industry is faced with challenges which contribute to unsuccessful project delivery. Cost underestimation have negative contribution to construction projects, the effects and causes of cost underestimation have not been adequately explored with the objective of providing mitigating mechanisms. This study is aimed at investigating factors which contribute to cost underestimation, the prevalence of cost underestimation in relation to causes and effects of cost underestimation, with the final objective to establish mechanisms for efficient mitigation of cost underestimation.
The study review literatures relating to cost estimation, and additional data were collected in form of a structured questionnaire. The questions highlight the following areas; project planning, method and techniques, and tools as factors contributing to cost underestimation; scope changes and risk associated with specialized building works as prevalence of cost underestimation; planning stage, design and material changes risk due to unforeseen factors as causes of cost underestimation; loss of reputation, exposure to risk and financial loss as effects of cost underestimation; and design requirements, effective techniques and planning as cost underestimation mitigation mechanism.
A total of one hundred and forty two (142) emails were sent via the survey website to the selected respondents and seventy four (74) responses were received. A quantitative approach was used and a convenient purposive sampling of respondents was used by handpicking the respondents from the available register of the South African Council for Quantity Surveying Professions (SACQSP) and the general building contractors registered with Construction Industry Development Board (CIBD), construction professionals working in quantity surveying practice and construction firms within and around Cape Town
Development and stabilization of an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing technology demonstrator platform
No full textThesis (MTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Small and micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are rapidly becoming viable platforms for surveillance, aerial photography, firefighting and even package delivery. While these UAVs that are of the rotorcraft type require little to no extra infrastructure for their deployment, they are typically saddled with short ranges and endurance, thus placing a restriction on their usage. On the other hand, UAVs that are of fixed wing type generally have longer range and endurance but often require a runway for take-off and landing which places a restriction on their usage.
This project focuses on the development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV demonstrator suitable for integration on a small or mini flying wing UAV (a fixed wing UAV) to counteract the take-off and landing limitations of fixed wing type UAVs.
This thesis first presents a propulsion characterisation experiment designed to determine the thrust and moment properties of a select set of propulsion system components. The results of the characterisation experiment identified that the propulsion set of a Turnigy C6374 – 200 brushless out runner electric motor driving a 22 x 10 inch three bladed propeller will provide approximately 79N (8kg) of thrust at 80% throttle (4250rpm). Therefore, two of these propulsion set would satisfy the platform requirement of 12kg maximum take-off mass (MTOM).
The result of the abovementioned experiment, together with the VTOL platform requirements were then used as considerations for the selection of the suitable VTOL method and consequently the design of the propulsion configuration. Following a comparison of VTOL methods, the tilt-rotor is identified as the most suitable VTOL method and a variable speed twin prop concept as the optimal propulsion configuration
Critical project leadership competencies in mechanical engineering in the Cape Town municipal area, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Leadership and how it impacts on the performance of human beings remains to wide and to generic to define in a one stop shop. The inability of the research community to have one definition of this well researched topic, complicates the process of identifying those critical factors that lead to effective leadership. Sometimes, incorrectly so, leadership and management are interchangeably used when they do not always mean the same thing. Whilst both can be found in an individual, they are different with leadership relating to personality as compared to management which relates to formal position. Because leadership resides in the person of the individual, it lands itself into different styles as they pertain to the knowledge, understanding, education, culture and experience of the leader. Project management or leadership, is unique because of the unique nature of the project and the environment in which projects are executed. A special type of leadership is presumed to be able to provide effective leadership in the presence of the matrix structure leading to the authority gap, the temporary nature of the project leading to labour instability, and the square root parameters against which the success of the project are measured. The findings clearly indicate that there are certain behavioural patterns necessary to provide effective project execution in the risky and unpredictable project terrain
Antibiotics in the Diep River and potential abatement using grape slurry waste
No full textThesis (MTech (Chemistry))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Pharmaceuticals have found extensive application in human health management. They are released into the environment through urine, excreta and inappropriate disposal methods. Residues of pharmaceutical products have been reported to show toxic consequences in some freshwater and marine organisms. Antibiotics are one of the most important groups of common human pharmaceuticals widely in use as prescribed and non-prescribed drugs. Antibiotics and their metabolites have been quantitated in water and found in trace levels. But even at such low concentrations they can maintain high biological activities with potential adverse effects on humans and animals. Unfortunately, many pharmaceutical compounds are resistant to breakdown in the environment, hence they have tendency for environmental magnification, since they are designed to be biologically active. Therefore, there is need to evaluate their environmental levels and their possible abatement methods using simple, cheap and low cost techniques, in order to avert their potential toxic consequences. In this research, a cost effective, robust, selective and rugged method for the analysis of antibiotics in water samples using liquid chromatography was developed, and used for monitoring levels of the selected antibiotics in Diep River. Also, an effective remediation procedure for these contaminants in water was developed using activated carbon produced from grape slurry waste
Social entrepreneurs as architects of community development in Cape Town : problems and prospects
No full textThesis (MTech (Entrepreneurship))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Background and research problem: There have been claims in academic literature that
social entrepreneurs, such as non-profit organisations and hybrid organisations that pursue
social outcomes are architects or innovators of community development. However to date,
there is no conclusive empirical evidence to support that claim.
Main purpose of the study: The main purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of
the opportunities created by social entrepreneurs, as architects of community development,
in communities they operate; identify the main challenges that the social entrepreneurs face
and come up with recommendations of how social entrepreneurs can deal with these
challenges. For the purpose of the study, the focus was on communities especially those
ravaged by various social ills.
Research methodology: A mixed method approach was adopted as the study was
underpinned by two paradigms namely, positivist and interpretivist philosophies. The survey
strategy was used in conducting the inquiry. Data was collected using semi-structured
questionnaires which were self-administered to 150 community members selected randomly.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 respondents. Computer aided statistical
method was used to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data was analysed using noncomputer
aided thematic techniques.
Main findings, conclusions and recommendations: The study found that the majority of
social entrepreneurs studied have been making positive contributions to various aspects of
community development. However, none of them has embraced the whole range of
community development aspects that are needed for a holistic approach to comprehensive
contribution. Reasons for failure to embrace a holistic approach include a lack of social
entrepreneurship development framework, and various operational and political challenges. It
is also important to mention that the research techniques used are not adequate to measure
certain types of social impacts of the social entrepreneur's efforts. For these, additional social
impact measuring techniques would need to be developed and employed
Permeable reaction barrier system for the treatment of textile wastewater using cobalt oxide
No full textThesis (MEng (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have gained considerable interest in the wastewater treatment industry. Low selectivity to organic pollutants and the high oxidation potentials provided by the free radicals produced from these processes are the root of this interest. Hydroxyl radical based AOPs seemed to dominate the field but recently sulphate radical based AOPs started to become more popular due to their even higher oxidation potential.
The textile industry is known to be a considerable contributor to wastewater production. Many pollutants in this wastewater are organic pollutants which are very persistent to the more traditional treatment processes such as biological treatment and membrane filtration. Numerous studies have shown the potential and success of catalytic AOPs for the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. One such process is the use of a cobalt oxide nano-catalyst in conjunction with a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) oxidizer (Co3O4/PMS). The shortcoming with nano-catalysts however are the difficulty of recovering the catalyst in a slurry system or the effective immobilization of the catalyst in a continuous system.
To address the issue of nano-catalyst immobilization, two different methods were used in the study to effectively immobilize the catalyst in a substrate. The methods were compared by utilizing the permeable reaction barriers in a continuous flow reactor. A bench scale reactor of 2.4 L/hr was designed and used to study the effect of PMS, catalyst mass and flow rate on the degradation efficiency and to determine the residence time and catalyst per PRB cross-sectional area ratio. A scale up rationale was formulated based on a constant residence time and the catalyst mass per PRB cross-sectional area ratio. Two design correlations were developed to predict the size of the permeable barrier and the catalyst mass required for the scale up PRB system. These parameters were used to design a reactor 30 times that of the bench scale reactor. In both reactors the optimum degradation occurred within 2 minutes indicating the success for catalyst immobilization and the development of a continuous reactor utilizing the Co3O4/PMS advanced oxidation technology
Determination of effective dose and entrance skin dose from dose area product values for barium studies in adult patients at a large tertiary hospital in the Western Cape
No full textThesis (MSc (Radiography))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.Background and objectives
The issue of patient doses received during fluoroscopy procedures, raised concerns for the researcher, as there may have been probable past skin injuries or deterministic injuries that may not have been documented. Amongst the radiology staff, there was very little understanding of what the actual dose area product (DAP) value means in real terms of effective dose and entrance skin dose. The aims of the study were to:
i) Measure the radiation doses received by the patient and determine a simple means of defining the DAP value to the radiographer in terms of the dose received by the patient.
ii) Determine the effective dose, entrance skin dose and the relationship with the DAP value to assist with developing a conversion co-efficient for dose indicators.
Method
Direct radiation dose measurements can be obtained through DAP meters attached to the diagnostic equipment, but the DAP value is not an direct indication of the effective dose received by the patient. The DAP values captured from the DICOM header information for barium fluoroscopic procedures at a large tertiary was analysed and Diagnostic Reference levels (DRL) were determined for barium swallow, meal and enema procedures. The effective and skin doses were calculated by means of the Monte Carlo program. The results were compared to published values. The relationship between the entrance skin dose and the DAP value was determined and conversion factors were calculated.
Results
Correlation between the DAP and entrance skin dose and comparative 75th percentile threshold values were determined for barium swallow (BaS), barium meal (BaM) and barium enema (BaE) procedures. Effective to DAP conversation factors for BaS, BaM and BaE are 0.19, 0.26 and 0.60 respectively and 0.15, 0.11 and 0.14 for entrance skin to DAP.
Conclusion
The the research showed the relationship between the effective dose, entrance skin dose and DAP value and a simple, practical and applicable explanation of the DAP value by means of conversion factors
Performance evaluation of an up- and down-flow anaerobic reactor for the treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in South Africa
No full textThesis (DTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.The process of anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technologies to treat wastewater in the agricultural sector. In South Africa, in some industries in the agricultural sector, such as the poultry industry in particular, slaughterhouses have the highest consumption of potable water, culminating in the production of a large quantity of high strength wastewater. This high consumption of potable water has become a concern in South Africa due to water scarcity and reduced rainfall attributed to global warming, including weather changes. Furthermore, the generation of a large volume of wastewater poses environmental pollution concerns. The wastewater from poultry slaughterhouses can be quite easily treated to a suitable quality for reuse, using various bioreactor systems that utilise low cost anaerobic digestion processes. However, as this wastewater contains a high quantity of biodegradable organic matter – with the primary pollutants being proteins, blood, fats, oil and grease (FOG) – selecting a suitable anaerobic reactor configuration (up-flow vs down-flow) plays an important role in achieving high reactor performance. In this study, both the up-flow, (i.e. Expanded Granular Sludge Bed Reactor) and the down-flow (i.e. Static Granular Static Granular Bed Reactor), were studied to quantitatively determine their performance in treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater.
Firstly, the feasibility of treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater with an up-flow Expanded Granular Sludge Bed Reactor (EGSB) coupled with anoxic and aerobic bioreactors was investigated at an HRT of 7 (168 hr), 4 (96 hr) and 3 (72 hr) days using organic loading rates of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 gCOD/L.day. The averaged tCOD removal for the EGSB reactor was 40%, 57% and 55%, respectively, at the various OLRs and HRTs investigated. The overall tCOD removal of the system (EGSB-anoxic/aerobic) at high OLR of 1.0 gCOD/L.day was increased to 65%. The redundant performance of the up-flow EGSB reactor was attributed to the periodical sludge washout experienced during its operation due to high FOG and TSS concentrations in the influent. Due to the periodic sludge washout, the reactor required continuous re-inoculation resulting in the EGSB being operated for a short period (i.e. 26 days). As a result of such system deficiency, it was recommended that to improve the performance of the up-flow EGSB reactor in treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater, a pre-treatment system – such as a Dissolved Air Floatation system (DAFs) or a FOG skimmer – is required to reduce the FOG and total suspended solids (TSS) load prior to the wastewater fed to the EGSB. This will minimise system failure and the need for a continuous re-inoculation of the system (see Appendix C for improved operation strategy of the EGSB reactor). Furthermore, a system redesign was recommended, thus the use of the SGBR.
Secondly, after the EGSB system evaluation, the performance of a down-flow system (i.e. SGBR) for the new design, the following were deemed appropriate for improved system (SGBR) design: 1) reduced HRT for high wastewater treatment through-put rates; 2) the ability to adequately treat the wastewater with higher organic loading rates; and 3) reduction of the plant footprint by using a membrane filtration system (i.e. a single process unit) to effectively reduce process requirements needed for the anoxic/aerobic bioreactors (i.e. n=2 process unit) used with the EGSB. Similarly, for large-scale operations, it is advisable to have a backwash system to adequately handle declogging processes (i.e. these systems modifications were evaluated in the SGBR).
The SGBR, coupled with an ultra-filtration (UF) membrane system, was then investigated for treating the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater at an HRT of 55 hrs and 40 hrs, including average OLRs of 1.01 and 3.14 gCOD/L.day, respectively. The average maximum performance of the SGBR in terms of tCOD, TSS and FOG removal was > 90% at the OLRs and HRTs investigated. The UF membrane system used as a post-treatment system further yielded a system performance improvement for tCOD, TSS and FOG of 64%, 88% and 60%, respectively. The overall performance of the combined system (SGBR and UF membrane system) in terms of tCOD, TSS and FOG removal was 98%, 99.8% and 92.4%, respectively. The highest performance for the down-flow SGBR was attributed to its ability to retain granulated sludge in the reactor while maximizing the digestion of the organic matter fed into the reactor, even at higher OLRs. Furthermore, for effective declogging, the implementation of a periodic backwash system to effectively remove dispersed fine sludge particles in the underdrain and excessive suspended solids entrapment was observed to ease the system operational deficiencies